The August 2011 issue of the "Ohio Baptist Messenger" featuring news and events for Southern Baptist Churches in Ohio.
12
e 2011 Vacation Bible School season is officially under way! It all started on March 11-12, 2011, at First Baptist Church Ketter- ing with e Big Apple Adventure Vacation Bible School Institute. Hundreds of workers from churches all across the state filled the auditorium on Friday night to move with the music of Jeff Slaughter and the Big Apple Adventure! e energy in the room was electric, and it would set the tone for the rest of the weekend. On Saturday more people joined the hundreds already there for a full day of training in VBS. Core training along with dozens of electives were offered throughout the day. ere was a strong emphasis in the area of evangelism with several classes offered. Also discussed was the importance of FOLLOW-UP aſter Vaca- tion Bible School is over. Another thing that was done this year for the first time was a public recognition of pastors present. It is great to see pastors that are involved in VBS and see it as a great tool to reach their community. e day ended with Jeff Slaughter and a one hundred voice kids choir! With the help of Doug Morgan and Jeff Christmas they pulled off the best VBS musical yet. e kids brought the house down and raised the roof at the same time. Broadway would have been proud! Now the ball has dropped and a new VBS season is here. We need everyone trained and ready for the best year ever! If you were not able to make this VBS Institute, please check your associational calendar or go to www.scbo.org and click on the regional VBS clinic site. ere you will find a regional clinic near you. If you have questions please feel free to contact us at 614- 827-1826 and ask for Wendy Hammock, Ministry Assistant. to the Bible Teaching/Leadership Resource Group. anks for mak- ing the start of the Big Apple Adventure the best ever. Blessings, Dwayne Lee, SCBO/VBS State Director Messengers to the annual meet- ing of the Southern Baptist Con- vention voted to observe Coopera- tive Program Day April 10, 2011. Resources are available to help you. “A Closer Look” and “Meet Southern Baptists” are available from the SBC Executive Commit- tee. You may order these by phone 1 866 722 5433 or mail 901 Com- merce Street Nashville, TN 37203. Another resource is the “SBC Co- operative Mission Program” that is available on the website of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. Additional resources were mailed to every Ohio Southern Baptist congregation the first of this year. Please find a way to observe Co- operative Mission Program Day in your church. e Cooperative Mission Program is the basic sup- port system for one of the most ef- fective missionary movements in the history of Christianity. Let’s keep it going. Ohio Baptist Messenger April 2011 Volume 59 No. 2 Cooperative Mission Program Day April 10, 2011 The Big Apple Adventure VBS 2011 omas (Tom) D. Elliff was elected Inter- national Mission Board president March 16 by IMB trustees meeting in Dallas. Elliff, a longtime pastor, Southern Baptist Conven- tion leader and former missionary, will lead one of the largest evangelical missions enti- ties in an era of rapid change at home and around the globe. Go to www.scbo.org for a more detailed report. (IMB) PHOTO New International Mission Board President Wow, the excitement generated at VBSI this year is already making a difference in our church. People are so excited, we had a leadership meeting Sunday evening and already have our first staff meeting scheduled in two weeks. Everyone has come back from the event ready to go. We are so thankful to you and the state staff for all you do. We are expecting to break all our previous records for VBS attendance and children get- ting saved. God has already set the wheels in motion for us, we had decided to call a tax business here in town and ask to borrow a costume of the statue of liberty. Sunday evening a young lady came to our church said she had seen our sign and decided to give us a try as we were getting to know her a little better it came out that she works for this very company as none other than the statue of liberty. The hair was standing up on my arms as we told her the story of wanting this costume for our float not only can we use the costume she will wear it and ride on the float, is God not the awesome-est. He had it all worked out before we even made one phone call God is good. Thank you again. In Christ Love, Brandy Dunbar, Faith Baptist Church, Lambertville, Mich
Transcript
The 2011 Vacation Bible School season is officially under way! It all started on March 11-12, 2011, at First Baptist Church Ketter-ing with The Big Apple Adventure Vacation Bible School Institute. Hundreds of workers from churches all across the state filled the auditorium on Friday night to move with the music of Jeff Slaughter and the Big Apple Adventure! The energy in the room was electric, and it would set the tone for the rest of the weekend. On Saturday more people joined the hundreds already there for a full day of training in VBS. Core training along with dozens of electives were offered throughout the day. There was a strong emphasis in the area of evangelism with several classes offered. Also discussed was the importance of FOLLOW-UP after Vaca-tion Bible School is over. Another thing that was done this year for the first time was a public recognition of pastors present. It is great to see pastors that are involved in VBS and see it as a great tool to reach their community. The day ended with Jeff Slaughter and a one hundred voice kids choir! With the help of Doug Morgan and Jeff Christmas they pulled off the best VBS musical yet. The kids brought the house down and raised the roof at the same time. Broadway would have been proud! Now the ball has dropped and a new VBS season is here. We need everyone trained and ready for the best year ever! If you were not able to make this VBS Institute, please check your associational calendar or go to www.scbo.org and click on the regional VBS clinic site. There you will find a regional clinic near you. If you have questions please feel free to contact us at 614-827-1826 and ask for Wendy Hammock, Ministry Assistant. to the Bible Teaching/Leadership Resource Group. Thanks for mak-ing the start of the Big Apple Adventure the best ever.
