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Newsjournal Of Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists

www.baptistdigest.com

March 2014Vol. 58 No. 3

Baptist

igest

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)-- Calling his message a fright-ening responsibility becauseof his desire to speak accu-rately, while simultaneouslybeing honoring of our Lord,Frank Page, president of theSouthern Baptist ConventionExecutive Committee, deliveredan State of the SBC address at

Midwestern Baptist TheologicalSeminary.Students, faculty, staff and

local church pastors fromMissouri, Kansas and theMidwest region gathered in theseminarys chapel to listen to themessage, which covered a widerange of issues within the SBC.Page shared his own observa-tions, predictions and exhorta-tions to Southern Baptists.

Pages address began with an

admission of having a fascina-tion with scientific studies ofvarious kinds, including earth-quakes. He noted that below theearths surface are large tectonicplates. Where these plates meetare called fault lines. Whentectonic plates move againstone another, their convergenceresults in intense geologicalactivity, such as earthquakes andvolcanoes.

Fault lines happen even inorganizations, Page said in hisJan. 15 address. And like on theearth, where the fault lines andtectonic plates come together,pressure builds. If that pressure

is not alleviated, then deep dam-age occurs.

There are fault lines, Pagesaid, in the Southern BaptistConvention where pressure hasbuilt.

Sometimes pressure is easedin a godly, biblical and legiti-mate way, and sometimes thingshappen that cause lasting dam-

age, he said.Looking back, Page identifiedthe Conservative Resurgenceas a time in our history whenindeed there was a several-decades long struggle over theissue of how do Baptists believeand hold to the veracity of theWord of God.

The arguments that camein those days found their rootsdecades ago, but the big faultlines and pressure was experi-

enced perhaps most profoundlyin the eighties and in the nine-ties, he said.

There were many battlesfought, much pressure released,and yes, some damage done,Page added.

Page also pointed to pressurerelated to the more recent debateabout Calvinism versus non-Calvinism.

I do believe that this last year

at the convention we saw Godshow up in a way that relievedsome of that pressure, as lead-ers from both sides of the fencegathered to say, We want towork together for the Gospel,

he said. Too much isat stake not to do so. Iapplaud those leadersfrom both sides of thesoteriological fence.

Do I think that faultline is fixed forever?Hardly. But I said tothem in all honesty, Iwant us to work togeth-

er so that we can atleast win some peopleto Christ for now. Can we dothat?

Page briefly mentioned acurrent ecclesiological faultline affecting the convention.Page said he believes there aredeveloping fault lines withmounting pressures as Baptistsstruggle with how to govern achurch, particularly as it relatesto congregational governance,

elder leadership and the role ofdeacons.

The most predominant faultline in the convention, Pageadded, was neither theologi-cal nor ecclesiological. Instead,the greatest amount of pressurebuilding is due to methodologi-cal tensions.

Some may describe it as indi-vidual versus corporate, soci-etal versus cooperative, con-

temporary versus traditional,or the young versus the old,he said.

This methodological divideis impacting the direction ofour convention, Page said.I wake up every day askingmyself the question: Who arewe? Who is the Southern BaptistConvention? There is no dis-cernible answer.

Page admitted he often thinksa solution to the question is athand, but its quickly proveninadequate.

The methodological quan-dary has affected some of thedenominations entities. Henoted one organization askedwhat life may look like after the

Cooperative Program.Id love to know what was

said in there, Page remarked.He also attributed the record-

low baptismal rates to the meth-odological divide within theconvention.

We have argued over issuesthat have taken away our evan-gelistic fervor to the point thatnow our baptismal rates have

reached a low not seen since1948. God help us, Page said.

We can lament and we cansay were a declining denomi-nation, Page continued, andby many statistical analyses,we are. Some would say werea denomination in the midst ofclarification, finally beginning tosee things as they really are. Westruggle also with the fact thatone out of every five Southern

Baptist churches do not send inany kind of report, so we haveto extrapolate and to guess whatis really happening out therewhen we are not always givenaccurate statistical material withwhich to work.

Regardless of what kind ofstatistical material is available,Page described in one sentencethe state of the convention.

The status of our conventionis best described thus ... we area group of approximately 46,000churches looking for divineintervention.

Page said the reality of divineintervention stands before theconvention, not as a mere pos-sibility, nor as a last ditch effort,but as our true hope.

