Newsjournal Of Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists www.baptistdigest.com January-February 2015 Vol. 59 No. 1-2 Baptist igest 2015 will mark the 35th An- niversary of Webster Confer- ence Center. I n recognition of this historic milestone, April 19, 2015 has been designated as “WCC Sunday” across our two state convention by the KNCSB Mission Board. Mr. and Mrs. O.K. Webster donated the 80 acre “Camp Webster” to KNCSB in 1981 and a change in the life of the camp began immediately. During the last 10 years Mr . Webster operated the camp, 300 User Days were logged for the entire deca de. [A User Day is when one person is on the cam- pus for any portion of a day for some type of meeting or event.] In 2014, WCC recorded 46,105 User Days. By the time Mr. and Mrs. Web- ster gave KNCSB the “camp”, none of the buildings were in a useable condition and every building was being used for storage. The KNCSB Mission Board and the KNSB Foundation partnered together and began to buy the surrounding farm land around “Camp Webster” to enlarge the facility to 225 acres to fulll the vision that was being generated for moving “Camp Webster” to become “Webster Conference Center.” Af ter a capital campaign was com- pleted, work began to renovate the buildings on the campus and hundreds of volunteers began the work of transforming the facility. The rst KNCSB event was held at Webster Conference Center in 1985. When KNCSB began the transformation project, only the Chapel, Dining Hall, Dormitory, Snack Shack, Picnic Pavilion and an amphitheater were on the grounds. None of the buildings were climate controlle d. Besides totally remodeling the Chapel, this building has been expanded to also include three oors of sleeping rooms, meeting rooms, restroom facilities, oce space and a war ming kitchen . The Dormitory has been totally remodeled and expanded from a one room open dorm area to a building with individual sleeping rooms with restrooms, plus meeting space and a warming kitc hen. The Dinin g Hall has been totally remod- eled and the kitchen capacity has been expanded, a two story restroom wing has been con- structed, sleeping and meeting rooms have been added and an additional warming kitchen has been completed. Today , the Dining Hall is under construc- tion to expand the capacity of the dining area to double its size while improving the dish return area and adding other ameni- ties for participants including an outdoor dining area. In addition to the transforma- tion of the existing buildings, many new buildings have been added such as the 29,000 square foot Multi-Purpose building with a gym, chapel, kitchen and several large meeting rooms. Also, a six room motel unit has been constructed, as well as the Maintenance Building. Along with the new buildings, the gravel road has been paved and numerous parking lots have been construc ted around the campus. When Mr. Webster gave the facility to KNCSB, the recreation facilities included a “small patch of grass” immediately south of the Chapel. WCC Recre ation Fa- cilities now include: a swimming pool, 3 lakes with canoes, kayaks & paddle boats, a swimming beach with a “blob” , as well as a shing area. Other recre ation improveme nts include an 18 hole Disc Golf Course, a Target Range for ries and archery, Skeet Shooting equipment, Low and High Challenge Courses which includes over two dozen team building elements and con- dence building elements rang- ing from ground level to 60 feet into the air . There are also many grassy areas to play football, soccer, plus indoor and outdoor volleyball and basketball courts and horse shoe pits, along with nature trails throughout the acreage where people can enjoy a quiet walk or participate in 5 K and 10 K races which are conducted regularly. In addition to all the things your can see as you drive onto the campus, there is also a technologica l side to the facility which now includes high spe ed Wi-Fi, computers, sound & pro- jection equipme nt, and special lighting equipment to help the attendees conduct the training sessions and worship services while at Webster Conference Center . Thanks to the leadership of the KNCSB Mission Board, the WCC Board of Directors, a Strategic Planning Team and the faithful support of many individuals, churches and the as- sociations of KNCSB, the facility has truly moved from a “camp” to a “conference center” and the plans for the future are just as exciting. Some of the future plans in- clude expanding the seating ca- pacity of the Chapel and creating additional meeting space in the Dormitory, as well as exploring the building of additional motel rooms on c ampus. Recreation al improvemen ts being considered include an aquatic park & play- ground equipment for children & families, developing a sports park for softball, soccer and oth- er sports, and plans to improve- ment the lakefront amenities for adults near the swimming beach. Several new ministries are also being considere d to better serve the pastors, stamembers and “mature” adults who might at- tend the conference center. As we celebrate the past and look toward the future for Web- ster Conference Center, the main thing that we want to celebrate and continue to anticipate is the enormous number of lives that have been transformed by the power of God. Thousands have been saved, hundreds ha ve been called to vocational ministry and countless numbers of individu- als and groups have been trained to do “the work of the ministry” in Nebraska and Kansas as well as over 50 countries around the world! Beginning in March, your church can go to www.web- stercc.org and download a short video to show your church, along with some other informa- tion, to make your church aware of this great facility that God has given us and to celebrate what God has been doing at Webster Conference Center. If you have any questions about the video, feel free to contact Terry McIl- vain, WCC Administrator, at tm- [email protected]g for assistance. Webster Conference Center - 35 Years Old and Still Growing The dining hall expansion project at WCC is taking shape as the walls rise.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:INFORM -- Regularly share information about ongoingtraining, curriculum, events, support and personnel.RESOURCE -- Serve as a resource pool for practicalideas about what is working in KS-NE congregationsand how it relates to all sizes of churches.GENERATIONAL -- Cast the widest net, providing sto-ries and information that will appeal to all generationsof Southern Baptists in NE-KS.FAMILY-FRIENDLY -- Be family-friendly with stories,regular columns and helps for families and leaders whowork with families.