Blessings,Dwayne Lee, SCBO/VBS State Director
Messengers to the annual meet-ing of the Southern Baptist Con-vention voted to observe Coopera-tive Program Day April 10, 2011. Resources are available to help you. “A Closer Look” and “Meet Southern Baptists” are available from the SBC Executive Commit-tee. You may order these by phone 1 866 722 5433 or mail 901 Com-merce Street Nashville, TN 37203. Another resource is the “SBC Co-operative Mission Program” that is available on the website of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. Additional resources were mailed to every Ohio Southern Baptist congregation the first of this year.Please find a way to observe Co-operative Mission Program Day in your church. The Cooperative Mission Program is the basic sup-port system for one of the most ef-fective missionary movements in the history of Christianity. Let’s keep it going.
Ohio BaptistMessenger
April 2011Volume 59 No. 2
Cooperative Mission
Program DayApril 10, 2011The Big Apple Adventure VBS 2011
Thomas (Tom) D. Elliff was elected Inter-national Mission Board president March 16 by IMB trustees meeting in Dallas. Elliff, a longtime pastor, Southern Baptist Conven-tion leader and former missionary, will lead one of the largest evangelical missions enti-ties in an era of rapid change at home and around the globe. Go to www.scbo.org for a more detailed report. (IMB) PHOTO
New International Mission Board President
Wow, the excitement generated at VBSI this year is already making a difference in our church. People are so excited, we had a leadership meeting Sunday evening and already have our first staff meeting scheduled in two weeks. Everyone has come back from the event ready to go. We are so thankful to you and the state staff for all you do. We are expecting to break all our previous records for VBS attendance and children get-ting saved. God has already set the wheels in motion for us, we had decided to call a tax business here in town and ask to borrow a costume of the statue of liberty. Sunday evening a young lady came to our church said she had seen our sign and decided to give us a try as we were getting to know her a little better it came out that she works for this very company as none other than the statue of liberty. The hair was standing up on my arms as we told her the story of wanting this costume for our float not only can we use the costume she will wear it and ride on the float, is God not the awesome-est. He had it all worked out before we even made one phone call God is good. Thank you again.
In Christ Love,Brandy Dunbar, Faith Baptist Church, Lambertville, Mich
2 - OHIO BAPTIST MESSENGER APRIL 2011
Broad Street Property SoldBroad Street Property Sold March 15, 2011. Go to www.scbo.org for story.
The Ohio Baptist Messenger (ISSN 0472-7096) is published every other month by the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio; 9000 Antares Avenue; Columbus, Ohio 43240-2011. Periodicals Postage Paid at Columbus, Ohio. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Ohio Baptist Messenger; 9000 Antares Avenue; Columbus,
Ohio 43240-2011.
Jack Kwok, Ohio State Convention Executive Director-Treasurer, Editor; Linnett Snodgrass, Administrative Assistant; Spangler Production & Design, Publication Layout. Published every other month for members of Southern Baptist churches in Ohio. Subscriptions provided out of each church’s Cooperative Program gifts.
Member of Baptist Press, news service of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Go to www.scbo.org for additional information
on Charles Cobb. Search “Homegoings” for the obituary.
Go to www.scbo.org for additional informa-tion on Claude Stevens. Search “Homegoing” for
the obituary.
Homegoing of Claude Stevens
Homegoing of Charles Cobb
Come join us for the 2011 State Bible Drill Competition Saturday, April 30th, 2011 at
the Reynoldsburg Baptist Church.
Register by April 22nd, 2011 by contacting Ashley Stickel at the State Convention Office at [email protected].