We are a convention made

up of messengers who meetevery year, declining in num-ber ... and you say, What isour future? I do not know.Im asked that every week bysomeone, and I say, I cannotanswer. If things do not change,I can tell you in 20 years we willbe happy to have 27,000, not47,000 churches. If things do notchange, our baptismal rates willcontinue to suffer. But there is a

God!When we realize that ouranswers are not in logisticalmoving around of chairs on thedeck of the Titanic but seek-ing absolute new Holy Spirit-given power, then we will saythe future of this convention isbright indeed.

By Timothy Sweetman

Bright Future PossibleWith God, Page Says in

Historic Address

THE SINGING CHURCHWOMEN OF OKLAHOMA will stage aconcert at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27, at Prairie Hills SouthernBaptist Church, Augusta, Kan. The Singing Churchwomenbegan in 1989. The choir has ministered across Oklahoma andaround the world. Read more athttp://www.bgco.org/ministries/worship-and-music/the-sing-ing-churchwomen-of-oklahoma.

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WWW.KNCSB.ORG

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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

request Call 800-984-9092 or e-mail:tboyd@kncsb.org

STAFFEditor: Tim Boyd, PhD.

Associate Editor: Eva Wilson

Printing Coordinator: Derek Taylor

Robert T. Mills, D. Min.

KNCSB Executive Director

AFFILIATIONSAssociation of State Baptist PapersBaptist Communicators Association

The Baptist Digest(USPS 018-942)Vol. 58 No. 3

Leadership Newsjournal for Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists is published

monthly12 times a year.

5410 SW 7th StreetTopeka, KS 66606-2398Phone: (785) 228-6800Toll Free: 800-984-9092

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POSTMASTER:Periodical postage paid at Topeka, KS 66606 andadditional entries. Send address changes to: TheBaptist Digest, 5410 SW 7th Street, Topeka, KS

66606-2398.

By Georges BoujaklyKNCSB State Director of MissionsE-mail: gboujakly@kncsb.org

Teach Us to PrayMost things in the Christian life are of lesser impor-

tance than prayer as we grow in Christ. Opening toGod (David G. Benners denition of prayer) is push-

ing its way to the top of my priority list. This is as itshould be, I pray.Writing about prayer is more audacious than you

might think. No expertise is claimed. Who can? Nospecial knowledge. Why the audacity, then? Only afumbling Christian who sees prayer as the major partof life in the last decade or so of life, should Jesus tarryand grace abound could be that audacious. Its thequest of a lifetime.

So as I write about opening to God in the next fewarticles:

I pray youll be my light and guide me as I go. And helpme to be wise in times when I dont know.

Let this be my prayer, when I lose my way: Lead me to aplace; guide me with your grace to a place where Ill be safein opening to God.

The disciples made the request Lord, teach us topray early on in their Jesus-following-life. What did

they see in him? Whatdid they know that drovethem to make this unusual,unique, strange request? AsI think of it, I dont thinkanyone else in Scriptureever made a similar re-

quest!Have you ever askedsomeone to teach youto pray? Perhaps youveasked Jesus and he has.Please feel the freedom toshare what youve learned.I will incorporate it infuture articles (gboujakly@kncsb.org).

I suspect that behind thissingular prayer request was the disciples observationof the life of their Master. Jesus often prayed alone,

apart from his disciples. At times they would go ndhim in the secluded places where he prayed. I suspectthat maybe they eavesdropped a time or two on hisprayer!

But I dont think this is why they asked to be taughtto pray the way he did. This kind of praying could eas-ily have ended up being done by rote. And I dont think

Walking With the Master

The Thought Occurred to MeBy Bob MillsKNCSB Executive DirectorE-mail: bmills@kncsb.org

I recently visited Real Life Ministries, in Post Falls,Idaho. This is a church that has seen explosive lifechanging growth using a discipling platform that

seems to work very well. The focus of the church is tointroduce people to the Savior, Jesus Christ, and thenbe in a very intentional and radical journey of follow-ing Him. The Pastor, Jim Putman, is about buildingchurches that make disciples.

If the purpose of the church is to make disciplesin obedience to the Great Commission (Matthew28:18-20), then the question must be askedwhat is adisciple? The scriptures indicate that a disciple is onewho is willing to follow Christ. What does that mean?I think it means to know him through what the scrip-tures reveal about Jesus. It is more than just a mentalprocess. It is a life altering process to live like JesusBeing a follower of Christ is a counter cultural journey,and it is incrementally life changing. Therein is the sec-

ond mark of a disciple in that our lives are constantlybeing changed and conformed to image of Christ. Ourattitudes, disposition, actionsevery part of our livesare influenced by knowing Christ. The third mark ofa disciple is evidenced by one being committed to the

mission of Christ. Living in this world as Christ wouldlive in this world. Sharing the Good News with ourneighbors in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and aroundthe world. Making disciples of Jesus is the key and pri-mary focus of the church.