AGE DIVERSE -- Publish stories that address the
diversity of age, ethnicity, and geographical regions ofKS-NE.MISSION-ORIENTED -- Publish stories about peopleand congregations involved in missions and regularlypublicize ministry opportunities.PART OF WIDER MISSION - Help congregationsdiscover that they are part of the larger work of theKingdom of God through their ministries.
To give local news:Local church and associational news may be submit-
ted by mail, phone, fax or e-mail.
Advertising: Advertising policy and rates are available upon
I was never a Boy Scout, but for some reason Iremember getting Boy’s Life magazine during mygrowing up years. I’d thumb through the articles,ignoring most since I was not in the running forany merit badges, but pausing on some that talkedabout making a weapon or surviving in the des-ert… both necessary skills for a 9 year old boy,
right?Without a doubt, my favorite part of the magazinewere the advertisements in the back. They were amaz-ing items, and I was dumbfounded that you couldonly find them in that publication.
There were the x-rayglasses that allowed youto see through almostanything, with just a fewexceptions; you know, justlike Superman.
Then there was the
amazing invisible skinfrog that made it possibleto see the inner workingsof an amphibian withouthaving to dissect the poorcreature.
Or, maybe you checkedout the Joe Weider BodyBuilding program guaran-
teed to put you on the path to a Mr. Universe framein just six short weeks. It didn’t work, or so I’ve been
told.What still amazes me is how expectant I was for
those mail-order treasures to be real. I would save themoney, get my mom to write a check, and wait everso impatiently at the mailbox for weeks until that littlepackage would arrive!
But, now we are all adults and we don’t fall for suchdeceiving literature, and our skepticism is a mark ofour maturity and intelligence.
Good for us…?Maybe we have lost something. Maybe there is
a piece of our childhood that wasn’t so immature.Maybe as adults we are hampered by our loss of…expectancy.
A lack of expectancy is most clearly seen, I believe,in the prayer life of the church.
We offer blanket prayers, trying to cover everythingin just a few words. We have formulaic responses that
President’s Perspective
Andy Addis
fall from our lips without thought or effort. And, ourrequests are vague and wishy washy, usually taggedwith an “if it be Your will”.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a request and supplication in the biblical text?A supplication is a passionate, urgent plea!
Don’t forget Jesus’ amazing teaching on prayerfrom Matthew 7. 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you;seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened
to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the onewho seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will beopened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for
bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish,will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil,know how to give good gifts to your children, howmuch more will your Father who is in heaven givegood things to those who ask him!
We have an amazingly good Father who wants us towant the right things, and when we do He desires togive us those things.
Let’s make 2015 a year marked by passionate, pow-erful prayer. Let’s ask God specifically for what weknow is on His heart and then live expectantly.
Let’s pray for God to move specifically and boldly.Would you pray that your church would experience
revival and that you would reach 10% of your com-
munity?Would you pray that your church would double itsnumber of baptisms this year?
Would you pray for the opportunity to share yourtestimony with (insert name here) this week?
Let’s pray some bold, specific prayers and then livein the expectancy that we have a great Father whowants to give us His good things in life!
conference training, children and youth camps, familyreunions and recreation.
