Friday, June 13, 2008

GPS: God's Plan for Sharing

The North American Mission Board unveiled an ambitious National Evangelism Initiative at the 2008 Southern Baptist Convention. Named God's Plan for Sharing, the goal is every believer sharing the Gospel and every person hearing by 2020. GPS is designed to provide the tools and perspective for fulfilling the Great Commission in North America. GPS is being launched in four languages—English, Korean, Chinese and Spanish. The initiative concentrates on four biblical markers: praying, engaging, sowing and harvesting.

To learn more about GPS, click here.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

New SBC President

This just in. Johnny Hunt was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Hunt is pastor of Woodstock Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia. 

Bucca di Missional

By Adam Miller

Over family style plates of spaghetti, linguini, and bottles of Pelligreno a hundred or so pastors chatted up the idea of crossing linguistic, cultural and other barriers that might otherwise prevent a church from reaching its community for Christ.

Blocks away from the sterile ballrooms and conference tables of the Indianapolis Conference center, attendees of the 2008 Missional Network Dinner and Panel Discussion were squeezed into a back room at Bucca di Beppo where rubbing elbows and brushing against Roman decor seemed to remind one of what it means to be missional--engaging culture and engaging people.

Exploring the challenges and practicalities of a missional community, pastors Kerry Shook, Brian Bloye, Daniel Floyd, and Shawn Lovejoy offered a brief view into the worlds of churches successfully reaching their communities.

Dinner with a Hero


By Carol Pipes

I had dinner with one of my heroes last night. He's probably not on your list of who's who in the Southern Baptist Convention, but in my eyes he's a hero. 

I first met Steve Fowler when he was planting a church in Houghton Lake, Michigan. As a young teen, this was my first encounter with a real life church planter. I remember thinking that Steve and his wife were totally cool. Here was an amazing couple who'd given their lives to God and moved to this small town to start a church from scratch. That made a huge impression on my young life. Of course, Steve was just following in the footsteps of his father Carrol Fowler—another Southern Baptist hero.

My church, First Baptist Church, Tullahoma, Tennessee, had a partnership with one of the Baptist associations in Michigan. For more than a decade volunteers from our church made trips to northern Michigan to help support new churches and strengthen existing ones. It was on one of those trips that I learned how to put hands and feet to my faith. I also witnessed the results of cooperative missions. And for the first time my eyes were opened to the mission field right here in North America.

I haven't seen Steve since 1989. So imagine my surprise when he and I were seated across from each other at a dinner sponsored by the Missional Network at the North American Mission Board. We were up to our elbows in lasagna when I finally realized who he was. Wow! It's not very often that you get to tell someone how their ministry and missional lifestyle impacted your own life. I'm sure it's no coincidence that we were at the same table last night in a room full of church planters. So I took the opportunity to tell Steve, who now heads the church planting team in Montana, how those trips to Michigan and working with him had given me a passion for missions and church planting.

So thanks Steve and to all the other pioneer church planters in northern Michigan and across North America. You are my heroes.

Monday, June 9, 2008

“Seize divine moments” NAMB’s Hammond challenges


By Adam Miller

The rains Saturday brought a flood of ready metaphors to Southern Baptists—plenty commenting they’d “prayed for a downpour…but not literally.” Today North American Mission Board president Geoff Hammond reminded members of Calvary Baptist Church in Greenwood, Indiana, that seizing divine moments to help neighbors in need could bring that more spiritual deluge churches had anticipated.
This bright sky Sunday following Saturday’s dreary and drenched Crossover with some frustrating cancellations, Hammond set an encouraging tone and provided a challenge.
“The rain yesterday did not surprise God,” said Hammond.
Nor did the outrageous odds Jonathan faced in 1 Samuel 14 when he decided to head into battle with no more than a sword and an armor bearer, Hammond said, connecting the mission of reaching North America with the Old Testament narrative.
“Leaders know it’s about who is with you, not how many,” Hammond said. “It’s not about the who you can see. It’s about the Who you can’t see. God works through the supernatural. God is fighting for us today.”
With North America’s consistent move toward secularism and a growing number of unchurched, the odds for evangelizing the lost would be harrowing. But balking in fear, as Saul did as he tended his trepidation under the Pomegranate tree, costs the timid a chance at a miracle.
“He missed out on it,” Hammond said. “Under the pomegranate tree is a dangerous place to be.”
As Southern Baptists move into several days of celebrating God’s activity through missions, evangelism and the work of the church through the world, Hammond placed a rainy Crossover in its perspective.
“As you go home today, consider the neighbors who’s flooded yards might offer an opportunity to reach out,” he said. “You can live like a missionary right here. Seconds are ticking. We must live with urgency and seize our divine moments. You have one right now.”