Let me ask you a question. Is your church inten-tionally making disciples? You might say, Well, wehave great worship services, good Bible study, some-thing of an outreach program and we even have smallgroups. All of those elements of church are great andin a very indirect way contribute to the idea of makingdisciples, but that is not enough.

Discipleship must involve intentional relational connec-tion between the disciple and Christ, and between the dis-ciple and a disciple-maker. I am not sure disciple making

learning to pray by rote would excite Jesus very much.So what was it? There was no lack of prayer in the Jew-ish liturgy! Why more prayers? What was new in Jesus?

What Jesus was more interested in doing with hisdisciples was to bring the kingdom of God within andwithout so that the eternal life they could live in and

invite others to enter into, would ow out of themconstantly. If they could be open to God as he is opento God, then others might also joined in praying Abba,hallowed by thy name!

What excited the disciples about the prayer life ofJesus is his opening to God, his life of prayer. The onestanding behind the Our Abba, or Abba, impressedthem so much with his open heart to God that theydesired the same opening of themselves to God.

Jesus lived in constant communion and union withhis Father. What son or daughter wouldnt relish beingin the presence of his or her dad every minute andevery hour?

Thats what the little ock of disciples craved. Thatswhat they were missing? Thats what the teachers ofthe Law and even John the Baptist couldnt give them.Thats what they couldnt get in a lump sum but in alifetime of learning to be open to God.

This life of opening to God is also what I am asking,seeking, and knocking on heavens door to receive. Imgoing all in to receive the unadulterated gift of openingto God. The invite is open to you, too.

Is it possible to live in the constant presence of God?I mean to live in such a way that our soul is hummingthe same tune emanating from the heart of God? How

would life be dierent if each breath taken is a deliber-ate act of receiving the ever- owing life of God? I dont

know. Im not there. But Im going to die while travel-ing this road less traveled.

You see, we are mostly taught that prayer is basicallyasking or having a conversation with God about thethings that concern us the most and that God cares togive us. Well and good. But prayer is also the openingof our inner being or giving access to God of our hearts.This is what David Benner writes in his book, Openingto God. David Benner is a favorite author of mine. Hehas written multiple books on the life with God. TheGift of Being Yourself, Surrender to Love, and DesiringGods Will. I could recommend more.

I have had times when desperation and grace droveme to be utterly open to God. But more often than not,in my pride, I was utterly closed to God.

Opening to God is easier said than done. For onething, its embarrassing to let my Maker peek into mylife. Why the hesitation? The reason is legion: a mindthat is full of fears, blame, and wounds that have never

closed. What if opening to God exposed all of this?Would I be undone? What if the ways of viewing my-self would not be pleasing to God? What if being madenew means killing o much of the old? What if Im tooold of a dog to learn new tricks?

But I tire of this seesaw.Lord, teach me to live in the realm of opening my life to

you. It would be the pearl of great price to receive such a giftof deep communion with God.

You see, exposing my life to God, opening to God,prayer, is risky business. But the call is too strong tolook behind. My hands on the plow, the furrows must

be made, and the seeds of an open life with God are be-ing sown. Im going to trust Abba. Wont you?

can happen outside of theabove two things being true.The intentional relationalpiece is what is missing inmany churches. Discipleshipis not a program. It is not

just the acquisition of Biblicalknowledge. It is all about

relationships. How does onebecome rightly related toGod? Through a relationshipwith Jesus Christ. How doesone come to benefit fromand understand somethingof the abundant life offer inChristthrough a radicalongoing relationship with Christ?

You shall love the Lord your God with all yourheart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.This is the great and foremost commandment. Thesecond is like it, You shall love your neighbor as your-self. On these two commandments depend the wholeLaw and the Prophets. Matthew 22:37-40.

Bob Mills

Georges Boujakly

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By Andy AddisKNCSB Convention PresidentE-mail: andy@crosspointnow.net

Mark 5:1-2 They came to the otherside of the sea, to the country of theGerasenes. And when Jesus had steppedout of the boat

Todayis one ofthose daysin ministry

my seminaryprofessorswarned meabout. I havespent theentire dayknee deepin email,receipts,setting upchairs andtables for

WomensBible study, and various other routineoffice details

Not exactly charging hell with a waterpistol today.