What has impressed me most, is the individual livesthat have been changed while attending WCC for a
conference or camp. I have heard countless testimoniesfrom children, teens, parents and university studentsabout the spiritual impact of being Webster ConferenceCenter. On a personal note, all three of my children,when they were youth, had significant spiritual experi-ences while attending Super Summer. I would guessmany of you would have similar testimonies.
Believe it or not, every pastor’s wifeis one-of-a-kind. Don’t fall for the rumorthat there’s a cookie-cutter mold for theideal pastor’s wife. She’s not a clone ofyour previous pastor’s wife, or any otherministry wife you know.
I’ve known and observed hundreds ofeffective pastors’ wives, and can assureyou that no two are alike! God created
her uniquely—her personality, gifted-ness, style, strengths and weaknesses.She has a distinct background andChristian testimony.
She may be tall, short, old, young,introverted or extroverted. She maywear a ponytail, pixie cute or dread-locks. There are pastors’ wives who runmarathons, barrel race, coach, hunt, gar-den, golf, and raise goats. They’re veg-etarians, foodies, volunteers, drummers,
soccer moms and artists. They’re biscuitburners and gourmet chefs. Some evenplay the piano.
If you get right down to it, there areonly two requirements for an ideal pas-tor’s wife. First, she’s a child of God—animperfect sinner saved by His grace.
Second, she’s married to the pastor—theonly woman in the entire world who’squalified to be that pastor’s wife.
If you’re a member of a church whosepastor is married, try one of these ideasto encourage his wife this week:n Notice how she encourages her
husband in ministry. Compliment herprivately.n Be her great cheerleader. Always
have a good word to say about her.n Be aware that a great deal of her
ministry work may be behind thescenes.n Show interest and encouragement
in her outside-the-church involvements.Understand that God works throughevery area of her life.n Say “thank you” occasionally. She
joyfully carries many extra responsibili-ties and burdens.n Pray faithfully for her.
So what does your church’s ideal pas-tor’s wife look like? She looks exactlylike the woman who’s married to yourpastor.
I am enjoying a new chapter in life as an intention-al interim with 1st Southern in Garden City. Walkingalongside several members in their evangelism workhas been very fulfilling. As your Evangelism TeamLeader, I have spoken about evangelism, led work-shops and enjoyed outreach events. However, I havefound the consistent time in Garden City a refresh-ing addition.
In mid-December I got a great email message fromone of our young leaders. An apartment complex isjust across the street and one of the residents calledwanting to learn about the church. In the followingweeks we have seen that family hear the good newsof Christ in multiple venues and they continue to
get involved with small groups and children’s min-istries.
I have been encouraged and reminded of the ele-ments that help to grow a culture of evangelismwithin a church. Praying with and for this fam-ily has to be at the top of the list. This importantelement of our work should never get old or beoverlooked. We all believe God hears and answersprayer, but are we asking? Do we see praying forthe lost as an indispensable element of our churchfamily?
Our connection with this young family wouldnever have happened if our leader had not beenattentive to the opportunity that was just across thestreet. I am so grateful for his commitment to seekout opportunities of sharing Christ. I have beenencouraged as I see attentive folks being faithfulwith these occasions to take that next step to serve,visit or connect with a visitor. I love to discover
God’s Plan for Sharing
Jon Sapp
those who are seeking outpeople that are not con-nected or enjoying whatthe church offers. I oftenget to talk about “seekingthe lost” but it has beeninspirational in watchingthat happen.
People have stories.They often want others tolisten to them which mayopen a door of opportu-nity. Being active listen-ers to what is going on inthe lives of those not yet
involved has led to positive next steps with two newfamilies. Just like with prayer and attentive seeking,active listening takes time. Time has to be one of thecritical resources we have. We need to be availableand capable of listening. We have so many choicesof where to use our time. A cup of coffee, tea or acold drink allows us to sit and discover what is goingon with another. Are you getting to do that? Withtwo of the new families in the church, it was the
balance of seeking them out and then just listeningwhich opened the door for sharing the good news of
Christ’s provision for all of us.We can’t assume that people understand what we believe. As each of us interact with those that are notrelating to God personally, we have opportunities toshare by living out the truth of the good news. Don’tassume they understand what we as Christ followersare experiencing on a regular basis. J. Mack Stilesin his book “Evangelism, How the Whole Church
Speaks of Jesus” shares an overview of the four corethemes of the gospel. Those are God, Man, Christand Response. Here is his outline from page 33-34.
