2015 Spring Messenger

w w w.Ge ner alBaptist.com

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Messenger J erus ale m

J u d e a & Sa m a r ia

En d s o f th e Earth

G en e ral B ap ti st

W i n t e r 2 01 4

Starting

Equipping

Inspiring

Starting, Equipping, Inspiring

by Clint Cook, Executive Director

I am very excited about this issue of The Messenger. The content comes as a result of an important meeting held this past fall among several of our directors and other church leaders. Our purpose was to pray together and seek God’s direction as we wrestled with the important question: Why do we exist as a movement and network of churches? I must say, it was quite a challenge at times to consider the weight and importance of our General Baptist work. However, by the time we finished, all of us felt we had truly heard from God and direction had been given.

Before we could look to the future and where God wants this movement, we had to be reminded of our past.

General Baptists have a long history of being a network of churches that voluntarily unite to do a greater work together than any one church could do alone. With this reminder, we began to brainstorm and soon discovered specific words that seemed to resonate with each of us; words like, authenticity, partnership, resources, coaching, training, and multiplication.

Eventually we took on the assignment of expressing why we exist, who we are, and what we do in 15 words or less.

This assignment resulted in the following vision statement: We believe General Baptist Ministries exists to “maximize Kingdom impact by starting, equipping, and inspiring local churches to accomplish the Great Commission”.

This is who we are. We start churches; we equip churches; we send missionaries; we do all of these things to accomplish the Great Commission.

As we analyze our new vision statement, it is important to note that it neither conflicts with the history nor future of General Baptist. From a historical viewpoint, our General Baptist movement has always been one that focused on beginning new churches, coming together to equip each other to best spread the gospel, and inspiring one another to do the great work that God has called them to do. Likewise, our vision statement will help us navigate our future as we use these three truths as a guide to advance the Kingdom until Christ returns.

In this issue of The Messenger,we look at some of what we do and will be doing to accomplish this united vision.

Jim and Sue Schremp of your International Missions Department share how we are sending missionaries all over the world to start, equip and inspire churches of various languages and cultures to accomplish the Great Commission, and how the General Baptist Bible College is doing just that in the Philippines.

You will learn about the different opportunities for training through various conferences that your Congregational Ministries Department conducts throughout the year as Dr. Franklin Dumond and his staff actively prepare to educate church leaders to impact their communities. Included also are inspiring stories from churches of all sizes who are doing great work for the Kingdom.

Also in this issue you will hear from your National Missions Advisory Team as they present the vision for the first church plant in the Go Project - our aggressive approach and vision to plant 15 new churches in the next five years.

How exciting it is to be a General Baptist as we partner with our God in reaching our world with the Good News of Jesus Christ! We rejoice to know that the work of reaching our world for Christ is not confined to borders, language or cultural barriers. From our English speaking churches in the Midwest, to the Hispanic pastors in the Los Angeles area, to the General Baptist Bible College and the Matigsalog Institute on the islands of the Philippines, to the fields, valleys and streets of Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica, the Mariana Islands, and India, we all work side by side with others who understand the importance and urgency of the Great Commission to start, equip and inspire churches to see lives being changed and the Kingdom expanded. I pray you enjoy this issue of The Messenger.

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Messenger General Baptist

Winter 2014

Table of Contents 3 Letter from the Editor 6 Trending Now 9 Turning Point 12 General Baptists Growing in CA 15 Big Day Help 17 GBBC @ 50 20 The Locker Room 23 Brad Aycock 24 Summit Workshop Tracks

Never Too Much

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26 Summit Keynoters 28 Layers 29 Never Too Much 31 GBIM in India 33 Fulfilling the Great Commission 37 Nickels, Noses, Numbers 39 We Prayed to Reach Families 42 Victory Chapel: 3 Growth Years 44 Intervarsity

We Prayed to Fulfilling the Reach Families Great Commission with Children

29 39 33

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

Turning Point

under the direction of an editorial team composed of the denominational leadership team, and Executive Director, Clint Cook

editorial team: Franklin Dumond, Sue Schremp, Jim Schremp, Linda McDonough, & Patti Thornton

layout & design:

GBBC @ 50

Stinson Press - Kenrick Nobles GB Ministries - Amy Powell

We Would Love to Hear from You! The Messenger

100 Stinson dr.

Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 573.785.7746 Send mailing list updates attention: Amy Powell info@gbmessenger.com

Find Us Online

The Messenger is viewable online @ www.gbmessenger.org

Mission & Ministry Summit Workshop Tracks

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Full Tablet Support

@ General Baptist Ministries @ GeneralBaptist

@ GeneralBaptist 5

Trending Now Despite slow economic recovery over the last several years, 29 percent of churches say they remained under budget in 2014.

Forty-six percent met their budget, while only 22 percent exceeded it last year. Compared to the previous three years, churches are now reporting a more positive financial outlook. The trend seems to be related to three factors that has eased economic pressure: • Unemployment has improved five straight years • Social Security recipients have received cost-of-living adjustments for three straight years • Real disposable personal income has grown in 2014.

Lifeway Research, Nov 4, 2014

The majority of Americans still prefer a real-live preacher to a video sermon. Less than 1 percent of Americans prefer to watch a video sermon, and 35 percent report that a video sermon will keep them from attending a church. Thirty percent find video sermons fine in their home church, and about the same number say they prefer live preaching but won’t be kept away by a pre-recorded or simulcast sermon.

Video sermons are mostly used by multi-campus churches, which frequently have live music, prayer, and a local pastor who leads the service but does not preach.

These preferences also fall along generational lines. Thirty-seven percent of those who are 18 to 29 say it doesn’t matter if the preaching is live or by video. By contrast, only about 24 percent of those 45 to 54, and 26 percent of those over 65 reported being fine with both options.

Almost half (47 percent) of unchurched Americans, however, report that it doesn’t matter if the sermon is live or delivered by video.

Lifeway Research, Dec 17, 2013

Although the vast majority of Protestant senior pastors (86 percent) believe that all churches should strive for racial diversity, only 13 percent of them report having more than one predominate racial or ethnic group in their church. Diversity across racial and ethnic lines remains the dream and goal of most Protestant churches in America, but it isn’t coming to fruition just yet. Derwin Gray, pastor of Transformation Church says, “We shouldn’t long for racial diversity – we should long for the proclamation of Jesus, which creates ethnic diversity. The Apostle Paul didn’t start one church for Jews and one church for Gentiles in the New Testament. The Gospel brought people together.” However, the biggest obstacle remains the congregants themselves.

Seventy-eight percent of Americans believe that all churches should strive to be racially diverse, but only 51 percent, just over half, say they would be most comfortable visiting a church where more than one predominate ethnic group.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that about 17 percent of Americans identify as Hispanic, 13 percent as African American, and 5 percent as Asian Americans, with one percent of the population claiming Native American or Native Alaskan heritage. Another 2.4 percent identify with more than one racial group.

But America is becoming increasingly diverse. Non-Hispanic whites currently make up 63 percent of the population. That number drops to about 49 percent for children under 5 years old.

Lifeway Research, Jan 17, 2014

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Eighty percent of churchgoers believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, but only 75 percent feel comfortable doing so. Only 25 percent report sharing their faith in the previous six months, while 14 percent have shared three or four times over the same time frame. Just under half (48 percent) hadn’t invited anyone to attend church in that time. The most distressing result from this recent and extensive discipleship research project is that 8 percent of churchgoing Americans are hesitant to even let others know they are a Christian. The bright spot in this study is that the local church is preparing attendees to share the Gospel, as 75 percent feel that they can effectively share their belief in Christ.

Lifeway Research, Aug 13, 2012

“Churches may have the reputation for serving donuts, coffee, and pot luck dinners to their members,” says Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research. “But they also are supplying food for many people in need.” Nearly 1 in 4 Americans say their family has gotten help from a churchrun food pantry in the past.