OHIO BAPTIST MESSENGER APRIL 2011 - 3
Training for new volunteers Friday and Saturday
Cross-training for current volunteers on Saturday
DR clothing sales
DR Badges will be issued or updated as needed
Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age
(21 years of age for Child Care unit)
Serving in Southern Baptist Disaster Relief requires membership at a
Southern Baptist Church
CPR Training will be available for those already trained in Disaster Re-
lief. This requires pre-registration at a cost of $ 20.00 per person for the
Friday 6:00 PM Registration 6:30-9:30 PM “Involving Southern Baptists in Disaster Relief” Saturday 7:15 AM Continental Breakfast 8:00 AM Unit Training 12:00 PM Lunch Provided by DR Food Service 12:30 PM Evangelism Training 3:00 PM Dismissed Background check information will be requested during this session. All volunteers must have a background check performed. “...Giving a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name” from Matt: 10:42
Many of you took part in the “Buckets of Hope” for Haiti project. A total of 155,000 buckets were collected and delivered to help the people of Haiti. Thank you for your continued commitment to caring for and serving others. God Bless you.
“News” section for story on Disaster Relief Response
to Auglaize County Floods in Ohio.
Disaster Relief Volunteers…• Are members of an Ohio Southern
Baptist Church.• Need to be persons who combine a
number of Christian qualities: pa-tient and caring having a spirit of love and concern and a desire to share Christ with those around them.
• Areexpectedtotrainandlearnaboutdisaster conditions and how to deal with the situations they will face.
• Must bewilling to follow directionsof those in charge. At times there will be disagreements with operational procedures. However, we must re-member that we are cooperating with many other volunteer organizations.
• Mustbewillingtoprovideleadershipas needs arise and assignments are made.
• Mustbeversatileandflexibleintheirwork. Team members are called on the basis of tasks that are needed and placed according to needs and tal-ents.
• Must be willing to stoop down andpick up more often than they usually do and to reach up and bring down higher qualities than they usually do.
• Needtoarrangetimetobeavailable.If volunteers are called and unavail-able on consecutive times, they may lose their qualified status and thus, be removed from the active volunteer directory.
• Are requested to train in Christianwitnessing in their churches if they have not previously done so.
• Musthave: Spiritual strength—not wishy-washy
in their faith Physical strength—the work is long
and strenuous Moral strength—speech, attitude,
and actions
Persons who consider volunteering for disaster relief should reflect on thequalities summarized above and evaluate their qualifications. If you are interested in this ministry, please contact Sam Kelley at [email protected] or call (614) 309 - 9751
Who Should Volunteer?
The SBC disaster relief organization is multi-state, multi-racial, and
multi-talented. However, they have some elements in common.
4 - OHIO BAPTIST MESSENGER APRIL 2011
Change is tough – tough to lead and tough to live through. It is difficult, emo-tionally expensive, unnerving, and always results in loss. What’s more, thriving in a climate of rapid-fire change is even more demanding. Welcome to the challenge fac-ing the church of our generation. Six churches of the Cleveland Hope Association have chosen to tackle this challenge head on. ReFocusing is a jour-ney of discovery, a quest to discover God’s unique calling for His church in the day and community in which you now live. The process is not a scheme for guiding your church to a pre-determined destina-tion. Rather, this is literally an opportunity to come together and hear from God in a fresh way, and then move into alignment with His purposes and calling. Behind the process are a number of convictions. One is that the Spirit of God is more eager to lead His people than we are to be led. The reFocusing process cre-ates multiple opportunities for the people of the church to listen to God together. Another conviction is that the level of ownership in the outcome is directly related to the level of participation in the discovery process. We have all experi-enced situations when a boss or leader an-nounced a plan or agenda about which no one had any say. Buy-in and participation suffered as a result. As people, we under-
stand things presented to us, but we own what we discover. The answers your church needs re-garding its future are likely present in the lives of your people and the wisdom God has given them. This process involves a large number of the people of the church discovering answers and insights together, every step of the way. A third conviction is that God calls ev-ery church to a unique missional ministry. Discovering that calling gives a congrega-tion freedom from the pressure to be like
any other church and the freedom to en-gage their community in ways that fit how God has been at work up to now. Finally, God calls us to live as mis-sionaries to our own community. Ministry that is “incarnational,” rather than “attrac-tional,” goes outside the church to engage people where they live and bring them the living water of Christ in practical, cultural-ly-relevant ways. The primary focus of our ministry is “them” rather than “us.” Kevin Litchfield, associational mis-sionary, and Pastors Jay Schroder and James Edwards are facilitating the network. Steve Hopkins coaches the process for Ohio Bap-
tists. Pray for these pastors and their wives as they lead their churches through the reFocusing process: Jay & Lillian Schro-der, Crossroads; Joe & Judy Jaworski, Vil-lage Chapel; Victor & Darina Pilipchuk, Ukrainian Baptist; Darin & Deborah Avery, Bridge Church at Perry; Steve & Rachel Brown, Park Heights Baptist; Jewell & Cyn-thia Jones, Greater Vision Baptist. ReFocusing is a ministry of the Coop-erative Program giving through the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. For more information contact Steve Hopkins at [email protected] or 614-827-1820 or www.scbo.org
May 2 – 6, 2011Seneca Lake Baptist Camp 15819 Skyline Dr. Senecaville, Oh 43780Meals & Lodging ProvidedCamp Projects
May 9 – 13, 2011Camp ToknowHim Pisgah, Al Contact: Gene Wilcox 937-746-7421Work on Campgrounds
May 16 – 21, 2011First Baptist Church Lewisburg P.O. Box 225 Lewisburg, Oh 6500 sq. ft Metal Building
June 10 - 17, 2011FBC Westerville 104 S. Spring Rd. Westerville, Oh 45331500 sq. Ft. New Addition
June 10 – 17, 2011New Covenant Baptist Church 415 East Main St. Enon, Oh. 45323 New Addition Story – 6500 sq. ft.