1. God is our Creator. He is loving, holy and just.One day he will execute perfect justice against allsin.
2. People are made in the image of God. We arebeautiful and amazing creatures with dignity, worthand value. But through our willful, sinful rebellionagainst God, we have turned from being his childrento his enemies. Still, all people have the capacity tobe in a restored loving relationship with the livingGod.
3. Christ is the Son of God, whose sinless life gave him the ability to become the perfect sacrifice.Through his death on the cross, he ransomed sinful
people. Christ’s death paid for the sins of all whocome to him in faith. Christ’s resurrection from the
dead is the ultimate vindication of the truth of theseclaims.
4. The response God requires from us is toacknowledge our sin, repent, and believe in Christ.So we turn from sin, especially the sin of unbelief,and turn to God in faith, with the understandingthat we will follow him the rest of our days.
Finally, follow-up has to be provided with thosethat respond to the Lord. I see follow-up as a con-tinuation of the initial listening and interaction withthe other person. For me, follow-up is that contin-
ued process of walking with others as they discoverwho God is and how we respond to him. That isindispensable.
I am enjoying this time of working with onechurch in a long term relationship. Evangelism isthe responsibility of all of us, but the local churchequips and encourages all of us to be about the busi-ness of God’s Plan for Sharing.
The Ideal Pastor’s Wife
Journey Off the Map
During 2015 VBS Jumpstartmore time for churches to enlist VBSleaders and encourage them to attend.
Journey Off the Map: Unknown toUs, Known to HimTM will be the focusof the VBS Jumpstart. Learn how to takeyour kids to uncharted territory wherethey will begin to understand that obe-dience to God can lead them beyond theexpected. Kids and leaders alike will bechallenged to toss the map, stick closeto your guide, and prepare to listen forGod’s direction in this journey that isunknown to us, but known by Him.
Core conferences for leaders of pre-school and children’s rotations, pluspastors/VBS directors will be offered inthe morning. Afternoon electives willinclude VBS rotations, enrichment con-ferences, an overview of BackYard KidsClubTM and more.
The $15 per person registration feeprovides conference materials and lunch.Find more information in the registra-tion brochure posted at http://www.kncsb.org/ministry/bible_study/. Orcontact Barbara Spicer at [email protected], 1-800-984-9092.
It’s February … time to start prepara-tion for Vacation Bible School! Reservethe date, March 28, 2015 at WebsterConference Center, for KNCSB’s annualVBS Jumpstart training for church lead-ers. This year’s VBS Jumpstart has beenscheduled later in the month to allow
New Hope Baptist Mission is a beacon of hope in a poverty-stricken mobile home community in Marion, Ark. (WestMemphis). The church’s complex consists of three agingdouble-wide mobile homes. At right in this photo is HopeHouse, a facility for women who are getting back on theirfeet after serving time in the local correctional facility. Thechurch is in the process of constructing a new building(left) and needs both volunteers and money to help nishit. New Hope wants to be in the new building by the timeschool starts this fall. The church also needs mission teamsto do outreach and community-service projects. For moreinformation on how you and your church can get involved,contact Pastor John Rech at [email protected]. Orlook for the New Hope Baptist Mission group on Facebook.
New Hope Baptist Mission, Marion, Ark. (West Memphis) islocated in Lakeshore Estates, a mobile-home communityon the west side of Interstate 55, just north of the junc-tion with Interstate 40. Many of the residents there live inpoverty. New Hope Baptist Mission depends on volunteerteams to help reach its community. One of its major eventsis the annual Christmas party that celebrates the birth ofJesus (below).
My values of church healthand church growth were shaped
at the apex of the churchgrowth movement. I becamean informed proponent of thehomogeneous reality of churchplanting and church growth.
I remain convinced that whenour Lord instructed us to makedisciples of all ta ethne He wasinstructing us to penetrate everypeople group with the Gospel.
People are in the main not
wired up to be alone. Peoplegroup together with people likethem or with people who sharecommon interest. That is a fact.It is also a fact that plantingthe gospel in those identifiablegroups of people is a productiveevangelism strategy
Recently I have begun to sepa-rate an evangelism strategy ofpenetrating people groups withthe gospel and planting church-
es. I have come to understandthat a purely homogeneouschurch is not at all a picture ofthe kingdom. A purely homoge-neous church reflects our humannature to hang with those whoare like us and to shun thosewho are different hardly a valueto be found in the kingdom ofGod.