Some 50 million Americans have trouble putting food on the table, according to Feeding America, a national network of food banks. The Church is playing a critical role in meeting the needs of these families.

Lifeway Research, Nov 21, 2014

“The energy and enthusiasm about church planting in North America is at an unprecedented high. More resources (books, funding, potential planters and sponsor churches) are available today than at any other time in our history. Contemporary church planting organizations display a heart of cooperation and a ‘kingdom mentality’ by sharing resources.”

The State of Church Planting USA, 2007

@generalbaptist #gbministries

Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest trends and research about the Church in America and around the world.

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Unified Giving

START By: Steve Gill

We are excited to share with you that God has lead us to birth a new, life-giving church in Bonita Springs, Florida called Turning Point Church. Our purpose is simple: ‘to help people experience a life changing relationship through Jesus Christ.’ We have a heart to point people to the life change that Jesus brings to all of us. That’s part of the reason our church is called Turning Point. A turning point is a decision in a person’s life that changes things! It changes us, our circumstances, and even people around us. We believe that what we do with Jesus changes everything in our lives! He is the ultimate turning point!

For the past 23+ years we have been involved in various roles of ministry, serving within the local church and overseas in Latin America. During that time, God has given us the opportunity to be a part of some great churches and to have some great leaders speak into our lives. Those experiences have honed the vision that we have for our community. We know three things very distinctly.

One, we have a heart for those far from God. Our desire is to see TPC become a church that connects with people who don’t know God. Certainly we want our church to be a place for people already following Jesus, but our mission is to care deeply about reaching those who

have walked away from the church and those who don’t know God at all. Wouldn’t it be amazing to be a church where people far from God can serve side by side with those who know Him, and grow in faith together?

Secondly, we have a heart for families. We believe we live in a day and age where parenting is getting harder and harder. Being a kid and teenager is equally as tough. Think of the mixed messages that our culture is communicating. Think of the pressures that our kids are facing. We want to be a church that helps parents and grandparents raise their kids with intentionality. We want to help parents seize the everyday moments to lead their kids closer to knowing Jesus. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a church that is full of families- kids, teens, parents, and grandparents together?

Finally, we desire to help bridge the gap that often exists between cultures and extends into the church.

We’ve been told over and over that division exists in our community. We’ve even seen it! So, our hope and dream is to have a church that is diverse culturally, particularly where Anglo and Latino cultures come together to experience God and serve together. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see a church that is a small picture of what heaven looks like every day?

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Recently, we had the opportunity to share that vision at our first public gathering. The amazing part was that God led 24 people to that first meeting! As we started the meeting you could feel a buzz in the room and an anticipation that God was up to something new in Bonita Springs. We walked away with a fresh excitement as several families committed to be a part of our launch team in March. The history of Turning Point Church has begun!

While we love this dream of building a Christ centered church, our biggest heart and priority is for our family. On more of a personal note, Keisa and I met back in college and have recently celebrated 24 years of marriage together. We are grateful for the experiences in our lives that have strengthened our marriage and ministry. God has also blessed the both of us with four amazing kids (Aaron-14, Ellie-11, Christian-11 and Karinna-8). We, like most parents, are actively involved in our kids lives through school and sports. That keeps us pretty engaged and moving most days at the Gill home! For fun, our clan likes to watch movies, play sports, and make some tasty desserts! We honestly just love spending time together.

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We are looking forward to our new life in Bonita Springs, pouring into the lives of our kids and helping grow a church that honors God. Thank you in advance for your prayers and your generosity in helping Turning Point Church launch with strength!

Steve and Keisa Gill, along with their four children, are brand new to our General Baptist family.

They will be launching Turning Point Church in Bonita Springs, Florida in the fall of this year as the very first Go Project plant.

To follow their progress, visit www.tpclive.org or like Turning Point Church on Facebook.

Summit S ave t he Date Te aser

The

Missions & Ministry Summit 2015

Collinsville, Il

Hosted by Double Tree Hotel At the Gateway Center More Information online at GBSUMMIT.ORG • For Hotel Reservations Call: 1.618.345.2800 11

START General Baptists Growing in California The Sheffield Association of General Baptists in Southern California has worked with General Baptist National Missions for many years, to reach a variety of ethnic groups.

Through the work of many outstanding pastors and leaders along the way, we’ve seen a multitude of wonderful things happen, including hundreds and hundreds of conversions.

Sheffield Association officially formed in 1946 as a group of churches consisting mostly of white Americans. Through the past couple of decades, we’ve worked with white, black, Filipino, Korean, and H’mong leaders, with the majority of our churches currently being Hispanic, Spanish-speaking groups led by pastors from Mexico and Central America. Our churches began in homes as committed leaders developed small groups of believers, which then grew into churches as they reached out to their communities.

For years, we’ve had monthly Leadership Meetings to teach and train in various areas of leadership required in our churches. We also have our annual Association and Presbytery meetings, plus an annual associational Convention patterned after the Summit, a women’s retreat, and a family retreat. Through these gatherings, our pastors and other members have become friends and co-workers who pray for and support one another in all possible ways. Our motto is “We are Family - We are One” (“Somos Familia - Somos Uno”). Additionally, we have our Sheffield Bible Institute, founded and directed by Pastor Rene Rodriguez, through which we produce new pastors and help educate and strengthen current pastors and leaders. This has all contributed to consistent growth of the Association. We are not producing mega-churches, but we are producing multiple churches, which works 12

better for our communities and congregants. Many of our church members do not have transportation or gas money to drive very far, so we establish churches where the people are and try to multiply them into other areas.

We adapted the Go Project to our work in California and established goals for 2015 for Sheffield Association.

We plan to work on planting new churches, and establishing new small groups within our existing churches.

Thus far in 2015, we have six new church plants, small but destined to grow. New small groups have started, with promises of more in the next month or two. For example, our church in San Rafael has been our only church in the north (it is over 400 miles from L.A.). They had two small groups in nearby Novato, which have combined and formed a church with their own pastor, services, and schedule. The San Rafael church then started a new small group. A new church has also been started in San Bruno with a pastor introduced to us by a Bible Institute student.

We now have Sheffield-South (22 churches) and Sheffield-North (3 churches).

In January, we began the San Rafael branch of our Bible Institute, led by Pastor Nehemias Lopez. In the south, Pastor Rene Rodriguez leads the Bible Institute in Bellflower and is re-opening a branch in Lancaster. This gives us the promise of more workers with more effective churches as we proceed.

Good things are on the horizon for Sheffield Association!

Bruce Conran and his wife Marilyn have worked with National Missions and Sheffield Association in southern California for almost nineteen years.

They have witnessed the power of God in the lives of many faithful Christians through these years and feel blessed to have had this opportunity.

To stay informed of all the changes and progress happening in California, check out: SheffieldAssociationGeneralBaptist.com

Ordinary people leading extraordinary lives playing a part in what God is doing in people’s lives in surprising places around the world.

ForTheJoy.org

WATCH THEIR STORIES AND FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN FOLLOW IN THEIR STEPS.

PLUNGE CFCI URBAN / Soci al Principl es announce “WHATEVER YOU DID FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE...

YOU DID FOR ME.”

Urban PlUnge is a ministry of Christ for the City international

URBAN PLUNGE MOBILIZES PEOPLE TO SERVE JESUS BY SERVING THEIR CITY.

urbanplunge.com | 888.526.7551 | angieb@cfci.org

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GET YOUR REVISED COPY NOW! The Social Principles of General Baptists has recently been revised to clarify our biblical stance on important social issues. The section on Marriage and Family is especially helpful in these days of rapidly changing social values. The Social Principles will continue to be available in hard copy through Congregational Ministries, but will now also be available on our website, www.GeneralBaptist.com.

