Messenger Summer 2017 by General Baptist Ministries

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Take the Land by Clint Cook, Executive Director

In 1823 when Benoni Stinson brought a group of believers together in Southern Indiana to form the Liberty Church of Howell, (now Evansville) Indiana, I doubt he was fully aware of the impact of that decision. I wonder if he knew that one day General Baptist would be an affiliation of over 800 churches in the U.S., and 300 abroad? I wonder if he knew how many different nations would proclaim the gospel under the General Baptist banner? And I wonder if he thought General Baptists would still be proclaiming its guiding principle that Christ tasted death for all mankind nearly 200 years later? Fast forward 194 years and here we are coming back to where it all began -- Southern Indiana! How honored we are to have The Summit in Evansville, Indiana on July 17-19, 2017. The Summit has proven vital to advancing the burden Christ laid upon Benoni Stinson to establish a network of churches called General Baptist that would carry out the Great Commission. The Summit’s collection of biblical preaching, inspirational worship, practical training, and forming and renewing relationships, is essential to our Christian journey. This year’s Summit will prove to be an unprecedented event in many respects with a lot of “firsts.” More nationals from our various fields will be in attendance than ever before, including the pastor from our oldest Philippine General Baptist church. We will also be honored to have pastors from Honduras and our new work in Northwest Mexico joining us for the first time. We will sing praises and be led in worship for the first time ever by one of our Hispanic praise teams from California. We also have the privilege of providing bilingual training sessions dedicated solely to our Latin American pastors and church leaders. We are excited to share big news of numerous leadership opportunities, including our new internship program called LeadNow for 18-30 year olds, the introduction of leadership assessments, and sessions of leadership coaching. Yes, the 2017 Summit will definitely be a one-of-a-kind gathering, and you don’t want to miss it. Our return to Evansville and the birthplace of General Baptists reminds me of directions God gave a famous patriarch in Genesis 35 when Jacob was told to go back to Bethel. God wanted Jacob to embark on a pilgrimage to where it all began. It was at Bethel that Jacob first made a covenant with God. By asking Jacob to return to that same place so many years later, God was saying, “I want to take you back so you will remember that when we began this journey you had very little. Now, Jacob, look at all that I have given you.” But God did not just want Jacob to remember where he had come from, he wanted him to renew his commitment. God wanted Jacob to finish out his life believing and trusting in the God of Israel and teaching future generations about the significance of what happened so long ago at Bethel. So as we come together at this 2017 Summit, may we be reminded of the willingness and faith of Benoni Stinson who set aside a group of believers as a congregation called General Baptist. May we praise God for the souls that have been saved and the lives impacted at General Baptist churches over the past 194 years. I pray we inscribe on our hearts our Moderator’s challenge to “Take the Land” because there is still so much work to be done. Let us use The Summit as a place where we renew our personal commitments to follow the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and renew our commitments as General Baptist pastors and leaders to tell the world about Jesus and make disciples. As God met with Jacob the second time at Bethel, may God also meet with us at The Summit in Evansville in 2017! See you there!

Messenger General Baptist

Summer 2017

Table of Contents 3 Take the Land 6 Freedom Church Celebrates 15 Years! 11 Mt. Pleasant Turnaround 13 Summit Schedule 14 Launch Minister Development Program 14 Summit Exhibit Hall 16 Meet Our 2017 Summit Keynoters 18 Authors at the Summit 19 Pre-Summit Missions Event 20 Summit Children 21 Summit Youth 22 Why GB: Theological Connections

Summit Schedule

23 Why Summit Workshop Tracks? 24 Summit Workshop Schedule 30 A Call to Prayer 32 A Mission One Experience 34 Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amazing Ways to Reach 35 New General Baptist Facility in India 36 International Ministries at Summit 2017 38 Bridge Building 40 Take a Deep Breath. Read the Book. 42 Where are they Now? 44 Trending Now 46 Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Min. Water Bottle Challenge

Summit Summit Children & Students Workshop Schedule

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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

Mt. Pleasant Turnaround

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

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A Call to Prayer

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Freedom Church Celebrates 15 Years

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Taking the Land Through Church Planting Freedom Church Celebrates 15 Years!

Freedom Church launched on March 3rd, 2002 at the Hendersonville High School Auditorium. The church really began much earlier when a young pastor committed himself and his family to pursue the vision of a new church, reaching its community in new ways. This vision of a new church came to Pastor Terrell Somerville’s awareness in 2000 when he read Purpose Driven Church by Dr. Rick Warren. He prayed, sought God and continued to ask God to use him in His work, whatever that may be. Already engaged in effective ministry at Fairview General Baptist Church in Smith’s Grove, Kentucky and with three daughters aged 4 to 10, it was quite a risk to launch into something new. Nevertheless Terrell and his wife Shanda counted the cost, began gathering people around them to pursue the dream and relied on the Lord to bring it all together. Like most new churches, Freedom Church had no property, no buildings and no equipment. So in rented quarters that required setting up and tearing down every weekend, the church came to life on March 3rd, 2002 with 159 people attending that first service. A partnership was established with General Baptist National Missions and as a result some funding was provided and connections were made with the larger world of church growth and church planting. With initial church plant training from Dynamic Church Planting International, soon new mentors came alongside Pastor Terrell that included Pastor Ron Byrd and Pastor Troy Gramling. Two years into its existence Freedom Church purchased 15 1/2 acres of land in October of 2004 and began to prepare for a first phase facility. The rental agreement with the school system became a little awkward when 6

the contract was revised to establish a time limit for the use of the facility. This time limit did not coordinate with the construction of the church’s first facility. It looked as if this new church with its newly gathered congregation might be homeless, but then the Lord showed up. In a variety of subtle, yet obvious ways the Lord opened doors, provided opportunities and made a way for Freedom Church to continue its mission. Thanks to the financial sacrifice of Freedom families in their first building campaign, other Christian leaders, and the General Baptist Investment Fund, Freedom Church was able to build a first phase facility that provided 8,600 square feet with a 250 seat auditorium and a children’s meeting space. When the church was able to occupy that first unit in December 2006 the congregation was composed of 150 people. This new church plant promptly engaged in strategic efforts to connect with the community of Gallatin, Tennessee and its surrounding areas.

Church planting isn’t for the faint of heart and I quit many times in my mind, but never turned in my resignation. In the beginning of our calling to plant Freedom Church, there were those who questioned our motives and criticized our efforts, however, I learned very quickly that what God calls you to, He will bring you through. Never put your eyes on people because when you do, you have taken your eyes off of Jesus. I learned to never tell God after you surrender to the call to preach that I’m not going to pastor a church, I said “I plan to just be an evangelist.” God let me know if I was going to follow His call, I would not only pastor a church, but I would start the church I would pastor. I also learned that when you get out of the box of what Christians in our movement expect of you to do, you will suffer a whole lot of loneliness, however, that’s when God sends those special angels of encouragement that give you the strength not to give up or even consider throwing in the towel.

A Grand Opening was planned for January 14, 2007. To prepare for that event Freedom Church pioneered the General Baptist church planting strategy of TellStart Telemarketing, door-to-door surveys, and saturation mailings within the community. Pastor Terrell became the driving force behind a communication strategy designed to inform the broader community of what the Lord was doing in and through Freedom Church. This drive to connect to people continues to motivate Freedom Church. Methods have changed but the strategy remains to connect with people who are far from God but who need the life-changing message of the gospel. Every year Freedom Church intentionally connects with its larger community by county-wide mailings, Social Media, website,

Outreach, Easter Helicopter Egg Drop, Serve Saturday’s, Local Chamber Celebrations/Events, SquareFest, Shamrock Run, Trunk-or-Treat, etc. After those first efforts in 2007 the Grand Opening resulted in 420 people attending that Sunday. This taxed the building capacity of this newly constructed facility, so by Easter of that year Freedom Church began offering two worship options. Then at Easter 2008 the church began a third service to accommodate the growing crowd. A new children’s addition to the building opened Easter weekend of 2011. A few years went by and Freedom ran out of room again. In the fall of 2016, a new 750 seat worship auditorium and a new nursery wing were added. Freedom Church now devotes the original building to the kids and teen ministries. The church now exceeds 800 people in regular weekend attendance while seeing hundreds of lives transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Although more than 1000 people have been baptized in the last 15 years, Pastor Terrell observes, “We believe that the best is yet to come!”

Over the years the weekly worship schedule has been adapted to meet the needs of a thriving congregation. For several years Saturday evening worship was an important feature of the church’s life. As times changed and as the facility was expanded, schedules were adjusted. Larger meeting spaces meant that more people could be accommodated with fewer service times so the church currently offers weekly worship at 9:30 and 11:15 every Sunday. Special seasons of worship, however, result in special schedules of worship. During Easter 2017 the church offered two Saturday services and three Sunday services to make room for everyone to attend resulting in 3,147 attendees, 499 first time guests, 240 volunteers serving, and most of all, 62 lives changed by Jesus Christ. Christmas results in the same kind of expanded worship events so that as many people as possible are able to attend at least one of these special worship experiences.