It can be hard to remember that thesedays are often just as important as thedays of monumental spiritual battlesand great victories for the kingdom.

I am reminded of this every time Iread the Gospels and see that Jesus and

His disciples were continually comingfrom some place or going to another.When I read a passage like the one

above, Ill often turn to the maps in theack; just like we did when we were

kids in Sunday school doing anything tostay awake.

Presidents PerspectiveIf you look real close you might findthe spot on the map where Jesus andHis disciples started walking, and thenwhere they stopped.

Honestly, sometimes Im still flabber-gasted that in one small verse Jesus mayhave traveled mile after mile. What I readin less than three seconds wouldve takenthem a day or more to walk on foot.

Those are the in betweens the tran-

sitions between the amazing stories ofJesus healing someone and then movingto another place where He has a royalrumble with the local religious leader-ship.

Those stories are exciting, powerfuland very important, and between themare the drab, mundane, plodding alongfrom point A to point B moments, other-wise known as the in betweens.

Those in between moments arentreally attention getters, but in real-

ity there would be no great story afterstory if you didnt have the moments inbetween.

Most of our life isnt spent on themountaintops. Life is mostly about thevalleys in between, the day-to-day dutiesand responsibilities that get us to thehigh points of life.

Peter was there when Jesus raisedthat little girl from the dead, but he wasalso there on the boat ride that took the

entire night before. James saw Jesusthrow down on the Pharisees and shamethem for their religious pride, but healso spent the days before walking dustyroads, sleeping on the ground and juststaying close to Jesus.

They arent fun, they arent glorious,

but without a doubt they are neces-sary the in betweens.

Its on the in between days that wedevelop our faithfulness, endurance,and steadfastness. Its on those days welearn to listen to, follow after and benear Jesus, so that on those other moreexciting days, following Him will onlybe natural.

What we learn on the in between

days prepares us for the big stuff!Life is not about transporting yourselffrom mountaintop to mountaintop. Itsabout reaching the peak by doing thehard work in the valley followed by theslow climb to the top, all the while let-

By Tim BoydDigest Editor

E-mail: tboyd@kncsb.org

A few years ago I watched several episodes of atelevision show called, Heroes. The show centeredon a group of ordinary people who, by genetic muta-tion, had acquired distinct abilities and powers. Theseabilities ranged from the ability to fly to instant healingof devastating injuries and so on. The characters werecalled heroes because of these unique abilities and theirpotential impact on society.

Now, we all know that such unique powers do notexist in the real world. I dont know of anyone who hasthe ability to fly. But, I do believe that there are somereal heroes around me. They too are ordinary peoplewho have accepted an extraordinary challenge to pas-tor smaller churches often in remote places.

These heroes often have to have other jobs to sup-port their effort to carry out the ministry that God hascalled them to accomplish. Most of these heroes donthave any professional staff members to assist them intheir work. Most of them have sacrificial families whowalk with them in their day-to-day challenges.

In Southern Baptist life, these folks fly below thedenominational radar most of the time. They dont fitin the success matrix that most Southern Baptist agen-

Along the Journey

Tim Boyd

cies apply to pastoral work. As Southern Baptists, wetend to measure budgets, baptisms and bodies.

Since most of my heroes pastor churches runningunder 150 in worship, they will probably never be rec-ognized because of the numbers attending, the size oftheir budgets or the numbers that they baptize annu-ally.

For my heroes, we need a new success matrix. Maybewe should recognize faithfulness in going to whereGod calls and staying there until he calls you away. Iknow after pastoring in one place for nearly twentyyears that there can be a real temptation to see greenergrass and wanting to move before God is ready.

Perhaps, we need to celebrate a willingness to bein the hard places of ministry with all of the struggleand loneliness that happens there. In some of our rural

areas, my heroes hang on by the skin of their teeth. Butthey stay and they make a real difference even thoughthe Southern Baptist Convention barely knows thatthey are there.

One of the key reasons that KNCSB decided to startthe Normative Church Conference was to recognizethese heroes of mine for the selfless work that they do.We wanted a way to say thanks and also a way to bringa little help. Our program last year and this year was

and is designed to help theleaders of these churches toexpand their ministries andtheir leadership abilities.