With The Social Principles of General Baptists in hand one church adopted the following building use policy: Building use activities fall under the jurisdiction of the __________________ which manages the use of building facilities. No commitment for building use is finalized until the Building Use Agreement has been completed and approved in advance.

Approval of the use of the grounds and facilities does not constitute or imply endorsement of any group, their mission, or their positions. Groups approved to use facilities must not advertise the event in such a way as to imply endorsement by the church. No activities or advocacy may take place within our buildings or grounds that conflicts with the policies and the practices of this church and the General Association of General Baptists.

To order a hard copy booklet, contact Congregational Ministries at 573-785-7746 or amy.powell@generalbaptist.com.

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2/10/15 10:33 A

EQUIP

Big Day Help

Equip your congregation to invite others by distributing this People Search Guide.

Family Members

People I See Weekly

Neighbors

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I will pray for this family member daily starting

1.

I will pray for this family member daily starting

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I will pray for this family member daily starting

I will invite them to church on

I will invite them to church on

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I will pray for this family member daily starting

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I will invite them to church on

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I will pray for this family member daily starting

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I will pray for this family member daily starting

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I will invite them to church on 15

Oakland Cit� Universit�

Learn...

Students at OCU have the opportunity to explore their career path from the foundation of a biblical worldview. Building personal relationships with faculty and students allows for a comfortable atmosphere to truly wrestle with the academic material presented at OCU.

Live...

The social environment at OCU encourages students to get involved with campus groups and engage in leadership positions.

Starting with freshman year, students have a chance to get involved with service projects and missions around the world.

Love...

Oakland City’s mission is not only to help students find a career after college, but through a strong dedication to Christ and the Kingdom, discover their eternal purpose as well.

Discover Oakland City University Set up a campus visit today at www.oak.edu/visit or call 800.737.5125

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EQUIP

@50 General Baptist Bible College

February 9-13 the General Baptist Bible College in Davao City, Philippines celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was a time of celebration for 50 golden years of God’s faithfulness.

When our very first missionaries, Dr. Ken and Mrs. Wanda Kennedy, came to the Philippines they saw the need for a training school for national leaders and workers. After they returned to the U.S. the Foreign Mission Board (now International Missions) sent several other missionaries to work on meeting that need.

That vision became reality in 1965.

Since then, the General Baptist Bible College has continued to teach, train, and equip young students.

Fifty years later, GBBC has become the most successful General Baptist mission endeavor to provide Christian education and training to children and youth outside the United States. Because of your partnership, continued support, prayers, and passion, GBBC has reached another remarkable milestone.

During our 50th anniversary celebration, we cast a fresh vision for the direction and goals of the General Baptist Bible College in the 18

years to come, guided by our mission of providing quality Christian education and training. Our desire is to always equip and develop leaders answering to the mandate of making Jesus known and making disciples for Christ in and of all nations.

This was not only a celebration of what was begun in the past or what is existing at present, but was a meaningful celebration of intentionally launching ourselves into the future.

We invite you to be our partner in this cause by generously giving

financially. Any amount will help us achieve our vision of making GBBC the premier institution in leadership development for Christian ministries and missions in the Philippines and around the world.

The future of our ministries lies on the kind of leaders we will equip and develop today. So I urge you to please continue to be our prayer partners and financial supporters, as we all know that together we will achieve more for God’s glory and honor.

If you would like to be a part of training and equipping young leaders, send your donations General Baptist International Missions 100 Stinson Drive | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 Please make sure to write GBBC-50th on the memo line of your check.

To hear more about GBBC’s 50 Anniversary Celebration and their vision for the future, be sure to attend Joyce’s workshop at the 2015 Mission and Ministry Summit on July 20-22

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Have you ever felt your next step in leading your ministry was unclear? We have!

The local church is vision-driven and constantly changing making it inherently complex to lead. Yet nothing is more important than having a clear picture of where you want to go and a plan to get there. What if every ministry and youth pastor had enough resources to make this a reality? How much more effective could we be?

National Youth Conference has developed a strategic planning process that can help any youth pastor and youth ministry grow and gain clarity. It’s rooted in Biblical principles and applicable in any church context so long as the church is committed to Christ’s Great Commission to make more and better disciples.

OUR APPROACH Exciting blog posts from thriving Youth Pastors.

The GB community is full of flourishing student ministries. This blog will have relevant information facilitated by people who have navigated the challenges ministry leaders are facing.

Monthly podcasts on compelling topics.

Using unique experiences, Jeff Roth and Tyler Feller will dive into what they have learned from their own ministries and how that has lead to success for them and other student ministries across the country.

Online webinars.

Our team will draw on their experiences to lend insight into issues highlighted by Youth Pastors. The goal is to facilitate, guide, and trust God to deliver timely and impactful information to ministries.

Intentional time at NYC and Summit.

Connecting with people face to face is the best way to grow. We desire to set aside intentional time for Youth Pastors to connect with other Youth Pastors who understand the realities of staffing, budgets, organizational management, visionary leadership, and vision implementation.

NOW AVAILABLE The Locker Room is available to you NOW! Check out the new Blog, Podcast, and Resources online on the NYC website, www.gbNYC.org/TheLockerRoom Be sure to subscribe and check back often as we add more resources, blog posts, podcast episodes, and, coming later this spring, live and on-demand webinars.

2015 D ates

Upcoming Events in 2015 MAY

26-28

JUNE

19-21

NY C

SEPTEMBER

8-10

CAMP MEETING DAYS

20 1

JULY

20-22

Missions & Ministry Summit 2015

OCTOBER

9-10

LEVERAGE

GenerationNext Conference 2014

...Doing together what we cannot do alone.

Collinsville, Il

Presented by:

Brad Aycock is the Executive Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Sikeston, Missouri.

After a 15-year career with his own national marketing business, God called Brad into full-time vocational ministry. He has been key in repositioning his current church (as well as dozens of others) to become uniquely relevant to their communities, and irresistible to those previously not connected to a church or to the message of Christ. Brad has served in churches of all sizes - small, medium, and large. He has a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership from Asbury Theological Seminary. He offers coaching, training and consulting across the country in his areas of expertise. After years of decline, 2011 saw the 150 year old First United Methodist Church of Sikeston named as one of the “Fastest Growing Churches in America (under 1000)� by LifeWay Research.

Door to Core workshop series walks through branding and perception of churches, developing systems to get first-time guests connected, and using large community events to reach your town.

Hear Brad Aycock share his philosophy and wisdom at the 2015 Summit

July 20-22 in Collinsville, Illinois 23

Global Perspectives • The Legacy of GBBC • Children of Faith Home • Teach Overseas!

• So... You Don’t Want to Go on a Mission Trip?

• Meet Your Missionaries

Ministry Readiness • Dealing with Mean People • Creating a “Door to Core” System: Guest Readiness • Making a Difference in the Life of a Child • Door to Core Intro • Creating a “Door to Core” System: Systems • We’re Always Busy But Never See Results • Creating a “Door to Core” System: Catalytic Outreach • We Don’t Have Enough Money!

• 4 Chair Discipling • What if Your Church Disappeared?

Ministry Skills • When & Why: Executive Pastor • Church Mergers • Multi-Site Churches 24

#GBSUMMIT Rural & Small Town Ministry • Creating Passionate Loyalty in Your Community • Better Together • Healthy Rural Churches Do This • RuralCompassion.org • Reaching “Every” in Rural America • Becoming the Good Samaritan in Your Local School • Social Media in Rural Ministry

Students • Youth Ice Breaker • 153 • Hot Topics Q&A • How Do I Know God’s Will for my Life?