July 11 – 16, 2011FBC of West Alexandria 6062 Ivy Lane West Alexandria, Oh 45381 New Sanctuary – Single Story
Aug. 15 – 20, 2011Loraine Baptist Church 3640 Palm Ave. Loraine, Oh 44055 Demo 2800 sq. ft. RoofReplace Trusses & Shingle
Sept.12 – 16, 2011FBC of Marysville 645 Chestnut St. Marysville, Oh 43040Install Trusses & ShinglesOver Flat Roof Building
The above projects have committed to a build as of 3/8/11 and will provide meals & lodging for those needing.
For addition information contact: Raymond E. MorrisState CoordinatorBuckeye Baptist [email protected]
2011 BuilderS requeSt
METRO COLUMBUS-MUSKINGUM VALLEY
Buckeye Baptist Builders Annual (Too Many To Count) Banquet
April 8, 20116:30 P. M. $5/ PersonFirst Baptist Church525 S. 30Th StreetHeath, Ohio 43056
Sweet & Sour MeatballsChicken ~ Green Beans
Potato Bar ~ Salad Bar ~ Dessert
COME AND SPEND THE EVENING
Buckeye Baptist Builders will be spending the week of May 2 through May 6, 2011, at Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly. We need your help. There are several projects to be worked on that will help make the facilities more useful this summer camping season. Lodging and food will be provided. The worship and fellowship will be outstanding. Come and support this vital project and experience mission work like you never have before! No, you are not too old for this project. There will be work for you to do. If you are interested in this project and can help, please contact our Builders Coordinator, Ray Morris at: [email protected] or call him at 513 593 5130.
Buckeye Baptist Builders News
Work at Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly
The Scioto Valley Evangelism Rally was held at Emmanuel Baptist Church on Monday, March 7th. The evening began with a good old fashioned South-ern Baptist fellowship meal (comprised of salad, fried chicken, vegetables, and dessert). Southern Gospel recording artist Mark Bishop provided the music for the night. North American Mission Board missionary Thomas Hammond preached from Mark 2 and challenged everyone to bring people to Jesus (and 2 persons were saved that night). In addition, several churches were com-mended for their evangelistic zeal in the association in 2010. Pictured here is Bill Wellman presenting an evangelism certificate to Church Planting Pastor Craig Brumbaugh of Lakeview Baptist Church. In addition, Lakeview received a new 32” LCD TV for their worship sanctuary for having the highest percent-age of their resident church membership at the event.
6 - OHIO BAPTIST MESSENGER APRIL 2011
This year’s State Evangelism Celebration took on a new name – Momentum. Mo-mentum offered a broader context of ministry education (evangelism, church planting, and leadership development), and a different format (10 preaching messages, 7 ministry workshops, and 3 luncheons). I pray that for those attending the time was well spent and that participants left the conference refreshed, encouraged, and better equipped to impact your world for Jesus Christ. I want to say a special “thank you” to my evangelism resource team, our program personalities and our worship and workshop leaders. In addition, we at SCBO are blessed to have a great ministry partnership with Cedarville University. I am always grateful for their assistance in planning and hosting this important event. It is a blessing to be on their campus, to interact with their students, to enjoy the use of their first class facilities, and to work with first class committed Christians. In conclusion, let me share several closing thoughts about Momentum 2011. First, there are still some awesome preachers in the land, and we were blessed to have had the opportunity to hear several of them. Second, enhancing and advancing ministry partnerships is an important aspect of what we do here at the convention, and Momen-tum 2011 helped to facilitate that. Third, I appreciate the compliments and criticisms in regard to the event and the ministry we continue to try to expand and improve upon. Finally, I consider it a great privilege and responsibility to be your evangelism director, to serve on your state staff, to minister in the highways and byways of our state, and to call you brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a joy to serve you but a better joy to call you friends! One last thing, don’t ever forget…
There Is Victory In Jesus, Jack Helton
THE STATE EVANGELISM CELEBRATION Momentum 2011 - Accelerating Churches and Leaders
Ted Traylor Rob Turner - Church outside the box workshop
Robert Smith Jr. - Preaching Workshop
Travis Fryman - Sports Luncheon Robert Smith Jr.