PASTOR TERRELL’S REFLECTIONS… “As I look back over the past 15 years, it’s so humbling to see all that God has done through the Freedom Church family. When you see atheists confess Christ, when you see failing marriages restored, when you witness the shackles of addiction broken, when you see single moms start to smile in life again despite their circumstances, when you watch kids give their hearts to Christ and grow up to serve His church, and on and on, any struggles my family faced or heartache we endured, all melt away with tears of joy! “One of the many, great accomplishments God has done is how our three daughters grew up in the church not to become the typical PK’s (pastor’s kids), but to fall in love with the church. Lily, India, and Chloe worked so hard in the early days as we would sweat and freeze setting up and tearing down the church in the school. Now, they love 8

the church even more as they have all gotten married to husbands who love Jesus and they all serve in different roles in the church. We could not be more proud of them! “Typically, when new churches start, they focus on evangelism to draw a crowd. Then turning the crowd into committed disciples of Jesus becomes the focus of the pastor and evangelism subsides. For 15 years at Freedom Church, we have kept a dual focus, “Reaching the lost and discipling believers.” After reaching new converts, we teach them to follow Jesus step-by-step with five core values that support our existence.

• Everyone reaching. • Everyone growing. • Everyone serving. • Everyone giving. • Everyone connecting.

“It’s been an honor to just be a fly on the wall to see all God has done through church planting in our General Baptist movement.” These five values fulfill the five purposes of the church. In a practical sense, we have four big outreach events a year to reach new people. These include the New Year, Easter, fall push, (first Sunday after Labor Day) and Christmas. Smaller outreach efforts are built around Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. For the past seven years the church has sponsored 10-12 worship services over a two-day period at the county jail once a year. We give the inmates socks and candy, sing a couple of songs, and then share the gospel. Several of those former inmates are now committed servants at Freedom Church. We have an outreach team that systematically partners with local charities, non-profits, and community events through the Chamber of Commerce. This allows our church to go, help, and serve in any way possible. We have Serve Saturday projects every other month to go into our community to help different entities with their needs. We use all kinds of ways to outreach and we pray and fast for God to use our church family to reach those His Son died for. It’s amazing to see all the church plants that have come about since we started Freedom Church in 2002. I was honored to be a new church start-up coach for 10 years and coached many new church start-ups. So many of our new General Baptist churches have gone from portable to permanent. I remember flying to Florida to meet Pastor Gary and Shawn Baldus whom I would be coaching for a new church. I’m humbled today to see our first mega church in our General Baptist family and how New Walk Church is making a kingdom impact for Jesus. Freedom Church has made financial contributions and invited people to go help our new churches. I remember Pastor Kris Freeman and his wife Jennifer in a send-off service at Freedom as they were headed to start Revolution Church in White House, TN and today they’re making a Kingdom impact for Jesus. I remember standing on our stage telling the Freedom Church people, “Pastor Brandon Petty and his wife Jessica are starting a church in Portland, any of you are welcome to go and help, but Brandon you can’t have my wife and kids.” Now Generation Church is making a kingdom impact for Jesus. I remember the day when Pastor Lance Johnson, who was Freedom Church’s worship pastor, came to me and said he was going to accept the position of senior pastor at Skyline Church. I didn’t want to see him go, but I knew he would only follow God’s lead. Today, Skyline is a permanent multi-campus church making a kingdom impact for Jesus.

Taking The Land: Mt. Pleasant Turnaround The rural community of Bufkin, Indiana has changed dramatically since it was first settled in the early 1800s. As an outpost on the edge of the wilderness this community of hardy pioneers settled just a few miles north of the Ohio River town of Mount Vernon. Life was rugged in those days. The forests with their abundant wildlife of deer, black bear, bobcats and cougars only slowly gave way to cleared fields, organized farms and settled communities. Now the rural landscape of Bufkin, Indiana looks more suburban with paved roads and rural subdivisions alongside modern farms and lush green fields. One fact of life remains the same. For nearly 200 years the Mt. Pleasant General Baptist Church has maintained its ministry and witness to the community. In the early 1820s, Benoni Stinson, an itinerant preacher from the west side of Evansville (then Howell) Indiana, held a series of revival meetings in the Bufkin Community. Under the guidance of Elder Benoni Stinson a new church was organized. Soon this newly organized church joined Liberty Association of General Baptists. As in any established church there have been ups and downs often reflective of the changing nature of the community itself. For most of its life the congregation witnessed the cycle of children growing to maturity then moving away to pursue higher education and jobs. In one recent cycle of young adults moving away, older adults passing away or being confined to nursing homes, the future of the church looked bleak. In the fall of 2015 folks were even beginning to talk out loud about how much longer they could remain together as a church. In an act of faith, and as a commitment to the future, the congregation selected a new pastor in November 2015. Pastor Danny Risinger had not been serving a church due to a recent bout with cancer. Semi-retired due to that illness, he helped begin a new chapter in the church’s history that started with 18 people present on his first Sunday. Almost immediately new folks began showing up for weekly worship in the well-appointed, carefully-maintained building constructed in 1887. The cheerful colors of the antique stained glass windows blended with the cheerful conversation of friends greeting friends as they shared in worship and service. With a new sense of energy and urgency the members of the congregation began inviting and encouraging friends and family members to attend. Some folks simply showed up. They found the church building and then they attended the church service on their own. Many folks came explaining to the pastor “We think we will visit several other churches before we decide which one to attend.” But as he says “They didn’t! They just started coming regularly!” By Easter 2016 the church had broken the 100 mark in attendance. Now 50-80 people attend on any given Sunday. Pastor Risinger identified one aspect to the turnaround as a greater emphasis on activities and fellowships that are entry points for exposure to the church by those who come as guests. A Sunday evening fish fry, a fellowship meal before a baptism service, and a newly organized group of senior adults, along with new members classes, have all assisted these developments. 10

In the fall of 2016 the church scheduled its first baptismal service in 15 years when they celebrated the baptism of seven new believers. Turnaround has also been assisted by the organizing of some new small groups. “I almost messed up” the pastor explained when he described an early attempt to organize a full range of groups and activities suggested by what had worked in other churches. “I had to apologize to them for trying to move to rapidly and for trying to make Mt. Pleasant fit the cookie cutter of another ministry.” Moving with the folks has resulted in organizing a senior adult ministry (GPS—God’s People Serving) that now involves about 30 people in frequent meetings and activities. One highlight of those activities has been attending the denominationally sponsored Camp Meeting Days (Sr. Adult Retreat) in Branson held every September. A Wednesday Bible study that is also repeated on Sunday mornings has provided small group connections for about half of the congregation. Currently some of the 20-something young families are exploring other fellowship and small group options that will develop as opportunities arise. A new emphasis on world missions was ignited by a visit from Bob and Sherry Weatherford. They profiled their desire to return to the Philippines under appointment of General Baptist International Ministries for one or two years of service on the field. Later Pastor Risinger challenged the congregation to consider the need for $5,000 in funding to complete their deputation needs. He reported, “The executive team met and we had a check in hand that day to meet the need.” Currently steps are being taken to provide additional volunteer and service opportunities for both older and newer members of the congregation. A Fellowship Team will organize frequent meals and social events for the congregation. A Mission Team will present opportunities for engagement in local, national and world mission connections. A Technology Team is being organized to help with the sound and projection system. Blended worship has become a standard feature of Morning Worship at Mt. Pleasant. With Bruce and Shelia Bridges leading standard hymns, contemporary praise choruses and some brand new songs they have written, worship has become a bit more expressive these days. When asked “Can every church experience turnaround?” the pastor responded “Yes, but… Turnaround depends largely on the congregation’s willingness to adapt to the current reality. It also requires intentionally investing in new ministries that connect with new people. Then it also depends on a congregation allowing leadership to help equip them for ministry.” “I’m sure every church cannot experience turnaround in the same way we have at Mt. Pleasant but I am proud to be pastor of this church. After nine years away from the pastorate I love being pastor again and I intend to stay. After all they have a cemetery at the edge of the church parking lot!” NOTE: Do you have story of church turnaround you would like to share? If so contact Congregational Ministries by e-mail at cmofc@generalbaptist.com or by phone 573-785-7746. 11

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

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GENERAL BAPTIST CHURCHES

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

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS MONDAY

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

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General Session I || Keynote Speaker: Clint Cook 573.785.7746 Workshop 1 Lunch Workshop 2 Exhibit Hall Open Afternoon Beverage Break || Sponsored by Congregational Ministries ( I n Ex h i b i t H a l l) General Session II || Keynote Speaker: Gary Baldus

TUESDAY

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. General Session III || Keynote Speaker: Aaron Broyles 10:10 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. The Impact of One Life 11:00 a.m. G. A. Business Session Lunch 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Workshop 3 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open 3:00 p.m. Afternoon Beverage Break || Sponsored by L AUNCH – International Ministries ( I n Ex h i b i t H a l l) 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. General Session IV || Keynote Speaker: Alex Himaya Missions Commissioning Service 8:30 p.m. Missions Reception ( I n Ex h i b i t H a l l)

WEDNESDAY

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. General Session V || Keynote Speaker: Alex Himaya 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Workshop 4 Lunch 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Latin American Leadership Lunch (A t H o we l l G B C h u rc h) 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Workshop 5 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open 3:00 p.m. Afternoon Beverage Break || Sponsored by GBIF ( I n Ex h i b i t H a l l) 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. General Session VI || Keynote Speaker: Gary Baldus

SUMMIT REGISTRATION/INFORMATION Registration for All Participants is located in the Old National Events Plaza at the Exhibit Hall entrance.