Much to my joy I am discover-
ing a core value among youngpastors/planters/re-planters isto strategically plant multicul-tural churches. The planting ofmulticultural churches is a greatwitness to the community. Whena nonbeliever encounters a gos-pel community that is diversein ethnicity they realize there issomething different about thisgroup. This is not the normalway people group together.
These people are motivated by different values. This is aglimpse of heaven.
As we look at the need to revi-talize and replant the hundredsof churches that die each year inSouthern Baptist life, we mustembrace the multigenerationalchurch. Many if not most dyingchurches are comprised almostentirely of an older genera-
tion. The answer isn’t to simplyremove them but rather to plantsomething new among them.
Chief among the many thingswe can identify about the firstcentury church recorded inthe New Testament is the fact
A Passion for Revitalizationthat they were a multigen-erational church. Paul instructsTimothy concerning his youthand his leadership. He guidesyoung Timothy in the process
of correcting the older men.Instructions are given to youngwomen and older women, toyoung men and older men. Yetin most churches today, espe-cially in most church plants,there are very few older people.In most dying churches thereare very few younger people.If the church is a family, like allfamilies it should contain many
generations.A church made of manygenerations is uncommon anddifficult because Satan fullyknows the powerful testimonya multigenerational church willhave upon a self centered world.Satan uses all of the weakness ofour flesh to work against us aswe seek to embrace generationsunlike ours. In our human andsinful nature we grow weary
with people who see the world,understand technology, makedecisions and process informa-tion differently than we do. Ittakes work to love and under-stand each other. It requires thatpeople of all generations haveto subordinate their desiresfor the Glory of God and theadvancement of His kingdom.It means we have to think less
of ourselves and much more ofGod and the Gospel. It meanswe have to live the gospel not
just sing about, talk about andread about it. It means that whenwe battle our flesh and embracethe joy of self sacrifice for theKingdom we discover a joy thatis far deeper then the joy of hav-ing things our own way. But itrequires an ongoing battle of ourhuman nature.
Even in a church with a vari-ety of generations there is a pulltoward separating the genera-tions even within the gatheredchurch. Various generationsneed to worship and servetogether. Growing up in a veryprogram based church the onlytime my family spent togetherSunday morning was the timein car arriving and leaving the
gathered church. As soon as wehit the door of the church wewere all funneled into our ownenvironments of age gradedBible study and worship. Oftenchurches that have multiple wor-ship services will design one for
the older members and anotherfor the younger ones. All of thisgenerational segregation tends toreinforce our desire to considerour particular age group as the
one that matters most.While there is a place for age
appropriate learning within thechurch there is also much to
be learned as young childrenobserve older children andadults worshiping and serving.It is good for adults to rejoicewhen small children and infantsare with their parents in wor-ship and activities of the church.
The noise of children in worshipis cause for rejoicing. When wemake accommodations for theneeds of generations other thenour own it serves to remindus that we are not the focus ofattention. God alone is the desireof our heart and we can morefully embrace and enjoy Himwhen we think less of our selves.The disciples tried generationalsegregation and Jesus would
have none of it. ”Let the littleChildren come to me”.
The struggle to embrace a dif-ferent generation cuts both ways.Older people must find their joyin passing off leadership to thenext generation. They must learnto find their joy in witnessingthe next generation incarnatingthe gospel into their context.The must let go of the idol of
the past, their need to controland most importantly their needto be made much of for all thework they have put in over theyears. They need to rejoice inall the work Jesus has done forthem through the years. And theyounger people need to identifythe real and meaningful strugglethat older people endure, theloss of a career, the loss of lovedones, the loss of mobility, the
loss of understanding howthings work, like smart phones,the loss of control of their lives,knowing that they face an ever-declining future of less indepen-dence and more reliance on oth-ers. Young people need to showan overwhelming amount ofcompassion to older people andwalk with them through this dif-ficult stage in life. As we focus
more and more on the beauty,perfection and complete satisfac-tion that is our bridegroom wewill embrace the reality that allof us who are in this church areHis Bride. The very young to thevery old, all are His Bride.