David Francis - Sunday School Leadership WorkshopEd Newton
OHIO BAPTIST MESSENGER APRIL 2011 - 7
THE STATE EVANGELISM CELEBRATION Momentum 2011 - Accelerating Churches and Leaders
Gary Frost Rich Duncan
Dave Ferguson John Sullivan Leadership Luncheon
Phil Roberts Prayer
8 - OHIO BAPTIST MESSENGER APRIL 2011
Women’s Missions & Ministries
BLOG www.scbo.org/wmmJoin Us On Facebook! OWN-Ohio Women’s Network
Upcoming EventsBy Cathy Pound
Sparkle, the 2011 Regional Spring Retreat for southeast Ohio, was held March 5 at First Baptist Church, Athens. Scioto Valley Baptist Association partnered with the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio under the leadership of Jean DiFilippo. Pastor Jim DiFilippo and a team of men from the association hosted the women who were pampered and blessed. Diana Davis, author and speaker, challenged the women to sparkle – to be a light in their world. Diana’s fresh ideas included painting a sparkling stone on a fingernail as a reminder to shine for Jesus. Ohio Southern Baptists, we are His light in Ohio. Women’s Missions and Ministries challenges each of us to be on mission every day, to shine for Jesus, to bring glory to God.
Date Event Location
April 16 Northwest Spring Retreat Lincoln Heights Baptist Church, Mansfield
April 30 Mission Celebration West Central Baptist Association
May 13-14 SLBA Spring Retreat Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly
June 13-17 Kids Kamp 1 Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly
June 20-24 Kids Kamp 2 Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly
June 27-July 1 Girls for Missions Camp Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly
July 16 Beautiful Feet West Central Baptist Association
August 1-5 Kids Kamp 3 Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly
August 12-13 Living Proof Beth Moore Columbus, Ohio
September 16-17 Women’s Fall Retreat Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly
October 14-15 Mother Daughter Retreat Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly
November 3 Pastor’s Wives Luncheon West Central Baptist Association
For more information on these events visit www.scbo.org/wmm
OHIO BAPTIST MESSENGER APRIL 2011 - 9
Boys Mission Camp
(RA Camp)
June 27 – July 1, 2011
Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly
Mission Education / Activity camp for boys grades First through Eighth.
Cost is $130.00 on or before May 31, 2011
and $140.00 after May 31, 2011.
Camp activities will include fishing, archery, missionary interaction, boating,
camp-craft, Bible study, and hiking.
For general information, please call the Royal Ambassador State Director,
Bob Andes (937) 827-1752.
For registration, please contact: Sam Kelley at (614) 827-1752 or
Nurse Needed for Summer CampsA nurse still needs to be secured to attend and assist the summer camping schedule at Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly. What more rewarding experience could be available than to use your nurs-ing skills and credentials to help at three weeks of Kids Kamps, three weeks of Youth Camps, along with a Missions Week and Fam-ily Week this summer. The first camp starts June 13th and the last camp concludes August 5th of 2011. Camps run from Monday noon through Friday noon each week. If you would be available the entire summer or just selected weeks, let Scott Seder know of your availability [[email protected] or 740-685-5751]. This position does include a small paid stipend.
Help Wanted
ROYAL AMBASSADOR CONGRESS
APRIL 8 – 9, 2011
LAKOTA HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH6300 TYLERSVILLE ROAD
WEST CHESTER, OHIO
THEME: “FOLLOWING CHRIST”RACER DERBY
CAMPCRAFT COMPETITIONTRACK MEET
TROPHIES AWARDED
Our guest missionaries are Jeff and Barbara Singerman, Missionar-ies to Benin (West Africa –Appointed on December 12, 1989). They are home on furlough and will be sharing with the boys some of their experiences and showing off some souvenirs from their min-istry. Benin is known as “Birthplace of Voodoo”; so they have faced many challenges in their work as church planters, youth ministry, teaching in Bible Schools, and working with volunteers. Recent assignments have increased their territorial role into areas such as Togo, Burkina Faso, and Cote Divoire. They will surely bless us with their testimony of how the Lord has used their lives in ministry.