Some have asked us,Why the NormativeChurch Conference? Whynot just the Small ChurchConference? We madea deliberate choice earlyon to say that we dontdevalue our churches thatrun under the 150 in wor-ship. They are the normfor Southern Baptists. They are the heroic backbone ofboth our national and state conventions. They are the

base upon which Southern Baptists stand. These heroesdont get invited to preach at national meetings, butSouthern Baptists cant exist without them.

If you can, come and join the other heroes at ourNormative Church Conference at Webster ConferenceCenter in Salina, Kansas on March 21-22. RichardBlackaby with be our keynote speaker. Contact JanaGifford (jgifford@kncsb.org or 800-984-9092) for regis-tration information.

ting Jesus lead the way.Just as Jesus disciples followed Him

everywhere, walked with Him countlessmiles, and hit the road between thoseamazing stories, so we should also befaithful in the in betweens.

Sometimes the days activities seemmind numbing. Sometimes the season ofministry is undeniably dry. Sometimesyou cant see the why in what youre

doing.Dont forget, if today youre on the inbetweens, it means youre on the roadto someplace great.

Be faithful. Follow Jesus. Youll getthere.

KNCSB Goal: $215,000Supporting Kansas-Nebraska Missions Causes

50% to Your Association

50% to KS-NE Missions Causes

LvngTHE GREAT

Commission

I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. Phil. 4:13

Viola Webb Associational &

State Missions OfferingAndy Addis

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Annie Armstrong Easter Offering 2014Week of Prayer for North American Missions sMarch 2-9

Fast Facts about the Annie Armstrong Easter Oering (AAEO)

What is the Annie Armstrong Easter Oering?

The Annie Armstrong Easter Oering (AAEO) gives major support for reaching lost people in the United States andCanada. It provides nearly half of the North American Mission Boards income. The oering was named for Annie Arm-strong (1850-1938). She led women to unite in mission endeavors that ultimately led to forming of Womans MissionaryUnion. She was the rst WMU corresponding secretary. Read more at hp://www.anniearmstrong.com/whoisannie/

The reason we give to AAEO:

To help our missionary force reach for Christ an estimated 260 million lost people in the United States and Canada three of four people.

Annie Armstrong Easter Oering goal for 2014:

$70 million

Amount of NAMB budget that comes from the Annie Armstrong Oering:

49 percent

Amount of NAMB budget from Cooperative Program:38 percent

Year oering started by Womans Missionary Union:1895

A

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By Joe ConwayNorth American Mission Board writer

Annie Offering Gives Vital Support to Missionaries

North American Mission Board missionary Patrick Coats moved his family to Homestead,Fla., to reach the mobile residents of North Miami with the gospel. Pictured from left areson Patrick, Coats, daughter, Faith, wife, Archalena and daughter, Joy. Coats is a Weekof Prayer missionary for NAMB and is being featured during the Annie Armstrong EasterOffering promotion. Week of Prayer for North American Missions will be observed March2-9. (Photo by Ted Wilcox/NAMB)

Church planter Lucas Aube stands on the bank of the St.Francis River, which runs through the town of Lennoxville,Quebec, where he lives and serves as a North AmericanMission Board missionary. Aube is a 2014 Week of Prayermissionary for NAMB. (Photo by Peter Field Peck/NAMB)

HOMESTEAD, Fla. You

could say Patrick Coats is aproduct of his spiritual legacy.But its a legacy he aempted toelude at least for a time.

A native of Miami, Coatswas raised by his grandfather,Joe Coats, the rst African-American pastor to aliatewith the Florida Baptist Con-vention in 1968. The elder Coatsplanted a church in a school

building and saw it grow to4,000 members.Hurricane Andrew

destroyed the church build-ing, but it did not destroy thechurch family, said Coats.The last major project for mygrandfather was rebuilding thechurch [facilities].

Coats was never far from hisgrandfather, so he was con-stantly in church. When he was

old enough, he began servingalongside his grandfather, rstas a music minister.

I was immersed in South-ern Baptist life, Coats said.Ive been everything there isto be in church from a deaconto a preacher. But I ran from aspecic call as lead pastor.

Coast ran to music andstarted a Christian rap group.

Although it was a rebelliousrun, his was a mild one. Heremained involved in churchleadership, but did not wantto be a pastor. Coats uncle, JoeCoats, started a church, tappinghis nephew to serve as minis-

ter of music. Aer 10 years hisuncle had a new idea.

In 2005 my uncle threwme into the pulpit, said Coats.

That began a three-yearjourney of preaching, aendingseminary and the realizationthat I had to embrace the call ofa pastor to be obedient to myLord.

