Baptist

Vol. 56 No. 4

www.baptistdigest.com

Leadership Baton to be Passed in 3 Campus Ministries

The leadership baton will be passed at the end of the school year in the Southern Baptist campus ministries at the three largest universities in Nebraska and Kansas. Rick Clock will be retiring after 32 years at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Brett Yohn and Bob Anderson will be retiring after 40 years of service. Yohn leads the ministry at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln while Anderson serves at Kansas State University, Manhattan. The KNCSB Mission Board on Friday, March 8, affirmed the three men and their wives who will be assuming the new leadership roles after Clock, