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Take the Land by Clint Cook, Executive Director
In 1994, I was privileged to speak at the General Association held in Nashville, Tennessee. My scripture portion was from Joshua 1. “Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: You are old, advanced in years and there remains much land yet to be possessed.” This passage is very similar to the key scripture chosen for the 2017 Summit theme: Take the Land. Deuteronomy 1:8 says, “See I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore to your fathers . . .” These two passages have some interesting similarities: they both deal with the Promised Land, and they are both statements to Joshua. The difference between the two passages is Joshua’s age. In Deuteronomy, we see a younger Joshua who was following a senior leader. Later we have a seasoned, mature Joshua who had encountered many ups and downs over a 40-year span of time. Joshua 1 shows us a man who had weathered the death of Moses, navigated his growth from warrior to national leader, and witnessed the result of disobedience. It was under Joshua’s leadership that the people of God finally conquered and possessed the Promised Land. Then, in Joshua 13, the Lord gives a very clear analysis: “There remains yet very much land to possess.” Like Joshua and the nation of Israel, each of us is given a similar directive by God to Take the Land. Disciples of Jesus are commanded in the Great Commission to go and make disciples. I see a direct correlation between God’s directive to Joshua and the Great Commission to the church. As a 32-year-old pastor at that G.A., I was a lot like Joshua: young, impetuous, and intimidated. I knew the Great Commission commanded me to share the gospel and make disciples. I also knew of many older General Baptist pastors and preachers who had been blessed with fruitful ministries and growing churches. I recall that I reminded the 1994 audience that the General Baptist movement needs young, middle-aged, and older disciplemakers, because, “There remains very much land yet to be possessed.” Our movement has made wonderful progress for the Kingdom through souls saved, thousands of disciples trained, new churches organized and new international fields opened. Yet, have we run out of communities to change? Has every person we know been won to faith in Christ? No! Just because General Baptists have had some successes, our assignment is not finished. In the midst of our praise to the Lord for these blessings, we must never lose sight of God’s mandate that remains unfulfilled: “There remains very much land yet to be possessed.” So what can we learn from these passages? First, whatever the age of your church, the age of your members, or the age of your pastor, we will give an account one day not only for what we have accomplished, but for what still needs to be done. Second, the Great Commission is an ongoing, never-ending, retirement-free directive to the church. Church member, leader, pastor: our assignment is not complete. There is more land yet to possess! Third, let us remember that making disciples is like fighting those Old Testament Canaanites. Sharing our faith is a spiritual battle that is full of obstacles, obstructions, and strongholds. But it is a battle we must continue to fight. The children of Israel dwelt on the obstacles. They asked, “Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts saying the people are greater and taller than we are. The cities are great and fortified up to the heaven.” (Deuteronomy 1:28) We’re in this fight together. When we Stay Connected, we Stay Strong. Let’s hold fast to God’s response to the nay-sayers in verse 29: “Do not be terrified or afraid of them. The Lord your God who goes before you, He will fight for you.” My prayer is that 2017 will be the year every General Baptist church renews its commitment and obligation to Take the Land for, “There remains very much land yet to be possessed.” 3
Messenger General Baptist
Spring 2017
Table of Contents 3 Take the Land 7 Launch 8 Raise the Roof 12 Day of Poverty 13 Launch Minister Development Program 14 A Calling to Go 16 New Ministry in Baja California Mexico 17 LeadNow National Internship 18 Update from Prakash and Jemima Pamu 20 Christmas Outreach in India 22 One Life Matters 24 Ramadan and 30 Days of Prayer
Launch
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26 Lose 17 Pounds in 2017 29 Getting Ready for the Summit! 30 Summit Registration FAQs 33 Turnaround 2020 34 Leading a Turnaround Church 38 Seven Suggestions to Help Make Easter a Big Day 41 Why Must We Have an Offering? 42 Inside Out - A Worship Leader’s Perspective 44 Trending Now 46 National Missions Sunday
Raise the Roof
A Calling to Go
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Messenger General Baptist
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The General Baptist Messenger is published by General Baptist Ministries (General Baptist Council of Associations, inc), 100 Stinson dr, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901
New Ministry in Baja California Mexico
under the direction of an editorial team composed of the denominational leadership team, and Executive Director, Clint Cook
editorial team: Franklin Dumond Mark Powell Linda McDonough Patti Thornton
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Leading a Turnaround Church
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WHAT IS LAUNCH? By Mark Powell, Director of General Baptist International Ministries
For many years, General Baptist International Ministries has received a VBS offering from churches across the denomination. Launch is an extension of that offering with a new program called General Baptist Day of Poverty with General Baptist youth especially in mind. This year GBIM will produce both VBS and Day of Poverty material with one central goal: to launch General Baptist children and youth in missions’ awareness and involvement. The VBS and Day of Poverty will invite your kids to get involved locally and globally through education and giving. Mission One will be inviting these same youths to join GBIM as interns when they approach college and career age. We pray God will raise up a generation of missional General Baptists prepared to change our world. In this issue of the Messenger you will find articles from Christina Massey, Director of Faith Home, detailing the LAUNCH (VBS) offering and its purpose; GBIM Director, Mark Powell, shares information about the Day of Poverty; and recent intern Kaebra LaGrange shares about her recent internship on Saipan. For more information about LAUNCH, please contact the GBIM office. For specific information about internship please contact Dr. Jim Pratt, Mission One Coordinator, 100 Stinson Drive, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 or 573-785-7746.
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Raise the Roof! By Christina Massey, Director of Faith Home, Honduras
Faith Home has experienced many changes in 2016. Changes in number of children, changes in personnel, and changes in the way we see God. We can’t say enough of the greatness of our God and how we have seen Him move in the lives of the children and the ones who are caring for them.
We have seen sick children miraculously healed, families reunited, and lives literally saved by God’s provision of Faith Home for the abandoned and neglected children of Honduras. But the most important changes are the ones we have seen in the hearts of the children and young adults as they accept Christ and learn to embrace His unconditional love that comforts in all circumstances. Some of their stories bring tears of joy and some just pure thankfulness for our God’s timing, which is always perfect: • One sibling group came with all four children very sick. Two of them spent a week in the hospital. We were told that in another week on the street that they would not have lived. • One of the newborn babies that arrived was so severely malnourished that family services told us later they were surprised he made it through the night. His mother is in prison for stealing food to survive. • One of the young boys who arrived this year told us this was the best Christmas he had ever experienced and one he would never forget. • Many of the new children have shed tears of joy over the simple things of new clothing, shoes and toys (things they never had before). • An 11-year-old was so excited to be able to attend school for the first time…ever. • One child commented to his mother at a supervised visit that they get to eat three times a day …every day!
Ely with Rodney and Teresa Walls
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We are thankful for Faith Home and the people who so generously support this ministry. 2016 has been full of changes mixed with moments that have abundantly blessed the hearts of the children and adults of Faith Home. We are excited to see what changes God has in store for Faith Home as we LAUNCH a new year.
LAUNCH. The VBS offering in 2017 will go to help us to change more lives by bringing more children to Faith Home. Along with the blessing of 33 new children in 2016 (13 of whom were reunited with family) came challenges and extra expenses. We are grateful for all who are helping with additional sponsorships and funds for foster
Isaias with Director Christina Massey
care and new born baby care, but we also have some additional housing needs. Currently all of our casas are occupied. We are keeping the newborns in the missionary houses. Church Planting / Medical Missionaries Rodney & Teresa Walls are the primary caregivers of baby Ely who has hip dysplasia along with fetal alcohol syndrome. Ely arrived when she was a month old and only four pounds. Faith Home Director Christina is the primary caregiver of Isaias who came to us when he was 13 days old and under four pounds. Baby Samuel arrived when he was seven days old and a little over three pounds. We have a night nanny that keeps Samuel and another nanny who works with our teen girls to help with the babies during the day.
Baby Samuel
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Teja roof needs replaced
New metal roof
We have a house for each age group of boys and girls and we are currently at capacity. We are praying for additional staff and children in 2017, which means we need additional housing and repairs to current casas. Casa 3 (destroyed in the earthquake of 2009) is currently being rebuilt but needs an additional $30,000 to complete. Casa 3 will be able to house up to 16 children depending on age. We have built flexibility into the design of this casa, so that it can be used as a toddler house or for older transition children depending on the needs we have at any given time.
The children are growing up quickly, so the dynamic of our campus is constantly changing. Casas 5, 8, and the transition houses outside need metal roofs (approximately $2,000 each) to get the weight of the tejas (clay tile) off of the aging casa walls. There are also several possible remodel plans that could allow us to house more children in 2017, all of which takes additional funding. Please consider how you can help Faith Home LAUNCH 2017 by helping with our housing needs and allowing us to impact more lives in Honduras with the Love of Christ.
Donations to the Faith Home Casa & Roof Projects can be sent to General Baptist International Ministries, 100 Stinson Drive, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901. Please write in the memo line: “Faith Home Building Fund.”
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CHILD SPONSORSHIP as
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faithhome.honduras@gmail.com 573.785.7746
Faith Home children are fully funded by individuals - like you - who are willing to give financially so that the children can have a better life and grow up to do what God has called them to do...reach their country for Christ. When you commit to sponsor a child, you become a partner in our ministry. We will keep you updated about the child, so you can celebrate their life with us, knowing YOU are a vital part. ONE SPONSORSHIP COSTS $20 PER MONTH... ( 67 CENTS PER DAY) Currently it takes 17 sponsorships per child One hundred percent of a child sponsorship goes toward caring for the child. (food shelter, clothing, education, house parents, medical, etc.) SPONSORED CHILD’S NAME:
AMOUNT PER MONTH: $
MY CONTACT INFORMATION: First Name:
Last Name:
Address: City:
State:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Zip:
PAYMENT METHOD: CHARGE MY DEBIT/CREDIT CARD Name as appears on card: Billing address for card: City, State, Zip: Mastercard
Visa
Discover
Card Number: Expiration Date:
CVV#
Amount to Charge: DRAFT MY CHECKING ACCOUNT (form attached) Please fill out ACH agreement & attach to this form I WILL SEND A CHECK (memo Faith Home & child’s name) GBIM 100 Stinson Dr. Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 11
AY OF DA D TY RT POVER by Mark Powell, Director of International Missions
Welcome to Day of Poverty, an opportunity for General Baptist young people to tackle the advancement of the Gospel of Christ through social change! The clear teaching of scripture is for Christ followers to faithfully proclaim the Gospel of Christ. The example of Christ is that proclamation was often accompanied by works of compassion. As General Baptists, we are firmly committed to the proclamation of the Gospel but the focus of our Day of Poverty is also to understand the social climate in which that proclamation is often made. The Challenge Our challenge for your group is to host a Day of Poverty for your church or community. The goals are simple: 1. Understand the mandate of the Gospel is to proclaim Jesus Christ. But also, realize the example of Christ in feeding those who are hungry, healing those who are sick, meeting needs as they are found. 2. Create poverty awareness beginning with your community and then focusing on General Baptist International Ministries’ response to poverty around the world. 3. Respond to poverty in several ways: a. Do something for your local food pantry, food bank, school backpack program, etc. b. Involve your group/school/community in child or student sponsorship. Our programs at this time focus on Honduras, India and the Philippines. 4. Present the LAUNCH fundraising challenge. The challenge for this year is to replace all the existing clay tile roofs at Faith Home, a children’s home in Honduras, and to complete a new cottage for orphaned/abandoned children at Faith Home. We can make a difference one child and one family at a time! The Day of Poverty is part of the GBIM LAUNCH Program: Launching Children and Youth into Missions Awareness and Involvement, designed specifically for General Baptist children and youth. 12
LAUNCH has certain specific goals. • 1. Create missions awareness among General Baptist Children and Youth focusing on their local community as well as our various mission fields. • 2. Engage General Baptist children and youth in mission involvement – again the focus is on community and international ministries. • 3. Create short term opportunity for General Baptist youth and young adults to engage in mission teams and internships. • 4. Allow the Spirit of God to move, through moments of awareness and involvement, and to call from among us those who would GO both short and long term. Each year the General Baptist Day of Poverty will have a different country emphasis (awareness) and special offering goal (involvement). The country of emphasis for this year is Honduras. The offering this year will be to replace all the clay tile roofing material at Faith Home in Honduras with metal. If your group hosts a Poverty Banquet, there will also be an additional emphasis on sponsorship. GBIM facilitates sponsorship programs for children (Honduras and India), students (Philippines and Honduras) and widows (India). GBIM has prepared resources that includes a sponsorship guide to help you understand our various sponsorship programs. With the partnership of Pastor Jeff Roth, Coordinator of the National Youth Conference (NYC), we ask all conference participating youth groups to bring a special offering to NYC for a time of celebration. One gift, worth $1000 off a Mission One trip, will be awarded to the group with the largest special offering. The $1000 gift can be awarded to (or divided among) anyone planning to participate in a Mission One (M1) Team during the latter part of 2017 or anytime in 2018. With NYC as the special offering target date, June 16-18, we suggest your group host its Day of Poverty in April or May. If your group hosts a Day of Poverty or a Poverty Banquet but does not participate in NYC we ask you to send your special gift to General Baptist International Ministries, LAUNCH Offering, 100 Stinson Drive, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901.
LAUNCH MINISTER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The purpose of the Launch Ministry Development Program is to locate, recruit and assist older teenagers and young adults to discover and fulfill their God-given calling as vocational ministers/missionaries.
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Participants are self-referred or referred by Pastor/Youth Pastor to the Launch Program. Participants will also be recruited through NYC, Summit, Association Meetings, Mission Team involvement and other student/young adult gatherings.
2. 3. 4.
Participants will complete the AssessMe Assessment that evaluates the participants’ personality, leadership skills, and spiritual gifts.
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Upon completion of the internship, the participant will again meet with the Assessment Coordinator to determine next steps for ministry involvement including but not limited to additional internship, short term mission assignment, or staff ministry involvement
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Included in the mentoring aspect of the program will be the participant’s involvement in ministry training which could include, LAMP, CTI, and /or formal education.
Participants will have their assessments evaluated by the Assessment Coordinator. Participants will be referred for internship and mentoring based on the results of the assessment. NOTE: The three main categories of referral will be International Ministries, National Missions(Church Plants), and Established Church Ministries
NOTE: National Mission Trips will be developed for students age 12 and up. International Mission Trips will be developed for ages 14 and above. It is hoped that additional participants in the Launch Program will be identified through increased emphasis on mission trip involvement by teenagers and young adults.
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A calling
go... by Kaebra LaGrange, LAUNCH GO Intern
Finding your purpose in life is a difficult task. Many of us go through life searching for it. What is our purpose, and how are we as individuals best able to serve God? That was a question I had been dealing with until recently. It was not until I went on a lifechanging trip that I truly found my calling and what I wanted to do with my life. I went to Saipan on a missionary internship opportunity and left changed. For most of my life I had sort of just glided through. I went to school and decided to settle with an easy major. I felt no calling toward the degree I was pursuing. I was simply doing it to finish school and to be done. I knew it was a fast track way to a decent and easy life. I wouldn’t venture out of my comfort zone. I had everything planned out. That was until God threw me a curveball and my plan crumbled. It felt as though my whole life had crumbled. I now had no idea what I wanted to do with my life or how I was going to do it. I was searching for God, for answers, and for my purpose. God then proceeded to open doors for me and He led me to General Baptist International Ministries. I applied for a missions internship and was thrilled when I got accepted. I was going to go overseas and serve somewhere. It was scary. I had no idea what to 14
expect. I was sent to a school in Saipan. I had no idea where Saipan even was, but I was excited to go. I knew this was God’s plan for me and I was eager to go where He led me. God orchestrates trials and tribulations in life to grow us, deepen our faith, and to push us where He wants us to be. If it wasn’t for my trials I wouldn’t have ended up in Saipan and I wouldn’t have found my calling and love for teaching. In Saipan I felt God truly speaking to me and showing me what He wants for my life. While I was in Saipan my duties at Saipan Community School were being a teacher’s aid, helping around campus wherever they needed me, coaching volleyball, helping in the lunchroom, helping in the library, and substituting. While I was there, one of the teachers left and I had the opportunity to substitute until they found a replacement. After they found a replacement I was allowed to teach Bible in the morning and science in the afternoon. This allowed me to gain experience teaching and was when I truly felt my calling to be a teacher. Saipan is much more than a tiny island. It’s a place with a culture. It’s a place where people welcome you. It’s a place that now has a very special place in
my heart. I went to Saipan because I felt God leading me there. I went to help and to get a feel for being overseas. While I was there I found that I loved it. I loved teaching. I loved being out of my comfort zone. I loved living overseas and exploring the world, and I loved being able to serve. I no longer desire to do the easiest thing. I no longer desire to stay in my comfort zone. And I no longer desire to be complacent and glide through life. I want to live a life of vigor for the Lord, even if it means being overseas. I want to teach and change lives and spread the love of Christ and Good News while I’m doing it. I don’t know if missions or teaching overseas will be something I do for the rest of my life but I do know I’m not finished yet. I plan on doing much more, taking trips and going where God leads me. Through all of this I have learned a lot about myself and about God. I’ve learned lessons that I wouldn’t trade. God is good and I am forever thankful for the opportunity I was given to go be a missionary intern. I am thankful to have found my calling to be a teacher. I am also thankful to have found Saipan and for all the wonderful people I met. God works all things for His glory and I praise Him for all the experiences and opportunities He has given me.
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Ne w Minis t ry in B a j a C a l if orni a Me x ico General Baptist International Ministries is pleased to announce a new work in the Baja California area of Mexico. Pastor Rene Rodriguez and his daughter Eylin have played a key role in the development of this work. General Baptists already have an association of churches in the area and a Bible Institute. The new association has a close connection with General Baptist International as well as the Sheffield Association of General Baptists in southern California. Eylin Rodriguez is the 25-year-old daughter of Pastor Rene Rodriguez, Director of Ethnic Ministry in Southern California. Born in Honduras, at the age of 13 her family moved to the USA. Eylin says of her childhood, “Some people can say that being part of a Pastoral family is difficult, I can say that on the contrary, I am blessed to be able to learn from them. I feel truly blessed to be a witness of the work that our Lord has done through many great men and women who have taken on the privilege of expanding the kingdom of God.” Eylin married Jose Carlos Hernandez, and they have two beautiful children. In 2015 Eylin and Jose Carlos had a long conversation with the director of Sheffield Association of General Baptist Pastor Rene about the necessity of a new work in Mexico. Her family felt the
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call to make themselves available to work for the Lord and go wherever he desired to take them. As Eylin so aptly states it, “so now here we are in Mexico.” On Saturday October 22, 2016, they had their first meeting in Tijuana Baja California, Mexico. Five Pastors decided to associate with General Baptists, giving birth to the Northern Mexico Association of General Baptists. They have also started a Bible Institute under the guidance of Pastor Rene who is the director and teacher of the Bible Institute in California. There are approximately 30 students and 3 fully accredited teachers. To date they are still looking for a more appropriate location between three cities, (Ensenada, Tijuana, and Tecate) since the students come from all three locations. There are a total of eight associated churches who have started working with General Baptists and are ready to carry on the Great Commission. There are more meetings scheduled with pastors who want to know more of the work of General Baptists. Eylin states, “I am honored and thankful for being part of the all the work that is being done through International Missions of General Baptist here in Mexico.” General Baptist International Ministries is currently committed to $200 a month to help sustain the new Bible Institute. If you would like to be a ground floor partner with this new ministry, please contact GBIM, 100 Stinson Drive, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901, 573-785-7746.
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Update from Pr akash a n d J emima Pa mu Dr. and Mrs. Prakash Pamu recently sent an exciting update on their ministry in India. The Pamu family ministry is in the Kakinada/Pithapuram area of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh has a population of 84 million with 1.51% being Christian. As you consider this information please keep that important fact in mind. General Baptists have been working in this area since 1982. • DORCAS SEWING CENTERS (DSC): Ten DSC are now operating among poor people in ten communities. They are 1) Zaddangi ,2) Bodlanka, 3) Bangarayyapeta, 4) Ravikampadu,5) Donthamuru 6) Gollaprolu , 7) U. Kothapalli 8) Rachapalii, 9) Venkatanagaram. 10) Chitrada. More than two hundred girls are in training and listen daily to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks to all our beloved sponsors for this good work. • NEW SEWING MACHINES TO DSC GIRLS: As a Christmas, gift forty DSC girls received sewing machines because of the generosity of General Baptist sponsors in the USA. It is a blessing to all our General Baptists to show the love of Jesus Christ in our deeds. Thanks be to Our Lord for our General Baptists in USA. • DSC AND PASTORS CHRISTMAS: We had a Christmas gathering of over 300 believers, non-believers, DSC girls, Bible women (Bible study leaders) and Pastors on December 27, 2016 at our General Baptist church in Pithapuram. New blankets and bed sheets were given to pastors and Bible women, and new clothes were given to believers as a gift of Christmas. It is wonderful to share gifts on behalf of all our General Baptists in USA. Thanks to one and all of our sponsors. • CHRISTMAS: In our main church at Pithapuram, we had blessed Watch Night Service and New Year worship services. • BAPTISMS: Seven new converts were baptized in the Bay of Bengal on 1st of January 2017. Praise the Lord!
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Christmas Outreach in India Christmas is an important time to many Christians around the world. To Indian Christians it is a big celebration. Churches in India have many activities and preparations to do in the months of October and November. The church will be painted and decorated with lights, balloons, garlands, paper stars and a Christmas tree. Other than decorating, members can also be involved in caroling.   Caroling is a common form of outreach during the whole month of December. Calvary General Baptist ministries has done caroling since the ministry began. During the Christmas season, there are less persecutions from unbelievers, which makes this the perfect time to preach the Gospel. The old way of caroling was going from street to street singing the gospel songs, playing musical instruments, dancing with Santa Claus and giving candy, and preaching the gospel for ten minutes. Unbelievers would come outside to see Santa, why we were singing, or to hear the preaching. However, we decided to do something different in 2016.  This year our caroling method involved more planning and work. A couple of new things were going to village elders and asking them to come and celebrate Christmas with their village people, also the Jesus film. Total we went and asked permission from 22 villages around the Siddipet district. Only eight of the 22 gave permission. This may seem like a low number but we were blessed to do outreach in this many different villages. Caroling in the villages involved a whole new method of outreach. The event lasted three hours or more and included preaching, a visit from Santa, traditional dancers (told Jesus story in a cultural way), showing Jesus film, and 20
a cake cutting to share with everyone. Outreach this year allowed us to share the gospel to 450-500 new people. In the coming years, we hope to do this more and get more response. Our best response came from Boggulabanda, where many raised their hands to receive Christ. We were very thankful to have six new families attend our Christmas day service. They were given free Bibles. We will continue to help them grow spiritually in the Lord.   Many seeds have been sown this Christmas season. We thank the many supporters who prayed for this outreach. An outreach like this does have risks and persecutions as well. One of the eight villages called Appanapalli had given permission but after the gospel
team arrived in the village the elders changed their mind. Only after a Christian family (our church members) went to the police, we got the permission to do the outreach two days later. We are thankful that everyone involved did not get hurt. Please start praying for 2017 and upcoming events. Prayer has helped CGBM India to be able to do great things this year, but greater things will come in 2017. We ask you to continue to pray for us and the ministry in India and also, consider sponsoring shares to keep this ministry making a difference in the lives of people in this needy place. May God bless all of you and continue to use you for His kingdom in 2017.  Visit: CALVARY GRACE GENERAL BAPTIST CHURCHES OF INDIA on FACEBOOK for more photos and videos from Christmas
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ONE LIFE MATTERS by Mark Powell, Director of General Baptist International Ministries
For many years, General Baptists have celebrated the life of Rev. Ed Stevens. Ed Stevens was a missionary who served on Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Chi Chi Jima. He died at an early age while en route to Guam to receive medical treatment. As is often stated, we honor his sacrifice each year through an annual international missions’ offering on the Sunday closest to September 22 in honor of his passing. But is that the only reason we honor this singular life? Not at all. Ed Stevens accomplished an unbelievable amount of good in a few very short years. In doing so his life reminds all of us how one single life, consecrated to God, can have an eternal impact on thousands. The length of Ed Stevens’ ministry as a missionary was
from 1946-1952. He was ordained in 1945 and was on his way to Guam less than one year later. He served briefly on Guam from 1946 – 1947 where General Baptists are the oldest Protestant denomination. He then pioneered a new work on Saipan when General Baptists became the first protestant denomination on that island – making him not only a missionary but a church planter. The next two years were miraculous as Ed Stevens began a new outreach on the nearby island of Tinian to a leper colony, led Vincente Silencino to the Lord and baptized him, and laid the foundation for a new work on the island of Chi Chi Jima as the result of a hospital visit to a man from that island. Ed Stevens in two short years accomplished more than many would in a life time! As a missionary, he pioneered 22
Saipan, Tinian, and Chi Chi Jima. As a church planter, he started the Saipan Community Church which has literally touched thousands of lives. As a pastor/missionary, he ministered to the hurting in the leper colony on Tinian. As a personal evangelist, he led many to the Lord, among whom was a “Filipino boy” who would later become our first General Baptist missionary to the Philippines impacting thousands of lives and producing over 300 churches to date! As a pastor/evangelist he would make a hospital visit to a man from Chi Chi Jima resulting in a new work for General Baptists on that island. The product of these two years has made an eternal impact on so many that only heaven knows the singular value of this one man’s life! The ministries on Guam, Saipan, and the Philippines continue to change lives to the present day. Ed Stevens spent two years back in the States from 19491951 where he finished his degree program at Oakland City University, served as pastor, and tragically lost a son in an accident. Despite the pain of that loss, Ed, his wife Gertie, and son David would return to Chi Chi Jima in the fall of 1951 to continue the work he had pioneered three years earlier. In September 1952 Ed Stevens would fall ill and seek medical attention on Guam. His ship was in sight of Guam and ready to enter the harbor when God called this faithful servant home. What a life! Missionary, Church Planter, Pastor, Evangelist! In really only three years (1948-49, 1952) of missionary life, Ed Stevens made an eternal impact that would result in thousands coming to know Jesus Christ and hundreds of churches being planted! Add to that the impact on lives he had as a pastor during his few short years of stateside ministry and you have a legacy worth remembering. We, therefore, do not honor Ed Stevens because of his death. We honor him because of his life! During 2017 we will celebrate the 100th birthday of Ed Stevens and in doing so we will have the unique opportunity to educate a new generation about the value of a life well lived for God! One life can truly impact 1000s of souls for eternity and change lives for generations to come. We will once again challenge General Baptists to honor this “hero of the faith” and pass his legacy on to future generations. In 1872 a British revivalist, Henry Varley, befriended a young man name D. L. Moody and commented to him “Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to Him?” The words stirred Mr. Moody to become one of the world’s great evangelists. Those same words could well be applied to the life of Rev. Ed Stevens. His singular life reminds all of us what God can do “with a man fully consecrated to Him” no matter how short or long that life may be! 23
RAMADAN & 30 DAYS OF PRAYER by Kris and Nicole Yeomans, GBIM Missionaries
“I only wish you had come to share this news before, so that I could have told my mother,” the elderly Tamajaq man said after hearing the eternally life-saving message of Christ. The Tamajaq are an unreached people group located throughout West Africa - unreached meaning there are little to no known believers among this entire group of people (less than 2% evangelical Christian). The Tamajaq are predominantly Muslims. Like the Tamajaq, there are thousands of other people groups that are predominantly Muslim and unreached with the gospel. Many of these people groups make up approximately 1.5 billion Muslims in the world today. In May and June, Muslims will celebrate Ramadan, a month of intense prayer (5 times daily), fasting from dawn to dusk, and nightly feasts. Many Muslims go on a pilgrimage to Mecca during this time (one of the 5 pillars of Islam). Muslims seek God during the month of Ramadan more than any other time. God is moving throughout the Muslim world in incredible ways. More Muslims are coming to Christ now than in any other time in history. He is drawing more and more Muslims to Himself through dreams and visions, and through His church, people just like you and me, who are committed to loving others as Christ loves us. Whether we are traveling around the world, or simply reaching out to our Muslim neighbors in our communities to share the love of Jesus, we can be a part of God’s exciting plan! God’s plan to reach out to Muslims will look different for each of us. Whether you have Muslim neighbors, co-workers, or if you never meet a Muslim but commit to pray for them, we all can be involved. For us personally, it means living and working among Muslims and unreached people groups to share the love of Christ through training, teaching, and encouraging other believers to reach out to them, as well as for us to focus on evangelism and planting churches. God has called our family to a ministry of reaching out to those who have not heard the gospel. Our desire is to share Christ with as many unreached people as we can, while we have the opportunity before us. Because a large number of these unreached peoples are Muslims, naturally we have a burden for them - to tell them about Christ and how He alone is the way.
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We are faced with the question every day when we encounter Muslims - do we ignore them, turn away from them, or do we share about Christ because He commands us to? We as a church exist to Worship Christ, to know Him and make Him known. General Baptists believe that, preach that and live that and as such, we must continue to place more emphasis on Muslim outreach and reaching the unreached, at home and around the globe. This year, Ramadan is May 27 - June 25, 2017. We urge you and our churches to spend these 30 days to pray for Muslims around the world, that THEY may know Him and help make Him known. The command is to GO. The need is urgent. Will you pray, send, and go? Be involved. Pray. Obey.
\\ For more information, visit www.30daysofprayer.com.
General Baptist National Youth Conference June 16-18, 201 7 Lake Williamson Christian Center
Early Registration Rates available through May 1st. Visit www.gbnyc.org for more information!
LOSE 17 POUNDS IN 2017 By Mat Murphy
Many of us, especially Baptists, get to a physical point where we joke and complain about our health and weight but never do anything to fix the problems. Two of the most common complaints are: 1). because of physical changes I can’t do what I used to be able to do; 2). it is all the fault of potlucks and meetings. Results in this area don’t come easily, so I hope to push you as much as I can with these words because as a fellow General Baptist, I love you and your potential in Christ and don’t want anything to get in our way of doing together what could never be done alone. There are four areas of health we must balance and maintain: spiritual, intellectual, relational, and physical. As pastors and church leaders, the hope is to have the first three down pat. We have a great relationship with God, we study His Word and works from others to inform us about culture and church health, and our whole goal as
Christians is to be friends and show God’s love To help address the physical health of believers I am challenging us to lose 17 pounds in 2017. The principles I suggest here can help anyone lose weight and improve their spiritual disposition at the same time! This is the most important sentence in the whole article: Take your time. If you are too aggressive you may hurt yourself or lead to burn out. You can reach this goal of losing seventeen pounds in 2017 by losing a pound and a half per month! This goal could work for many General Baptists. If you are in the minority who have stayed in a position where you physically do not have seventeen extra pounds, either through being blessed with a higher metabolism or by dedication (which is the more common reason) I encourage you to read and pass this article along to someone in need.
1. Drink water. This has two parts: 1). our goal
should be to drink 1 gallon per day. 2). Order water at the restaurant. Then, since you’re drinking water, send the money you’ve saved to either National or International Missions so we can see others introduced to the Living Water. If you need caffeine, bring dark chocolate chips and eat 5-10; I’d encourage you to put them in a small container to limit how many you bring.
2. No Bible, no breakfast. This improves our
walk with the Lord Starting our day with God’s Word will feed and sustain our needs throughout the day and give us a more refined understanding in bypassing temptations. Taking the initiative and responsibility of your health goals by reading God’s Word before breakfast allows you to approach the God of the universe in intercessory prayer for those around this country and world who don’t have the opportunity for spiritual or physical nourishment.
3. Don’t eat after 9 PM.
These are guidelines. I offer that disclaimer so that no one judges me when they see me at the Minister’s Conference or the Summit at Steak ’n Shake after 9 PM. These will probably be two of less than ten times this happens the entire year. I have been doing this one for seven years, so it is now just a part of my life. Occasionally I splurge in the name of company and fun. Eating in and of itself after 9 o’clock is not necessarily a bad thing; it is the snacking and eating a ton of food and then heading straight to bed that are bad ideas. Creating this dietary balance will combine points one and two by saving money because you are not buying snacks and instead will create a focus on other people and God’s commands. Taking the initiative and responsibility of our health goals by balancing when we eat, we will see more money and an added prayer and support donated to our mission fields. 26
4. Make it applicable to you. I am
competitive, so I participate in long distance races. You can do cardio through obstacle courses, zombie runs, tennis, and so much more. Competition and an end goal may not be applicable to you. In that case, figure out what is. Maybe you just want to do things you haven’t done in a while by yourself or with your family. Whatever it may be, set motivating goals that will really pull you through a couple months into this when it starts getting boring, because it will. Maybe you buy that really nice outfit you’ve always wanted in a size or two smaller, and it’s your motivation to fit into it. With that being said, there really is a need for non-refundable goals. Putting our money into something, typically causes our hearts to follow suit. Maybe you’ve always said that you’ll go on a cruise if you lose a certain amount of weight; go ahead and book the non-refundable cruise. Use that as motivation. And if you don’t hit your goal, give the cruise to a missionary family on deputation who needs a little relaxation.
6. Prayer walk.
This point is very applicable to the theme of the Summit this year: Take the Land. Joshua was commanded to lead his troops to walk around Jericho in order for them to conquer it in their pursuit to acquire the Promised Land. This is probably the easiest one to apply. Instead of driving around a parking lot for five minutes looking for the best spot, park in the spot farthest from the door and walk. This will give you an opportunity to pray for all of the people represented by the cars in the lot. We can also walk around our neighborhood or maybe just our block. You may be in a position where you cannot walk that far yet, or you say your walking days are over. In that case, walk around the sanctuary of the church or maybe just the pulpit. As with all of these, start with what you can do and continually add a little at a time. Start by praying around the pulpit on Sundays, and then add Wednesdays. Then as you build up stamina, walk around the entire sanctuary. God hears our prayers and honors our faithfulness. By praying around our building and neighborhoods, we will see the Turnaround2020 initiative in full force, all because we decided to take the initiative and responsibility of our health goals by prayer walking.
5. Stand up for your marriage. We have the
tendency to lose tenacity after years of being involved with something or someone. This loss of tenacity in a marriage has a high potential for weight gain. Productivity in the workplace, self-esteem in relationships, and efficiency in pursuit of a most high God and His commands also wane in the wake. To stand up for your marriage means to regain that tenacity. Pursue your spouse with excellence. Being married thirty or forty years causes the feeling that the best days are behind you. Regaining the passionate pursuit will move the best days from your past to your future. On the topic of figuratively standing up for our marriages, we should also literally do more standing. An applicable way to see improvements is to physically stand when you can, causing more calories to burn. Adopted from Reverend Chad Hensley: we must stand more than we sit. Stand when you make phone calls, wait in the school line to pick up your kids or grandkids, read the Bible, and the list goes on (excluding eating, because studies show that habit can lead to digestive difficulties).
When applied correctly, these principles can help you lose weight. Once excess weight is gone, it is up to the individual to know what guidelines by which to live to keep the weight away. This article was written by someone passionate about excellence in Christ and was not by a doctor. Remember to apply these guidelines slowly. If at any time your well-being is in question, stop and visit a doctor. Some health conditions may limit your weight loss pursuit. Find out what those are and conquer them; do not let them be the excuses that conquers you. 27
MISSION & MINISTRY SUMMIT 2017
July 17-19, 2017
Evansville, IN
2017 Held @
DoubleTree by Hilton and the
Old National Events Plaza
Evansville, Indiana Hotel Info:
Address: 601 Walnut Street Evansville, IN 47708 Reservations: 1-800-HILTONS Front Desk: 1-812-423-5002
www.gbSummit.org #gbsummit
Getting Ready for The Summit!
By Dr. Franklin R. Dumond, Director of Congregational Ministries
Every year General Baptists from across the nation and around the world gather for the Mission & Ministry Summit. This exciting gathering provides meaningful worship, practical training and up-close-and-personal missionary connections. This year The Summit will meet
in Evansville, Indiana at the Old National Events Plaza (formerly The Centre) July 17-19, 2017.
Local church leaders know that none of us ever outgrows the need for spiritual growth and that we always need to revive and renew our congregations. For pastors and leaders in driving distance of Evansville, here’s a plan to take full advantage of the spiritually enriched climate that always characterizes The Summit. First, begin now to remind people that everyone is eligible to attend The Summit! While those who will be voting delegates to the General Association will be certified based on membership numbers, this portion of the three day meeting only lasts for a couple of hours late Tuesday morning. With Block Registration available one fee will gain admission for everyone listed from your church to attend the main sessions and take advantage of the workshops. Imagine what impact it would have if 15 or 20 or 40 or 60 people from your church attended this year’s Summit! Second, begin now to recruit at least one group to attend at least one of the evening sessions. These main
sessions will begin at 7:00 p.m. Central Time and are open to all General Baptists. We do not require registration for the evening sessions except for child care that will be hosted in the Doubletree Hotel just across the street from the Events Plaza. The process of gathering a group, planning the trip and attending at least one evening session together can have the same impact as we used to gain from hosting multinight revivals. Working together means that we have to communicate with one another. Attending together means that we share the spiritual experience of worship in a different setting. Our evening keynote speakers will provide valuable insight, powerful motivation and a real voice from the Lord as they unfold the Scriptures using the Summit theme of “Take The Land”. Pastor Gary Baldus from New Walk Church in Zephyr Hills, Florida will preach for us on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Pastor Gary came to faith in a General Baptist church, became a General Baptist church planter and now leads the largest General Baptist church in the nation. Alex Himaya will be our guest keynoter on Tuesday evening. His engaging style and depth of thought was well received at Summit 2015 and Ministers Conference 2016. For more information see www.GBSummit.org or call 573-785-7746 or e-mail cmofc@generalbaptist.com
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MISSION & MINISTRY SUMMIT 2017
Summit Registration F R E Q U E N T LY
ASKED
QUESTIONS
1. Who may register?
Summit events are open to all General Baptists. For voting on General Association business, churches belonging to an association and churches that are direct affiliate members “shall select delegates to the General Association—two delegates for each 50 members or fraction thereof.” In addition, pastors and staff employed by the church are automatic delegates.
2. How do I register?
On-line registration is available at www.GBSummit.org. You can also download the registration form and register by mail. Send your completed form and payment to: 2017 Mission & Ministry Summit, Attn. Congregational Ministries, 100 Stinson Drive, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901. You can also FAX your registration to: 573-785-0564.
3. Are there discounts for group registration?
Block Registration is available for churches that are sending several people to the Summit. The Block Registration fee of $400 per church allows the church to register as many adults as they can. Block Registration does not include child registration. Families in a block registration will still need to register their children separately.
4. Are there discounts for pre-registration?
Yes!
Individual Registration • Early Registration — $55 January 2 - June 30, 2017. • Regular Registration — $65 July 1 - July 14, 2017. • On-Site Registration — $75
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5. How do I register as a Family Group?
We’ve capped the amount families have to pay for their total registration, be sure to complete the Family Registration Form • Early Family Registration — $55 — $200 max — January 2 - June 30, 2017. • Regular Family Registration — $65 — $240 max — July 1 - July 14, 2017 • On-Site Family Registration — $75 — $280 max
6. Is my payment information secure?
YES! All payment information is handled with the highest regard for security.
7. Must I register if I only attend one of the evening sessions?
We do not require registration for the evening sessions except for child care that will be hosted in the Doubletree Hotel just across the street from the Events Plaza.
8. How may I receive additional information?
Please contact Congregational Ministries, 573-785-7746 or cmofc@GeneralBaptist.com and we’ll be happy to answer your questions and provide all the information you need.
Mission & Ministry Summit July 17-19, 2017 Old National Events Plaza Evansville, Indiana
SUMMIT KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 2017 Dr. Alex Himaya is the founding and Senior Pastor of theChurch.at, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, one of the fastest growing churches in America. As one of the nation’s forefront speakers and visionaries, God has blessed Alex with the talent to reach the high-tech culture of Generation Next. The heart’s cry of theChurch.at is to effectively present the same relevant message, the Gospel of Christ, using fresh, innovative methods, resources and technology. Alex will be speaking Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning of the Summit.
Gary Baldus is the Founding & Lead Pastor of New Walk
Church. Gary & his wife, Shawn, planted New Walk in October, 2006 with a vision and a passion of a church that would reach people in their community who were far from God in life and bring them the hope of Jesus Christ. Today, New Walk is reaching more than 2,200 people in the East Pasco community each week and over 4000 people have begun a relationship with Jesus since 2006. Gary will be speaking Monday and Wednesday evenings of the Summit.
Aaron Broyles is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur,
and national speaker who reaches a broad audience in Christian and secular circles. Aaron speaks about discovering your purpose, seeing opportunities others don’t, and achieving success. He is the host of Great Things Radio, a program that airs seven days per week on the Bott Radio network. Aaron is also a consultant to countless businesses and ministries, and he mentors and coaches leaders in several industries and professions. Aaron will be speaking Tuesday morning of the Summit.
Clint Cook is the Executive Director of General Baptist Ministries.
In 2011, Clint was called by the General Baptist Council of Associations to act as the interim Executive Director following the resignation of Dr. James Murray. After less than a year serving as Interim, Clint was elected as Executive Director. As Executive Director, Clint has cast the vision of Staying Connected, Staying Strong. No Pastor can be left behind. No mission field can be forgotten. No local church can be cast aside. No General Baptist can be overlooked. We belong to a larger body of believers committed to do more together than we could ever do alone. 31
www.turnaround2020.net Maximizing Kingdom impact by planting, equipping and inspiring local churches to accomplish the Great Commission Turnaround 2020 will assist General Baptist churches to discover and to achieve their full redemptive potential by the year 2020. Many participating churches will see significant increases in attendance. Others will double or triple in size as they realize the potential the Lord has placed before them. Still others will see revitalized programs and more effective ministries. For more information contact Congregational Ministries 573-785-7746 or cmofc@GeneralBaptist.com. 33
Leading a Turnaround Church : Critical Considerations By Dr. Donald E. Ross
What is a Turnaround Church? Turnaround Churches experience a decline nearly impossible to reverse, but somehow they do. Most churches in similar situations simply go out of business. What are the critical aspects of a church and pastor that see terminal decline turned into growth? Let’s begin by defining a turnaround church. A turnaround church has recognized that, due to consistent decline, within a generation it will be out of business. This church has courageously decided to face the truth and make a series of extremely difficult and painful decisions to reverse that trend.
Mission : I’d like to say that “Everything rises or falls on mission” but I think someone has already captured that sentiment. Regardless, mission is critical. Understanding that both the leader and the church are part of the mission of Christ gives the needed elements to embrace a turnaround. Mission says, “This is not about me, it’s about Jesus”. When we understand that nearly 4,000 churches a year go out of business, and we are not planting nearly enough to replace them, we can understand that turning around declining churches as well as planting new ones is very much a part of Christ’s mission. In many ways, the challenge of a turnaround church was written for us 2,000 years ago in Revelation, 3:1-3. The letter to the church of Sardis says: 34
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. In a very real sense, a declining church may have had a reputation of being alive, but it is not alive now. It is on life support and needs help. Both the pastor and church leaders need to work together to “strengthen what remains and is about to die.” This is hard work, but possible and needed, if the leaders and church are willing to pay the price to not only survive, but also learn to thrive.
Vision : This turnaround is usually led by a visionary leader, often brought in from outside the church’s current culture. The value of bringing in new leaders is that they are not stuck in the current thinking trends or bogged down by the church’s history. The challenge of a new visionary leader is to earn the right to lead a group of people, almost all of whom are stuck in current thinking trends and severely bogged by down the church’s history.
Leadership : This pastor/leader must be able to paint a constant verbal picture of a church’s preferred future based in reality. He must also realize, regardless of what those around him say, he is probably the only one who sees it, and often it will be foggy to him. Nevertheless, there is a God-given picture, and he must hold on to it relentlessly. Max De Pree says, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” The pastor of a turnaround church must develop the skill set necessary to tell the truth without discouraging the flock beyond recovery. His ability to encourage, recognize the smallest progress, and chart a manageable course is critical.
Pain : Another element needed is the ability to endure pain. This is mostly the emotional pain of rejection, but financial pain and even physical pain may be a part of the process. The old saying, “No pain, no gain” could not be more applicable. Let’s be painfully honest here. If the current way of doing things at this church were working, it wouldn’t need to turn around. People own and do these “things”, so in order to change the way things are done, the people must change. Either they change internally, or they are changed and new people are doing new things. This is incredibly painful for both pastor and people. Imagine telling someone who is very faithful that they need to change their way of leading a class or ministry after they have done it this way for decades. They can feel driven away by the pastor, if he has not successfully communicated the mission clearly, and even then, emotions usually overrule sense.
Urgency : Urgency is the adrenaline of a turnaround church. Without it, change cannot be made. Too much of this ecclesiastical chemical and the church will become discouraged and give up. Too little and no change will happen. The pastor needs to become a skilled ecclesiastical anesthesiologist. John Kotter said, “Instilling urgency … is critical to getting organizations to switch directions; arguing the … case using facts alone won’t create that urgency.”
Endurance : Although things must change, it will take time. Researcher Gary McIntosh states that a turnaround can take from five to twelve years, depending on the setting. Rural churches and churches in dire circumstances can take longer. Ours was a “dire circumstance church” and we took a bit longer. The more desperate the situation, the more endurance is needed on the part of the leader.
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Peer Support :
Money : Here’s the deal… money will be tight. Period. Who wants to give to a dying cause? It takes a while to see a new vision surface, which draws in resources. That’s the downside. The upside is that often declining churches have untapped resources in facilities and property. These can be tapped to pick up the needed capital to make needed changes and simply stay alive. We tapped our equity several times to make changes and to move us ahead. The pastor should be prepared to resource himself during a turnaround recovery. By this I mean, he may have to work a second job or set funds aside to “float” his finances until he gets paid.
Facilities : These are important but not necessarily first in your thinking and planning. Usually an established congregation is deeply rooted to facilities, having sacrificed to build and maintain them. Any changes you make should be done carefully as part of an overall plan. Getting key lay leaders on board is critical. It may be that you need to renovate, upgrade and even sell your facilities for the sake of the church. Remember, buildings are not the church; they are a tool. Sometimes you need to sharpen or replace tools to accomplish a worthy project. We did. As a part of our turnaround we ended up relocating and selling our old campus.
Tenure : Researcher George Barna says that most turnaround pastors will only lead one turnaround church in their career. I think that is true, not only because of the stress and energy it takes, but also the amount of time it takes. If you are unwilling to give five years to see a declining church turnaround, don’t get involved. The whole project will take more time than five years, but you will see progress by then. Trust is the most crucial, intangible quality a pastor needs to turn a declining church and it just takes a while to gain that trust. You will quite literally be asked to lay down your life for this church, one day at a time.
Lone rangers make poor turnaround church leaders. It is just too challenging to do this project alone. You will need to build around you a group of other leaders, outside your church, who believe in you and what you are doing and that you can trust. These leaders will listen to you as you process your plans, reflect back to you pressure points and talk you through the minefield in which you are working. You need them, and God will give them to you. Don’t do this alone.
Word : You must have a high view of scripture to be an effective turnaround leader. Being able to regularly “download” encouragement from God’s Word is an important skill. Remember, Jesus is the one who said, “Strengthen what remains” which is exactly what you are attempting to do. Letting Him encourage you through His Word and give you direction is very important. Reading the Biblical accounts of other turnaround leaders like Nehemiah, Joshua and Moses is not only inspiring, it is life to you as a leader. You need a high view of scripture.
Spirit : Finally, there must be a sense in you, your family, and your leadership core that you are being led by God’s Holy Spirit in this endeavor. Jesus called the Holy Spirit, “the Advocate” (John 16:7) and anyone leading a Turnaround church needs an advocate to guide them. The Holy Spirit will be your “life coach”, guiding you through tense meetings, difficult financial decisions and helping to develop a critical strategy to save this church. Being a turnaround leader is rewarding, but much like a parent who waits years before being appreciated by their children, you will need to be willing to wait and endure to see the results you are working towards. There is no “quick fix” to seeing a declining church reverse direction, but it can happen, and it needs to happen. Are you up for it? If you are, there are thousands of opportunities, as America is filled with declining churches. Which one will stay alive because you said “yes” to Jesus?
Copyright 2011, Dr. Donald E. Ross www.turnaroundchurch.org, used by permission
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Don Ross
Featured in the Turnaround Track at this year’s Summit author and pastor Don Ross will present three workshops and be available for conversations in the Exhibit Hall
Monday, 1:30 p.m. Getting Your Church Unstuck
There are no silver bullets for getting a “stuck” church “unstuck”, but hearing from someone who has walked this path before is both helpful and encouraging. In this workshop we look at four hard, painful and nearly impossible decisions to help you get your church moving forward. This workshop is filled with stories and experiences of seeing a 2,000 member church drop to 175 and then come back. Jesus loves to get churches unstuck, and your church can get unstuck too!
Tuesday, 1:30 p.m. Turnaround Cycle
This workshop touches on the common lifecycle every church is experiencing and then introduces the Turnaround Cycle that helps your church begin to understand the path to reverse decline or get off a plateau. It will take you through nine specific phases, to help turnaround your church. Each phase is detailed to help the leader chart a course forward. It also contains an assessment for use with your elders, board and leadership team to identify where your is church to help you move forward.
Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. Becoming an Outreach Focused Church
This workshop will focus on the characteristics needed to become an outreach-focused church and the emotional price each turnaround pastor must be willing to pay. The Biblical basis for becoming an outreach-focused church is taught, as well as a stark comparison between a church in maintenance and a church on mission. This seminar contains a session specifically for senior leaders, as well as congregational surveys for use in your local church. 37
Suggestions Suggestions to to Help Help Make Make Easter Easter a a 1.
Start Early! At the beginning of every calendar year pastors can look ahead to predict the most likely higher attended and lower attended days of the year. By planning ahead to accentuate the high days and mitigate the low days the overall average attendance may be increased and more and more people won to faith in Jesus Christ. What are my most likely higher attendance days? Look at the attendance records from last year on a line graph. When does your attendance spike? Why? Take a hard look at your current programming. There must be something in your congregational culture that brings these high points.
2.
Add A Special Feature. How many people are usually involved in leading worship on a given Sunday? Add a special feature whereby more people can be involved in meaningful participation and watch the visitors arrive…especially if you use the Children’s Choir and its members rehearse for a few weeks in advance! For Easter a wise pastor can plan for a Spring Baptism. Easter celebrates the new life of the risen Christ, which is also the Christian symbol of Baptism. The now secular tradition of new clothes for Easter can be traced back to the ancient church when Easter Sunday was Baptism Sunday and each baptismal candidate was given a new white robe. Make Easter a fabulous family celebration with an Egg Hunt on the church lawn following Morning Worship. The beauty of the modern hen is that she lays plastic eggs so you don’t have to worry so much about the eggs spoiling by being outdoors for a while. (Note: While plastic eggs are undisturbed by warm temperatures, chocolate will melt if left in the warm sunshine for any
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B IG DAY By Dr. Franklin R. Dumond Director of Congregational Ministries
length of time.) Is an added worship service needed? If Easter already brings the church to capacity should the plan include doubling seating capacity by adding another service? The church already offering a 10:30 a.m. Morning Worship may be well served to offer 9:00 a.m. Easter Worship, too. Always ask the key question, “What will I need to do to ensure that these special features work well?”
3.
Develop specialized promotion. How will everyone know of the special day if you don’t tell them? How will they realize what’s going on if they only hear it once? Newspaper ads and yellow pages listings do little to attract the unchurched. Consider a saturation mailing. You can develop your own material, but you may want to bring in the professionals for the first time or two. Always be sure you have proper contact and location and schedule information included in your promotional piece.
4.
In house preparations. Keep in mind, however, that if you invite them you’ll want to be able to offer what you’ve promised. Make it a special day. Clean off the coat rack. Pick up the clutter. Dust the corners. Company’s comin’! So make your worship service user friendly by: • keeping the prayer list short and focused, • eliminating any announcement that does not directly impact at least half of the people present (remember small group promotion needs to be done in the small group not in the large group setting), • starting on time, • eliminating the dead time in the service, • preaching a positive message of hope and resurrection!
5.
Use the power of focus. Concentrate your effort. Learn to do a few things and do them well! Focus on a few special days. Focus on one or two styles of worship and master them. Focus on the family connection. Research continues to show that the most effective network we have to reach people is in the family arena (see Thom Rainer’s Surprising Insights from the Unchurched). Develop a list of family members who should be part of your church with the rest of their family. Then be sure someone from the family invites them! Focus on recent visitors. What has happened to those visitor cards? What has already been done with and to the folks who have been guests in the last six months? Who are they? Where are they attending church now? What do you need to do to get them to attend this Easter? Focus on the larger congregation. If your church has an average attendance of 50 you probably have at least 100 people who are part of your larger congregation. The larger your church becomes the broader is its larger congregation of folks who attend infrequently but who do attend some. Keep a list for 6-12 weeks of all the folks who attend at least one of your services. Focus on increasing the frequency of attendance. If they attend once in 12 weeks, work with them until they attend twice. The unchurched population in America who become churched attend church several times in the year before they come to faith in Christ and become part of His Church! • Do I know the full extent of my larger congregation? • How can I know them better? • Would attendance registration during the worship service help? • Do I need a crew of volunteers or a paid secretary to help track attendance patterns?
6.
Pastors set the pace, but everyone needs to get involved! If you don’t invite then your people will not invite. If you don’t share your faith then your people won’t share their faith. The unchurched who are seeking the church want brief but meaningful contact from the pastor. Develop a system that works in your location.
7.
Be user friendly! Have some stranger visit your worship service and tell you how friendly the congregation was or wasn’t, how easy it was to follow the order of service, how clean the building really was or wasn’t, and how easy it was to find places in the building or how hard it was to do so. Get ready for company. Encourage your people to “Park in the back. Sit in the front. Move to the middle. Speak to those around you.” 39
New Features Kathi Lipp Returns! Because she loves us, this highin-demand lady is coming back. And who better to help us bubble over than Kathi!
To Register:
Call 573-785-7746
• Early joy with pastor wives/pastors on Friday (call for info) • Experience Sunday at Skyline with our worship leaders. • Enjoy choosing your own accommodations and cost level. Stay at home, stay with friends, or bunk up with as many friends as you wish at a nearby hotel.
Registration
*non-refundable
only $100* and includes full event, Saturday lunch and dinner Save with a group or early registration! • Register 7 and get one free! • Register by June 1 and save $10
Email wmofc@generalbaptist.com EASIEST! online at www.gbwomen.org
Inside Out:
The Women’s Event Why MUST we have an offering? By Patti Thornton, Director of Women’s Ministries
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You have almost certainly seen advertisements for Inside Out, or heard the “chatter” of women in your church who attended, or wondered about the odd pictures that inevitably find their way to social media in the days following the weekend event. Post-event shared phone pics broadcast the abundant laughter, passionate teaching, and special kind of worship that make up this increasingly popular women-focused weekend A lesser known element of Inside Out, though, is a mission element that has been included since the year of this event’s inception. Each year we choose one area of missional ministry to accentuate, promote, and fund with an offering. So…why? Because it is who “we” are. Women’s Ministries is steeped in the belief that women who long to grow spiritually cannot stop at “intake.” Inspiration for inspiration’s sake only is dead in the pan! Any plans made or goals set by Women’s Ministries should take women a step further – to the point of overflow. The Women’s Ministries mission theme says it simply; that we are women “enthralled by Jesus, connected for strength, and compelled outward by love.” The Inside Out Offering is the third part of that equation…it is US BEING COMPELLED TO DO SOMETHING WITH OUR CONNECTIVE STRENGTH. Inside Out offerings have resourced teams of women to India, Honduras and Mexico. We have helped a new church in Tennessee get started, and this year we poured our hearts out in the form of dollars to be used for teaching in Syrian refugee camps. Becky has served General Baptists overseas for over 11 years. She was recently called to go teach in one of the vast refugee camps with a partner organization. We asked Becky if there was any way to give the ladies attending Inside Out a palpable experience that would help them empathize with families who are displaced with little hope from anyone – except the body of Christ. With the help of friends, Becky constructed a tent in one of the meeting rooms at Wooded Glen. As well as she could, she created an atmosphere similar to what she had experienced during her short term work with a teaching team.
During Sunday morning’s worship service, Becky and I shared the things the Holy Spirit had spoken to our hearts. We asked those attending to close their eyes as we led them on an experiential walk with a family from Aleppo, Syria – an imaginary family, but one whose story was all too realistic. Then we left that room of worship, single file, to express our love for fleeing families of wartorn Syria. We began our walk with an opportunity to give monetarily, and we ended at the tent. In that tent, all 120 of us experienced a moment of connection to people who seem so different, and yet, so not. • In that tent we kneeled and cried. • Outside that tent, no words were needed as we broke bread together. • In a mind-blowing action of compassion, 120 women gave $3,170 in one offering. At Inside Out, we learn together, laugh together, and sometimes cry together. But we don’t stop there. The very name Inside Out came from the idea that we would be so filled up that we couldn’t help but pour out. Indeed.
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Inside Out 2016 - a worship leader's perspective By Rachel Gooch
Could I? Could I “be me more bravely”? Do I really want to be ME more bravely? These are the questions that meandered through my mind as my sisters and I travelled home from Wooded Glen Retreat Center. We had looked forward to and planned for this weekend for months – ever since being asked by Patti and Vicki to lead worship for the weekend. I think I knew that it would be an incredible experience to lead these ladies, but I don’t think I expected to be so personally affected. There is nothing more empowering than a group of God-hungry women who are looking to begin a new walk with God or to renew and strengthen their existing relationship. The conference gave us an opportunity to rest in His presence, share life stories and learn from each other. Each lady there had faced or was facing a battle of some sort. Whether it be spiritual, financial, physical, mental… this gathering gave us an opportunity to find support in someone we could relate to and the courage and peace to continue fighting forward. I am worthy. I am enough. I don’t have to have a flawless past. I don’t have to pray the most fluent, poetic prayers or serve as a missionary in a third 42
world country (unless that’s what God asks me to do). Are both of those things amazing? Yes! Should I strive to constantly be better each and every day whether it be in those forms or another? Yes! But most of all, what I need to strive for and what being ME bravely means is getting so in tune with Papa God that I am willing to hear His word and plan, receive it and follow accordingly regardless of my fears or possible failures. I am so thankful for the invitation to attend Inside Out and being reminded of my potential as a child of the King.
IF I HAD TO USE ONE SIMPLE THOUGHT TO SUMMARIZE MY FEELINGS REGARDING INSIDE OUT 2016, IT IS THAT INSIDE OUT 2017 SHOULD SCARE THE ENEMY TO DEATH. I could continue about how amazing the weekend was and still not say enough about the love and dedication that went into every aspect of the weekend. If I had to use one simple thought to summarize my feelings regarding Inside Out 2016, it is that Inside Out 2017 should scare the enemy to death.
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Trending Now Conversations Few Americans agree on who can best lead a conversation about the nation’s woes, according to a new report from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Less than a quarter (23 percent) would turn to the office of the U.S. president. About 1 in 10 would turn to the nation’s preachers (11 percent) or to college professors (10 percent). “There’s a vacuum of public leadership in America. We know we have problems and that we should talk about them. But there’s no one who can bring us all together.” - Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research – source: LifeWay Research
23% 44
11%
10%
8%
7%
6%
1%
<1%
33%
Americans have conflicting views on controversies of religious liberty vs traditional morality. About half of U.S. adults (49%) say businesses that provide wedding services should be required to provide those services to same-sex couples, even if they have religious objections, while a similar share (48%) say business owners should be able to refuse service to same-sex couples on religious grounds. Americans are also split over whether transgender people should be allowed to use public restrooms of their current gender identity (51%) or required to use the bathrooms matching the gender they were born into (46%). – source: Pew Research Center
BUSINESSES THAT PROVIDE WEDDING SERVICES SHOULD BE... ...ABLE TO REFUSE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO SAME-SEX COUPLES IF THE OWNER HAS RELIGOUS OBJECTIONS
48%
3%
NO ANSWER
49%
TRANSGENGER PEOPLE SHOULD BE ...REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO SAME-SEX COUPLES JUST AS THEY WOULD TO ALL OTHER CUSTOMERS
...REQUIRED TO USE THE PUBLIC RESTROOM OF THE GENDER THEY WERE BORN INTO
46%
3%
51%
NO ANSWER
... ALLOWED TO USE THE PUBLIC RESTROOM OF THE GENDER WITH WHICH THEY CURRENTLY IDENTIFY
Americans’ pathways to news are changing, and mobile news is on the rise. Almost four-in-ten Americans (38%) often get news online today, behind only television (57%); radio (25%) and print newspapers (20%) trail both. Within the digital realm, mobile news consumption is rising rapidly: The proportion of Americans who ever get news on a mobile device has gone up from 54% in 2013 to 72% today. And among people who get news on both mobile and desktop, 56% prefer mobile.
% OF U.S. ADULTS WHO OFTEN GET NEWS ON EACH PLATFORM
57% Television 38%
– source: Pew Research Center
% WHERE EACH AGE GROUP OFTEN GETS NEWS BY PLATFORM
TV ONLINE RADIO PRINT
18-29 27 50 15 5
30-49 45 49 27 10
50-64 72 29 29 23
65+ 85 20 24 48
Online / Mobile 25% Radio 20% Print Newspaper @generalbaptist #gbministries
Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest trends and research about the American religious beliefs. 45
All Nations GB Church Jan 8, 2017
National Missions Sunday Church Planting in Jacksonville, Florida
Church Planting has always been a primary mission for General Baptists. Our movement was organized by a church planter who established churches on the American frontier in the 1820s. Our denominational mission to plant churches is underwritten by the general budget through Unified Giving, but it is also made possible by special gifts such as those received on National Missions Sunday. This year the National Missions Sunday Offering will assist church planting efforts in Florida by helping to more firmly establish the new work of All Nations Church. This ethnic church plant has resulted from the long term ministry of Missionary Cecil Green who discipled a young believer in the Philippines nearly 50 years ago. In 1977 Pastor Pete Lapaz was ordained by the General Baptist Church of the Philippines and in 2016 he began work to establish All Nations Church in Jacksonville, Florida.
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In a recent report Pastor Pete noted • the ordination of an associate pastor, Dr. Lito Ibaretta, • two more new converts ready for baptism, • two Bible study centers now in operation, and • two Spanish speaking families now attending. A Children’s Ministry will begin soon and the search is on for a larger meeting space. The group has out grown meeting in homes. A recent attendance of 40 placed them at capacity in their current rented space. On a recent Sunday in January, those attending worship paused for a photo. Pastor Pete is on the left holding his grandson. Pastor Lito is seated in the front center. Different churches have different traditions regarding National Missions Sunday. Some churches include National Missions Sunday in the budget, others take up a special offering to assist these special projects. All gifts received for National Missions Sunday will result in winning many people in Jacksonville, Florida who otherwise will not be won to faith in Christ.
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