The Christian Life • Health & Fitness: 10 Easy to Remember Commandments • When Saints Sing the Blues • Christian Clichés and Bumper Sticker Theology • Parenting Through the Stages of Life • Spiritual Fitness: Growing Through Spiritual Disciplines & Retreats

Women’s Ministry

• Anything - Everything - Whatever it Takes • Leading Successful Group Events • Lay Counseling for Women • Unwrapping Martha’s Joy

Worship Arts

• Worship Leader Round Table • Worship Planning • Digital Audio Consoles Workshop • Tech Tour 2015

Register Online at www.gbsummit.org or download the online form and mail to General Baptist Ministries | 100 Stinson Dr. | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 25

Clint Cook - Denominational Vision

Born in 1962, Clint was called into the ministry at the age of 16 and ordained as a minister at the age of 20. Graduating from St. Louis Christian College in 1986 Clint began his first pastorate at Real Life Church in Springfield, IL in September 1985. At that time the church was known as First General Baptist Church.

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 to fill the Executive Director position on a permanent basis.

As Executive Director, Clint has continued his ministry as Lead Pastor at Real Live Church and continued and expanded the Next Level Coaching Network among General Baptist pastors and leaders.

Darrin Patrick - Church Planting

Darrin founded The Journey in 2002 in the urban core of St. Louis, Missouri. The Journey has six locations and has released seven church plants. Darrin is Vice President of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and has helped start multiple non-profits in St. Louis. He also serves as Chaplain to the St. Louis Cardinals.

After earning his B.A. in Biblical languages from Southwest Baptist University and a Master’s of Divinity (summa cum laude) from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Darrin earned his Doctor of Ministry from Covenant Seminary. Darrin is author of “The Dude’s Guide to Manhood,” “Church Planter,” co-author of “Replant,” and “For the City,” and contributor to the “ESV Gospel Transformation Bible.”

Darrin is married to his high school sweetheart, Amie, and they have four beautiful children: Glory, Grace, Drew, and Delainey.

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Alex Himaya - Reaching Millenials

Dr. Himaya is the founding and Senior Pastor of theChurch.at, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. theChurch.at is one of the fastest growing churches in America. It has grown from 120 to 6,000 in attendance in eleven years of existence. theChurch.at has four campuses: BattleCreek, Midtown, and Downtown in Tulsa, and DuPage in DuPage county, Illinois.

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 is also the founder of Adopt(ed), an international orphan care ministry.

Alex finished his Doctorate in Church Growth and Evangelism in May 2002, and he and his wife of 19 years, Meredith, have four children: Katherine, Eli, Benjamin, and Lemley.

Josh Carpenter - Encouragement

A third generation General Baptist pastor, Joshua Carpenter has been a part of the General Baptist Movement the entirety of his 38 years.

Raised in General Baptist churches, he owes his knowledge of Jesus to faithful Sunday School teachers, Children’s Church directors, and devout parents who made sure his life was flooded with scripture and prayer. Upon accepting the call into ministry at the age of 20, Josh began to preach at every opportunity until he and his wife Kathy moved to Indiana to attend OCU and pastor his first church at the age of 21. After graduating OCU, he went on to receive his Masters of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary. Josh has pastored General Baptist churches in Southern Indiana, Southeast Missouri, and currently pastors Grace United General Baptist Church in Paragould, Arkansas. Josh married his high school sweet heart whom he met in 2nd Grade. The two of them have three kids: Jonah, Zoe, and Kaleb. Josh currently serves on the board of trustees for Oakland City University, is Chairman of the Council of Associations, and is Moderator of the General Association of General Baptists.

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INSPIRE

Layers

On January 12, I was leaving Branson, Missouri, where I had just met Sid and Vicki Smith to tour a possible venue for Inside Out. Since I was not far from Springfield, I wanted to stop and visit Mildred, who was staying there Every time Women’s Ministries has held a national meetwith her sister, Joann. As soon as the tour and meeting ing, I have expected to see Mildred ended I called her pastor, Oren Watson in the audience. Always.

Alcorn, for Mildred’s Even this past summer, she Mildred and Linda Weaver are address to program into my traveled the long stretch GPS. Oren barely paused just two of the women who make of road from Springfield, before answering me with up the base of General Baptist Missouri to Springfield, these exact words: “Well, Women’s Ministries. Their legacy repeats Illinois to attend the MisPatti, as of just a couple those of many who have already gone, and sion & Ministry Summit hours ago, Mildred’s admany who continue to serve. They serve in with her cohorts, Joann & dress has changed.” part to know that the next “layer” of women Fred Livingston. It was a In my mind, I could see tough trip for a 92 year old will be holding on just as tightly. Just like her eyes twinkling. In my – even if that 92 year old heart, I knew more than Mildred, they see the need to grow; the was Mildred. her eyes were twinkling as need to teach service to a new generation.

July sunshine heated the she engulfed herself in the An active Women’s Ministries group is a day as air-conditioning presence of the One she chilled the interior rooms safe place for learning to pour out your gifts had spent an entire lifetime of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. like Mildred and Linda did. It is a community serving.

It was Monday after No one will match of support and love for women going through noon, and the Women’s Mildred’s tenacity to serve. life’s tougher stretches, as well as a training Ministries workshop was It was her gift to give, and ground for outreach and missions. It is a link about to start. As usual, she gave it well. But no one to the bigger world beyond us where women Mildred’s sparkling eyes should replace Mildred. are vulnerable in ways we can barely imagine, reassured those of us facGod has gifted all of us to ing the audience. After the and resources for on how to take carry out the plans He has session, she lingered as the light to those dark places. for our individual lives; room emptied. I stopped plans that are put into place Is your group layering? to thank her for her constanto benefit His Kingdom. cy but she had something she What kind of stories will wanted to say to me. With more our grandchildren, nieces, and fire than twinkle she said, “We have to find a way to get nephews be reading about us after we submit our final the younger women involved. We may not be able to do address change? Mildred’s story is not one of a woman what we do forever.” who stunned the world with her giftedness, but one of a What “we” do in her case is a story in itself. Mildred woman who poured out every gift she was given to be the and her Women’s Ministries group, all in their golden love of Christ. years, kept Ava General Baptist Church clean as a whistle Patti Thornton serves as Executive Director for many years. They didn’t do it as volunteer work; they for General Baptist Women’s Ministries. She expected to be paid just like the previous maintenance enthusiastically shares her “Adversity University” company was paid. Every year they lobbied for a raise; and experiences in hopes of encouraging and empowering women to lead and serve together, forming every year they sent the full amount of their pay to Woma formidable army of hope. She and her husband, en’s Ministries for missions.

Wilbur, are passionate about living missional lives.

But she was right. She couldn’t do it forever.

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Never Too Much Maybe she’s been a part of your congregation for years-a leader in the church, Sunday School teacher, Praise Team member, or Women’s Ministries officer. Maybe she is someone you have always admired. Recently, she has been dealing with some personal issues. Life seems to be throwing her curve balls. But she’s got it together, right? She has a relationship with Christ, so you’re sure that between her and God they have it all covered. You just let her know you’re praying for her and move on because, hey, there are others who don’t quite have it together like she does.

You work with him. He Gayla with her mother, Linda Weaver doesn’t go to church or seem to have any type of relationship with Christ as far as you can tell. He just lost his wife to cancer and has taken to drinking to dull the pain. He lashes out at those around him. You know he needs to feel the love of Christ, so you take him out to dinner one evening and talk to him about God’s love. He is hungry for this. He comes to church with you and you introduce him to your loving church family. You’ve made him aware of Christ and a church family, so he’s heading in the right direction, right? Your job is done and you feel good about it.

I’ve been there…. On both sides. I have sat in the congregation and listened to the prayer requests, dutifully prayed. I sometimes sent a card if I thought of it and my busy life allowed me time. But I have worried that I am being intrusive by calling or conveying my concern.

But as I said, I have seen both sides of neediness. I have

pushed away people wanting to help when I was struggling, but not because I wanted to. I needed them, but didn’t know how to accept their love.

Rather than risk intruding, they didn’t try to help for long, just like I didn’t try for too long when I was the helper.

I’m not saying there aren’t people who would rather be left alone! I’m sure there are, but I have yet to run into any of them. I am a firm believer that God allows trials and hurt in our lives to build us; to mold us into someone He can use for His glory. We become qualified by fire to help someone else who is going through similar trials and hurt.

It took FOREVER for me to figure that out!

When I went through a horrible divorce and child custody battle, I figured that I deserved it. I mean, I had married the wrong man. I wasn’t following God’s will during that time in my life, so I just did as I pleased. I deserved everything I got, right? The abuse, the depression, the poverty…. It took years for me to realize that God has been using me and the circumstances I experienced ever since I went through them! I have been able to show HIS love and mercy and care because I went through them.

This year, I lost my mom, Linda Weaver, to cancer. She was the one I called about everything be it big or little, happy or sad. She was my best friend and main encourager. She helped me to stay grounded on God’s path. I wondered: What good could come of her leaving me?!

Well, He is already showing me. People are watching me as I walk through grief, and I find myself looking for ways to be a comforter more often than I am looking to be comforted.

There is never too much you can do for other. Never too many hugs, too many prayers, too much friendship, too much time spent with them, too much doing for them, too much showing them God’s love. There is NEVER TOO MUCH! I have learned that we are God’s hands, feet, and lips. He uses us and the circumstances we have walked through to show his love to others who are in need, and it is never too much.

Gayla Bell is married to Steve and is the mother of four. She owns GaylaCake Bakery in Evansville, Indiana, where she and Steve are members of New Life General Baptist Church in Evansville. Gayla has served on the Women’s Ministries Board and has been very active in her local association for many years.

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ANYTHING? Inside out

Anything!

Inside Out

The Women’s Event

Sponsored by General Baptist Women’s Ministries

October 16 - 18, 2015 Thousand Hills Resort Branson, Missouri

www.gbwomen.org

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“The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea.” Acts 11:29 by:General Baptist International Missions

During a September visit to the General Baptist mission work in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India, we praised the Lord for the dedication and commitment of our General Baptist pastors to their work. These brethren are working in areas where they face overt opposition from the Hindu majority. Because of this they often struggle to earn a living and provide the basic necessities for their families. We prayed together and explored ways we can provide some basic financial support for these faithful pastors without creating a dependency or denying them their self-respect.

Our leaders in India and some of the pastors suggested providing a milk buffalo to each of our long serving pastors. These pastors will care for the animal and will use the milk from the buffalo for their families and to sell for income. In return, when the buffalo gives birth to the first and second female calves, they will be given to other pastors to help them support their families.

The price of a top condition milk-giving buffalo is $1,500.00. Some additional costs are also required for a backyard stable for the animal, but the government provides a free veterinary service in the areas where our pastors live.

If you would like to provide support to pastors facing oppression and hardship for their faith, send your gifts marked “India Pastor Support” to: General Baptist International Missions 100 Stinson Drive | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

Why a milking buffalo?

Because of its natural ability to withstand the rigors of the hot tropical climate of India, milking buffalo are much preferred over dairy cattle. The buffalo digests poor quality forage/fodder more efficiently than cattle, and produces milk that has 58% more calcium, 40% more protein, and 43% less cholesterol than cow’s milk. (fairburnwaterbuffalo.com) India is the world’s largest producer of buffalo milk, but unlike other milk producing nations, the milk is produced by a large number of farmers (about 70 million) located in some 500,000 remote villages. The families of these milkproducing farmers are mostly poor and under-privileged, making the additional income provided by the sale of surplus milk vital to their well-being and economic security (Manorama India Yearbook, 1998) Buffalo milk is used for a variety of dairy products such as butter, butter oil (clarified butter or ghee), soft and hard cheeses, condensed or evaporated milks, ice cream, yogurt and buttermilk. The properties of buffalo milk make it very suitable for processing. For example, it takes eight kilograms of cow’s milk to produce one kilogram of cheese, while it takes only five kilograms of buffalo milk (BSTID, 1981). In India, 28% of the total milk production is converted into ghee and about 20% is converted into products such as dahi (curd), khoa (dehydrated milk) and a variety of milk sweets (Chantalakhana and Falvey, 1999)

It is important to note that the American Buffalo (properly named a Bison) is not the same as a Milking Buffalo.

The Milking Buffalo, a.k.a. a water buffalo, is found in small herds around the world, though primarily found in Asia.

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INSPIRE

Fulfilling the Great Commission in South India

by Jesse Vemula

Calvary Grace Ministries was started over 31 years ago by my father, Rev. Charles Vemula. My father and mother were both born into a Hindu family, but one night, in 1982, a friend of my father’s invited him to a gospel crusade, and my father reluctantly attended. That night my father accepted Jesus Christ. Later on, my mother converted as well. After this experience, my father began to pray for someone to come and preach the gospel in the area, because there were no churches in a 100 km radius.

God didn’t answer my father for a full year. He told him, “I am not going to send someone to preach the gospel-YOU preach the gospel.” So my father started to talk to his friends and coworkers, and people started to believe and accept Christ. Soon these new believers wanted to have a church where they could grow spiritually, so my father decided to once again pray for God to send someone. Again, God did not respond for a year. In 1984, God responded to my dad and said, “I am not going to send someone to start a church here, YOU start one.” My father was unsure because he had a good job as a mechanical engineer at this time. So he prayed for God’s guidance and instruction in this situation, and God revealed that he should give up his job and go into full time ministry.

He did just that, and started his first church in 1984, in Siddipet. His vision was to evangelize our community, and to establish churches for those new believers to attend and learn more about God. At this time my parents did not have, any children, which began to hinder my father and his work for the

Lord. People in the church and those my dad had witnessed to started to question, saying, “If your God is the real God why do you not have kids?” Both my father and my mother were hurt by this experience and the doubts, but they turned to God. God inspired my father from the book of 1 Samuel, when Hannah promised that if God would give her a son, she would give him back to God for his work. My parents prayed this same promise, and I was born in 1986. When I was old enough, my parents started to tell me that I was going to be a pastor. I didn’t want to be a pastor because people already treated me differently in school, I had no friends, and the only pastor I knew well (my dad) would only sit and read his Bible. To me, being a pastor seemed boring, and not worth the time and effort.

I made up excuses, saying that my brother was smarter than me, so he should be the pastor! However, my parents kept insisting that I would be a pastor.

At 15 years old I finished my basic secular education, and my parents decided to send me to Berean Baptist Bible College in Bangalore. Again I argued that I didn’t want to be a pastor. So my parents came up with a lie and told me, “If you don’t go to the Bible College and become a pastor, God is going to kill us for not keeping our promise.” I decided it was better to be a pastor than an orphan. Later that year, my dad took me to the Bible College and I began my studies. During Christmas vacation, one of my professors asked us to write a paper on John 3:16. I was working on my paper one day and noticed my dad walking by me. I wanted to make him proud so I said, “Dad look at 33

your son- he has written a 6 page paper on John 3:16.” My father asked, “Why are you writing this paper?” I didn’t care so I responded, “Some stupid professor did not want us to have fun on Christmas vacation so he assigned a paper.” My dad said, “Son that is not the right reason.” Then my dad sat with me and explained what John 3:16 really meant and why the professor wanted us to write the paper.

That day I accepted Christ as my personal Savior and I returned to the Bible College a new person.

When I was seventeen, our college president was preaching a sermon on Isaiah 6:8, when God asks, “Whom shall I send and who will go for me?” At that moment I felt God calling me into full time ministry, and I accepted His call. My father was so thrilled when I told him that he said, “I have been waiting my whole life to hear that God called you.”

In 2006, I was still in school, but was home on a holiday when a group of us decided to do some street evangelism.

Typically, this involves handing out gospel tracts, and singing songs, as well as dancing an Indian cultural dance to attract people. That day God was telling me to go talk to someone so I left the group. I saw an old man sitting outside his home and God lead me to talk to him. I greeted the man and asked, “Sir, do you know Jesus Christ?”

This man thought for a while and finally responded, “Are you sure He lives in this village? I have been in this village all 69 years of my life and never heard of this man. This is the main road sir, keep going about 9 more kilometers and there is another village-you might find Him there.” I 34

talked with that man and shared about who Jesus really is.

That man accepted Jesus as his Savior, and now we even have a church in that village. I realized that day just how much India needs people to share the news of Jesus.

Soon after finishing both of my Bachelor’s degrees and my Masters I came back home and joined my father in ministry. My father talked with me and asked, “Son, what do you want to do now?” I simply replied, “I will help you in ministry by preaching on Sundays and so on.” My father replied, “Son, God has blessed you with knowledge-there must be something greater He wants. Fast and pray, and ask God what He wants you to do.” So I did, and during that time God gave me His vision for India. God laid on my heart evangelism, new churches, leadership training for pastors and new leaders-even a Bible institute.

I shared this vision with my father, and he asked me what I wanted to do next to accomplish all of this. I decided to go to America and pursue a doctoral degree so that I would have all the knowledge this task would require. My parents supported me, as long as I came back to India.

Then my journey to America began.

I came to America in 2008, and received a Master of Theology degree in 2010. While pursuing my doctoral degree, I met my wife Brittany. She was the one who introduced our ministry in India to the General Baptist International Missions Department. After our marriage in 2012, we began the process of becoming General Baptist missionaries in India. By 2013, we had begun raising our missionary shares. Our plans to go to India that December changed though, when my father suddenly passed away in September. In 30 years of ministry, my father, Rev. Charles, planted 42 churches and raised 27 pastors, 16 of which are illiterate. My father’s death resulted in my wife and I taking over the ministry in India. Since then, we have continued outreach in India by distributing gospel tracts, showing a film about Jesus, and connecting with people on a personal level by giving away print and audio Bibles. Our youth ministry is involved in evangelism through skits and dances with traditional Indian music. We also have a children’s home, a sewing center, and ministries with prostitutes in the slums.

In south India, Christians are treated as Untouchables [lower class citizens]. This makes it hard to get scholarships to schools and colleges, and it is especially hard to find jobs. To help these people, we offer a free sewing course and sewing machines to destitute women. We encourage our pastors by providing them with bible classes, free literature, audio bibles, bicycles and small financial help for their travel. Starting this year, we want to start a

new church in a new area once every year. Our vision is simple: we want to expand all of these ministries into new areas, see more people come to Christ, and raise more leaders to share Jesus with the people of India.

There is a tremendous need for Christian workers in India. India today stands as the second most populous country in the world, at nearly 2 billion people. The population in India is 80% Hinduism, 10% Islam, 2.3% is Christianity and the rest are other religions. God gave us the vision to train leaders and plant churches through their ministry. The bible says, “The Harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.” This is exactly the situation in India talking about the need in India!

Becoming a leader or pastor in India is not easy. It requires a tremendous sacrifice that is hard for many to do. This year, with your help, we plan to encourage these poor pastors and leaders in India by helping them buy livestock, which would be a great help for them financially for many years to come. For more on this project, turn to page 31. This year we know that God has even greater plans for us in India. By being a part of the General Baptist International Missions, God has allowed us to do more together than we could ever do alone.

Since we have started working with the General Baptist denomination, we have been tremendously encouraged and blessed. Calvary General Baptist Ministries India is always grateful to everyone who prays, encourages, and financially supports our work of winning the souls of India. We would especially like to thank all the missionaries who visited us, worked alongside us, and have helped us reach out. We hope and pray that this fellowship and friendship will continue in the future to fulfill the great commission of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jessey Vemula serves with his wife Brittany in the Andre Pradesh region of India. They have a heart for evangelizing the lost, planting churches, and working with orphans and those trapped in the sex trade.

The 2014 Ed Stevens Offering was designated to provide vehicles for the ministries in India. Because of this offering, Jessey and Brittany Vemula have purchased a Toyota Innova for use in their ministry with Calvary Grace Ministry of General Baptists.

Prakash and Jemima Pamu have a Mahindra Scorpio on order, and hope to receive it soon from the dealership. They were driving a twenty-year-old Jeep purchased with a prior Ed Stevens Offering.

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Unified Giving 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.

Unified Giving

Nickels, Noses and Other Necessary Numbers

By Dr. Franklin R. Dumond

The role of numbers and counting in the life of a church leader, though often criticized, remains important. The effective leader has a penchant for numbers, since most of those numbers represent people or indicate a measure of their discipleship.

Are Numbers Necessary?

A quick look at the Bible illustrates the historical importance of numbers. There is even an Old Testament book called Numbers! The New Testament records the numbers of people who had lunch with Jesus—4,000 on one occasion; 5,000 on another—and even how they sat in groups of 50 (Luke 10:14).

Necessary Numbers

A few numbers rank with such importance that every church leader should be abreast of them. Ranked by importance these would include: 1. Average weekly worship attendance 2. Average weekly Small Group/ Sunday School attendance 3. Number of First Time Guests 4. Conversions: Last year and year-to-date 5. Baptisms: Last year and year-to-date 6. Members Received: Last year and year-to-date 7. Average Weekly Income: Last year and year-to-date Most of these numbers should be maintained in a multiyear graph so trend lines can be easily identified.

Behind the Scenes Numbers

Some of the most important numbers only rarely make a ‘public’ appearance. That is, they are generally not communicated openly, despite their importance. The leader of a growing congregation will undoubtedly be aware of:

1. The size of the crowd

“If everyone had been here…” is a statement often made to console us on low attendance days or to celebrate a full house that would have been beyond capacity if everyone had been present.

The crowd is composed of those folks who attend at least once in a while. One convenient measure of the crowd is to identify those folks who attend at least once every 6-8 weeks.

EQUIP

Why is it so important to know the size of and the identity of the crowd? The size of the crowd indicates the potential the church has to grow and impact people. The identity of those who make up the crowd indicates who it is that we are most likely to win to faith in Christ and faithfulness to His church.

2. Total weekly participation

In the Family Based Church, everyone attends everything. These churches function like an extended family, and are generally smaller in size. It is not uncommon for activities to be cancelled if several cannot attend.

A Program Based Church will have a more developed and diverse program where no one attends everything but everyone attends something. For example, it is not uncommon for a Program Based Church to offer small groups for adults, youth groups for teens, and children’s ministries at times other than Sunday morning. Often folks who cannot attend on Sunday morning will nevertheless participate in one or more of the weekday or weeknight ministries of the church.

Total weekly participation, then, is a measure of who attended at least one ministry activity in a given week.

It is determined by a cross reference of attendance reports so that everyone who attends at least once in the week is counted.

3. Percentage of the congregation present for five years or less

“I’m on my third congregation!” reported the pastor of a middle sized church. Having been pastor there for nearly 20 years he had discovered first hand that church folks are mobile. They move away. They drop out. Others drop in.

Every year there are funerals!

Other measures of tenure could be used. A very important one is the percentage of folks who have become part of the congregation since the current pastor arrived.

Each of these measures the likelihood of leading change and maintaining relevance. Change is most likely when enough newer folks with newer ideas come into leadership roles. The pastor is most likely to lead change when a large percentage of the congregation has come into the church since he began his ministry.

Numbers will not track themselves. Use of some church management software or the development of a spreadsheet will make the task easier. In the church of 200 or fewer a good notebook and clipboard will cover most of the bases.

Volunteer office helpers can do much of the record keeping. Whatever system is used, however, must ring true to the old adage “We count people because people count!”