Sunday || 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Monday || 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Tuesday || 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 13

Whatever you do, be sure you take advantage of our Exhibit Hall located on the second floor of the Old National Events Plaza in Ballrooms A-D. There are more than 40 booths full of information, samples, and knowledgable representatives to answer most any question you may have. The Exhibit Hall is open Sunday from 6:00 - 9:00 pm and Monday through Wednesday from 2:30 - 4:30 pm. There will also be a special Missions reception on Tuesday evening following our general session till 10:00 pm. â&#x20AC;&#x192; In addition we have three key sponsors exhibiting this year who help make the Summit possible. Each of these sponsors are also conducting specialized training in their fields to help you in your local ministry. These workshops will be held in the exhibit hall during our scheduled breakouts. Check out the workshop schedule on pages 24-29 to take advantage of these special opportunities.

MISSION & MINISTRY SUMMIT • JU

MEET OUR 2017 SU 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, 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.

ULY 17â&#x20AC;&#x201C;19 â&#x20AC;˘ EVANSVILLE, INDIANA

UMMIT KEYNOTERS 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.

AUTHORS AT THE SUMMIT 30 Days of Hope for Dealing with Depression

by Brenda Poinsett Brenda Poinsett has done it again. Drawing from her own experience with depression and her keen insights from the Scripture, she points fellow sufferers down the path toward hope. Along the way she provides quotes and excerpts from a wide range of authors that in itself offers a guide for further exploration. Brenda consistently points toward a personal faith in Jesus Christ “indelibly printed…on my soul” as a key component in this rediscovery of hope. She recognizes that the same faith shaken enough to result in depression is the faith that is also strong enough to recover hope. In her honest and transparent chronicle of the causes and containment of her own depression she also advocates honest, transparent praying since nothing can shock the God who made us and who loves us. Indeed this kind of raw, spiritual outburst itself may give rise to hope. Practical advice abounds when she describes how God uses people despite their illness. This practical advice extends to a compelling case for trying to do something even it if is something we would rather not do. She is very direct in her description of our human emotional capacity that may trigger depression when confronted with bitter disappointments. Nevertheless, she also describes how this same emotional capacity provides fertile ground for hope. Reading through these 30 days of reflections can prepare any reader to begin the journey toward the recovery of hope. Meet the author in the Exhibit Hall or attend one of her workshops.

CROSS

to Bear

Our

CROSS

to Bear

Our Cross to Bear is a raw look at human trafficking in the twenty-first century. As the superintendent of a childcare orphanage in Jamaica, Charles Linhart witnessed the effects of human trafficking and the sex trade. He won’t soon forget the stories he heard, and after reading this book, neither will you.

Abused women and Children a Look at Human Trafficking

Ch a r l es L inh a rt

by Rev. Charles Linhart Slavery is nothing new. It’s been a dark part of humanity for millennia and is even referenced in the Bible. But slavery isn’t old, either—today, as In exposing the horrors that continue to befall women and many as five million children are victims children, of slavery worldwide. Linhart hopes to engender righteous activism in his readers—particularly those whose Christian beliefs demand they trafficking stand up to injustice. in the twenty-first Our Cross to Bear is a raw look at human century. As the superintendent of a childcare orphanage in Jamaica, Charles Linhart witnessed the effects of human trafficking and the sex trade. He won’t soon forget the stories he heard, and after reading this book, neither will you. In exposing the horrors that continue to befall women and children, Linhart hopes to engender righteous activism in his readers—particularly those whose Christian beliefs demand they stand up to injustice. Meet the author in the Exhibit Hall every afternoon of The Summit. 18

Our CROSS to Bear

Our Cross to Bear

Our

lavery is nothing new. It’s been a dark part of humanity for millennia and is even referenced in the Bible. But slavery isn’t old, either—today, as many as ﬁve million children are victims of slavery worldwide.

Ch a r l es L inh a rt

Are you getting to the Summit with your church and family on Sunday night and want to worship and fellowship somewhere? Evansville Area Association, in connection with General Baptist International Ministries, is hosting a Missions Event Sunday night at a local church. Food, missionaries, music, and fellowship and worship will make this event one to prepare our hearts for this year’s missions and ministry summit.

Sunday July 16

Pre- Summit Missions Event Meal ($5 suggested donation) — 5-6:30 —Missionaries will discuss during meal Southern Gospel Concert featuring The Conquerers — 6:30-8 — Love offering taken after concert

New Life Church (Formerly Terrace Parke GB Church) 2145 E. Columbia St. Evansville, IN 47711 — 3 miles from Old National Events Plaza 19

Summit Children

Upon arrival at the Summit, all children should be registered at the main Summit Registration in the Old National Events Plaza at the Exhibit Hall entrance. After we have registered your child, you will be given an armband. Present the armband at the Children’s Check In, located in the Double Tree Hotel at the Ballroom C entrance. All children will be checked in through KidCheck secure child check-in system. All Summit volunteers involved in children’s ministries have had background checks. Children’s Check-In is located in the Double Tree Hotel at the Ballroom C Entrance. Children’s fees are not included in Church Block registrations. NURSERY AND TODDLERS | BIRTH – 2 YEARS | NO REGISTRATION FEE The nursery is located in the Double Tree Ballroom C. Children will be with their parents for all meals. PRESCHOOL | 3-5 YEARS | NO REGISTRATION FEE The preschool room is located in the Double Tree Ballroom D. Children will be with their parents for all meals. ELEMENTARY | K – 5TH GRADE | REGISTRATION FEE - $55 The Elementary room is located in the Double Tree Ballroom A. Children will be with their parents for all meals except Wednesday lunch. Regular play clothes will be suitable for all sessions - including the fun day on Wednesday.

Monday

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | On-site worship and activities ¤ Lunch with parents 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | On-site worship and activities ¤ Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Fun Night

Tuesday

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | On-site worship and activities ¤ Lunch with parents 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | On-site worship and activities ¤ Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Fun Night

Wednesday

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | cMoe Children’s Museum of Evansville Located in Downtown Evansville, Indiana, The Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville (cMoe) offers over 18,000 square feet of galleries and exhibits. Children are encouraged to play hands-on with galleries and exhibits. Children will return to the Double Tree Hotel at 4:30 p.m. ¤ Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Movie Night Kids are welcome to wear their PJs, bring a pillow and/or blanket, a favorite stuffed animal – make it fun! 20

Summit Youth

* [DTBR-1] = Double Tree Breakout Room 1

Registration Fee - $55 Youth Registration is part of the adult on-site registration in the Old National Events Plaza at the Exhibit Hall entrance. Youth fees are not included in Church Block registrations. We have updated the Summit Youth program to be more in line with the needs of students attending the Summit. Through feedback and discussion with students and Summit volunteers, we have incorporated changes the students want the Summit to provide. • Summit youth are part of most General Worship sessions and are included in the workshop sessions with a specific track just for students. • We have kept a little of the fun and special features for the students so it’s not too boring!

Monday

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Main Session Worship [RESERVED SEATING!] 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | Student Track: Workshop 1 - Icebreaker Session [DTBR-1] ¤ Lunch with parents 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Student Track: Workshop 2 - Meeting God on His Terms [DTBR-1] 4:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. | An Evening with Oakland City University A trip to the General Baptist University, OCU, for dinner and a schedule full of great activities! Students will leave from and arrive back at the DTBR-1.

Tuesday

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 10:10 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 11:10 a.m. ¤ Lunch with parents 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ¤ Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday

9:00 a.m. –10:15 a.m. | Main Session Worship [RESERVED SEATING!] 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. | Student Track: Workshop 4 - Hearing & Following God’s Call [DTBR-1] 12:00p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Burdette Park Aquatic Center & Pizza Picnic Students will meet at Double Tree Hotel Breakout Room 1 to leave for Burdette Park. Be sure to bring your swimwear! Pizza picnic provided at the park. Students will return to the Double Tree Hotel at 4:30 p.m. ¤ Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Main Session Worship [RESERVED SEATING!]

A home-grown religious movement had its beginnings in the 1820s in Evansville, Indiana. General Baptists came into existence because of the revival preaching of Elder Benoni Stinson. He boldly and frequently proclaimed the good news of the gospel that “Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for everyman” with the result that “whosoever will may be saved”. This preaching from texts found in the New Testament books of Hebrews and Romans resulted in the planting of new churches, a networking with other like-minded groups, and the birthing of a national organization in 1870. But why General Baptist? The name is actually a summary of the core theology of the movement reflecting belief in a general atonement that anyone who is willing to trust Jesus as Savior may be saved. This theological name stood in contrast to those groups of the 19th century who advocated a particular or limited atonement for in their theology only a few, not the many, could be saved. Though the term “atonement” is not in the General Baptist Statements of Faith, few terms are more important to our historical identity. The “general” in General Baptist is derived from our position on atonement. Atonement can mean the compensation, the restitution paid, or expiation given by God through Jesus Christ for our sin. Atonement can describe the actions of Jesus to secure our salvation, and thus the redemptive work of Jesus can be described as the atonement. Many Protestants continue to disagree over whether atonement is general (i.e., for all) or particular (i.e., only for those who are “elect”). General Baptists argue that the atonement is for all, but the benefits of the atonement “can be received only through repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Statement of Faith IV). Because we believe in a general atonement we are naturally evangelistic and intentionally missionary. How else will our world hear the Good News? For more information visit: www.GeneralBaptist.com.