Perhaps still testing thewaters lightly, Coats movedhis family to Homestead andintended to start slow with hisrst church plant. He planned a

small Bible study.We began with a groupof 14 at the rst Bible studypreview, said Coats. They allasked a question I wasnt pre-pared to answer. What are yougoing to do now?

Coats did the only thinghe could think of and beganlooking for meeting space. InDecember 2009 he located amovie theater that allowed him

to rent space for the Bible study.The Bible study launch was setfor New Years Eve.

Forty people showed upfor the Bible study, said Coats.The next week more cameand everyone wanted to havea worship service. That yearwe baptized 30 people. In 2011we baptized 33. I backed intochurch planting.

All the while Coats remainedinvolved in Southern Baptistlife. He is one of six missionar-ies featured this year by theNorth American Mission Boardas part of its 2014 Annie Arm-strong Easter Oering promo-

tion. Half of NAMBs nancialsupport comes from the Annie

Armstrong oering.Kingdom Covenant BaptistChurch was the result of Coatsaccidental planting. He saysthe church is kingdom focused,connecting people with thegospel.

God is up to something.You dont have to over think it.Just do it, he said.

Kingdom Covenant is estab-lishing city groups to create a

culture of discipleship, and it isworking in practical ways.Being named an Annie

Armstrong Week of Prayer Mis-sionary was humbling to Coats.He has long known about theoerings signicance.

The Annie Armstrongoering is super important,said Coats. Weve beneted

from training, resources andpartnering churches whove

come down and labored withus in the eld. The best encour-agement for a church planteris knowing hes not alone.Through the Annie ArmstrongEaster Oering, other SBCchurches are made aware ofchurch planting and they comealongside the plant to help in abig way.

Church Planter Helps Students Find Christ in QuebecBy Adam MillerNorth American Mission Board writer

LENNOXVILLE, Quebec Canadians easily dismiss Chris-tianity especially in Quebec.The history of mistrust is wovendeep within the fabric of Qub-cois culture a culture thatsdecidedly Catholic and, at thesame time, increasingly secular.

But Lucas Aube in Lennox-ville, Quebec, has worked tomake rejecting Christ a greaterchallenge than ever among thethousands of students of Bish-ops University and ChamplainCollege.

Its not been easy. The im-mediate response many giveto Christian outreach has beenone of disdain, skepticism andeven, as Aube has experienced,disgust at the crazy religiouspeople. Intentionally engagingpeople in ways that destroystereotypes is changing thatperspective.

We are living as the handsand feet of Jesus on a weeklybasis, says Aube.

He is planting EncounterChurch with the goal of havinga self-sustaining church thatreaches students and the fami-

lies in the surrounding com-munities.

Aube is one of six mis-sionaries featured this year inthe North American MissionBoards 2014 promotion of theAnnie Armstrong Easter Of-fering. The church plant hepastors is part of NAMBs eortto help Southern Baptists start

15,000 new churches in 10 years.Read Aubes prayer requestsand watch a video about himat hp://www.anniearmstrong.com/lucasaube/

Read the full story at hp://bit.ly/1gbQS1l

KNCSB ON MISSION

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Oregon Trail Assn. Votes to Partner with Alaska

Oregon Trail Baptist Association in Western Nebraska voted on Saturday, Jan. 25, to entera partnership with the Alaska Baptist Convention. OTBA is taking the lead in the partner-ship, and other Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists are encouraged to participate. ButchStrickland (left) attended the Jan. 25 meeting and took an extensive tour of the associa-tion with Doug Lee (right), OTBA director of missions. Strickland and Lee are pictured onSunday, Jan. 26, when they stopped on the way to First Baptist Church, Valentine, Neb.,where Strickland was the featured speaker during the Sunday morning worship service.Strickland is director of church planting and missions for the Alaska convention.

Brenda Lee serves with her husband, Doug, in reachingthe people of Western Nebraska. Doug Lee is director ofmissions for Oregon Trail Baptist Association. Here, sheteaches the children during the Sunday night Bible study atOgallala, Neb.

Long distances, small

churches and the need for labor-ers in the harvest eld thoseare some of the similarities thatAlaska Southern Baptists sharewith Oregon Trail Baptist Asso-ciation in Western Nebraska.

The OTBA Executive Boardvoted on Saturday, Jan. 25, toenter a partnership with theAlaska Baptist Convention. Thisaction came aer nearly fouryears of forming relationshipswith Alaska Southern Baptists.

We are the most un-churched state in the nation,Butch Strickland said of Alaska.Strickland is director of churchplanting and missions for theAlaska convention.

Alaska is two-and-one-third times the size of Texas.The Alaska convention hasapproximately 120 churches

ranging in size from 20 to 1,200in aendance. A Texas-sizedarea of the state has 100 villageswhere there are no evangelicalchurches, Strickland said.

The state also is very ethni-cally diverse. As just one ex-ample, 96 languages are spokenin the Anchorage school system.

Strickland came to OregonTrail Association a few daysbefore the Executive Boardmeeting. He toured the associa-tion with Doug Lee, directorof missions. The two traveledmore than 1,200 miles.

Oregon Trail Association

is taking the lead in the newpartnership with Alaska. Butother Kansas-Nebraska South-

ern Baptists are invited to jointhe eort. Contact Doug Leeat Douglee5151@gmail.com tolearn how you can get involved.

Lee and two OTBA pastors Ryan Alexander and DaveMcDonald took a visiontrip to Alaska in early Novem-ber 2013. Alexander is pastorof Calvary Baptist Church inNorth Plae, and McDonaldis a church planter based in

Kearney.The trip laid the groundwork

for two 2014 mission trips toAlaska. Plans call for workingwith Friendship Baptist Churchin Fairbanks and in area towns.

Dates for the trips are:nJune 24-30 with Ryan Alex-

ander as team leader.nAug. 15-22 with Dave Mc-

Donald as team leader.

Those who want to par-ticipate are asked to make acommitment and pay a depositas soon as possible. Team par-ticipants will need to book theirown ights to Fairbanks.

Churches in Oregon TrailAssociation and other Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptistchurches are urged to adopt achurch in Alaska.

Strickland and his wife, Pam,

served for 15 years as Interna-tional Mission Board missionar-ies in Venezuela.

The people of Venezuelaare very, very responsive to the

By Eva WilsonBaptist Digest Associate Editor

gospel, Strickland said.Alaska stands in stark con-

trast to Venezuela in respon-

siveness to the gospel. But

God is moving, and the Alaskaconvention has started 22 newchurches in the past two years.

Oregon Trail Baptist Asso-

ciation, with the help of otherKansas-Nebraska SouthernBaptists, is ready to be a part of

Gods work in Alaska.

Why Plant Churches in Western Nebraska?By Doug Lee

As I drive across Nebraska Isee churches scaered thoughout our small towns, cities andacross the countryside. I hearpeople say, Dont we have

enough churches? We need tostrengthen the churches that wehave.

Why do we need morechurches? Let me share withyou a few reasons why we needto be planting churches:

1. Most of the churches are indecline and graying.

2. Most churches are notevangelistic and the few thatare growing are so because of

transfer of membership.

3. We have a growing popu-lation of what I like to call theNew Nebraskans peoplefrom Africa, Asia, and Centraland South America.

4. We have a declining Anglopopulation in many counties

causing many churches to close,creating a vacuum of evangeli-cal churches.

5. Old mainline churches nolong preach the gospel of JesusChrist.

6. Jesus has command usto go and tell others the GoodNews (Ma. 28:19-20)

7. Because God so loved theworld (Nebraskans) and we tooshould love the world (Nebras-

kans).

Planting churches is thestrategy that our Lord has cho-sen to reach the under evange-lized. Think about it: it is themost practical strategy, you leadpeople to Christ, disciple themand organize them to carry on

the work (Ma. 28:19-20).As Southern Baptists we areasking our churches to part-ner with other SBC churchesin planting churches by beingSponsoring Churches, Sup-porting Churches, or SendingChurches. Will you accept thischallenge?

(Doug Lee is Director of Mis-sions/Church Planter Catalyst forOregon Trail Baptist Association in

Western Nebraska.)

WCC E-NewsletterStay informed about how God is working at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. Signup for the WCC E-Newsletter at http://webstercc.org/wcc/e_newsletter/

8/12/2019 Baptist Digest March 2014

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www KNCSB org

8/12/2019 Baptist Digest March 2014

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WCC recently received a new 2014 Matching Challenge Grant froma Kansas family for the Dining Hall expansion project to increase Dining Hall seating to 500. The grant will match dollar for dollar all giftsgiven up to $50,000. Could God be leading other families to do thesame even if the amounts were smaller or larger?

n WCC is now available to KNCSB Associations to begin booking their2016 meetings at WCC.

n KNCSB churches may begin booking their 2016 meetings at WCCbeginning April 1, 2014.

n Highlights of the February WCC Board Meeting:1. Jeff Cody (South Central Association), John Craighead (Southeast

Kansas Association) and Danny Parker (Western Kansas Association) joined the board.