37

BENEFITS

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There is no greater satisfaction believers can gain than to know they have contributed to mission work that will continue after they are gone. Gifts through General Baptist Foundation create perpetual financial support long after the donor is able to contribute.

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General Baptist

FOUNDATION | 1Corinthians 3 :10 –13

INSPIRE

We to Reach Families . .. .. Prayed . . . . . . ................. . . . . . . . . . .with . . . . . .Children ...........

H o w D e d i c a t i o n t o a We d n e s d a y N i g h t O u t r e a c h M i n i s t r y C h a n g e d L i v e s

By Rhesa Funk

Heather Dunn was barely seventeen, alone and pregnant.

A newcomer in a small mountain town where she knew no one, the last place she wanted to go was church. But wanting to get out of the house, she accepted an invitation to attend the Wednesday night youth outreach event at Happy Zion General Baptist Church in Annapolis, MO.

“I had my defenses up,” Dunn said. “I was a pregnant teenager and a high-school drop-out, so I expected shame, judgment and ridicule, because that’s what I got everywhere else. But, my stomach was hungry, and I was also very lonely, so I went.”

What Dunn found was the exact opposite of her expectations.

“Everyone was very loving, warm and kind. My own family didn’t show me these emotions, so I was shocked that people in the church would treat me with such compassion. I continued to attend for the few short weeks before my son, Jacob (JJ) was born.”

The birth came early and JJ was very ill, near death.

He was moved to a children’s hospital two hours away.

Dunn remembers receiving cards and visits from church people she didn’t even know. When she returned, the adults from the youth meeting came to her tiny trailer and brought her food and encouragement.

“I had zero skills as a mother and even less maturity, but the ladies in the church would sit and talk to me and listen to me. They prayed with me and helped me. They spent time teaching me how to take care of JJ- not only did I learn how to be a mother, but I also learned about the saving grace of Jesus Christ.” Dunn became a regular attendee at the weekly Wednesday ministry.

The local public school was filled with children who attended Happy Zion on Wednesdays. Due to the friendships she made with these high school kids, and encouragement from the Principal, Dunn re-enrolled in high school and graduated. “All the while, even through my immature, ugly periods, the men and women from Happy Zion continued to show me love and help,” she said.

When she was twenty, she was asked to help with a pre-school class on Wednesday nights. Because she related well to junior-high age and teenagers, she was almost immediately tapped to help with the older youth also, where she eventually became the High School Director, leading a number of teenagers to the Lord, and helping others as she was helped.

That was nearly twelve years ago.

Dunn, who is now in her late 20’s, has since married and had more children.

Russ Collins, deacon at Happy Zion, remembers the early years of the Wednesday night program.

“It began in 2002 when our pastor’s wife invited three or four un-churched children to come on Wednesday nights for snacks and a Bible story. Those three or four children each invited four or five more, and before we knew it, we had about 100 un-churched young people on Wednesday nights, many who came from broken homes, living in difficult situations with little knowledge of who or what Jesus might be.”

From 2002 until 2015 Collins says the weekday ministry has steadily grown, and the church eventually added classes for all ages, 3-18. The average attendance ranges from 50 to 100 per week. The children play for half an hour, then are provided a meal, followed by Bible teaching and share 39

time. Additional Bible study classes have been added for adults, many of whom began attending because of their children’s involvement with the youth program.

In the past twelve years, over 100 children have accepted Christ because of the weekday ministry.

The church has added community-wide events three to four times a year which include a Back-ToSchool Bash, Out-Of-School Bash, and other things such as lock-ins, bon fires, trips to the zoo, and Dare To Share. The community events regularly draw 150-250 people. Considering the town’s population is only 350, this is a large-scale crowd for the area.

Collins said in the beginning of the program, the church prayed the Lord would send families with children. “What we found,” he said, “was God often sent us children with no parents attending.”

Individuals within the church rose to the challenge and took on the responsibility of providing love, discipline, care, opportunity and accountability. “Many of these children lacked family structure. It was our responsibility to love them, train them, nurture them and teach them. We had to give them what they couldn’t get anywhere else.”

Heather Dunn, for one, is extremely grateful.

“Without Happy Zion, I don’t know what would have happened to me, or to JJ. They not only shared their love with me, but they shared the love of Christ, which has defined who I’ve become as a wife, mother, friend, and servant of the Lord.”

As proof of God’s faithfulness, both of Dunn’s older children recently accepted Christ and were baptized. JJ, who is almost twelve, and Dunn’s middle child, Emma, who is six, are regular attendees of the Wednesday night program. Dunn still has a leadership role with the group.

Dunn concludes, “My years in the Happy Zion program made me see I absolutely had to raise my children in a Christian home. There was no question, I had to do the right thing. Had it not been for Happy Zion and the people there, I would have never even known what the 40

right thing was. God used them to change me forever.

The salvation and baptism of my own children are proof of what Wednesday nights did for me.”

A Wednesday night outreach program for children changed the trajectory of Heather Dunn’s life, shown above with her husband Donnie, and children (l-r), JJ, Emma and Colton.

Happy Zion’s outreach changed Heather Dunn’s legacy forever. Over a decade after she first walked into Happy Zion, Heather was able to watch as her daughter Emma, age six, made her profession of faith and was baptized by Pastor Steve Naff.

Rhesa Funk creates marketing materials and writes stories from a tiny house, beside a tiny creek, far back in the Ozark hills near Annapolis, Missouri. She attends Happy Zion General Baptist Church. More stories of faith, inspiration and humor can be found on her blog at: www.RedShedWriter.com.

General Baptist Pension Trust

General Baptist Pension Trust was established in 1968 as a vehicle to provide retirement benefits to employees of General Baptist churches as well as employees of denominational and institutional ministries.

This Retirement Program is available to all General Baptist pastors, church staff, missionaries, church planters, and employees of denominational ministries.

For more information write us at: General Baptist Ministries | 100 Stinson Drive | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 Call us: 573.785.7746

Visit our Website: www.generalbaptist.com/executive-offices/financial

INSPIRE

Victory Chapel...3 growth years

Victory Chapel General Baptist Church was organized on July 16, 1961 on Victory Street in Mishawaka, Indiana with 27 charter members and Rev. William Collier as the founding pastor. Having been lettered off from the Osceola General Baptist Church, the group began meeting in a warehouse-style storefront.

When the church was just six years old, the Brethren Church building in Osceola, Indiana was for sale. The members of Victory Chapel purchased the building, and this became the permanent location for the congregation.

Although several men served as pastor across the years, two, in addition to founding pastor William Collier, have each served for many years. Rev. John Lawson served from 1985-1994 and again from 2001-2004. Upon his retirement, Rev. Larry Sonnenberg became pastor in 2004, and continues to serve today.

This urban church has seen its ups and downs. From their years of initial growth to a congregation of 90+, they dwindled to as low as five people in the late 1990s.

In 2005 the church began to improve their property and buildings. A “Joash Sunday” was set for late 2005, developed around the concept of the chest used by King Joash to collect offerings for restoration of the Temple in 2 Chronicles 24. Throughout the year, individuals and auxiliaries put aside funds for a special offering. Collective activities, like a joint yard sale, were even held to raise money.

The gifts were placed in a chest constructed by one of the members. When the gifts were tallied that first year, the congregation discovered they had supplied enough funding to pave their parking lot. In 2006 a similar Joash Project funded lift chairs to make the church stairwells handicap accessible.

Since 2006, a new baptistery has been installed with stained glass behind it, dressing rooms have been added, and additional land has been purchased.

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Beginning in 2011, the church saw three years of growth that resulted in salvations and baptisms at a higher than average rate. In 2011, eight people were saved and baptized. In 2012, 12 people were saved and baptized. In 2013, 14 people were saved and baptized.

One important ministry that expanded the church’s outreach was Vacation Bible School. Their first effort came out of a planning session in 2012 by the Church Board as they discussed how to reach into the community.