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Why Summit Workshop Tracks? By Dr. Franklin R. Dumond Director of Congregational Ministries

In 2007 leaders of the General Baptist denomination took intentional steps to re-engineer the denomination’s annual meeting. The meeting originated in 1870 when a General Association of General Baptists was organized in Junction, Illinois. For many years this General Association functioned as a convention of sorts where various independent General Baptist agencies made their annual reports to the assembled delegates. With the creation of the General Baptist Council of Associations in 1996 the business portion of the annual meeting was, for the most part, unnecessary for the denomination to function since the operational detail of denominational life was assigned to the Council of Associations and the executive staff that comprised the Leadership Team. A new format that utilized powerful worship, practical training and intentional missionary contact caused the attendance at the annual meeting to double in just two years! Now in its 11th year of operation the Mission & Ministry Summit continues to provide missionary connections and to offer powerful worship in large group settings while also providing practical training in workshop environments grouped into workshop tracks.

Why offer workshop tracks?

Grouping workshops into similar subject areas allows workshop leaders to present more depth in each session.

For example, workshops are often divided into parts or segments so that a broader scope of information can be shared. Workshop tracks also allows individuals to balance their workshop experience by choosing a variety or to specialize by focusing on one particular track.

What tracks can I expect at Summit 2017? APOLOGETICS CHILDREN’S MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRY PERSONAL ENRICHMENT STUDENTS — ! teens only ! TECHNOLOGY IN MINISTRY TURNAROUND 2020 WOMEN’S MINISTRY WORSHIP ARTS Pre-registration for individual workshops is not required but registration for the Mission & Ministry Summit is now open on-line, by phone (573-785-7746) or by mail to 100 Stinson Drive, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901.

SUMMIT

WORKSHOP Workshop 1 | Monday 10:30 - 11:30 am.

SCHEDULE ProPresenter: The Essentials

by Joy Bork, Main Hall

Every church has the potential to grow the way God intended. In this workshop, you will learn the fundamentals of how to practically lead your church to grow again and again.

From dreams in a service order to live on screens – ProPresenter is the tool to use! But why is it sometimes so complicated? There’s gotta be an easier way! In this class, we’ll discuss some options on how to make weekly service building easier for all involved – the builder, content manager, and operator.

Icebreaker Session

Youth Ministry on a Budget

Especially for our Jr. High/Senior High Students this session will introduce the Student Track and help the students get better acquainted with their leaders and each other.

How can a church do youth ministry with little budget and few volunteers? Learn from these experienced youth leaders who started youth ministry in newly organized churches with little budget and few volunteers. You will learn how they recruited and trained their teams so you can do the same.

Leading and Growing a Church of Any Size

by Bart Rendel | Exhibit Hall 1

by Mike Hickman | Double Tree Breakout Room 1

The 3-Step Follow-up Formula —Transitioning Guests Into Members

by Tyler Smith | Locust A

Are first time guests slipping through the cracks? In this workshop Tyler Smith, the co-founder of Text In Church, will share their simple & effective guest follow-up system. You’ll receive 15 copy and paste follow-up templates (7 emails, 4 text messages, 2 phone call scripts & 2 handwritten notes) that thousands of churches across the county have adopted. You’ll walk away from this workshop with both the strategy and templates to implement this system immediately.

He Did That?!: Jesus’ Amazing Acts

by Brenda Poinsett, Locust B

Do you “want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship in his sufferings” (Phil. 3:10 NIV). That possibility becomes ours when we look at Jesus through Mark’s eyes. When we see Jesus’ amazing—and sometimes bewildering—acts in Mark’s gospel, our spiritual vision improves, our belief in miracles is renewed, our sense of integrity is strengthened, and our appreciation of His great love increases.

Intentional Strategies for Kingdom Impact

by Chris Vaught, Walnut A

A practical, open discussion to assist church leaders in developing the framework of a basic ministry plan designed to optimize the local church’s potential for impacting its community for Christ. 24

by Adam Thacker and Brent Wersing, Walnut B

Healthy Pastors

by Barnabas Project, Walnut C

Explore the current issues General Baptist pastors are facing that threaten their physical, emotional and spiritual health. But beyond diagnosis of problems learn how those problems are being successfully addressed to restore and maintain health.

Hospitality/First Impressions

by Jason Warren, Locust C

Hospitality and first impressions are critically important to retain guests. Learn from experienced pastors as they provide training on recruiting and developing a hospitality team. They will also share what works and what does not work in today’s culture.

Technology Solutions for More Effective Ministry Administration | Walnut D

Ministry is difficult enough. In this breakout we’ll cover some easy to use and implement solutions to make managing your ministry more effective. We’ll cover the areas from finance and accounting to member management and communications tools. You will leave this session with actionable items you can start using almost immediately to save you time, be a better steward of resources, and more effectively manage your ministry.

Guam and Saipan

The Top 10 Risks Facing Ministry

Bob Murphy, pastor of the Yigo Baptist Church on Guam and Josh Slater, pastor of the Saipan Community Church, will bring you further updates about two of our older General Baptist ministries that were directly inf luenced by Ed Stevens and continue to see lives changed today.

This incredibly timely workshop will help church leaders understand the critical risks that ministries face today. The workshop will also unpack helpful tools to equip church leaders in their quest to keep ministries safe. We will discuss risks such as sexual misconduct, as well as the emerging risks such as cyber-crime, church security, and religious freedom just to name a few. Make time to attend this vital workshop.

by Bob Murphy and Josh Slater | Walnut E

Ways to Lead Worship without a Musician

by Steve Gray | Walnut F

Music is a vital part of any church service. Discover several different options and resources for helping your church worship this Sunday without any live musical assistance. Whether you have no musicians or just need help when your musicians are not available, you will learn how to find resources to lead worship and how to put them to use.

Workshop 2 | Monday 1:30 – 3:00 pm. Logos Software: Introduction by Trevor Cornejo | Exhibit Hall 1

Technology allows us to study the Bible with incredible depth and accuracy. This interactive, introductory workshop will demonstrate the use of all-new Logo Bible Software – Logos 7 – for effective teaching, counseling, and personal Bible study. What normally takes five to 10 hours of f lipping through paper books for theological answers and Bible study can be done in seconds – and the depth of study is unparalleled!

Getting Your Church Unstuck

by Don Ross | Locust A

KEY

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!

APOLOGETICS CHILDREN’S MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRY PERSONAL ENRICHMENT STUDENTS — ! teens only ! TECHNOLOGY IN MINISTRY TURNAROUND 2020 WOMEN’S MINISTRY WORSHIP ARTS

by Kurt T. Hetherington | Exhibit Hall 2

Meeting God on His Terms

by Chris Vaught | Double Tree Breakout Room 1

Your life is on a collision course with destiny. When God calls someone into His service, it often leads down a path different than what you had planned. The call often comes unexpected and will be far beyond your comfort level. The answer to the call will often challenge your faith and require surrender to and trust in the sovereignty of God. Join us for this interactive discussion on meeting God on His terms. Together, we will examine the similarities in the interaction between God and His call upon the lives of various Biblical persons and our own call into ministry service.

Honduras: Inside and Outside the Gate

by Rodney Walls | Locust B

Rodney Walls, Church Development missionary to Honduras, will bring an update on ministry in Honduras as well as Faith Home. Dr. Walls will share information about the new children, new opportunities, and new challenges facing Honduras and Faith Home.

Sunday to Sunday: Providing Tools for Women in Crisis by Lois Shearer | Locust C

Lois Shearer, Fellowship of Acceptance leader at Fellowship GBC in Poplar Bluff, MO, began a ministry she felt unqualified to lead. In her case, she took notice of an overwhelming number of people needing help every day of the week because of addiction issues. If the Spirit is speaking to you about crisis ministry and you don’t know where to begin, you will want to join this conversation.

ProPresenter: Diving in Deeper by Joy Bork | Main Hall

Okay – so you’ve got building the weekend down pat. You’ve heard about jazzing things up a bit using what comes standard in the package…but many times, using these features in ProPresenter comes with many quirks. Learn more about how to jazz things up using media cues, social media, telestrator, and much more!

The General Baptist Doctrine of Salvation

by Danny Dunivan | Walnut A

This session will discuss the General Baptist position on salvation and how the doctrine guides other aspects of our beliefs and practices. 25

Reaching Hispanics

by Rene Rodriguez | Walnut B

Explore our General Baptist strategy to reach Hispanics in California, Northern Mexico and the Midwest. Rene Rodriguez will describe the Bible Institute format and the potential it has to produce leaders. Learn how Sheffield Association has come back to life after its original churches all but disappeared. Discover how your church or your region can prepare to reach Hispanics in your area.

A Layman Looks at Religion and Science I

by Robert Poinsett | Walnut C

Need Scripture and Science be at odds? Not at all! Scripture and Science need each other. Scripture’s role: to search for “meaning/purpose” in science’s discoveries. How we interpret Scripture and Science is key: we can be fallible in interpreting both. Session A gives attention to better understanding the Creator’s method of bringing into existence His physical and biological creation. Learn the responsibilities and challenges humankind is to assume. Understand the meaning of Genesis 1- 2:4 from a fresh perspective. Join us for a new point-of- view.

7 Simple Strategies to Leverage Text Messaging to Grow Your Ministry

by Tyler Smith | Walnut D

23 billion text messages are sent each day! How is your church leveraging text messages to connect with your community? In this workshop Tyler Smith, the co-founder of Text In Church, will share 7 simple, but powerful ways to utilize text messages to impact your church. He’ll share practical examples & strategies to increase worship attendance, enhance guest follow-up, communicate with volunteers, grow online giving, and more. You’ll walk away from this workshop with both the strategy and clear examples to bring back to your congregation.

Take Your Land and Love Your Community

by Go! Project | Walnut E

Reaching your community is the calling of the local church. The question is “How?” Are there ways to share the gospel, brand your church and engage in outreach efforts that don’t cost a lot of money? Join the conversation as we discuss ways to reach your community on a shoe string budget, with a large budget and through community partnerships.

Worship Planning | Walnut F

Round Table discussion by and for Worship Leaders and anyone facing the challenges of leading worship week after week.

Workshop 3 | Tuesday 1:30 – 3:00 pm. Logos Software: Advanced Users

“You want me to what?”

by Josh Carpenter | Double Tree Breakout Room 1

Though we make our plans and imagine what our life will be, there are clues all along the way of what God has always had in mind. These clues and Spirit nudges help us understand what God built us for and has arranged for us in the future. Learn in this workshop how to better see the evidence already in your life and hear stories about others who have taken the crooked road to hearing and understanding God’s calling for ministry. No path is the same, so be encouraged and learn from others who are still figuring out what God has in mind for them. Come prepared to share as much as you are comfortable sharing about your own journey or if you’re just starting out, sit back and listen. God is calling. Will you take time to listen?

Turnaround Cycle

by Don Ross | Locust A

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 church is to help you move forward.

Mission One Teams

by Jim Pratt | Walnut B

Jim Pratt will share about current and future mission trip opportunities to each of our international fields. He will discuss the types of trips available and the steps to having a successful trip. Short-term and internship opportunities will also be discussed.

Video & the Gospel—Intro

#GBSUMMIT

by Trevor Cornejo | Exhibit Hall 1

In the new digital world of ministry, pastors, preachers, and leaders need cutting edge tools to craft Christ-centered sermons for effective preaching. This class will give you the advanced, foundational framework to navigate the exhaustive features and resources in Logos Bible Software. Imagine doing 40-50 hours of sermon prep and Bible study research in under one hour!

by Darren DeLoach | Walnut D

Video & the Gospel (on a budget), will teach churches of all sizes how to create dynamic video content without breaking the budget. From free resources to creative ideas, participating churches will learn to how to get the most video bang for their buck.

Women’s Ministries Gathering: Sticky Joy

A Layman Looks at Religion and Science II

Celebrate the inexpressible joy of standing in unity to accomplish His call. Join us if you are part of a Women’s Ministries group, or if you would like to know more about us, sponsored events, and/or new projects on the horizon.

Science’s role: to search for an “explanation of how things work” in creation. Science takes physical and biological nature “apart” to see how these work. Learn why the scientific method is value neutral. Science’s role is neither to prove nor disprove God. Why is religion so slow to acknowledge science’s discoveries? What did Charles Darwin really say and why is he vilified by atheists and Christian alike? Why do so many people fail to accept factual scientific facts: vaccines, climate change, the age of the earth, etc. Understand why science needs theology. Science-oriented youth may find this session fascinating.

| Locust C

The Importance of Children’s Ministry

by Julie Nichols | Locust B

If you want your church to grow, you must grow your Kid’s Ministry. Join our team as we take you on a journey through the phases of a child’s life and how we must create environments with this in mind. We will also explore key aspects of mission/vision, staff structure, service planning, recruiting volunteers, and plans for growth with interactive learning in sub-groups by church and program size. You will also learn how ONE simple decision exploded our kids’ programs. Be a champion for kids and be here!

by Robert Poinsett | Walnut F

Workshop 4 | Wednesday 10:30 - 11:30 am. Engaging and Keeping Newcomers

by Bart Rendel | Exhibit Hall 1

Planning Center: Best Practices

Many newcomers walk through your church’s doors. We will discuss practical ways you can retain these people so you can impact their lives and families for eternity.

Almost everyone these days is using Planning Center to make service planning easier. Learn some tips and tricks to help make communicating with those on your weekend team easier as you dream and build life changing moments.

Hearing and Following God’s Call

by Joy Bork | Main Hall

Ten Biblical Ways to Deal with Depression

by Brenda Poinsett | Walnut A

We are fortunate to have many medications available to help us deal with depression. Some of us, though, may need or want some biblical ways to fight depression because medication doesn’t work for everyone and medication has side effects that some find intolerable. Depression involves the spirit as well as the mind and body so join us on this spiritual quest for strategies to cope with depression. (Note: This workshop will repeat on Wednesday afternoon.)

Effective Time Management

by Josh Henry/Aaron Broyles | Walnut C

Every person in the world has the same 24 hours per day. The process you use to manage those 24 hours can be the difference between success and failure. This session will teach you how to: Create a game plan that maximizes your time management, Real world tips for multi-tasking and balancing multiple priorities, Ways to shift from being controlled by your schedule to taking control and eliminating distractions, Ensure your daily routine includes a balance of your most important priorities.

10 Common Barriers to Growth

by Bart Rendel | Walnut E

Churches of all sizes face similar challenges when it comes to growing their church. In this workshop we will discuss these common challenges and practical solutions to each one.

by Jim Pratt | Double Tree Breakout Room 1

This workshop will focus on how involvement in an internship program can help solidify God’s plan for life. Special attention will be given to the Launch Go! program that has been developed by General Baptist International Ministries. Included in the workshop will be an interview with Kaebra LaGrange, an intern who served in Saipan in the fall of 2016.

Youth Ministry on a Budget

by Adam Thacker/Brent Wernsing | Locust A

God and Your Stuff: Help Yourself and Help Others Reduce Clutter

by Brenda Poinsett | Locust B

Theology, testimony and tips from a talkative woman on reducing clutter, living freer, ministering more and dusting less.

Hospitality/First Impressions

by Jason Warren | Locust C

Hospitality and first impressions are critically important to retain guests. Learn from experienced pastors as they provide training on recruiting and developing a team. They will also share what works and what does not work in today’s culture.

Connecting with Spanish speaking sisters: 27

A Bridge Worth Building | Walnut A

New Spanish speaking church plants in the Midwest, unprecedented church additions in California and Mexico, and an El Paso team house; all burgeoning General Baptist ministries with a strong core of women leaders. Explore ways to join together beyond borders and language barriers to share our Jesus passion.

Why Sunday School?

by Dwayne Foster | Walnut B

Why is Sunday school still vital for many congregations? Let’s look at the future of Sunday school and what is next as we also explore how to build your class.

Calvary Grace General Baptist Churches, India

by Jesse Vemula | Walnut C

An update on the various ministries of the Calvary Grace General Baptist Association located in the Telangana state of India which is only 1.2% Christian.

Technology Solutions for More Effective Ministry Administration

by Josh Henry | Walnut D

Ministry is difficult enough. In this breakout we’ll cover some easy to use and implement solutions you can start using to make managing your ministry more effective. We’ll cover the areas from finance and accounting to member management and communications tools. You will leave this session with actionable items you can start using almost immediately to save you time, be a better steward of resources, and more effectively manage your ministry.

MBI: Opportunities and Challenges by Phil Warren | Walnut E

Explore the ongoing opportunities of GBIM’s f lagship ministry to the indigenous populations of the island of Mindanao, Philippines.

The 3-Step Follow-up Formula —Transitioning Guests Into Members

by Tyler Smith, Walnut F

Workshop 5 | Wednesday 1:30 – 3:00 pm. Logos Software: Advanced Users

by Trevor Cornejo | Exhibit Hall 1

The Top 10 Risk Management Issues Facing Ministry Today

by Kurt T. Hetherington | Exhibit Hall 2

Off-site activity A fun-filled afternoon!

Becoming an Outreach Focused Church

by Don Ross | Locust A

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.

Ten Biblical Ways to Deal with Depression

by Brenda Poinsett | Locust B

We are fortunate to have many medications available to help us deal with depression. Some of us, though, may need or want some biblical ways to fight depression, and here’s why: Medication doesn’t work for everyone. Medication has side effects that some find intolerable. Depression involves the spirit as well as the mind and body. (This topic repeats from Tuesday afternoon.)

The Life and Legacy of Ed Stevens

by David Stevens | Locust C

David Stevens, son of the late Ed Stevens, will share information about his father’s ministry and legacy. The General Baptist World Missions Offering is named in honor of Ed Stevens whose legacy as pastor, missionary, church planter, and father continue to impact God’s kingdom in a powerful way. The year 2017 is the centennial of Ed Stevens’ birth and a great opportunity to remind us all how powerfully God can use our lives for eternal impact.

Sponsorship: A Life Change Opportunity

Start-up Children’s Ministry

Learn about the opportunities available for you to make a difference in a variety of personal ways in the life of a child in Honduras or a student in the Philippines.

This session presents the basics of how to begin a children’s ministry in such a way that it will thrive and grow. Specific, hands-on training to help the start-up leader with curriculum selection, volunteer recruitment and programing that will help you begin this most important ministry with only a few volunteers and a few children.

by Christina Massey/Joyce Porcadilia | Walnut A

7 Simple Strategies to Leverage Text Messaging to Grow Your Ministry

by Tyler Smith | Walnut B

Take Your Land and Love Your Community

by Go! Project | Walnut C

by Kyle Dotson | Walnut D

The General Baptist Doctrine of Salvation

by Danny Dunivan | Walnut E

This session will discuss the General Baptist position on salvation and how the doctrine guides other aspects of our beliefs and practices.

Video & the Gospel: Advanced

by Darren DeLoach | Walnut F

Not all churches are new to social media or video, but they struggle to produce the videos they want. Video & the Gospel (advanced) will help these churches tweak their systems. From gear advice to live streaming set-ups, this session will equip churches to begin producing exponentially more effective videos.

Latin American Leaders | off-site

Leaders of our Latin American/Hispanic Churches will spend the afternoon at the historic Howell General Baptist Church where they will enjoy lunch and a teaching session and a tour of the Howell facility.

A Call to Prayer – General Baptist Int’l Ministries Prayer Focus for Ramadan 2017 By Kris & Nicole Yeomans, GBIM Missionaries to the Philippines

A call to prayer – Muslims hear this call five times every day from the local mosque. It is usually called out by a muezzin, traditionally from the minaret, summoning Muslims for mandatory worship. It is a time to turn toward Mecca, bow and pray. During Ramadan, the calls to prayer are especially important, especially on the Night of Power (June 21st), as it is believed that one’s past sins can be forgiven if prayers are kept during this night. The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic (Lunar) Calendar (sunset of May 26 thru June

25 for this year)and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset to commemorate the first revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. They believe it is a time to cleanse body and soul, to pray more, to read the Qur’an more, and to reflect on Allah. It is also to be a time of joy and charity. Muslims tend to seek Allah more during this time of year. God is moving among the Muslim world. Despite what you see and hear in the media today, more Muslims are turning to Jesus now than ever before. Some have noted that more Muslims have become followers of Jesus in the last ten years than in the last 14 centuries combined. We are living in exciting times! God is on the move. His Kingdom continues to advance. He commands that we continue to GO and tell about Him to those who haven’t heard! The prayer guide from GBIM for Ramadan 2017 includes stories of persecution that former Muslim believers faced when they converted to Christianity or began following Isa al-Masih (Jesus Christ). The Gospel is moving forward despite persecution and attempts to thwart it.

The underground church is growing rapidly in places like Iran and China, despite attempted government regulations and persecutions. The church in Europe is experiencing growth and renewed interest. Multiple media outlets recently reported that Muslims are converting to Christianity and bringing new life to the church throughout Europe. Those who have fled their homes from Syria and other parts of the world to find refuge in Europe are now free to pursue interests in Christianity. Many former Muslim believers state that Jesus appeared to them in a dream and led them to an authentic Christian witness, like this story found in Tom Doyle’s Dreams and Visions: “You’re the one!” shouted a Muslim woman to Kamal Assam. He turned to see a black hijab walking toward him in the busyness of the morning market in Cairo. For a woman to be seen talking to a man was unacceptable in their culture. Kamal started to turn away to avoid a potentially dangerous situation, but instead heard a voice inside that suggested this was the very reason he had made his unusual trip to the market. “You were in my dream last night,” the woman said. ‘“Those clothes. You were wearing those clothes. For sure, it is you.” Kamal immediately recognized why this person had so passionately invaded his life. “Was I with Jesus?” he asked. “Yes,” the woman cried, “Jesus was with us!” Please utilize the GBIM Ramadan 2017 Prayer Guide to pray specifically for Muslims in four countries where GBIM works or will be working in the near future. Also, please pray for Muslims in all the other countries of the world. They desperately need to hear about Christ and His life-changing message. Thank you for joining us, and thousands of our brothers and sisters in Christ from around the world, on the journey to pray for the Muslim World, not only during Ramadan, but throughout the entire year.

General Baptist Prayer Guide for the Muslim World – Ramadan 2017 What is Ramadan? The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic (Lunar) Calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset to commemorate the first revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is a time to cleanse body and soul, to pray more, to read the Qur’an more and to reflect on God. It is also to be a time of joy and to be more charitable. Muslims tend to seek God more during this time of year. When is Ramadan? For 2017, Ramadan begins at sunset on May 26 and ends on June 25. What is the General Baptist Prayer Guide for Ramadan 2017? During Ramadan 2017, we are encouraging General Baptists around the country to pray for Muslims worldwide, with an emphasis on praying for four countries (India, The Philippines, Niger, USA) with large populations of Muslims, where General Baptists currently have or will have ministries. We are encouraging our churches to pray for one country each week for four weeks. A clear majority of unreached people groups in the world today are Muslims. Please join us in prayer that these lost souls will be saved!

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A Mission One Experience By Bob Mort

Have you ever really thought about the Great Commission? When I was a kid, we often had missionaries visit our church. They told the most interesting stories and showed the most exotic things from faraway places. To me, missionaries were people I really didn’t know, and the Great Commission seemed to be far away from me. As I grew older the Great Commission became something different. My interpretation was local evangelism, and we did ministry in our own community. But there were still visiting missionaries. They were closer to my age, and my view of the Great Commission began to change as the Holy Spirit moved in my life. One year a missionary attended our church while she was going through deputation. I found out missionaries were real people and so was the calling God had for their lives. Then I heard about the Mission Volunteer Program. We put together a team from our church that went to Honduras to help build Faith Home. There I saw missionaries working with the local people to spread the love of Christ. I felt a closeness to God that was hidden by the safe, predictable life back home. I knew I needed to go again and share the experience with other people. I continued to go as a member of several teams with different people from the General Baptist denomination. As we worked with the missionaries on a foreign field, the Great Commission became a part of who I am and began to change how I did ministry at home too. Life, work, and raising kids took up my time, so I stopped going on teams. I often thought about going again but couldn’t seem to fit it in. Then my mom had a 32

conversation with Velda Cook. Velda convinced her we needed to go on a medical team. Mom told me she would go if I would go. I told my wife I would go if she would go. After a lot of discussion and prayer, we contacted Scott Strouse and went on the Spring medical team in 2011. Not being medically trained, we didn’t know what to expect. Scott explained to us that it takes a lot of non-medical team members to make a medical team happen. He also explained that God always puts together the team that is needed to accomplish the task he has assigned us. Jesus Christ is the real medicine, and the team is just the spoon that God uses to dispense that medicine. During that week, we saw hundreds of people receive medical and dental care while they heard the Gospel message. Many accepted Christ that week, and we left praising God for what he had done in our midst. We returned home feeling like we had been at a week-long revival and were determined to go again. The next year Scott asked my wife and me if we would consider working in the eye glass department on the next

team. We both work with computers, and the only thing we knew about eye glasses was that we both wear them. So we went to a class and studied how to check people’s eyes. I was extremely nervous the first day of the clinic, but we prayed and told God we would do our best but it was up to him. God did what He always does. He came through just at the right time and did some miraculous things just because He can. We’ve been on eight medical teams since that team, and God never has stopped surprising us with miracles. I want to tell about my favorite miracle, but first I need to explain how we do eye glasses. Previously, teams would gather up as many glasses as possible and take them to the field so people could try them until they found a pair that worked. This was better than nothing, but the medical teams got connected with a group out of Louisville, Kentucky, Kendall Optometry Ministry who had come up with a program that would interface with some equipment that would check a patient’s eyes and recommend which glasses we have with us that will work best for the patient. This sped the process up and made a more accurate way of dispensing glasses. Now we gather the glasses, clean them and send them to Louisville to have the prescription read. The glasses are then placed in a bag and labeled. We pay for the shipping and processing for the glasses we take on medical teams. These glasses are added to the inventory we maintain in Honduras. Now for the miracle! Before we go to Honduras, we take a Saturday to sort, pack, weigh and assign the medicine and items we’ll be taking on the team. One of the ladies who was going on the team told me she had some glasses that someone had donated. I took them home with me intending to put them with the other glasses I would be shipping to have processed. When I was looking through them, I noticed there were two pairs of children’s glasses. I felt I should take them with me to Honduras to place them in the “God Box.” The “God Box” is where we keep glasses that haven’t had the prescription read but we keep them

there for when we’ve run out of options. A couple weeks later we were in the southern part of Honduras in a remote village. Don, a new team member, was assisting me. We had a boy come through with his family. He was having a lot of trouble in school because he couldn’t see clearly. I checked his eyes and he was extremely near-sighted in one eye and far-sighted in the other eye. We tried several pairs of glasses from our inventory and none helped him. I asked Don to bring out the two pairs I had placed in the “God Box.” The first pair didn’t help. But when Don put the second pair on him, he told his mother he could see! I tested him with an eye chart and he could read to the 20/20 line. We explained to the boy’s mother what had happened, and we all wept, and the lady who gave me the glasses said the truly amazing thing was someone had just dropped those glasses off at their church office. She didn’t really know where they came from. So God had someone in Evansville, Indiana drop off a pair of glasses that made their way through several people to be taken to a boy in Southern Honduras to show us all what an amazing God we serve. Is God telling you to go and experience what it’s like on a foreign field? There are many opportunities in a variety of countries where the Mission One team would love to get you connected. All you need to do is tell God “Yes.” Or is God telling you to help those who are going? Here are a number of ways you can help: • Help someone who feels the call but needs financial help. • Help through donations for supplies needed by Mission One teams. • Pray for missionaries and for Mission One teams as they go to the field • Lastly, bring your used prescription glasses to the Mission and Ministry Summit. We will be collecting them at the Mission One table and you will be entered in a drawing for a discounted Mission One trip.