Cost: $ 10.00 per person
STATEWIDE MISSION PROJECT: COLLECT CANNED GOODS, EACH CHAPTER SHOULD COLLECT AND BRING AS MANY CANS OF FOOD AS THEY CAN.
MONETARY DONATIONS ARE ALSO ACCEPTED AND WILL BE COUNTED AS $.50 PER CAN. THE FOOD AND MONEY WILL BE DO-NATED TO A LOCAL FOOD BANK.
MEDALS AND PATCHES WILL BE AWARDED.
CONTACT BOB ANDES (937) 879-2015 FOR MORE DETAILS.
Need to submit Church News? Send all church news and information
By Bob BeikeAssociational Missionary, Muskingum Valley Baptist Association
A recent survey by the North Ameri-can Mission Board revealed that 98.6%
of responders agreed that sponsoring new churches is Biblical and that the great commission cannot be fulfilled with-out starting new churches. Those re-sults indicate that
our theological temperature appears to be a normal and healthy 98.6. In the same survey, 96.2% agreed that churches start-ing churches is the preferred method of church planting—another healthy indi-cator. Yet, upon closer examination, there seems to be a serious spiritual abnormal-ity affecting the body’s reproductive pro-cess. Somewhere between only 4% and 20% (depending on who’s reporting) of SBC churches are, in any way, involved in starting new churches. That seems a long way from normal and healthy. Our brains are obviously sending theological mes-sages that the body refuses to acknowl-edge. Why is there such disconnect? And what will it take for church planting to become the habit of all churches and not just the hobby of a few? The problem is no doubt systemic and complicated by multiple issues. However, there are three chronic ailments that if left untreated will continue to retard kingdom growth.
Church planting is not normal for most churches, first of all, because of im-paired vision. A lack of kingdom focus blurs the very purpose of the church. As Jesus stood with His disciples beside the well outside the city of Sychar and watched people streaming from the town toward them, He said, “Open your eyes and look…” (John 4:35). Jesus intends that we really see people; to view them in a way that transcends the physical. But, like our physical eyes, our spiritual eyes are subject to maladies that prevent us from seeing clearly. People blindness comes in a variety of forms. A church’s vi-sion is often clouded by prejudice. Other churches suffer from tunnel vision, allow-ing those on society’s fringe to go unno-ticed. Near-sighted-ness is another com-mon affliction in churches. Spiritually myopic churches can’t see beyond their own local context, and their mission awareness is restricted to those who are “just like us.” Still others, ironically, have a far-sightedness that enables them to see needs afar off, even on the other side of the world, yet prevents them from see-ing needs on the other side of their own town, or street. Clearly, our vision needs correcting. Acquiring a kingdom focus begins on our knees in the word of God. Getting beyond
our blind spots and into our mission field requires us to become like the blind man, who was asked by Jesus, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man responded, “Lord, I want to see!” (Luke 18:41). Heart trouble is another malady hampering our church planting effective-ness. If subjected to the careful scrutiny of the Great Physician, we may discover our hearts have shrunk to the size of our church rolls, and our heartbeat out of sync with God’s mission. God’s heart-
beat resonates clearly, in that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eter-nal life” (John 3:16). Furthermore, Jesus prioritized all the law and prophets by insist-ing that we love God with all our being, and our neighbor as our-
selves. He, personally, resisted the pull of His disciples’ agendas, and the press of a needy crowd to take the gospel to neighboring towns, adamant that, “This is why I have come.” (Mark 1:38) Oh, that God would sync our heartbeats with His, and enlarge our hearts to include all our neighbors near and far. The third chronic ailment negatively impacting church planting is spiritual anemia. That may actually be too mild a term, but multitudes of churches are
listless, lethargic, and lack a robust spiri-tuality. Unless they experience genuine spiritual renewal they will continue to exist in a kind of ecclesiastical fetal po-sition. Years of inward focus and lack of regular spiritual exercise has left us weak. Recognizing our condition, repenting of our sin and selfishness, and realigning with God’s will are necessary first steps to spiritual health. Getting outside the walls of the church and into the fresh air of different neighborhoods and commu-nities has a way of raising the fitness level of a church. Personal contact with oth-ers, building relationships, and gathering them together to make disciples who will make disciples, can have a viral effect that results in a church planting epidemic—in other words, normalcy. When Jesus scanned the five porch-es surrounding the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, He saw “a multitude of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed…” They were all waiting for a miraculous move-ment of God that would restore them to a normal—98.6 life. He singled out an in-dividual who had been sick for 38 years and asked him one critical question: “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:3-5). How about you? Do you want to get well…re-ally?
(For help in developing a vision for church planting, a heart for unreached people groups and a healthier church, contact your associational missionary or your state convention resource teams.)
By Kim Feldner
I had never been more certain of my calling in life than when I boarded the plane to spend a semester studying
abroad in the East African coun-try of Tanzania. I was 19 when I took my first trip out of the U.S. to serve with a collegiate ministry team in India. By the time that trip was over, my life turned up-side down and I committed my-self with certainty to a life of serv-ing God in international missions. I returned to school that fall and began taking the steps to fol-
low this newfound calling: changing my major to inter-national studies, applying to study abroad, and studying
Swahili to prepare for my time in the African nation I wanted to serve. Before long I was packing my bags and heading to Tanzania into what I thought was my future. It’s funny how God sometimes reveals His plans to us in the midst of us living out what we believed those plans to be. As my time in Tanzania ticked away, so did my certainty of a life in foreign missions. Slowly God be-gan changing my heart and quickly I began to struggle with this change. Did I ever really understand what God’s call on my life was? Why would God send me all the way to Africa only to reveal to me His desire to use me back in the states? Or did He call me here for the simple purpose of this revelation? I wrestled with this idea for most of my time in Africa, and in the end, boarded my plane home to the U.S. with the same certainty in a new calling to a mis-sion field at home. Upon my return, I soon began my work with the col-
legiate ministry of the University of Cincinnati and am in the midst of serving my committed two-year stint as a missionary to the university’s women. My weeks are filled with building relationships with these young women, do-ing everything from one-on-one prayers to quarterly girls’ nights to jogs in the park. God is lifting up a group of mighty women here at the University of Cincinnati, and I am honored just to be a part of helping them grow in strength and evangelism to their campus. When I think back now on my time in Africa, I see God’s faithfulness in sending me there and bringing me home and now, I can’t imagine being any-where else.
Kim Feldner is a US/C2 missionary serving in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Did I misunderstand God’s calling?
A CHuRCH PLANtiNg CHeCk uP(What’s your church planting temperature?)
Somewhere between only 4% and 20%
(depending on who’s reporting) of SBC
churches are, in any way, involved in
starting new churches.
Bob Beike
OHIO BAPTIST MESSENGER APRIL 2011 - 11
Sometimes teaching Sunday School can be as di-rectionless as starting a jigsaw puzzle in the middle and working to the outside if teachers don’t know what they want to achieve or how to achieve it. Real transformational teaching comes when teachers have a clear understanding of what transformational teaching means. Teaching for transformation does not come eas-ily. Consider some important actions that teachers who seek to transform adults must take: Know how your learners prefer to learn. Most people have been exposed to a variety of teaching-learning experiences in school and work. Educators today believe that each person has a preferred way to engage information. Involve learners in learning. Plan your lesson based on what you want learners to do during the session. Plan activities and experiences that call for learners to be involved in some kind of interactive strategy, such as discussion, group assignments, case studies, brainstorming, writing, or other purposeful learning activities. create a sense of value in your teaching. Peo-ple today want to receive something for their time. Plan teaching experiences that focus on life needs for the age group you teach. Connect content with per-sonal experiences. create a good learning environment. People like pleasant surroundings and good facilities. Class-rooms need to have good lighting and equipment. Keep room temperatures as comfortable as possible. Keep the room clean and neat. Put away unused items and discard out-of-date materials. Provide a safe environment. Avoid embarrass-
ing people with inap-propriate comments or questions. Ask for volunteers rather than calling on specific individuals for answers to questions. Never force people to pray or read out loud without first asking in private if they feel comfortable doing so. Mix things up. Rearrange the room periodically to encourage sitting with different people. Create dif-ferent subgroups for group assignments. Use two or three different teaching methods each week. Stay connected. People want to be wanted. Each learner should be a VIP to the teacher and other class leaders. Each person should be contacted regularly - weekly is preferred - to see whether someone has a problem, has questions about the content, and so forth. Absentees should be called each week, and vis-ited after two consecutive absences. Never stop learning. Read more about learning styles, teaching methods, how adults learn, and so forth. Grow in your understanding of the Word and how Scripture can change your own life as well as the lives of those God has called you to teach. Whether training events, weekly planning meetings, or other kinds of training experiences, every teacher needs to learn more about teaching adults. The Bible tells us that the Word of God is sharp-er than a two-edged sword. But weak, ill-prepared, or inattentive teachers limit how much God can pierce into a person’s heart and life. Make transformational teaching a priority, and do so by taking steps to move your teaching to a new level of effectiveness and challenge. The opportunity is before you, and that’s God’s challenge for you today.
The church, that is. And how are we doing it? Congregations have long measured success by “bod-ies, budget, and buildings.” But the scorecard can’t stop there. When it does, the deeper emphasis on accountability, discipleship, and spiritual maturity is lost. Ignoring these details, we see fewer lives trans-formed,Christianinfluencewane,andchurchesthinout – a situation that is all too familiar across North America today. It is time to take heart and rework the scorecard. According to Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer, au-thors of Transformational Church, “Too often we’ve highlighted the negative realities of the declining American church but missed the opportunity to magnify the God of hope and transformation.” Based on the most comprehensive study of its kind, including a survey of over 7,000 churches and hundreds of on-site interviews with pastors, Trans-formational Church takes us to the thriving con-gregations where truly changing lives is the norm. Churches where:
Based on the research findings, the Transforma-tional Church Assessment Tool (TCAT) gives you a snapshot of the perceived present reality based on seven elements: missionary mentality, vibrant leadership, relational intentional-ity, prayerful dependence, wor-ship, community and mission. This powerful online tool can help you quickly assess where your church is strong now and the areas that need development. The assessment is now avail-able through the SCBO website (www.lifeway.com/tc/ohio/). We have fourteen trained consultants in Ohio ready to partner with you to develop strategy recommendations for your church. Contact Steve Hopkins ([email protected] or 614-827-1820) or Dwayne Lee ([email protected] or 614-827-1824) for information on how you can enlist a Transformational Church consultant.
A ministry of the Cooperative Program giving of Southern Baptist churches in Ohio.
Transformational Teaching
How are we doing?
12 - OHIO BAPTIST MESSENGER APRIL 2011
For information about the State Convention of Bap-
tists in Ohio and more Baptist Press news, go to
our website www.scbo.org.
If you are not a Christian, have never surrendered your will to the Lord Jesus, let me share brieflyhowyoucanmakethislifechangingdecision.GOd wANTS yOU SAVEd.
first, you must believe that God loves you and wants you to have peace in your heart and an everlasting life (John 3:16).
Second, you must recognize that you are a sinner, that you have done things which have displeased God and that you have separated yourself from Him (Romans 3:23; 6:23).
Third, you must believe that Jesus came to this earth, was actually God in theflesh,livedaperfectlife,andyetwenttoacruelcross,dyingforyoursins, paying once and for all the penalty of sin (I Peter 2:24). However, it’s not enough just to know these three things. Many of us knew them for years before we ever gave Jesus our lives.
fourth, you must personally ask Jesus to come into your life and forgive you of your sins (Revelation 3:20).
You can pray this prayer now and if you mean it with all of your heart, Jesus will come in just like He said. He cannot lie.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I’m really sorry for my sins, Lord. I ask you now, Lord Jesus, to come into my heart, forgive me of my sins, take control of my life, and make me the kind of person You want me to be. I now receive You into my heart. Thank You for coming in. I will follow You all the days of my life. In Your name I pray, Amen.
How to become a
Christian
PRESS TOWARD THE MARK
Jack Kwok, Ph.D.Executive Director-TreasurerState Convention of Baptists in Ohio
He LivesI serve a risen Savior; He’s in the world today.I know that He is living, whatever men may say.I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,And just the time I need Him He’s always near.He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart!You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
The singing of “He Lives” always moved me as a young Christian. Even though I seldom hear it sung today, it continues to thrill my soul. When the music director would slow down the chorus and finish it with a thunderous crescendo, it was electrifying. In 1932, Alfred Henry Ackley, the author of “He Lives,” encountered two experiences in close succession. He shared the gospel with a Jewish man who resisted his witness by saying, “Why should I worship a dead Jew?” Soon after this, Ackley heard a liberal radio preacher announce, “You know, folks, it really doesn’t make any difference to me if Christ is risen or not.” These two successive experienc-es motivated him to answer with the “He Lives” hymn.
Mission Ohio is the co-operative effort of Southern Baptists to proclaim “He Lives” to the 7th most popu-lated state in the union. We are seeking to reach at least 1,000,000 believers in 2,020 congregations by the end of 2020. The Cooperative Mis-sion Program of Southern Baptists supports Mission Ohio and over 10,000 mis-
sionaries around the world. Southern Baptists observe Cooperative Mission Program Day April 10, 2011. Re-sources are available to help you. “A Closer Look” and “Meet Southern Baptists” are available from the SBC Executive Committee. You may order these by phone 1 866 722 5433 or mail 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203. Another resource is the “SBC Cooperative Mission Program” that is available on the website of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. Addi-tional resources were mailed to every Ohio Southern Baptist congregation the first of this year. Southern Baptists are missionary people because of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. “He Lives” is the reason for everything: who we are and what we do. To hear Him say “Well done” in obedience to His Great Commission is the desire of our hearts. Let’s press toward that mark.