Fifty students participated that first year. Using the creative talents of its members, the church was fully decorated to reinforce the week’s theme. Having discovered that this is a ministry the church can accomplish with their collective gifts and talents, Vacation Bible School is now a regular part of the church calendar.

In 2013, Victory Chapel witnessed several conversions apart from its VBS outreach. One young couple began attending because her parents did, and they were saved and baptized. Two people, at different times, just walked in off the street and were later saved and baptized. Others were invited by a member. Having heard the gospel they, too, were saved and baptized.

The congregation now boasts 80 people who are part of its fellowship. Like all churches, once in a while most everyone shows up at the same time and the house is full.

Because the core of the congregation is middle aged and older, it is difficult to keep all the young adults that pass through. Victory Chapel becomes a sending agency for many of the folks they win since many of them migrate to other locations or other churches.

Currently, the church enjoys two additions to their programming that help develop healthy, personal interactions. The Senior Adult Class has relocated from its traditional meeting place in the sanctuary. Now that they meet in the fellowship area with coffee and refreshments, their discussions take on a more lively tone. In addition, the traditional Sunday evening worship service has been turned into a discussion group and Bible study.

No one fully knows what motivated those five remaining members to reengage in ministry, but from that low ebb that surely threatened to close the church, Victory Chapel has found new avenues of ministry and witness that have resulted in three years of fruitful growth.

Larry Sonnenberg has served as pastor of Victory Chapel since 2004.

He and his wife Janet reside in South Bend, Indiana. Pastor Sonnenberg previously served churches in both Indiana and Arkansas.

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Intervarsity

Taking Jesus to the University

By Dennis Powell The leaders of tomorrow make the big decisions that direct the rest of their lives, including decisions about the Christian faith, on college campuses.

What if General Baptists had a ministry on college campuses that would give our young adults the kind of Christian spiritual support and guidance they need to make life decisions, grow in their faith, and become vibrant Christian leaders? What if General Baptists could partner with an existing, theologically compatible ministry to do just that?

Since beginning my work with the organization, I have discovered that most of my General Baptist friends and colleagues are unaware of the ministry that InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has brought to college and university campuses for almost 75 years. If you know young adults who are headed off to college, consider recommending that they look for the InterVarsity chapter on their campus.

InterVarsity has chapters on over 600 U.S. campuses; their vision: “To see students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed, and world changers developed.” To do this, they focus on three things: sharing the gospel in order to win college students to Jesus Christ, helping these young adults grow in their faith through life in a witness44

ing community, and developing Christian leaders who will be influencers for Christ in their church and community.

The twenty million college students in the United States create an immense mission field-bigger even than the populations of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas combined.

As these students learn about the career fields they will enter as adults, they are also open to learning about and making adult decisions about following Jesus Christ.

The History InterVarsity began with students at the University of

Cambridge, England in 1877. There, a group of Christian students began to meet together- in spite of the disapproval of some University officials- to pray, study the Bible and witness to fellow students. Soon, similar groups sprang up on other campuses. Eventually, they formed the British Inter-Varsity. (Hence the name, inter – meaning between, varsity – the British term for college level students.)

InterVarsity spread to Canada in the early twentieth century and eventually a chapter began at the University of Michigan. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA was officially organized in May 1941.

Growing in Faith Participants in the InterVarsity grow in faith through life in their campus chapters. Christian students can find kindred spirits with other believers, while new believers find a support system for their newfound faith. Students also engage in vibrant worship in large group settings where they lift their voices in praise to our Savior and hear the word of God clearly proclaimed.

InterVarsity has a rich legacy of deep Bible study, particularly inductive Bible study, which helps students discover for themselves what the Bible says. The Manuscript study method was developed by InterVarsity staff in 1955 and is still widely used today: students are given copies of Scripture passages without chapter and verse divisions or even paragraphs, to help focus on the pure message of the text.

Developing Leaders

Evangelism Sharing the gospel is a core value in InterVarsity, so staff members have developed innovative new evangelism tools: • GIGs (Groups Investigating God).

These small groups are an opportunity for two or more people to have a discussion flowing from a passage of Scripture. They are God-focused investigations with the purpose of finding out more about Jesus from the Bible and helping friends become his followers.

• Proxe Stations Proxe utilize sidewalk or tabletop displays to catch attention, provoking conversations revolving around an interesting idea that naturally segue into the gospel.

• The Big Story Gospel Outline & The Big Story App The Big Story Gospel Presentation app is a creative way to share the gospel right from a smartphone or tablet. Based on material from True Story by James Choung, this free app helps illustrate the main points of the gospel message by drawing four “worlds” on the screen.

With tools like these, and by God’s grace, InterVarsity has seen a record number of 3,517 new believers in the 2013-14 school year. Reaching young adults 18-22 years old can be extremely difficult, but churches partnering with InterVarsity are able to work with experienced, welltrained experts in communicating with college students.

Each chapter is led by student leaders who have made a genuine commitment to Jesus Christ. These leaders are mentored by campus staff who help provide direction and resources. InterVarsity regularly hosts retreats and training events throughout the year for these leaders. Some of these InterVarsity student leaders go on to become InterVarsity staff and many will be leaders in their church and community in the years ahead.

They challenge studentsthem with ways to respond to God’s call to serve Him no matter what their chosen field.

Missions InterVarsity has a strong missions emphasis. Last year, over 5,000 InterVarsity students spent time on short term mission projects in the United States and around the world.

Every three years, InterVarsity hosts Urbana, the largest missions conference in the world. Since 1946, God has used Urbana as a key transformational experience for thousands of people. They’ve responded to God’s call by feeding the hungry, translating Scripture, freeing the oppressed, planting churches, and working in businesses that transform nations. Over 16,000 participants are expected at Urbana 15 December 27-31 in St. Louis.

Every Corner of the Campus Multiethnic chapters foreshadow heavenly worship (Rev. 7:9) and proclaim InterVarsity’s desire to reach the entire campus. Multiethnicity does not come naturally, but the staff constantly ask: “How can we can reach those who are missing?”, “How can we make Jesus and his mission accessible to every student?”

At large universities with many subcultures, one centralized meeting may not draw everyone’s attention and, 45

in many cases, InterVarsity has pursued an indigenous ministry model within smaller subsets of the campus. Much like the parable of the great banquet in Luke 14 where the master tells his servants to go out to the country lanes and compel people to fill up his house, ethnic specific ministries step out into niche groups on campus to make sure that everyone not only gets an invitation to the party, but feels compelled to come.

InterVarsity also has specialized ministries for graduate students, faculty, nursing students, athletes, arts students, international students, and students in fraternities and sororities.

Around the World “I am deeply grateful for the ministry of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship...It has had a profound effect on the lives of countless people I have met across the years-including many of my close associates.

I am especially thankful for InterVarsity’s emphasis on discipleship. In many ways the greatest need of the hour is for Christians who are totally committed to God’s will for their lives, and are seeking to discover and obey God’s will-by their study of the Bible, their practice of prayer and fellowship, and their witness and service. Through its commitment to discipleship training, InterVarsity is meeting this need.”

In 1947 InterVarsity USA became a founding member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), a federation of national Christian student movements.

Currently, there is an IFES presence in 154 countries around the world. IFES has affiliate organizations in many of the countries where General Baptists have mission work including Jamaica, Honduras, Mexico, India, and the Philippines.

For more information about InterVarsity, visit the About Us section at www.intervarsity.org.

You can also contact Dr. Dennis Powell, Interim Ministry Associate, at dennis.powell@intervarsity.org or (501) 206-6568 Dr. Dennis Powell has served as a General Baptist church planter and pastor for 30 years. He was recently provisionally appointed as an Interim Ministry Associate for InterVarsity and hopes to begin working full-time this summer.

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