God’s Amazing Ways to Reach

| By Jessey Vemula

I met Raj in one of our gospel outrea ches in July 2016. In our conver sation that day I learned that he was an Atheist . Before I left the place I invited him to visit our church the followi ng Sunday , but he replied , “I never stepped inside a Hindu temple in my life, how do you expect me to attend a Christia n church? ” I still gave him my cell phone numbe r and told him to give me a call if he needed anythin g. He replied again, “Please don’t expect a call from me.” I said with a smile on my face, “We can still be friends .” Two weeks went by and I receive d a phone call from Raj asking if I could come and visit his family in the hospita l. His 19-yea r-old daught er was paralyzed. I visited them with prayer oil and prayed with them. I invited them, again, to visit our church so that we could pray for his daught er. Raj said, “I won’t come, but I will let my wife and daught er go.” As they began to attend church, his daught er started feeling better. After two weeks the daught er started begging Raj, her father, to go to church with them. After a lot of persist ence and crying of his daught er, Raj finally said, “Becau se you’re crying I will go with you to church this Sunday but only one Sunday.” He attend ed church the followi ng Sunday and sat throug h the service . I didn’t ask him to come back the next Sunday , because I knew what he might say. To my surpris e he came back the next few Sunday s without anyone compel ling him. The Spirit of the Lord began to work in his life. Within two months of attend ing church, Raj gave his life to Christ and was baptize d. Raj, his wife, and daught er were baptize d on Februa ry 19, 2017. On that day I had the privileg e of baptizi ng five new believe rs. 34

New General Baptist Facility in India By Jessey Vemula

The building of the Calvary Grace General Baptist ministry building is the largest construction project the association has undertaken. It started with my father, Rev. Charles Vemula, who bought this 800 sq. ft. piece of property in 2001 to build a church and a children’s home. Due to lack of finances he was only able to construct a church and a temporary building which constantly needed repairs or remodeling. After Brittany and I moved to India to take over my father’s ministry following his death in 2013, we saw the need to build a facility for the children’s home. The children in the Good Shepherd’s Home are growing and they need more privacy, because they all live together in the church. We were led by the Spirit of God to construct a new facility for General Baptist ministries. When we took our plan to an engineer, he gave us an estimation of $200,000 to get the building done. The amount of money seemed impossible to us. However, we trusted God and started the work with $400 we had. Our first project was to dig a well for water. We continued to pray about it and let our ministry partners know the need. Five months passed, but nothing came in. We were very disappointed but trusted God to do something. One Sunday evening my mother came up to me with an envelope which had a check in it. The check was for $60,000! My mother said, “This is your father’s life insurance money, and I want this money to go toward the

ministry building.” WOW! Tears of joy rolled in my eyes, and I thanked my mother and God for this miracle. We used that money to buy material, and within five months the money was depleted. Construction was put on hold for the next six months due to lack of finances. In January 2016 my mother came to me with another check. This time the check was for $80,000. She said, “This is my retirement money, and I want to give this money for the Lord’s work; use it for the building construction.” My mother worked for the state government for 36 years as Nursing superintendent and retired very recently. I cannot tell you how happy I am to see how the Lord made the impossible, possible. This facility will include a church, children’s home (approximately 40 children capacity), Missionary housing (14 people capacity), Lydia sewing center and a Bible training center. Dear friends, General Baptist Ministries have a brandnew facility in India. Praise the Lord! We want to finish this building by June of this year so that we can move our Good Shepherd’s children home kids in before the new academic year begins. Through your generous financial help and my mother’s contributions we were able to finish 85% of the construction but still need $14,000 for flooring, electrical work, utilities and solar water heaters. Please pray and consider helping us financially to complete this construction project for the glory of God. Make checks payable to GBIM and in the memo mention Calvary Grace General Baptist Building.

Internation Ministries at Summit 2017 International Ministries is pleased to remember, celebrate, and honor the ongoing legacy of Rev. Ed Stevens. Ed was born in 1917 and began ministry as a missionary in 1946 at the age of 29. One year later Ed, wife Gertie and family would become the first protestant missionaries to Saipan where he would plant the first Protestant church on the island. As a pastor he was faithful to visit local hospitals where he learned of Chi Chi Jima, which he would also help pioneer, and witnessed to people about Jesus Christ. As a pastor evangelist, he would on one occasion lead a young Filipino boy to the Lord named Vincente Silicenco. Vince, as he was commonly called, would be discipled by Ed and later by the General Baptist churches on Guam. He would attend Oakland City University and Southern Seminary and would be used by God to plant the first church opening the Philippines for General Baptists. Ed would return home to finish his college program at Oakland City. While there his oldest son Donald would be killed in a tragic train accident. But, remaining home for the missionary was not an option and Ed, Gertie and David returned to the mission field – this time to Chi Chi Jima. Shortly after arrival, Ed became ill and passed away on a naval vessel taking him to Guam for medical attention. In six years of ministry, and only four spent on the mission field, Ed Stevens had impacted every field of service General Baptist have in southeast Asia. He pastored on Guam, pioneered Saipan and Chi Chi Jima, opened a ministry to lepers on Tinian. We will take time this year to celebrate the blessings that God has poured out on General Baptists and rejoice in God’s ability to bless a life in such a way that the fruits of that life continues for generations to come. Leading up to the Summit, International Ministries will be giving you the opportunity to purchase some artwork from either Faith Home or the General Baptist Bible College. The proceeds of the auctioned items will directly benefit the institution which provided the art work. Watch GB News or the GBIMinfo Facebook page for further details. 36

International Ministries will also host a Latin America Leaders Luncheon at the Howell General Baptist Church on Wednesday. This will be the first time that a special venue has been arranged for our Latin American leaders to meet and share. This historic event will be hosted and catered by the oldest General Baptist Church in America – the Howell (Liberty) General Baptist Church. We are very excited about this opportunity and wish to invite all Latino pastors and leaders, in attendance at the Summit, to attend this luncheon whether they be from inside or outside the United States. Please also see the article by Bob Mort in this Messenger about the need for eye glasses for Honduras and an exciting give away possibility at the Mission One table otherwise known as Mission One Central. This year International Ministries will be hosting several special personalities at the Summit. From Honduras will be Dr. Rodney Walls and Pastor Miguel Ramirez, Jamaica will be represented by Pastor Phillip Pusey, Yigo Baptist Church in Guam by Pastor Bob Murphey, as well as Pastor Josh Slater from Saipan. We hope to have two from the Philippines this year with Dr. Joyce Porcadilla returning from the General Baptist Bible College and Pastor Danilo Jamero from the Agusan Association. Pastor Pedro and Elida Quezeda will be with us from Mexico as well as two pastors from the new North Mexico Association in Baja California, Mexico. Mark Powell, GBIM Director, Jim Pratt, Missions One Coordinator, Sue Schremp, Deputation Coordinator and office manager Melody Manley will also be at the Summit to share with you any information you may want or need concerning International Ministries. International Ministry Breakouts will be led by Rodney Walls, David Stevens (son of Ed Stevens), Joyce Porcadilla, Jessey and Brittany Vemula, Bob Murphy and Josh Slater, Phil Warren (representing the Matigsalog Bible Institute) and Jim Pratt.

Customizable • No color limits • No minimum quantity • Achieve realistic quality Soft natural feeling print • Great for fundraising, family and church events

Call for pricing 573.686.6011

BRIDGE BUILDING By Patti Thornton, Executive Director

I know this about the main core of women involved in General Baptist Women’s Ministries: They love the Lord, they care about each other, and they want to serve with their talents, prayers, time, and resources. …And I know this about California and Mexico area women involved in General Baptist Women’s Ministries: They love the Lord, they care about each other, and they want to serve with their talents, prayers, time, and resources. I know because they told me. This past March, pastor Rene Rodriguez coordinated an event for women leaders of Sheffield Association churches. I travelled to Ontario, CA and was honored to lead this gathering of exuberant ladies. At one point during the day, I asked them to separate into small groups and discuss questions I posed with the help of a translator. Thank the Lord that many of these brilliant Hispanic women speak English! I, on the other hand, am barely smart enough to use the English language correctly. The time we spent together was encouraging, informing, and just plain fun. Miraculously, my flailing arms did not leave the young interpreter in a frenzy. Among other things, I asked them what they would like for women in the Midwest to know about them. As 38

a spokesperson from each group shared what they had discussed, I heard the same thing repeated over and over. They wanted us to understand that they want to serve alongside us in this thing called ministry. Despite geographic and language challenges, we share the same Holy Spirit, the same Lord, the same passions, and the same burdened hearts. We may not deal with the same needs in our communities all the time, but what difference does it make? There and here, there is crisis. There is brokenness. There is darkness. But there is also light that beams from the hearts of women who love so deeply and practically. It matters not if we live in a condo or a casa, if we call each other friend or amigo, if the current colors of our heads of hair are natural or salon-born, or if we eat tamales as a staple or a treat. We all want to serve, and better yet is when we serve together! I travelled, they travelled. I love Jesus, they love Jesus. They laughed at self-deprecating humor, and didn’t mind that my skin was blindingly white. They asked questions about get-togethers and practically swooned when I talked about Inside Out. With all this eagerness just waiting to be harnessed, I ask you…Can’t we get more done together? ¿No podemos hacer más juntos? The answer is unequivocally, undeniably, unabashedly, YES!

WE ARE WOMEN ENTHRALLED BY JESUS, CONNECTED FOR STRENGTH, AND COMPELLED OUTWARD WITH THE GOSPEL. YES!...YES!...YES! !SI!...!SI!...!SI! With you behind us and God before us, I can’t wait to see what becomes of this new adventure of cross-cultural connection for ALL General Baptists. Learn more about how you can build a bridge with us at the WM sponsored Summit Workshop, A Bridge Worth Building. Everyone can give tangible help by generously participating in the Monday evening Women’s Ministries offering. This offering is usually a ministry booster for Women’s Ministries, but this year we will give 100% to Hispanic ministries as tangible, sacrificial, proof of love and support. You do not even have to be present! I encourage you to spread the excitement in your own circle of influence. You can participate any time through a representative at Summit, by mailing a check to Women’s Ministries, 100 Stinson Drive, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 or online at gbwomen.org.

