2015 Summer Messenger by General Baptist Ministries

w w w.Ge ner alBaptist.com

•

Messenger J erus ale m

J u d e a & Sa m a r ia

En d s o f th e Earth

G en e ral B ap ti st

Su m m e r 2 0 1 5

Summit 2015 W W W.G B SU M MI T.C OM # G BS U MMI T

October 9-10, 2015 Holiday Inn Airport in Evansville, IN

As a young leader age 18-30 do you find yourself wanting to... Be challenged to reach your God- given potential? Be given access to the latest materials on church leadership? Be challenged to reach your God- given potential? Exchange ideas with other emerging leaders?

Then the Leverage Conference is for you.

The Leverage Conference wants to encourage you through firsthand experience, giving you real life examples from successful pastors in the way of Elijah and Elisha and Paul and Timothy. These are the kinds of relationships you will discover at the Leverage Conference! Leveraging Influence to the Next Generation.

For more information visit:

www.GBLeverage.org

Starting, Equipping, Inspiring by Clint Cook, Executive Director

As I travel throughout our movement, I constantly invite folks to attend the Missions & Ministry Summit. Their response is often the same: Why should I attend? I understand why they ask such a question. Many of our bi-vocational pastors and church members have to use vacation time from their jobs to attend. With family time at such a premium, I absolutely understand their dilemma. Here is how I answer. In October of 2012, I joined a team of pastors and traveled to see our General Baptist work in the Philippines. Our assignment was to lead training sessions for our pastors and workers at GBBC and the Matigsalug Bible Institute (MBI). Our first training session was held at MBI. At that session I met a young pastor during our “table conversation” who had left his family and traveled by himself from another Philippine island to attend our training. Only through traveling by ferry, bus and walking many miles was he able to get to MBI to receive the training. He shared that ministry in his remote area was lonely and discouraging and the training would be greatly appreciated. I later discovered that this young man had garnered the money to get to the conference but did not have enough funds to get back home. During the training sessions, I marveled at how this young pastor “soaked up” the information we shared. At each session I saw him stay very close to his fellow ministers and thoroughly enjoy the conversations and the camaraderie. My heart went out to him for the sacrifices he had made to attend the sessions and the hope he exhibited as he gathered encouragement and knowledge for his ministry days ahead. I stressed to him how very important he was to the spreading of the gospel, and that his work was greatly appreciated by all his General Baptist brothers and sisters in the United States. I wanted him to know that our team of pastors had also made sacrifices and paid money to travel to the Philippines just to meet, train and encourage him. I reminded him that regardless of where his church was located, his work was known by our Lord, who saw every gift and recorded every sacrifice. My final interaction with this young pastor was in making sure he would have the funds to get back home

to his family and church instead of being forced to stay on Mindanao to pick up small jobs until he had earned enough money to get back home. My last words to him . . . “Please know that I am praying for you.” That story embodies why your General Baptist leadership emphasizes how important it is to attend the Summit. We understand that some of our pastors and their spouses need encouragement to get them through current and future ministry obstacles. For some, the best encouragement they could ever receive is the practical training offered at the Summit. Others who attend will be moved to listen closely to fellow pastors and church leaders and enjoy camaraderie and conversation with fellow believers. Still others will experience tears and thankfulness as they hear stories of sacrifice and blessings from our national missionaries, international missionaries, and guests. So why should you attend the 2015 Summit? The Summit is like a “family reunion” for General Baptists. Some of us will rekindle conversations with old friends while others will be introduced to new friends and ministry partners. It is only in heaven that it will be revealed how God used a simple smile, a hearty greeting, a warm hug, or a firm handshake to be just exactly what someone needed at that moment. The Summit leaders work hard and pray for months that the threeday meetings will provide HOPE. HOPE to uplift weary hearts. HOPE to provide practical training. HOPE to inspire more believers to participate in ministry. HOPE that the Holy Spirit will be a part of our worship services in such a way that we KNOW that we have glimpsed the glory of our God! The Summit is a time when we are reminded why we choose to do ministry together instead of doing it alone. I HOPE you will join me and hundreds of fellow General Baptists at the 2015 Missions & Ministry Summit in Collinsville, Illinois as we witness God using us in greater ways than have ever been seen in the history of General Baptists, and we infuse HOPE into our lost world.

Messenger General Baptist

Summer 2015

Table of Contents 3 Letter from the Editor 6 Trending Now 9 See You In Collinsville! 10 Summit Schedule at a Glance 12 Summit Children Schedules 13 Summit Youth Schedule 14 Meet our Keynoters 17 #Dwell 20 Does Jesus Hate Religion?

24 Summit Workshop Schedule 30 Summit Special Offerings Information 32 Meet the New GBIM Director 39 The Grasshopper Myth Book Review 43 The Sunshine Project 47 Summit Exhibit Hall Booth Layout Back Cover: The Gateway Center Facility Map

Summit 2015

#Dwell

Does Jesus Summit Workshop Hate Religion? Schedule

17 20 24

Messenger General Baptist

9 43

The General Baptist Messenger is published by General Baptist Ministries (General Baptist Council of Associations, inc), 100 Stinson dr, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

See You In Collinsville!

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

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

layout & design:

The Sunshine Project

Stinson Press - Kenrick Nobles GB Ministries - Amy Powell

We Would Love to Hear from You! The Messenger

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

Find Us Online

The Messenger is viewable online @ www.gbmessenger.org

Meet the New GBIM Director

Full Tablet Support

@ General Baptist Ministries @ GeneralBaptist

@ GeneralBaptist 5

Trending Now

Americans find church attendance valuable, even when they do not attend themselves, according to a newly published study by Lifeway Research. 80% of nonreligious Americans find church attendance acceptable, and 43% call it admirable. Americans find church attendance valuable, even when they Americans attendingchurch Nine in Ten Americansasasaawhole whole consider consider attending acceptable, revealing an upbeat American attitude about do not attend themselves, to a newly published Christianity. Theseacceptable, opinions seem at odds with American behaviors, however, sinceaccording many Christian denominations church revealing an upbeat study by Lifeway Research. 80% of nonreligious Americans are on the American decline, and Christians make up a shrinking segment of the growing population. attitude about Christianity. find church attendance acceptable, and 43% call it admirable. Source: Lifeway Research, March 2015 Nine in Ten Americans as a whole consider attending church acceptable, revealing an upbeat American attitude about Christianity. These opinions seem at odds with American behaviors, however, since many Christian denominations are on the decline, and Christians make up a shrinking segment of the growing population.

Source: Lifeway Research, March 2015

Millennials claim to be

unaffiliated with any religion

Three in Ten Millennials claim to be unaffiliated with any religion, cites Pew Research. This generation, comprised of 18-33 year olds, is relatively unattached to organizations and institutions across the board, with 50% reporting that they are politically independent and only 26% being married. This level of disaffiliation is among the highest Pew Research has recorded. However, this generation leads the way in the digital era, using social media and the internet to build personalized networks of colleagues, friends, and affinity groups. Source: Pew Research, March 2014

More people than ever are being reached with the gospel. Published in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research, a new study done by Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary cites

in 1900, about half (54%) of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population had not heard of Christ. Today, that number is at 29%, and will continue to decrease through the year 2050. Even with this improving outlook, about 1 in 3 people around the globe have not been reached for Christ, and the number of international missionaries has been on the decline for the last 15 years. Source: Facts and Trends, March 2015

This same study states that the number of Bibles printed will increase in the coming years. Currently, 82.6 million Bibles are printed in a year, but by 2025 that number will be 110 million, and by 2050 it will be 135 million, if trends continue to progress in the same way. Source: Facts and Trends, March 2015

150

120 Numbers in Millions Printed

82.6 Million

Bibles are printed in a year, by 2025 that number will be 110 million, and by 2050 it will be 135 million

2015

2025

2050

If current trends continue, by 2050 the number of people who claim Islam as their religion will equal the number of people who claim Christianity. This trend appears in an April 2015 study published by Pew Research. The study also claims, however, that the number of atheists, agnostics, and people with no identified religious views, will be on the decline in the global population. Source: Pew Research, April 2015

According to new research by Lifeway,

when asked what factor has

most influenced their beliefs about immigration,

only 12% of evangelicals

answered the Bible, and only 2% answered their church.

The timely social issue of immigration reform and immigrant treatment hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t made its way into the church yet. According to new research by Lifeway, when asked what factor has most influenced their beliefs about immigration, only 12% of evangelicals answered the Bible, and only 2% answered their church. This may be because 68% of them also answered that their church has never really discussed the issue. However, that same percentage (68%) reported that they would value a sermon on biblical teachings about immigration. Source: Lifeway Research, March 2015

@generalbaptistâ&#x20AC;&#x192;#gbministries

See You in Collinsville!