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Record rains can't keep this church from its Crossover '08


By Mike Ebert

Each year before the Southern Baptist Convention, local churches and volunteers from throughout North America arrive early to reach out to the host city with the love of Christ. This year in Indianapolis was no different with plans for car washes, car shows, music events, block parties and much more to take place in communities throughout Greater Indianapolis.

But when we woke up this morning, it was clear that things would not go exactly as planned. Middle Indiana was hit with a 10-inch downpour which flooded rivers and streams and stranded hundreds of residents in their homes. At least two major interstates and dozens of local roads were closed due to flooding.

Needless to say, many Crossover events were cancelled. But about 17 miles west of Indianapolis, Hope Community Church in Brownsburg, carried on with a block party attended by 250 people from surrounding neighborhoods. When the torrential rains hit Saturday morning, members moved the event indoors and made the best of the situation.

"I was up praying at 6 o'clock this morning hoping the Lord would change His mind about this, but He didn't, and we said rain or shine we are committed to this event," said Jim Bohrer, Hope Community's pastor. "We advertised it, we told people we were going to do it, and we were going to keep our word whether or not it was convenient."

At least 90 people who are not regular attenders showed up for the event and at least five indicated they prayed to receive Christ. Volunteers from Michigan helped train local church members for the event, and a team of college students from Tennessee was on hand to help. When flooding cancelled other Crossover events, volunteers from North Carolina diverted to Hope Community to add their evangelistic efforts as well.

"We had some people who had done it for awhile show us the ropes so we didn't get stuck or confused or miss a beat. We were able to see this run smoothly, even with the rain because of the assistance we were given from other Southern Baptist brothers and sisters in Christ," pastor Bohrer said.

Frank Page, president of the SBC, dropped in on the block party after spending two hours sharing Christ door-to-door in the rain earlier in the day. He said Crossover is still a very important part of the annual convention.

"I know they are important because they combine the energies of the local people with visitors such as myself in a beautiful partnership and then the Gospel is shared far more than it normally would be. So it's very important and I believe it's just a great practical way to express the Great Commission."

Page said it's important to start each year's convention with Crossover "Because it shows what our priority is—winning people to Christ."

Steve Davis, executive director of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, said he takes encouragement in the fact that the impact of Crossover will last far beyond a weekend event.

"We're doing some other things connected with these events so it's not just an event but a process," Davis says. "It's the beginning of helping us plant nine new churches in the Indianapolis area. And every event is connected to a local church. So we're going to have much better follow up and we should see a much better result coming from this in terms of baptisms and strengthening church membership."

Davis said this weekend's evangelistic emphasis also is a healthy reminder for the state's evangelistic believers.

"Eighty percent of the people in Indiana do not attend any Christian church on any given Sunday," Davis said. "One of the things we're trying to do is remind Christians that Indiana is a mission field."


More than Bricks and Mortar


By Carol Pipes

In the shadows of Indianapolis's city center lies Eastside Community Baptist Church. This small church has a big heart and it shows. 

Cheryl Lewis, wife of pastor Terry Lewis, loves to tell the story of how God placed them in the heart of Indy. They started the church in their living room three years ago. A year later they found an old brick church on Indy's Eastside. "The building was in bad shape," said Cheryl. "The basement had been flooded years before and had begun to mold. The upstairs sanctuary needed a lot of work as well." Thanks to volunteers with Campers On Mission, the Lewis's were able to move into the refurbished building. Surprised that God was moving them so close to downtown, they soon realized it was exactly where He wanted them. Terry and Cheryl have continued what they started with the church by buying and refurbishing homes in the neighborhood. The homes are then provided as transitional housing for families living on the streets. "It's hard for homeless families—consisting of mom, dad and kids—to find shelter. We're helping to provide that."

Today, the church is more than just bricks and mortar. They've become a beacon to the community surrounding them. And today that light was magnified. Eastside church hosted a block party for friends and neighbors in the community—one of 26 block parties held in conjunction with Crossover '08. 

"A block party is a great way to serve the community," said Jimmy Kinnaird, coordinator for Crossover. "It attracts people of all ages and allows the church to show the community that they care." 

Volunteers from Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia and Kansas were on hand to help Eastside with this large event. A group from Hull's Grove Baptist Church in North Carolina brought anvils and hundreds of horseshoes to hand out at the block party. Every person that passed by received a personalized horseshoe with John 3:16 imprinted on the shoe as well as a printed plan of salvation. Marcus Redding, pastor of Hull's Grove Church sat and shared the gospel as he stamped the name into the iron shoe. "We have a captive audience while they wait on their horseshoe," said Marcus. "It's a great way to start a conversation about Jesus."

They started their horseshoe stamping ministry two and half years ago. Since then, they've stamped more than 12,000 shoes. 

But horseshoes weren't the only means of gospel sharing. Artists painted pictures portraying the separation between God and man and Christ's redemptive work on the cross. Others mingled through the crowd talking about the life change that occurs when Christ enters one's heart.

Of course, next week the real work begins, according to Jimmy Kinnaird. The most important part of an event like this is the follow up. But the Lewises and their church family are ready to disciple those who made decisions to follow Christ today and continue to build relationships with those who are still seeking.

COSBE “Hall of Faith” Induction Dinner

By Mickey Noah

For four hours last night, thunder and lightening flashed outside the huge windows at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Union Station ballroom on Illinois Street in downtown Indianapolis. A tornado watch had been issued outside and the skies turned yellow. But inside, no one cared. Some 200 Southern Baptists were enjoying the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists' inaugural "Hall of Faith" induction ceremony banquet.

After a welcome by Dr. Jerry Pipes of NAMB, a brief performance by the ventriloquist team of "Geraldine and Ricky," some praise and worship music, Dr. Johnny Hunt, COSBE advisor and senior pastor of FBC, Woodstock, Ga., charged up the audience with some of his own God-inspired thunder and lightning.

After Dr. Hunt's challenge to COSBE to keep on preaching the Gospel, COSBE president Brian Fossett presented crystal trophies to 29 living and deceased preachers—some of the SBC's greatest evangelists and revivalists. 

The evangelists honored included Billy Graham and three other members of his team: Cliff Barrows, George "Bev" Shea and the deceased T.W. Wilson. Honored posthumously were evangelists Walter K. Ayers, Manley Beasley, E.J. Daniels, Ron Dunn, Mike Gilchrist, Vance Havner, Jesse Hendley, Rudy Hernandez, Eddie Martin, Angel Martinez and J. Harold Smith.

Living evangelists honored and inducted into COSBE's "Hall of Faith" included Wayne Bristow, Sam Cathey, Clyde Chiles, Freddie Gage, Junior Hill, Homer Martinez, Bailey Smith, Jerry Spencer, Bill Stafford, Jay Strack and Don Womack.

But it was 78-year-old Bette Stalnecker-Gibson, inducted for her long career as an evangelistic soloist, who brought the house down—earning the only standing ovation of the night with her rendition of "His Eye is On the Sparrow."

Friday, June 6, 2008

Shalom

Tonight I worshiped with my Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ—members of the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship. It was a wonderful way to begin my time at the annual Southern Baptist Convention being held in Indianapolis. They are a warm and welcoming group, and they have a passion for seeing nonbelievers come to Yeshua. 

The Shabbat service was a beautiful blend of Hebrew and English. With a theme of encouragement and strengthening of the saints, Rabbi Ric Worshill exhorted his audience to go out and make disciples. 

The SBMF is working with the North American Mission Board and LifeWay to produce evangelism training tools to help teach believers how to share the gospel with non-believing Jews. 

Carol Pipes, editor