True to his last name, Charles Wood is a skilled wood worker. He and his wife, Janie,retired on Dec. 31, 2014, after serving 23½ years as estate-planning consultants for theKansas-Nebraska Southern Baptist Foundation. Their home in Derby, Kan., features furni-ture that Charles designed and built along with elaborately crafted bowls and other woodcreations. When Janie Wood was asked if she works with her husband in his shop, shelaughed and replied, “Not one bit.”
Charles and Janie Wood traveled all over Nebraska andKansas during their 23½ years as estate-planning consul-tants for the Kansas-Nebraska. He collected many differenttypes of wood during their travels. Here he displays a pieceof hedge (Osage orange) collected in the Hutchinson, Kan.,area.
“Because we do not have thepromise of tomorrow, we needto do estate planning today,”Charles Wood said.
A career in estate planningwas a natural ending to 65 yearsof ministry by Wood and hiswife, Janie.
The Woods retired on Dec.31, 2014, after serving for 23½years as estate-planning consul-tants for the Kansas-Nebraska
Southern Baptist Foundation.“It’s important for a person
to do Christian estate planningif they desire to leave any oftheir assets to Christian causes,”Wood said. “Without properestate planning, the state deter-mines where our assets will gowhen we die.”
Wood previously was a pas-tor for 43 years. He and his wifeserved churches in ve dierentstates. Their last pastorate wasat University Baptist Church,Wichita, Kan., where theyserved from 1979 to June 30,1991. They celebrated their 64thwedding anniversary on Aug.4, 2014.
“Stewardship, nance and budgeting have been a verystrong point in my ministry,”Wood said. “I never hesitated to
ask people to tithe.”While pastoring the Wichita
church, Wood served threeyears on the Foundation’s board
of directors, including two aschairman. “So I was intimatelyacquainted with the Foundationwhile I was pastor.”
During their career asestate-planning consultants, theWoods helped draft more than1,700 estate plans all over Kan-sas and Nebraska. These estateplans will leave more than $171million to Kansas-NebraskaSouthern Baptist causes.
Wood also is known as atalented woodworker, true to
his last name. Their home inDerby, Kan., features furniturethat Charles designed and builtalong with elaborately crafted bowls and other creations.
His woodworking shopoccupies half of their two-cargarage. A wide variety of wood,collected during their travelsthrough Nebraska and Kansas,is neatly stacked along one wall.Everything is so well organized
that there is still room to parktheir car.
Wood working is a passionfor Wood. But he still found thegreatest satisfaction in seeingpeople remember Christiancauses in their estate plans andseeing the “joy and comfort”they experience.
As Wood looked back onhis career as an estate-planning
consultant, he reminded Kan-sas-Nebraska Southern Baptists,“God is the owner of all. We aremerely the stewards.”
Foundation Offers Help in Estate PlanningThe Kansas-Nebraska
Southern Baptist Foundationprovides free Christian estate-planning consultation to mem- bers of churches aliated withthe Kansas-Nebraska Conven-tion of Southern Baptists whoare willing to leave a charitableinterest in mission causes sup-ported by KNCSB.
These estate-planning servic-es include free condential con-
sultations and free preparation by an aorney of all necessaryestate-planning documents.
Clients are requested todesignate a minimum of 10percent of their residual estateafter both spouses are deceased,all debts are paid and all chil-
Bob and Marie Clark
dren are grown and educatedthrough college.
For more information or toset up an appointment, please
contact Bob Clark at (800) 984-9154 or send e-mail to [email protected].
You also may contact Clarkto schedule an estate-planningseminar in your church.
The Foundation oers freeestate-planning seminars toKNCSB churches.
An hour-long ChristianEstate Stewardship Seminar isavailable. These seminars can be
scheduled at any time. Those at-tending the seminar who wouldlike the assistance of the BaptistFoundation in preparing aChristian estate plan may makean appointment for a conden-tial interview to develop theirestate plans.
Thank You for Supporting the Cooperative ProgramFind resources to promote the Cooperative Program at http://www.sbc.net/cp/default.asp
Fresh StartOld things are passed awayand all thingsare new. Solet us stay focused ladies, pressing toward the mark of a higher callingin every area of our lives. To-day, that area is our marriage– our husband. Wives – love
your husbands.
“Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:7-9 "Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?" I said to one of my students as we chatted about God and life at school. It was quite a sight to see his 6' 4" frame bend low
to look inside the little vanity drawer that held all of the choices. This is when I heard him mumble, "L'Embarras du choix." I asked him, "What did you just say?"Stefan was a little surprised that I caught him talking to himself in French. He grew up as a MK serving as church planters in France for 18 years ofhis life.