By Josh Carpenter, 2015 Moderator

Every summer my mom’s extended family gathers together for a family renunion with the purpose of just being together. It’s always a fun time and I look forward to it for a few reasons. First, I love to spend time with people with whom I share so many stories and experiences of life. That’s how we spend much of this time together, telling stories, laughing, crying a little sometimes, but reminiscing on days gone by. But we also spend some time making new memories by playing games, taking pictures, and introducing new family members who have come along during the past year either through birth or marriage. These gathering always have a great mix of new and old, remembering and making memories. Every summer General Baptists gather for the Mission & Ministry Summit.In a number of ways, the Summit is like a big family reunion. Hosted in a conference setting very well presented workshops and great worship services done with excellence are featured. More than just another conference, however, a sense of family permeates the Summit. We come together under a common mission and with a heritage that empowers us in that mission. From the very beginning of our movement our founder, Benoni Stinson, dreamed of a general gathering of General Baptists for the purpose of cooperation and shared mission. Each year we get to live out that dream. This year I am very excited about the special guest keynoters that we will be hearing. Darren Patrick and Alex Himaya are both well respected and well equipped leaders who will share with us from their experience and knowledge of the Church. They will help us understand how we might be better able to reach generations with the Gospel. Our workshops are another reason for excitement. The tracks that have been prepared can help any church of any size and any person involved in almost any ministry position.

The opportunity that the Summit offers us is one that we cannot afford to pass up. The variety of topics and tailored presentations offered at the Summit is unusual. Because of the narrow focus of most conferences, you would have to attend multiple conferences and seminars to experience what is offered at the Summit. But for three days in July it is all brought together for the benefit of the Kingdom and a people called General Baptists. Now, I have to be honest, as excited as I am about the training offered at the Summit, that’s not really what motivates me the most to want to be there. I love the worship time and the speakers. I enjoy the workshops and the presentations. I appreciate the time spent with leadership and missionaries. But what I think about the most as this time approaches each year is that time in-between all the scheduled events. You see that’s the time I get to spend with friends and General Baptist family that I really don’t get at any other time of the year. As great as training and equipping is, nothing beats growing relationships and making new ones. I look forward to hearing what Darren and Alex have to say, but I look forward to hearing from you about what God is doing in your church and life. I want to be invested more in the Church by being invested in you. I also want you to be invested in me and the ministry that involves me. The older I get the more I realize how dependent I am upon other people. I need you, and I believe you need me too. Our theme this year is “Rise.” This is not a time for us to lower our expectations and just wait around until God settles everything. This is the time for us to Rise as Jesus’ Church and be the people that He called us to be. We are a people set on the mission of the Gospel, who believe that Christ tasted death for every man, thus every man needs to hear what Jesus has done for them. While we can never accomplish this as individuals, we can do this together. Let’s stop talking about what we can’t do alone and start doing what we were called to do together. Would you join me and my family at the Mission & Ministry Summit in Collinsville, IL July 20-22? Let’s talk about what God has done and what God is going to do. Let’s share some memories and make some new ones. Let’s grow together so we can be our best for the glory of God. Josh Carpenter is a third generation General Baptist pastor and currently serves Grace United General Baptist Church in Paragould, Arkansas. Josh is the 2015 Moderator of the General Association of General Baptists.

Schedule of Events Monday

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. General Session I – Keynote Speaker: Clint Cook 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Workshop 1 Lunch 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Workshop 2 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open 3:00 p.m. Afternoon Break Sponsored by Congregational Ministries (In Exhibit Hall) 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. General Session II – Keynote Speaker: Darrin Patrick

Not Registered for

The Summit Yet?

Stop by the summit website

www.gbsummit.org Registration

Tuesday

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. General Session III – Keynote Speaker: Darrin Patrick 10:10 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. Workshop 3 11:00 a.m. G. A. Business Session Lunch 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Workshop 4 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open 3:00 p.m. Afternoon Break Sponsored by International Missions and Women’s Ministries (In Exhibit Hall) 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. General Session IV – Keynote Speaker: Alex Himaya Missions Commissioning Service 8:30 p.m. Missions Reception – Exhibit Hall

Congregational

Ministries

573.785.7746

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 5 Lunch 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Workshop 6 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open 3:00 p.m. Afternoon Break Sponsored by GBIF (In Exhibit Hall) 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. General Session VI – Keynote Speaker: Josh Carpenter

Summit Registration

Registration for all Participants is located in the Gateway Center main entrance. sunday evening 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. monday 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. tuesday 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. The information desk will be manned 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. each day. 10

General Baptist investment fund

Your Church — New or Renovation

Your Parsonage • Church Transportation

Funds are

Available

GENERAL BAPTIST INVESTMENT FUND, Inc.

100 Stinson Drive • Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

573-785-7746

Barbara Williams, Treasurer Steve Naff, President/CEO

Deposits accepted for demand certificate of deposit Paying 2.50% • No Penalty for withdrawl

Summit Children 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 Registration is located to the left of the main entrance of the Gateway Center. Children’s fees are not included in church group registrations.

Nursery and Toddlers | Birth – 2 years No Registration fee The nursery is located in the Illini and Cahokian Rooms. Children will be with their parents for all meals. Preschool | 3-5 years No registration fee The preschool room is located in the Mississippian Room. Children will be with their parents for all meals. Elementary | K – 5th Grade Registration fee - $55 The Elementary room is located in the Marquette Room. Children will be with their parents for all meals except Wednesday lunch. Regular play clothes will be suitable for all sessions - be sure to pack swimwear for 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. – 4:15 p.m. On-site worship and activities Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Bounce House and Fun Night (Play clothes with extra socks)

Tuesday

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. On-site worship and activities Lunch with parents 1:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. On-site worship and activities Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Carnival Night

Wednesday

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Splash City Fun Park (Water Park) (Wear swim suit; bring towel, sunscreen, and change of clothes) Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Movie Night (G-Rated movie night. Kids are welcome to wear their PJs and bring a pillow and/or blanket!)

Summit Youth

Registration Fee - $55 Youth Registration is part of the adult on-site registration at the Gateway Center main entrance. Youth fees are not included in church group registrations. We have updated the Summit Youth program to be more inline 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 will now be a 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. In main session worship (Special Reserved Seating!) 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Workshop 1 – Student Track: Icebreaker Session - Salon 5 Lunch with parents 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Workshop 2 – Student Track: 153 | Student Ministry Panel - Salon 5 Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Special Evening event OCU Hosting, – Talent To Be Announced!

Tuesday

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. In main session worship (Special Reserved Seating!) 10:10 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. Workshop 3 – Open Choice! Lunch with parents 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Workshop 4 – Student Track: Now Trending | Youth Leader Panel - Salon 5 Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. In main session worship (Special Reserved Seating!)

Wednesday

9:00 a.m. –10:15 a.m. In main session worship (Special Reserved Seating!) 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Workshop 5 – Student Track: How Do I Know God’s Will for My Life? - Salon 5 12:00p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Splash City Fun Park! (Water Park) Meet at Gateway Center in Main Ballroom to leave for water park Bring your swimsuit! Lunch is provided at Splash City. Students will return to Gateway Center at 5:00 p.m. Dinner with parents 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. In main session worship (Special Reserved Seating!)

Clint Cook - Denominational Vision

Born in 1962, Clint was called into the ministry at the age of 16 and ordained as a minister at the age of 20. Graduating from St. Louis Christian College in 1986 Clint began his first pastorate at Real Life Church in Springfield, IL in September 1985. At that time the church was known as First General Baptist Church. In 2011, Clint was called by the General Baptist Council of Associations to act as the interim Executive Director following the resignation of Dr. James Murray. After less than a year serving as Interim, Clint was elected to fill the Executive Director position on a permanent basis. As Executive Director, Clint has continued his ministry as Lead Pastor at Real Life Church and continued and expanded the Next Level Coaching Network among General Baptist pastors and leaders.

Darrin Patrick - Church Planting

Darrin founded The Journey in 2002 in the urban core of St. Louis, Missouri. The Journey has six locations and has released seven church plants. Darrin is Vice President of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and has helped start multiple non-proﬁts in St. Louis. He also serves as Chaplain to the St. Louis Cardinals. After earning his B.A. in Biblical languages from Southwest Baptist University and a Masters of Divinity (summa cum laude) from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Darrin earned his Doctor of Ministry from Covenant Seminary. Darrin is author of “The Dude’s Guide to Manhood,” “Church Planter,” co-author of “Replant,” and “For the City,” and contributor to the “ESV Gospel Transformation Bible.” Darrin is married to his high school sweetheart, Amie, and they have four beautiful children: Glory, Grace, Drew, and Delainey.

Alex Himaya - Reaching Millenials

Dr. Himaya is the founding and Senior Pastor of theChurch.at, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. theChurch.at is one of the fastest growing churches in America. It has grown from 120 to 6,000 in attendance in eleven years of existence. theChurch.at has four campuses: BattleCreek, Midtown, and Downtown in Tulsa, and DuPage in DuPage county, Illinois. As one of the nation’s forefront speakers and visionaries, God has blessed Alex with the talent to reach the high tech culture of Generation Next. The heart’s cry of theChurch.at is to effectively present the same relevant message, the Gospel of Christ, using fresh, innovative methods, resources and technology. Alex is also the founder of Adopt(ed), an international orphan care ministry. Alex ﬁnished his Doctorate in Church Growth and Evangelism in May 2002, and he and his wife of 19 years, Meredith, have four children: Katherine, Eli, Benjamin, and Lemley.

Josh Carpenter - Encouragement

A third generation General Baptist pastor, Joshua Carpenter has been a part of the General Baptist Movement the entirety of his 38 years. Raised in General Baptist churches, he owes his knowledge of Jesus to faithful Sunday School teachers, Children’s Church directors, and devout parents who made sure his life was ﬂooded with scripture and prayer. Upon accepting the call into ministry at the age of 20, Josh began to preach at every opportunity until he and his wife Kathy moved to Indiana to attend OCU and pastor his ﬁrst church at the age of 21. After graduating OCU, he went on to receive his Masters of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary. Josh has pastored General Baptist churches in Southern Indiana, Southeast Missouri, and currently pastors Grace United General Baptist Church in Paragould, Arkansas. Josh married his high school sweet heart whom he met in 2nd Grade. The two of them have three kids: Jonah, Zoe, and Kaleb. Josh currently serves on the board of trustees for Oakland City University, is Chairman of the Council of Associations, and is Moderator of the General Association of General Baptists. 15

# D W E L L The following article is comprised of parts 1-3 of Keynote Speaker Darrin Patrick’s #dwell series on his blog. To read parts 4 and 5, please visit DarrinPatrick.org/Blog.

Sharing Your Faith Can Be Natural

I know why you dread evangelism. You don’t want to be that guy or that girl. I was that guy. Before I became a Christian, I was a complete mess. My dad wasn’t around and once I got bigger than my mom, I did whatever I wanted. So, I became the high-school version of a frat boy. I was drinking all the time and hooking up with random girls— anything to feel pleasure. Some guys I knew—seemingly normal guys—started talking to me about Jesus. I met Jesus and it changed everything. The “problem” was that these guys were really into tracts. So I became tract boy. We passed out tracts everywhere. One year we went down to New Orleans on a missions trip and passed them out around Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras. I left tracts above the urinals for guys to peruse as they were doing their business. I was obsessed with evangelism. It wasn’t just on mission trips. I would stop people on the street in my hometown and immediately share Christ with them. I remember one time. I approached this guy and here were the first words out of my mouth: “Do you know Jesus!?” Very subtle. There were no preemptive remarks: “Excuse me, I’m going to be the weird Christian talking to you. Do you mind if I ask you some questions.” Nope, just right into: “Do you know Jesus?”

Another time I followed a guy into a bathroom at McDonalds. He was trying to get away from me. I wouldn’t let him leave until he prayed with me, kneeling down beside the urinal. I was that guy! Here’s some good news: You don’t have to share the gospel the way I did. You don’t have to dread doing evangelism. So over this short series (#Dwell), I want to share some lessons I’ve learned that will help you connect with non-Christians in a way that honors the gospel without becoming that guy.

3 Ways to Make Friends, Not Just Converts

The incarnation separates Christianity from all other religions. Christianity claims that God actually came and dwelt with humanity as a man (John 1:14). Jesus was not just a prophet with a spectacular vision or leader with extraordinary magnetism; he was the eternal God entering the world as a baby. But the incarnation was not only the way Jesus entered the world, it was the manner in which he did his ministry. Jesus was intentional about the relationships he formed. Yes, there were occasions when he taught large crowds in big fields or the Temple courtyard, but often he based his ministry out of someone’s home. God came to be with people. Think about Jesus and Zacchaeus (Luke 19). Jesus shows up in town and people flood the streets to get a glimpse of him. Zacchaeus, a short but eager IRS agent, climbs up in a tree to see over the crowd. Jesus looks up at him and says, “hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today” (v5). Can you hear the urgency and necessity in his voice? Zacchaeus came down right away, while the crowds looked on, grumbling, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” (v7). Jesus could have stayed with anyone, but he chose to enter into this messy man’s life. Consider Jesus and Matthew. Here’s another tax collector that Jesus approached. He invites Matthew to follow him (Matthew 9:9), which results in Jesus inviting himself to Matthew’s house. Jesus gets to know Matthew’s life and friends. He hangs with them. He gets comfortable with them. We read that Jesus was “reclining at the table” and reclining with him were his disciples and “many tax collectors and sinners” (9:10). God came to be with people. So how do we do what Jesus did? What does that look like for us to be with people as we share Jesus with them? Let me give you three ideas:

1. Get out of the house

In Jesus’ day it was really hard to hide from your neighbors. They didn’t have 17

Amazon prime around to deliver groceries to them. There were no TVs. They didn’t have Facebook or Twitter to simulate community. But even though we’ve got all these potential obstacles to connection, it’s not as hard to meet people as we make it out to be at times. There are events happening all the time. Concerts, open mics, neighborhood meetings, little league games are happening. The question is: are you there?

2. Open up your house

Just because your neighbors are reclusive, they can still long for community. In fact, I bet many would love to have friends, but they don’t know how to make them. Instead of lamenting that your neighbors did not invite you to dinner when you moved in— or in the 3+ years you’ve lived there—why don’t you invite them to your dinner table. Suggest a progressive dinner or host an Oscar or Superbowl party. Be the hospitable neighbor you wish you had.

3. Do what you enjoy

Think back to the picture of Jesus in Matthew’s house. He’s “reclining” there. That language isn’t there just to describe the shape of the chairs. He’s lounging. There’s an easiness that Jesus had with that crowd. Given the reaction of the Pharisees (Matthew 10:11), he was probably enjoying himself. Jesus liked parties and he loved people. He simply did what he enjoyed and brought the kingdom of God to bear there. We can do the same. We can actually bring Jesus into conversation while we enjoy people, activities and places. These three things have been huge for me as I’ve pursued friendships with people outside of the church. I would love to hear stories from you about how you have shared Jesus with your friends.

Sharing the Gospel Without Confusing Your Friends

Christians can sound a lot like Charlie Brown’s teacher to people outside the church: Wah wah wah wah Wha wha wha… If we didn’t have Chuck translating her trombone voice for us, we would never know what she was saying. The same thing happens with our friends when we’re not thoughtful about the way we “translate” the gospel for them. Missionaries call this “translating” work contextualization. And since I’m using a technical term, let me define it. Or better yet, let me give you the best definition I’ve come across (from Tim Keller): Contextualization is “giving people the Bible’s answers, which they may not all want to hear, to questions about life that people in their particular time and place are asking, in language and forms they can comprehend, and through appeals and arguments with force they can feel, even if they reject them.” The early followers of Jesus were effective in sharing the gospel because they tailored their communication to their audience. Studying the various ways that the Apostle Paul shared the gospel has been instructive for me. Without diving deep into the book of Acts, I’m going to share several examples from my own life that correspond to Paul’s approaches. I encourage you to read and study the chapters yourself:

Acts 13

I’ve got a buddy who’s in a popular band in our city. He thinks he is a Christian, but he’s really not. You can tell by the way he talks. You can tell by the way he treats his wife. He’s not there, but he thinks he is. He grew up in church and now he’s sick of church. But he 18

has read the Bible and is open to talking. So I’m actually opening up the Bible with him. I’m reading through Eph. 5 with him to help him love Jesus, love the church, and love his wife. I’m trying to bring Scripture to bear on his life the way Paul spoke on certain Old Testament passages with the Jews in Psidian Antioch. It was entirely fitting because they were familiar with the OT.

Acts 17

I have another friend who is a gifted artist. He grew up going to Catholic school and now thinks Christianity is a strait-jacket. He’s skeptical, but intelligent. It’s not enough to just appeal to Scripture with him. He’s got a lot of philosophical questions. So I’m engaging his questions. I’m trying to reason with him like Paul did with the men of Athens.

Acts 14

Then there’s my dad. My dad was a skilled and talented worker, but he has never been book smart. He is not what most of us would consider an “educated man.” The meta-narrative of my dad’s generation—he’s in his 70s—was that “you just need to be a good person.” The problem is that my dad has not been a good person. And he knows it. I’m trying to help my dad understand that despite his lack of goodness, God is good to him. God loves him. I’m trying to point out the ways God has continued to pursue him. This is the approach Paul took with the uneducated pagans in Lystra. Each one of these men needs the gospel, but they need to hear it in different ways. It’s not about speaking the gospel on their terms, but with their terms. Even when I do a poor job of this, I can trust that the Holy Spirit works despite me. But as much as possible, I want my words to work with, not against, God’s work in their life.

Darrin Patrick is the founding and Lead Pastor at The Journey in the urban core of St. Louis, Missouri. He is a keynote speaker at the 2015 Mission and Ministry Summit, and you can hear him speak Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Darrin and his wife and high school sweetheart have four beautiful children: Glory, Grace, Drew, and Delainey.

Rural & Small Town Ministry Track Becoming the Good Samaritan in Your Local School

Healthy Rural Churches Do This

Building friendships in your local school can open new doors for your church. Kim Harvey will teach you how to motivate and challenge every parishioner to discover a new joy in serving by serving the local school. – Wed. 10:30 am, Lasalle

Rural churches face a unique set of challenges, and cannot always measure health by numbers alone. Brent Lacey will look at some key components of rural church health in the context of today’s society. – Tues. 10:10 am, Salon 2

Better Together

Creating Passionate Loyalty in Your Community

Brent Lacey will explore some of the “wins” when churches work together to build God’s kingdom in your local community, even across denominations. – Mon. 1:30 pm, Salon 4

The intangible assets (relationships) of your church are more valuable to your community than any physical facilities. These relationships are an important part of finding ways to serve the needs of the rural and small town communities. – Mon. 1:30 am, Lasalle

Reaching “Every” in Rural America Every Student. Every School. Every Home. That is a huge task. Let’s discuss ways rural and small town churches can do their part to reach “Every” in their community. – Tues. 1:30 pm, Salon 2

ruralcompassion.org Kim Harvey will introduce you to ruralcompassion.org and discuss how they partner with rural and small town churches for a specialized ministry. – Tues. 10:10 am, Lasalle

Social Media in Rural Ministry Social media can be a successful outreach tool, but utilizing it well in a rural or small town environment can be challenging. Brent Lacey will discuss some social media tools and how to best implement them in a rural context. – Wed. 1:30 pm, Salon 6

The following article is a from Keynote Speaker Alex Himaya’s blog. To read more from Alex, learn about his ministries, or find his books, visit theCHURCH.at.

Alex Himaya is the

Summit Keynote Speaker

The best compliment I’ve received in a long time was “Really? You’re a pastor?” It was on an airplane and it was from on the man seated next to me. We Tuesday had been talking for over an evening & hour, mostly about the business trip he was on. When he finally Wednesday asked me what I did for a living, morning and I told him I was a pastor, he responded with, “Huh. But you seem so down to earth and you haven’t judged me.” When I meet someone new and they ask me what I do for a living, I almost cringe. I know that once I say, “I’m a pastor,” the conversation is going to veer off from there. I like to get to know people in a very authentic way, and once they find out I’m a pastor they either put up a wall or put on a mask and try to act good. There are so many ways that we as Christians stop conversations short. When that happens, we miss out on the opportunity to really get to know someone. Instead of having a conversation, maybe we end up in an argument. The best way to stop a conversation short is by being judgmental and “religious.” By that I mean we come off as confrontational and condemning rather than relational and loving. Religion, for me, is a man-made path to God. It’s a list of things we can or can’t do that will either make God happy or make him mad. When we go down that dead 20

end of religion, we usually end up judging others based on their behavior. The name of my latest book is Jesus Hates Religion. With a title like that I’ve gotten quite a few questions. “Can Jesus really hate?” “Isn’t Jesus religious?” “Why would Jesus hate religion?” I think the answer to just about all these questions goes to the core of who Jesus really is. Jesus was about love and relationship, not rules and religion. James 1:27 defends religion. It says that religious people will help those in need, especially orphans and widows. But it’s very interesting that of the four times in the New Testament the word “religion” is used, this is the only time it’s used in a positive way. James is saying that religion can be good and helpful, but not always and not usually. The whole idea of the book of James is that “faith without works is dead.” But he’s not saying the opposite is true, that “works without faith is

Does Jesus Hate Religion? alive.” He says that he can show you his faith through his works, but faith has to be there first. Which is the same argument that Paul makes in Ephesians 2:8-9, that we don’t and can’t do anything to gain God’s love and grace – it’s a free gift! Religion, the man-made path to God, says that if I work hard enough, I can eventually get to God on my own merits. But that’s getting the whole thing backwards. Nothing we do – our behavior, our beliefs, our best efforts – will ever make us good enough to approach God.

But Jesus didn’t define her that way. He saw something more in her than her behavior. He saw an opportunity to influence her life forever. I believe that people are bigger than their behavior too. I believe that people are bigger than gender, sexuality, race, or any other label that is placed on them. Genesis 1 tells us that we are created in the very image of God. To reduce a person’s identity to a certain behavior or single characteristic is to attempt to reduce the very image of God. At the end of the day, Jesus came to influence people and he did so through love and relationship and not rules and religion. When we define people by their behavior, we lose that influence. We’re trying to take a shortcut that Jesus says doesn’t work. But when we start with love and relationship in mind, there’s no limit to where our influence will go. Alex Himaya is the founding and Senior Pastor at theCHURCH.at in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His mission is to present the same, relevant gospel using new methods and technologies. Alex is a Keynote Speaker at the 2015 Mission and Ministry Summit, on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. He and his wife, Meredith, have four children: Katherine, Eli, Benjamin, and Lemley.

The only way that happens is through Alex’s book, grace. Starting with love “Jesus Hates and relationship Religion,” rather than religion is available doesn’t change my online beliefs; it changes how I communicate my beliefs. Everyday I’m trying to mimic the same manner that Jesus used when he talked to people. When he encountered the woman at the well (John 4) he didn’t start with her multiple marriages and adulterous lifestyle. He started with a simple request that began a relationship, “Can I have a drink of water?” That woman had been married five times before and was living with a man she wasn’t married to at the time. 21

Student Ministry Trac� - For Students Only! 153

How do I Know God’s Will for My Life

Students will get a chance to hear 15 powerful minutes on topics that matter from three amazing individuals. This can’t-miss workshop will not only share impactful content but also has built in discussion time for questions and application. – Mon. 1:30 pm, Salon 5

It’s a question that everyone wants to know: What is God’s will for my life? Whenever we are at a crossroads or big decisions are looming, we want to know God’s will. Why can’t God just tell us what to do next? The answers might be closer than you think. – Wed. 10:30 am, Salon 5

Now Trending

Youth Ice Breaker

A panel of youth leaders will tackle the hard topics like homosexuality, drugs, sex, spiritual direction, and more. Questions are encouraged. – Tues. 1:30 pm, Salon 5

Worship Arts Track

Lets get to know one another. – Mon. 10:30 am, Salon 5

Tech Tour 2015

Worship Leader Round Table

Get a behind-the-scenes tour and see what makes the Summit sound, video, and lights run so smoothly. Solid Rock Productions will give a guided tour of the technology used in the main ballroom. See some pretty high-end equipment and ask as many questions as you like! – Tues. 1:30 pm, Main Hall

Round Table discussion by and for Worship Leaders and anyone facing the challenges of leading worship week after week. – Tues. 1:30 pm, Salon 6

Digital Audio Consoles Workshop Wondering what all the fuss is about digital consoles? How they work? Whether or not they will work for your church? The best way to set one up? Mark Malone can answer your questions and give you some pointers along the way. – Wed. 10:30 am, Main Hall

Worship Planning It’s not about the worship wars (traditional or praise and worship)-it’s about planning! Either style of music requires planning, practice, and commitment to worship with excellence. If you don’t know which style fits your congregation, this isn’t the workshop for you. If you want to elevate how you do worship, this is it! – Wed. 1:30 pm, Salon 1

Monday Workshops 10:30am | July 20, 2015 Dealing with Mean People National Missions Team: How do I respond to critics? What do I do with the negative leader? How do I respond to people leaving my church? Church people can sometimes be mean and even ungodly. Let’s talk about how to address these situations. Salon 1

The Legacy of GBBC Joyce Porcadilla - President, GBBC, Philippines: General Baptist Bible College celebrates its 50th anniversary this year! Joyce Porcadilla will share stories of its founding and history, and present a road map for its future. Learn how you can become part of teaching and training General Baptists half a world away. Salon 2

Anything? Anything! Part 1 Women’s Ministry Team: What if we stopped telling God about our shortcomings and jumped into ministry with an attitude of God-gifted, commissioned, Christ-followers? Join Patti Thornton and Women’s Ministries representatives in a chat about surrender-driven possibilities for women in ministry, as well as time to discuss organizational “business at hand.” Salon 3

The Executive Pastor: Impact and First Steps Scott Milford: This interactive session will provide attendees the opportunity to both learn the potential impact the Executive Pastor role could have in their church, and the opportunity to develop customized first steps to start the process. We won’t stop at just theoretical talk in this session. We want to take action! We will also discuss a forum for ongoing communication, networking, and support for Executive Pastors. So, if you are either thinking of creating this role in your church, or you already have this role and you want to gain greater impact, this is the session for you. Salon 4

Youth Ice Breaker STUDENTS ONLY. Salon 5

Health and Fitness: 10 Easy to Remember Commandments Chad Hensley: Being good stewards of God’s creation includes taking care of our bodies. This workshop will be a practical session on how to become and remain healthy and physically fit. Salon 6

Creating Passionate Loyalty in Your Community Kim Harvey: The intangible assets (relationships) of your church are more valuable to your community than any physical facilities. These relationships are an important part of finding ways to serve the needs of the rural and small town communities. LasalLe

Monday Workshops 1:30pm | July 20, 2015 When Saints Sing the Blues Brenda Poinsett: The Bible shows some of God’s greatest servants becoming depressed. What caused their depression? What were their symptoms? How did they deal with it? How did God respond to them? How can we use this information to help ourselves and to help others? Salon 1

Children of Faith Home Christina Massey- Director, Faith Home, Honduras: Christina Massey will share her unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities for our children at Faith Home, as well as the physical transformations currently taking place there. Salon 2

Anything? Anything! Part 2 Women’s Ministry Team: What if we stopped telling God about our shortcomings and jumped into ministry with an attitude of God-gifted, commissioned, Christ-followers? Join Patti Thornton and Women’s Ministries representatives in a chat about surrender-driven possibilities for women in ministry, as well as time to discuss organizational “business at hand.” Salon 3

Better Together Brent Lacey: Brent Lacey will explore some of the “wins” when churches work together to build God’s kingdom in your local community, even across denominations. Salon 4

153 Panel: Students will get a chance to hear 15 powerful minutes on topics that matter from 3 amazing individuals. This can’t-miss workshop will not only share impactful content but also has built in discussion time for questions and application. Salon 5

Making a Difference in the Life of a Child Robyn Shoulders: This interactive workshop will present strategies and resources to use in children’s worship on Sundays and mid-week. Whether you are just getting started or have an on-going program, this workshop will provide you with practical ideas to use in leading children to accept Jesus as their Savior and to become the future prayer warriors, missionaries, and leaders of your church. Salon 6

Creating a “Door to Core” System: Guest Readiness Brad Aycock: What’s your brand? What is your church currently known for and what is God calling your church to be known for? Understanding the outside perception of your church is the first step to create community impacting ministry. What attracts people to your church? Brad Aycock will help you analyze where you are vs. where you want to be. If you’re ministry is “stuck,” this workshop is for you.

LasalLe

Tuesday Workshops 10:10am | July 21, 2015 Church Mergers Gary Baldus & Eric Abercrombie: Should merging be an option for churches? What criteria should be used by the congregations involved? What questions should they ask? This workshop will walk through this tricky scenario and give practical advice on approaching it. Salon 1

Healthy Rural Churches Do This Brent Lacey: Rural churches face a unique set of challenges, and cannot always measure health by numbers alone. Brent Lacey will look at some key components of rural church health in the context of today’s society. Salon 2

Door to Core Intro Brad Aycock: This workshop will provide a short overview of the door to core concept. Salon 3

Christian Cliches & Bumper Sticker Theology Panel: We Christians have a remarkable talent for sticking our feet in our mouths. In our search to say ‘appropriate words’ at the ‘right time’, we often use tried-and-true-cliches. Such phrases may mean something to you, but non-Christians don’t share your often confusing and misleading statements. Join Bob Poinsett as he addresses phrases Christians may wish to lose in an attempt to witness or minister to the needs of non-believers. Salon 5

Teach overseas! Rob Green Facilitator: Learn how you can serve the world with your English ability. Come and listen to David Raisor as he describes different opportunities for you to invest in the lives of students overseas. This is your chance to become a tent-maker missionary, for either a few weeks or a few months.

Salon 6

ruralcompassion.org Kim Harvey: Kim Harvey will introduce you to

ruralcompassion.org and discuss how they partner with rural and small town churches for a specialized ministry. LasalLe

Tuesday Workshops 1:30pm | July 21, 2015 Multi-Site Churches Gary Baldus & Eric Abercrombie: Come explore how-to (and how-not-to!) utilize multiple church site options for growth and outreach. Salon 1

Reaching “Every” in Rural America Brent Lacey: Every Student. Every School. Every Home. That is a huge task. Let’s discuss ways rural and small town churches can do their part to reach “Every” in their community. Salon 2

So… You Want to Go on A Mission Trip Scott Strouse: Scott Strouse has been on 25 medical teams and has led 20 of them. Scott will answer questions like, “Why go on a M.V.P. team?”, “What is the purpose for going?”, and “What’s the difference between long-term and short-term missionaries?” Scott will speak from his vast experience and his love for missions. Salon 3

Leading Successful Women’s Groups Vicki Smith and Hope Valvero: Has God nudged you to lead but you feel like a fish out of water? Vicki Smith and Hope Valvero, both experienced professional and ministry leaders, offer practical help for success in leadership. Whether you’re thinking of forming a small group, organizing a leadership team, or need to know the nuts and bolts of planning a large scale event, get ready to jump in!

Salon 4

Now Trending Youth Leader Panel: STUDENTS ONLY. A panel of youth leaders will tackle the hard topics like homosexuality, drugs, sex, spiritual direction, and more. Questions are encouraged. Salon 5

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

Salon 6

Creating a “Door to Core” System: Systems Brad Aycock: No organization can be healthy without effective systems in place, regardless of the size. How do you track first-time guests? Do you have a runway in place to help get them off the ground in ministry? Brad Aycock will teach you effective, aggressive, and creative tactics to identify firsttime guests, track their engagement, and get them connected into the culture of the church as faithful followers of Jesus. If guests aren’t “sticking,” this workshop is for you. LasalLe

Tech Tour 2015 Mark Malone and J.C. Petty: Get a behind-the-

Jeff Roth: For Students Only. It’s a question that

scenes tour and see what makes the Summit sound, video, and lights run so smoothly. Solid Rock Productions will give a guided tour of the technology used in the main ballroom. See some pretty high-end equipment and ask as many questions as you like! Main HalL

everyone wants to know: What is God’s will for my life? Whenever we are at a crossroads or big decisions are looming, we want to know God’s will. Why can’t God just tell us what to do next? The answers might be closer than you think. Salon 5

Wednesday Workshops 10:30am | July 22, 2015

We’re Always Busy But Never See Results National Missions Team: Many times lack of growth can be caused by a misalignment of mission and strategy. In this breakout, we will discuss how to not only structure for growth and get things done, but also see the results of your labor. Salon 1

Meet Your Missionaries Jim Schremp Facilitator: This is your opportunity to ask your missionaries about the challenges they face while on the field and listen to their heartwarming personal stories of service to people around the world. Salon 2

Lay Counseling for Women Melinda Sams: Melinda Sams, LCSW, guides us through difficult issues that many of us find ourselves confronted with while mentoring. She will also offer guidelines for discerning the right time to refer a counselee to a professional. Salon 3

Parenting Through the Stages of Life Jim & Kris Pratt: Each stage of parenting presents its own challenges and joys. Jim and Kris Pratt will discuss these stages, from parenting preschoolers to parenting parents, and give practical advice on approaching them. Salon 4

How do I know God’s Will for My Life?