Women’s Ministries First Draft Building Plan: 1. Ibett Perez, Iglesia de Bellflower (church), is acting as President of Sheffield Association Women’s Ministries and will be asked to join the WM Board of Directors. 2. Eylin Hernandez, Huerto del Eden (church), is overseeing Women’s Ministries in Tijuana and Tecaté, Mexico, and will help coordinate outreach there. 3. Women’s Ministries will contract someone to translate resource materials into Spanish. 4. A website page will be dedicated to Hispanic ministry. 5. An event is planned for October 2017 to connect all women in the SO CAL/MX areas. 6. The entire WM Summit Offering will be distributed to All General Baptist Hispanic Ministries, including Juarez, Mexico. 39

Kathi will be our featured speaker at Inside Out in O’Fallon, Illinois this September! Introducing Author and Speaker Kathi Lipp’s 17th book…

Overwhelmed: How to Quiet the Chaos and Restore Your Sanity

by Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory

Take a Deep Breath. Read the Book. by Kathi Lipp

Have you ever thought about the abundant life that Jesus talks about? I do. In the midst of my days filled with activity and commitments, I sometimes pause, usually in a stressed and frazzled state and think to myself, there must be more than this. There must be more to life than me running frantically from one thing to the next throwing a meal on the table, literally, and running out the door 20 minutes later. I want to serve others, I want to invest in relationships, I want to have fun but I am starting to realize that squeezing even more things onto my crowded color coded calendar is not the solution. But, shouldn’t I be serving, shouldn’t I be doing all that I can do? Isn’t filling my life part of living abundantly, living the full life that Christ talked about? Well, yes and no. Yes, God has uniquely created me and has a plan and purpose for my life. Yes, I am to be serving Him and my family and friends well. But, am I really doing that when I live in a place of over commitment frantically trying to keep a pace of life that leaves little time to really seek out what God has for me that day, week, month or even year? Probably not. As hard as it is, the only way that we will find the abundant life that Jesus talks about is to slow the pace and spend time with him. It might mean taking a break

from the ministry we love or don’t love so much or staying off social media while the baby naps and really seeking where God has created us to be. We need to ask him where we should say yes and no. Not an easy task in today’s busy, more is better life. I mean, how will we fit in when everyone starts comparing their overscheduled life? But it is necessary. If we can put aside the crazy pace that we’ve been living and live the life that God has designed for us, then we find the abundant life. Not the stuff filled life but that peaceful, joy filled life that comes with knowing Him and His plan for us. Does having too much stuff on your calendar or to-do list keep you from living the life you were designed to live? Are you adding more and more to your life but instead of finding joy in what you are doing, find yourself stressed and overwhelmed instead? If so, my new book is for you! Overwhelmed, co-authored with Cheri Gregory, was written to help you quiet the chaos in your life and restore your sanity. As you read through each chapter, you will discover tools and tactics to help you overcome feeling overwhelmed with the demands of life. You will finally be able to move from an overwhelmed, chaotic life to the life that you were designed to live!

General Baptist investment fund

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

Your Parsonage • Church Transportation

Funds are

GENERAL BAPTIST INVESTMENT FUND, Inc.

100 Stinson Drive • Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

573-785-7746

Barbara Williams, Treasurer Steve Naff, President/CEO

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

Trending Now Sub-Saharan Africa will be home to growing shares of the world’s Christians and Muslims If demography is destiny, then Christianity’s future lies in Africa. By 2060, a plurality of Christians – more than four-in-ten – will call sub-Saharan Africa home, up from 26% in 2015, according to a new analysis of demographic data by Pew Research Center. At the same time, the share of Christians living in many other regions – notably Europe – is projected to decline. Sub-Saharan Africa also is home to a growing share of the world’s Muslims. Between 2015 and 2060, the share of all Muslims living in the region is projected to increase from 16% to 27%. Although the majority of Muslims will continue to live in the Asia-Pacific region (50% of the global Muslim population in 2060), sub-Saharan Africa will surpass the Middle East-North Africa as the region with the second-largest Muslim population in the next 20 years. Source: Pew Research Center

Growing share of Muslims expected To Live in Sub-Saharan Africa

By 2060, more than 4-in-10 Christians expected to live in Sub-Saharan africa

Estimated share of global Muslim population living in each region over time

Estimated share of global Christian population population living in each region over time

2015

61 Asia-Pacific

Middle East North Africa

North America

12%

Asia Pacific

13%

Europe

24%

Latin America Carribean

25%

Sub Saharan Africa

26%

2060

Sub-Saharan Africa 20

Middle East- North Africa

Europe North America

3 0 2016

Latin America

3 0 2060

Note: Between 2015 and 2060, the share of the global Muslim population living in North America is expected to increase from 0.2% to 0.4%. The share living in Latin America-Caribbean is expected to decrease from 0.05% to 0.03%.

Middle East North Africa

North America

Asia Pacific

13%

Europe

14%

Latin America Carribean

22%

Sub Saharan Africa

42%

Church growth stats

Source: Hartford Institute for Religion Research - 2015 American Congregations Overview Report

51.6%

57.5%

42.7%

41.8%

40.6%

15.8%

None to Some Difference

Very Different from Other Congregations

Attendance Growth Low Innovation

High Vitality High Innovation

Get your Laity Involved in Recruiting new People % Congregations: Grew 2%+ in Past 5 Years

Less Innovative in Worship, Less Growth and Vitality

% Congregations

% Congregations: Grew 2%+ in Past 5 Years

Distinguish yourself from other congregations in your community

90.1%

63.3% 45.2% 34.7%

Not at all Involved

Involved A Little Or Some

Involved Quite A Bit

Involved A Lot

Pastors Split on When to Plan Sermons Ask Protestant pastors about the topic for next week’s sermon and they might not have any idea. Or they might have known for months. Pastors are split over how far in advance they plan sermons, according to LifeWay Research. About one-quarter of pastors (22 percent) say they pick their sermon topic or passage about a week in advance. Similar numbers pick their topic between two and five months ahead of time (22 percent) or at least six months in advance (22 percent). Overall, pastors seem to plan on short notice. More than half (57 percent) choose their topics a month or less ahead of time. Pastors at small churches—those with fewer than 100 attenders—are more likely to plan a week ahead (28 percent) than young pastors. Also likely to plan a week ahead are pastors older than 65 (29 How Far In advance do Pastors select the topic or percent), African-American pastors (38 percent), and those with passage of their sermons? no college degree (37 percent). Methodists are the least likely to wait that long (8 percent). More than a Year Before 7% 9-12 months before 6% Lutheran (16 percent) and Presbyterian/Reformed pastors (10 6-8 months before 9% percent) are more likely to plan a year ahead than pastors who 2-5 months before 22% are Baptist (3 percent), Methodist (2 percent), Pentecostal (less 1 month before 17% than 1 percent), or Holiness (less than 1 percent). 2-3 weeks before 13% Overall, mainline pastors (13 percent) are more likely to plan The week Before 22% a year ahead than evangelicals (4 percent). Not Sure 5% Source: LifewayResearch.com

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@generalbaptist #gbministries

2017 Women’s Ministries

Water Bottle Challenge Filling an empty water bottle with dimes gives you $100 in a bottle. Rolling 10 $10 bills, 20 $5 bills, or 5 $20 bills and dropping them in the bottle gives you $100 in a bottle. Rolling up a $100 check gives you $100 in a bottle. Women’s Ministries can use them ALL for ministry. IF you figure out 10 ways to have $100 in a bottle you will have $1,000 to give! Last year over $2400 was raised for Women’s Ministries.

Let’s double that amount this year! A small “thank you” gift will be given to each individual who turns in a filled water bottle.

Try these fund-raising strategies:

out bottled water at your 5K walk/run and then challenge each participant to see how many dimes • Pass they can fill the empty bottle with by a certain date. Have empty water bottle available at each WM meeting and allow members to contribute their dimes. • Set upana display empty water bottles in a designated area of the church and allow all to participate. • Make it a contestofbetween the children and the adults. •

All proceeds will go to Women’s Ministries

FIGHT

“Fight the good fight of faith….” 1 Timothy 6:12 Join us for the annual Camp Meeting Days

BRANSON, MO on SEPTEMBER 5-7 BE CHALLENGED & STRENGTHENED as you hear the Word from Chris Vaught.

BE UPLIFTED & INSPIRED

as you worship and sing along with the Camp Meeting Days Band and Quartet. Enjoy a special Tuesday evening dinner and entertainment at the Grand Country Square, and enjoy all the entertainment, shopping, and dining that Branson has to offer!

Radisson Hotel Branson, MO

Chris Vaught

Grand Country

Keynote Speaker

Special Reception

Contact Congregational Ministries at cmofc@generalbaptist.com for more information. To register by phone call us at 573.785.7746

general baptist

non - profit org

u . s . postage

pa i d

m e s s e n g e r

p op l a r b l u ff , mo

General Baptist Ministries 100 Stinson Drive Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

permit no 164

601 Walnut Street • Evansville, Indiana 47708 RESERVATIONS: 1-800-HILTONS • FRONT DESK: 1- 812-423-5002

Events Plaza

First Level

Hall A

Workshop Rooms

General Sessions

m i s s io n & m in i s t r y s um m i t 2 0 1 7

#GBSUMMIT

Hall B