2. WCC received a good Revenue Report from the auditors.3. The board continues to tweak plans and is now getting nal bids for the

Dining Hall project.4. The board continues to look for revenues to replace the current asphalt

with concrete for all the parking lots and driveways from sources outside of SBC Churches. Please pray!

n Thank you for your prayers, nancial support and usage of WCC.Send all gifts payable to WCC at 5410 S.W. 7th Street in Topeka, KS

66606-2398.TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

Thank you for your continued support of this mission facility as wecontinue to reach people for Christ and train believers for the work ofthe ministry!The WCC StaffChurch Seeks Education Pastor

Suburban Kansas City church, averaging 400 in Bible Study, 450 in worship,seeking full-time Education Pastor with emphasis on children and youngfamilies. Send resume to: Search Committee, South Haven Baptist Church,PO Box 827, Belton, MO 64012.

Association Seeks DOMThe Clay-Platte Baptist Association is accepting resumes for Director ofMissions. Candidates should be able to cast Gods vision and lead theassociation into a new era by helping churches fulll their mission, fosterpartnerships between churches and starting new congregations. Seminary

education with Masters or comparable education preferred. To see job de-scription go to clayplatteba.org. Send resumes to: Attn: Leadership Council,Clay-Platte Baptist Association, 800 NE Vivion Rd., Kansas City, MO 64118or e-mail to cpba@clayplatteba.org by April 7th, 2014.

The 2014 gathering of the Baptist Asso-ciation of Christian Educators (BACE) on

April 3-4, 2014 will explore the theme ofThe Bible and Missional Change. Theconference will be held at MidwesternBaptist Theological Seminary in KansasCity, Missouri.

This annual conference will benetChristian educators from a variety of set-tings. Potential conferees include minis-ters of education, discipleship, and age-group ministries serving on church anddenominational stas, as well and collegeand seminary professors and students.

The theme states that in order for

Christ-followers to truly live missionallives through missional churches, theability to read the Bible is an essentialfoundation for shaping change manage-ment skills.

On Thursday afternoon Dr. GeorgeGuthrie, author of Read the Bible for

2014 SBC ChurchCompensation Survey

Be part of the largest church compensation survey inthe country.

Largest, free survey of its kind

Quick to take easy to submit

Results are available to all participants

Confidentiality guaranteed

To participate, visit:

www.GuideStone.org/CompensationSurveyDeadline is May 31!

Take the survey for a chance to win a free iPad!

Life and Professor of Bible at UnionUniversity in Jackson, TN will explore

The Bibles Role in the Missional Move-ment.Building on that essential foundation,

Fridays sessions will focus on shap-ing change management skills. Dr. JimHerrington, author of Leading Congre-gational Change and Team Leader atFaithwalking, will speak on becomingMissional Change Agents. A special fea-ture will examine cultural considerationsin missional change. Dr. Daniel Jong-SangChae, Executive Director of Amnos Min-istries, will address the Korean context

and John Ramirez, Strategic PartnershipDirector for the Metropolitan New YorkBaptist Association, will highlight theHispanic context.

For registration and details go to www.baptisteducators.org. KNCSB contact isMarie Clark, mclark@kncsb.org.

BACE Conference to ExploreThe Bible and Missional Change

Salina Church Seeks PastorFIRST SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH, SALINA, KANSAS is prayerfullyseeking the Lords leadership to call a Senior Pastor. Recommendations orResumes may be sent to Ryan Kejr, Chairman, Pastor Search Committee,2401 S. Ohio St., Salina Kansas 67401 or rjkejr@gmail.com.

WCC

UpdateMarch 21-22, 2014--WebsterConference Center

For Leaders in ChurchesRunning Under 150 in

Worship

Featuring

Richard BlackabyContact Jana Gifford

(jgifford@kncsb.org - 800-984-9092)

for further information

Long-time Nebraska pastor Bob Payne died Monday, Feb. 17. He was

the retired pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, North Platte, Neb., where heserved for many years.

The funeral was scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Grace Com-munity Bible Church in North Platte.Carpenter Memorial Chapel, North Platte, was in charge of arrangements.A complete obituary will be published on the KNCSB Web site and in theApril issue of The Digest.

Obituary