What if Your Church Disappeared? Randy Fontain: How do you inspire your folks to step outside the four walls of your chuch and begin to build relationships to fulfill the Great Commission? This workshop will discuss practical tools and introduce you to some successful strategies that Christ For the City International has employed for over 30 years. Salon 6

Becoming the Good Samaritan in Your Local School Kim Harvey: Building friendships in your local school can open new doors for your church. Kim Harvey will teach you how to motivate and challenge every parishioner to discover a new joy in serving by serving the local school. LasalLe

Digital Audio Consoles Workshop Mark Malone: Wondering what all the fuss is about in digital consoles? How they work? Whether or not they will work for your church? The best way to set one up? Mark Malone can answer your questions and give you some pointers along the way. Main HalL

Wednesday Workshops 1:30pm | July 22, 2015 Worship Planning Chris Habermehl, Preston Owens, & Denver Wade: It’s not about the worship wars (traditional or praise and worship)-it’s about planning! Either style of music requires planning, practice, and commitment to worship with excellence. If you don’t know which style fits your congregation, this isn’t the workshop for you. If you want to elevate how you do worship, this is it! Salon 1

Unwrapping Martha’s Joy Brenda Poinsett: In the heart of every Christian woman is the potential for joy, but it is sometimes kept under wraps because of all she has to do. She could feel “cumbered” as Martha did, or she can learn from Martha how to reduce her stress and unwrap joy. Salon 2

Spiritual Fitness: Growing Through Spiritual Disciplines and Retreats Jim Pratt: What is a ‘spiritual discipline’? How do you begin? Come discover how practicing spiritual disciplines and participating in spiritual retreats can deepen your relationship with Christ. Salon 3

We Don’t Have Enough Money! National Missions Team: Want to raise your income by 20-50% in one year? We all know ministry takes money. Join us as we share some tips and strategies to increase income and decrease expenses. Salon 5

Social Media in Rural Ministry Brent Lacey: Social media can be a successful outreach tool, but utilizing it well in a rural or small town environment can be challenging. Brent Lacey will discuss some social media tools and how to best implement them in a rural context. Salon 6

Creating a “Door to Core” System: Catalytic Outreach Brad Aycock: Catalytic events can be great momentum triggers. More importantly, they can have a significant impact on your community. If the local church is the hope of the world, how can you do your part by being the hands, feet, and heartbeat of Jesus in your community? How can you intersect culture with the Gospel? Moving from an inward-focused church to an outward-focused movement will not only shift your culture, it will change your community. If you feel the church needs to “leave the building,” this workshop is for you. LasalLe

4 Chair Discipling Don Roscoe: How does someone go from seeking truth about Jesus to knowing Him and making disciples in His name? 4 Chair Discipling explains disciple-making as a process of moving people through four chairs, from someone seeking to know more about Christ all the way to someone who makes disciples themselves. Don Roscoe, a veteran trainer with Son Life, will help participants get a clear and simple picture of how to follow in Jesus’ disciple-making footsteps. Salon 4

ANYTHING? Inside out

Anything! Inside Out

The Women’s Event

Sponsored by General Baptist Women’s Ministries

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

www.gbwomen.org

Evidence Sings

is a St. Louis Christian singing group, comprised of four talented, vibrant young women dedicated to strengthening believers and spreading the gospel through music. All four members of the group, Ashlee, Becky, Jacqueline, and Julie, were each involved individually in music ministry when God began to move their hearts together to form this group. After so many listeners inquired about a CD, Evidence Sings released their debut album, “New Heart Coming,” in August of 2012. Visit their website: www.evidencesings. com to learn more about them and sample their music.

Cindy Irwin, LMFT, ABCST

indy is the founder C and executive director of Life By Design, a local counseling center that specializes in Sexual Wholeness, Marriage and Family Counseling. Cindy invites us to streamline our lives, shed excess baggage, and prepare our gifted selves to be used. Cindy has a gift for connecting with her audiences, and while you are unpacking and learning to love yourself as God’s daughter, you will be laughing.All women; married, single, old, young, or age undetermined, will delight in this weekend of renewal.

Small Groups

Explore your unique gifting as part of a small group. This time of close-knit community and training has been highly valued during former events.

Charlotte Strickland

or thirty years Charlotte F has worked in Higher Education coordinating Orientation, Ethics and Leadership academic courses, Greek training and Leadership training seminars. In 2002 Charlotte founded her own company, Strickly Speaking. In addition to college campuses, her audiences include churches, civic groups, state/federal agencies, and corporations. Charlotte enjoys speaking immensely and approaches each audience with energy, enthusiasm, and sincerity. Her goal is for each person to leave the presentation with personal value, a renewed spirit and hope for whatever facet of life he/she is dealing with. Most recently Charlotte was asked to join “Speakers of Significance” – a company based out of San Antonio Texas - which offers the speaking services of twelve dynamic speakers to companies, colleges, and communities across the United States.

Encourage… Together Strengthen… Together Thrive… Together //

Women’s Ministry Track Anything? Anything! Part 1 & 2

Leading Successful Women’s Groups

What if we stopped telling God about our shortcomings and jumped into ministry with an attitude of God-gifted, commissioned, Christ-followers? Join Patti Thornton and Women’s Ministries representatives in a chat about surrender-driven possibilities for women in ministry, as well as time to discuss organizational “business at hand.” – Mon. 10:30 am / 1:30 pm, Salon 3

Has God nudged you to lead but you feel like a fish out of water? Vicki Smith and Hope Valvero, both experienced professional and ministry leaders, offer practical help for success in leadership. Whether you’re thinking of forming a small group, organizing a leadership team, or need to know the nuts and bolts of planning a large scale event, get ready to jump in! – Tues. 1:30 pm, Salon4

Lay Counseling for Women

Unwrapping Martha’s Joy

Melinda Sams, LCSW, guides us through difficult issues that many of us find ourselves confronted with while mentoring. She will also offer guidelines for discerning the right time to refer a counselee to a professional. – Wed. 10:30 am, Salon 3

In the heart of every Christian woman is the potential for joy, but it is sometimes kept under wraps because of all she has to do. She could feel “cumbered” as Martha did, or she can learn from Martha how to reduce her stress and unwrap joy. – Wed. 1:30 pm, Salon 2

Life is good at the Women’s Ministries display booth inside the exhibit hall You can’t miss us. We’re the ones with SOMETHING NEW!

FREE COFFEE SAMPLES and bags to purchase GIFT BASKETS for auction SHOPPING! THE CANDY STATION GIVE-AWAYS WOMEN’S MINISTRY RESOURCES 29

International Missions Offering Summit, Tuesday Evening; July 21, 2015

In 2014, International Missions re-launched our mission effort in Mexico. In March of this year, we formed the Association of General Baptists of Mexico, consisting of four churches: Agua Viva, Pan de Vida, and Unidos nen Jesus in Juarez, and Vision de Gracia in Chihuahua. These churches are all located in needy areas where there is a great hunger for the gospel. After seeing the challenge and ministry opportunities open to us in Mexico, we in the International Missions office have prayerfully decided to designate this year’s mission offering to what God is doing in Mexico. Your prayerful generosity this year will help fund supplies for children’s ministry, leadership training for our brothers and sisters in Mexico, and will help provide more opportunities for outreach into their surrounding communities.

We thank you in advance for your generous offerings. May God bless you for your gift.

Jim and Sue Schremp, Interim Directors, International Missions.

“…and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NASB

The Women’s Ministries Summit Offering: an assembly of your gifts for readiness. Money that is ready for ANYTHING that comes. And it will. Whether or not any of us live to see the day of the Lord, no one can refute current rises in suffering and persecution. Sometimes life gets ugly. For some, their DAY is the one in which the bottom dropped out. Assemble and give…and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Your gifts will enable unexpected ministry, distributed through International Missions, National Missions, and Women’s Ministries in the coming year.