"You heard that? The French have a saying, 'The embarrassment of the choice.'"Instant conviction gripped my heart. I thought of all the sacrices our missionaries make in order to carry the gospel message and of all
the sacrices his family had to make to be church planters and how I live in the "L 'Embarras du choix." I don't even drink coffee, yet I haveenough coffee choices that it is embarrassing. I then began to think of all the areas of my life where there are more choices than neces-sary... Bibles, books, shoes, clothes, food... honestly my list is way too long. All of these items are necessities in their own right, but I have toomuch.
For several months after this conversation, I will look at something I have or I am interacting with and this little mumbled phrase convictsme once again, "L'Embarras du choix." I understand a little more why the Psalmist Agur asked God for self awareness in relation to deception,riches and poverty. It is so easy to become dependent upon something or for that matter someone other than God. Somehow, I have fallen
into the trap that we need choices, lots of choices, and without realizing it, I depend upon my right to have a choice. I am embarrassed by my"entitlement" mentality that permeates America that says, "Who is the Lord?"Father, forgive me! Help me to be aware of how "L'Embarras du choix" could possibly be something I should give away, not spend so much on, or
have even celebrated when I should only celebrate You!
Simply,Tara
www.knwomen.com
7
J a n u a r y- F e b r u a r y
2 0 1 5
We are in a new year!!! 2015 is in full swing. What have you done different
or started new? A diet? A new bible study? A personal makeover, or maybe
a kitchen makeover? I decided my cabinets needed a makeover and it was
a simple one too. One that didn't require much money so it was a husband
pleaser as well!
It all started because I got some
beautiful new jadeite dishes for Christ-
mas and I did not want to hide them
behind doors.......so I took the doors
off. The problem was the insides
didn't have quite the charm my new
dishes deserved.
I started by painting the inside
of the cabinets white and then I
stained and cut tongue and groove
knotty pine boards to use as thebacking. You can use any wood you would like, I just happened to
have all this on hand. The good thing is k notty pine boards are only about
one fourth an inch thick.
To attach the board I simply used a nail gun to secure them. The last step
was replacing the shelves. I had 1x12 boards so I stained and cut those and
added them in. I love the mix of light and dark, and now with a touch of
green.
I am really enjoying the new refreshing look this
adds to my kitchen, but it's also a reminder that
the new year is a time for ME to start new, to hit
the refresh button and ask God things such as,
"Have I followed your path this year?" and "Am I
starting to look like and live like the woman you
created me to be?"
We all will say "We could have done better",
we have all messed up and wished we could
have said something different. But the best
part is......this is where we grow and where
we learn. Sometimes it takes a mess to get us
where we are, to a place where we can recognize our
wrongs and ask for forgiveness. This is the time to make that change, to
allow God's beauty to shine through you even in the midst of a mess. ~Caroline Bivens, Women 4 Him Team
by Sarah SchmidtKNCSB Women’s Leadership Children’s Resource Team Leader
This year’s theme for GLOW, the annual mother/daughter retreat for 1st-6th grade girls,is “Give.” T he theme verse is 2 Corinthians 9:7 “You should each give what you have decidedin your heart to give. You shouldn't give if you don't want to. You shouldn't give becauseyou are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver.”NIrV. We will be talking about the state andnat ional missions offerings and how they help the missionaries they support. If you have adaughter, granddaughter, or special girl in your life, look for more information in your churchoffice or online at knwomen.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KNCSBGlow
myMISSIONDo you have a heart for missions
but no time for meetings? Try myMIS-SION. Check out blogs with collegestudents, young professionals, moms
and missionaries. There are featuresand mission opportunities all avail-able online.
myMISSION is about faith, commu-nity and living out missions whereveryou are. And if you want to meettogether there is help for a myMIS-SION group.
Visit tinyurl.com/WMUMyMissionand check out this exciting new op-
Church Seeks Bi-Vo PastorNew Life Church (SBC) of Osawatomie, KS, is seeking a bivocational pastor.Osawatomie is a town of 5,000 and is 30 miles from Olathe, KS. We seek a pas-tor to lead us in reaching our community for Christ. Submit resume to: [email protected].
Church Seeks Worship LeaderCrossPoint Sterling in Sterling, KS is currently looking for a part time worship pastor.The goal of this position is to oversee the worship ministry team and to coordinate,
develop and build up future leaders and worship team members. Interested partiesshould email cover letter and resume to [email protected].
Church Seeks Worship/Student LeaderFirst Southern Baptist Church of Hutchinson, Kansas is requesting prayerful appli-cants for the following full- or part-time ministry opportunity combination: CorporateWorship Leader/Student Minister. FSB is a healthy and unied body of believers
genuinely seeking God’s person(s) to serve and grow here. Please send yourresume (including ministry philosophy and ve references) to FSBC, 1201 E 23rd,
Hutchinson KS 67502.
1. Revenues ($877,643.71) were down a little in 2014, but User Days (46,105) were up.2. WCC continues to operate in the black and if an additional $237,000 can be
raised by July 1, 2015, WCC will receive $100,000 from the Mabee Foundation tonish the Dining Hall expansion.
3. Construction on the Dining Hall Expansion Project continues. Walls are goingup and the roof trusses have been ordered.
4. Three new members will join the WCC Board of Directors in February: a. Bruce Brown: Wichita, KS; Heart of Kansas Baptist Association b. Paul Folk: Benkelman, NE; Oregon Trail Baptist Association c. Michael Gray: Sterling, KS; Central Baptist Kansas Association5. Your 2015 WCC Board Ocers are: a. John Craighead: President (Eureka, KS) b. Craig (Zach) Zachariasen: Vice-President (Lincoln, NE)
c. Bryan Jones: Secretary (Wichita, KS)6. The WCC Board of Directors will meet in February to continue implementing
the 2014-2018 Strategic Plan for WCC.7. Associations can begin reserving dates for 2017 at WCC beginning February 16th.8. KNCSB Churches can begin reserving dates for 2017 at WCC beginning April 1st.9. All other organizations can begin reserving dates for 2017 at WCC beginning
May 16th.10. To reserve dates at WCC, call Sarah Jaster toll free at 1-877-WCC-RESV (1-877-
922-7378).
“Thank you” for your continued support of this mission facility as we
continue to reach people for Christ and train believers for the work ofthe ministry! The WCC Staff
Webster
Update
Church Seeks Bi-Vo PastorFirst Baptist Church of Nickerson is now accepting resumes for a Bi-VocationalPastorate Position. The Candidates should embrace the “Baptist Faith and Mes-sage” and Cooperative programs For additional Information, Please contact Brian@ 620-960-3827. Please send resumes to: First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 377,Nickerson, Ks 67561.
April 24-25, 2015--Webster Conference Center
For Leaders in Churches RunningUnder 150 in Worship
Keith Strasburger and Gene Jacobs fromReal Life Ministries
Our Focus This Year Will Be onBuilding a Disciple-Making Process in the Local Church
On Campus
Registration for those staying at Webster Conference Center is$40.00 per adult or $60.00 per couple.
This includes one night’s lodging, Saturday breakfast and lunch.
Off Campus If you would prefer to stay off-campus your registration cost is$15.00 per person. This includes Saturday breakfast & lunch.
Childcare is provided at no cost.
Please mail registration and payment to:
KNCSB, 5410 SW 7th St., Topeka, KS 66606 If you have any questions or information about hotels if you prefer to
stay off campus, contact Jana Gifford ([email protected])or call 1/800/984-9092 (Ext. 840).
Registration Deadline: April 10, 2015
Kansas and Nebraska SouthernBaptists are in partnership with
all Southern Baptists throughthe Cooperative Program.
Church Seeks Worship LeaderFirst Baptist Church of Farmington, Missouri, is seeking a full-time associate pastorwith an emphasis in worship. Please email inquiries or resumes to [email protected], attn. personnel committee, or mail to Personnel Committee, 210 North A.Street, Farmington, MO 63640.
Keith Strasburger Gene Jacobs
The principal hindrance to the advancement of the kingdom of God
is greed… It seems that when the back of greed is broken, the humanspirit soars into regions of unselshness. I believe that it is safe to
say there can be no continuous revival without ‘hilarious’ giving. And
I fear no contradiction: wherever there is ‘hilarious’ giving there will
soon be revival! (O.S. Hawkins)
Stewardship Quotes
I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid
the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if
our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the
standard common among those with the same income as our own,
we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at allpinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to
be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable
expenditures excludes them. (C.S. Lewis)
Seek joy in what you give, not in what you get. (Anonymous)