Photos from Juarez, Mexico

National Missions Offering, Tuesday pm In 2014, National Missions launched an ambitious new initiative to plant 15 new churches in the next 5 years! This initiative, The Go Project, is led by Carl Nichols of Relevant Church, Vince Daniel of Real Life Church, and Brandon Petty of Generation Church who comprise the National Missions Advisory. They have also brought Gary Baldus of New Walk Church on board as National Coach. There is a full assessment and coaching program involved in the project to ensure church planters the support they need to be successful. The first church plant of this new initiative has plans to launch this fall in Bonita Springs, Florida. Steve and Keisa Gill, along with their four children, have a heart for reaching Bonita Springs with the gospel of Christ. Their church, Turning Point, has a goal of reaching those who are far from God, leading families in a walk with Christ together, and bridging the gap between cultures, particularly Anglo and Latino. This year’s National Missions Offering, to be taken up Tuesday evening in conjunction with the International Missions Offering, will help fund The Go Project and its bold mission of explosively launching a new era in General Baptist church planting. Specifically, your gift this year will allow Turning Point Church to purchase necessary supplies and equipment to successfully launch this fall and serve their community. If you are interested in planting a church, or you would like to learn more about the ambitious Go Project, visit their website at GoProject.us. You will find information about the initiative itself, as well as information about applying for assessment. To keep up with Steve and Keisa Gill and the progress of Turning Point Church, check out their website at TPCLive.org or like Turning Point church on Facebook.

from Clint Cook

Clint Cook, Executive Director, General Baptist Ministries

I had the privilege of meeting Mark and Kim Powell in the mid-1980s. At that time we were both involved in stateside ministry. Eventually, Mark and Kim answered God’s call to international missions and began serving General Baptists in the Philippines and Honduras. In 1999, I was able to observe Mark in the mission field during my first medical-mission trip to Honduras, while he was serving as our first Church Planting Coordinator. It was impressive to see how Mark offered love to the Honduran people and how they accepted him. I was also impressed by his ability to overcome communication barriers by quickly grasping foreign languages and dialects, and his intense passion for sharing the gospel with the Honduran people. That Mark had a true calling of God upon his life for that kind of work was clearly evident. The way he cared for the people, how he helped to improve their lives, and his fervor to share the gospel was inspiring. After his return to the States, our paths occasionally crossed. At each opportunity, Mark was quick to ask about any mission trips I had participated in to learn how our missionary families were doing and how the work was progressing. Since becoming Executive Director, Mark

From Mark Powell I count it an honor to be named the new Director of General Baptist International Missions. As former missionaries to both the Philippines and Honduras, Kim and I have long realized that we have a unique set of qualifications. We have always sought the Lord’s will in prayer each time this position became available, but had not felt any sense of direction from Him. Those who knew our background would ask if we were considering the job, and we would always simply say that the Lord was not leading us to do something different. Until now. When the position was opened this last time, we were again asked questions about our interest, but this time we felt something different. Kim and I sensed that the Lord had given us the liberty to consider the position, so we prayed about it and asked a few very close friends and family members to pray with us and for us. We felt we re32

and I have had several conversations about our international missions work, and I have always been impressed by his genuine concern for the wellbeing of our missionaries and his intense urgency to take the gospel around the world. As I embarked on the interview process for a new International Missions Director, Mark’s application arrived amidst other very qualified people for the position. I asked the Lord for clear discernment during the process. Mark came in for his interview and I had the opportunity to once again be reminded of his heart for missions, I tangibly felt the Holy Spirit fill the room. This confirmed to me that God had chosen Mark for this assignment at this time. As I heard him share his burden to advance the gospel around the world while caring for and ministering to our missionaries in the field, it was clear his knowledge of the challenges posed to our missionary families and our international churches will be priceless in strengthening and expanding the work of Christ through General Baptists around the world. I am thrilled to have recommended Pastor Mark Powell to our denomination as our new Director of International Missions so others may discover and see for themselves the same things I have seen in this man of God. ceived the Lord’s affirmation and received further encouragement from trusted counselors; it was now the time to allow ourselves to be considered. For the past 14 years, we have been serving as the pastoral family at Pleasant View General Baptist Church in Risco, Missouri. We strongly believe in the local church and the power of the prayers of God’s people. For Kim and me, the driving motivation in seeking this role is our passion and love for missionaries and their families. We believe that we can bring forward a different type of missionary care strategy grown from our 10 years of missionary life. Those ten years encompassed the birth of two of our children. For ten years, our ministry was spent in the Philippines and Honduras. Our passion and vision is not just for the missionary work, but also for missionaries and their families.

Through the grace of God, we intend to bring forward missionary care plans and strategies to help us recruit, prepare, and retain missionaries. As a denomination, we need to prepare and strengthen our long term missionaries. We also seek to grow the programs that provide such life-changing opportunities through short term ministry like the MVP program and other short term opportunities. Both pieces are essential to our denominational vision.

We hope to grow in our mission vision, tapping into more innovative and creative ways to reach the 10/40 window and its masses of unevangelized and unreached people. God has given us great opportunity to accomplish this through five of our existing fields. Guam, Saipan, and Hong Kong all have the world coming to them through guest worker programs. We have been somewhat effective in ministering to these groups in Hong Kong and Saipan, but now we can step up our efforts, to not only evangelize, but to prepare witnesses who can return to their countries with the good news of Jesus Christ. God has also opened new doors of opportunity for us in Guam with more US military personnel coming to the island from the current transitions on Okinawa. As a product of a military ministry and outreach in Germany, I have a great passion to see General Baptists minister to our men and women in uniform and to prepare them to become witnesses when they return home or move on to their next duty assignment. Our most significant effort to reach the 10/40 window, however, will come through joining the vision of the Philippine Missions Mobilization Movement (PM3). Last year there were 1.6 million Filipinos deployed abroad as part of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) program, an official program of the Philippine government. Demand is so great that there are currently over 800,000 job orders for Filipino workers, of which 44% are in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Taiwan and Qatar (Philippine Daily Inquirer, Tuesday, April 21, 2015). Please take the time to look those numbers and locations over again. God has opened a

door of opportunity for the Christian Philippines to place workers throughout the 10/40 window. It is our responsibility to help them move from accidental witnesses for the Lord to prepared witnesses and ultimately intentional witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We realize that such opportunity is fraught with danger for those who will share the message in the midst of such hatred for the gospel and, therefore, we believe that a proper pre-OFW orientation program for our General Baptist brethren is essential to their effective and safe witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What an amazing opportunity God has given us! What a great opportunity to honor our Lord and the vision he has given our Executive Director Clint Cook in “catching fish out of every nation on the earth” (Messenger, Winter 2014). We further believe that the vision God gave Dean Trivitt, Bob Carr, Mary Lou Howard, and other early tribal missionaries is far from over. There are still 32 unreached people groups in the Philippines, many of them are Muslim. Therefore we have a great need to not only help our OFW’s, but our local associations to become prepared witnesses to evangelize the Muslim population of the Philippines, as well as the tribal groups that are still listed as “unreached.” Our national church brothers are catching the vision of church planting and each local association in the Philippines is actively involved in church planting and outreach. They are looking beyond the traditional General Baptist areas to new opportunities in significant and strategic cities like Cagayan de Oro through their Church Lot Acquisition Program (CLAP) and their own opportunities to send missionaries to other ASEAN countries (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) without lengthy paperwork. Our job in the Philippines is far from over – in fact, in some ways, it has just begun. Our work in India presents us a great opportunity to impact other unreached people groups. The Joshua Project shows 1,944 unreached people groups in India with an unreached population in excess of 1.1 billion. Only 2.2% of all the people in India profess to be Christian. When I saw those numbers I had to look more than once. Over 1.1 billion people have never heard the greatest story of the ages – the story of God’s love for them through his Son Jesus Christ. The opportunities God has given us to partner with our General Baptist brothers and sisters in Honduras, Mexico and Jamaica allow us to continue to spread the love of Christ beyond our borders. We seek to further develop our great partnerships and the discovery of new opportunities to proclaim the gospel and establish churches. Effective and ongoing programs like Faith Home and various ministries in India help establish ourselves as people who 33

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS V.B.S. PROJECT 2015 Casa Three at Faith Home in Honduras was so badly damaged by an earthquake that it had to be razed. Our 2015 project is to raise money for blocks to help rebuild this house. The casa will be 30’ x 45’ and will house 12-24 additional children ages birth to eight years old.

ONE DOLLAR = ONE BLOCK ESTIMATED PROJECT COST: $ 40,000 34

not only want to evangelize but also to love and care for people as our Lord taught us. “When you have done it to the least of these…. You have done unto me” (Matthew 25). As I write this I must admit to feeling overwhelmed by the task set before us. Pray with us that God, by His grace, will continue to do great things through us and our global partners in the gospel. Mark Powell is the Director of General Baptist International Ministries. He has served General Baptists for more than 40 years including 10 years experience on the mission field. While in the mission field he served as Director of the T’boli Bible Institute in the Philippines and Field Director and Church Planter in Honduras. He is married to Kim, his wife of 31 years, and they have three daughters.

from Jim Schremp For the past fourteen years Rev. Mark Powell has served as pastor of the Pleasant View General Baptist Church in Risco, Missouri. Mark has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oakland City University and a Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty University. With more than ten years of experience on the mission field, he is uniquely qualified to serve as the new director of International Missions. During his time of service with International Missions, Mark was responsible for the design, development and implementation of specific ministries in the Philippines and Honduras. He served as Administrator of T’boli Bible Institute in the Philippines from 1989 to 1995. During this time, church growth in the T’boli region increased and the formation of the T’boli Association and Presbytery occurred. From 1997 to 2001, Mark served as Church Planting Coordinator and Field Director in Honduras. During this time, church growth in Honduras doubled. Mark understands the value of the entire missionary unit, the family on the field, and the joys as well as the difficulties faced while serving on the mission field. He and Kim raised three daughters, Anna, Sarah, and Grace, while on the mission field. At the same time he also worked to learn two languages and will be the first to admit that, “he’s not sure he would count this among his skills.” He raised deputation support twice as a General Baptist missionary to two fields. Because of these past experiences, he fully understands the struggles that every missionary family faces. Mark and Kim met in a Baptist church in Germany while he was serving in the United States Air Force. They were later married in Alexandria, Virginia. Mark grew up in the Malden area of southeast Missouri. When asked how he was able to make the adjustment from being raised in a small town to serving in a third world country as a missionary, he replied,

“The hard part for us wasn’t the culture. People in the Philippines where we ministered were farmers and hard working people. This was the very culture I came out of. The challenge for us was living in a bamboo hut with no running water or air conditioning, living a very simple life. When we did go into the city we used public transportation. Remember we were in our 20’s and had an adventurous spirit.” Mark’s missions’ professor at Oakland City University was Dr. Clifton Ford, and Dr. Cecil Green was still actively serving as a field missionary upon their arrival in the Philippines. Mark shared, “having studied under and witnessing first hand these two gentlemen allowed me a wide breadth of historical insight.” Along with this historical insight, Mark is highly knowledgeable of current communication and information technology and is aware of current mission theory and philosophy. Mark wrote, “Our primary mission is to glorify Christ by extending His kingdom through the work of General Baptists. It is with a grateful heart that I have been allowed to participate in the missions in the Philippines, Honduras and as a pastor. It would be a great honor to me to serve General Baptists as the Director of International Missions.” Jim and Sue Schremp are the former Directors of GBIM. Jim now serves as the Missions Development Coordinator and Sue now serves GBIM in Missionary Support Services. Jim is the Senior Pastor at Agee Fellowship Church in Poplar Bluff, MO.

Global Perspectives Track The Legacy of GBBC General Baptist Bible College celebrates its 50th anniversary this year! Joyce Porcadilla will share stories of its founding and history, and present a road map for its future. Learn how you can become part of teaching and training General Baptists half a world away. – Mon. 10:30 am, Salon 2

Children of Faith Home

Christina Massey will share her unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities for our children at Faith Home, as well as the physical transformations currently taking place there. – Mon. 1:30 pm, Salon 2

Meet Your Missionaries This is your opportunity to ask your missionaries about the challenges they face while on the field and listen to their heartwarming personal stories of service to people around the world. – Wed. 10:30 am, Salon 2

Teach overseas!

Learn how you can serve the world with your English ability. Come and listen to David Raisor as he describes different opportunities for you to invest in the lives of students overseas. This is your chance to become a tent-maker missionary, for either a few weeks or a few months. – Tues. 10:10 am, Salon 6

So… You Want to Go on A Mission Trip Scott Strouse has been on 25 medical teams and has led 20 of them. Scott will answer questions like, “Why go on a M.V.P. team?” , “What is the purpose for going?”, and “What’s the difference between long-term and short-term missionaries?” Scott will speak from his vast experience and his love for missions. – Tues. 1:30 pm, Salon 3

Christina Massey • Ryan & Amanda Stead family • Joyce Porcadilla Pedro & Elida Quezada • Brittany & Jessey Vemula • Phil & Cindy Warren 36

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

Unified Giving

Ministry Skills Track The Executive Pastor: Impact and First Steps This interactive session will provide attendees the opportunity to both learn the potential impact the Executive Pastor role could have in their church, and the opportunity to develop customized first steps to start the process. We won’t stop at just theoretical talk in this session. We want to take action! We will also discuss a forum for ongoing communication, networking, and support for Executive Pastors. So, if you are either thinking of creating this role in your church, or you already have this role and you want to gain greater impact, this is the session for you. – Mon. 10:30 am, Salon 4

Church Mergers

Should merging be an option for churches? What criteria should be used by the congregations involved? What questions should they ask? This workshop will walk through this tricky scenario and give practical advice on approching it. – Tues. 10:10 am, Salon 1

Multi-Site Churches

Come explore how-to (and how-not-to!) utilize multiple church site options for growth and outreach. – Tues. 1:30 pm, Salon 1

The Christian Life Track Health and Fitness: 10 Easy to Remember Commandments. Being good stewards of God’s creation includes taking care of our bodies. This workshop will be a practical session on how to become and remain healthy and physically fit. – Mon. 10:30 am, Salon 6

When Saints Sing the Blues

The Bible shows some of God’s greatest servants becoming depressed. What caused their depression? What were their symptoms? How did they deal with it? How did God respond to them? How can we use this information to help ourselves and to help others? – Mon. 1:30 pm, Salon 1

Parenting Through the Stages of Life Each stage of parenting presents its own challenges and joys. Jim and Kris Pratt will discuss these stages, from parenting preschoolers to parenting parents, and give practical advice on approaching them. – Wed. 1o:30 am, Salon 3 38

Christian Cliches and Bumper Sticker Theology

We Christians have a remarkable talent for sticking our feet in our mouths. In our search to say ‘appropriate words’ at the ‘right time’, we often use tried-and-truecliches. Such phrases may mean something to you, but non-Christians don’t share your often confusing and misleading statements. Join Bob Poinsett as he addresses phrases Christians may wish to lose in an attempt to witness or minister to the needs of non-believers. – Tues. 10:10 am, Salon 5

Spiritual Fitness: Growing Through Spiritual Disciplines and Retreats What is a ‘spiritual discipline’? How do you begin? Come discover how practicing spiritual disciplines and participating in spiritual retreats can deepen your relationship with Christ. – Wed. 1:30 pm, Salon 3

The Grasshopper Myth

by Karl Vaters, NewSmallChurch.com, 2012

“Hi, I’m Karl and I’m a Small Church Pastor” provides a title for the first chapter of this book as well as providing a mantra that sounds out directly and indirectly on every page of the text. His own assessment of the book rings true to his oft stated thesis as he writes: “The Grasshopper Myth takes on many of the unbiblical beliefs we’ve held about church growth, church size and ‘success’ in ministry. And it offers some healthy alternatives. Ultimately, it’s about rediscovering a New Small Church filled with hope, passion and the innovative spark of the Holy Spirit.” Drawing from his own experience Vaters honestly confesses his own successes and failures. Because he draws from his own experience he speaks a language easily understood by those who are in the trenches of ministry. Because he draws from his own experience he speaks

with the maturity and insight of a pastor who has stayed on task in one congregation for an above average number of years. Because he has always been engaged in local church ministry he speaks to the trends and fads of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Indeed much of what he writes is produced as a counterweight to rouge elements of the church growth movement. Two major cautions must be considered as anyone reads this book. First, the reader must keep in mind that the ‘small’ church Vaters serves averages 200+ in attendance with multiple worship services and some staff assistance and ministry interns. In many circles this church would not be considered small though it would not be considered large either. Second, the book seems to be a collection of essays or blog posts. While very well written these essays or blog posts do not come across in a truly systematic fashion. Most of them are based on well-written, well-formed opinions that can be difficult to research. The author does include a notes section at the end with limited references to sources for some of his observations and conclusions. The collection of essays offers comfort to those pastors who do not yet “know themselves”. He points the way to self-confidence and a healthy ministry identity for those church leaders who serve in the vast majority of churches since most churches in the United States have fewer than 200 in worship attendance. Most church leaders would benefit from sporadic rather than cover-to-cover reading of the book. Since the book is written in a devotional or motivational style the themes can become repetitive if read entirely in one sitting. On the other hand to read a chapter or two at a time and then return a few days later for another segment can provide a real pick-me-up to any church leader. With well written essays crafted by an active practitioner of ministry, The Grasshopper Myth can be a valuable read for any church leader.

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

TO ORDER A HARD COPY BOOKLET FOR $4 OR 3 FOR $10 CONTACT CONGREGATIONAL MINISTRIES: OFFICE: 573-785-7746 | ONLINE: AMY.POWELL@GENERALBAPTIST.COM 39

I hope you will join us for the annual

CAMP MEETING DAYS Branson, MO on September 8-10.

You will be

challenged, encouraged, and inspired by biblical preaching.

You will worship with classic gospel songs and hymns accompanied by guitars, fiddle, and banjo.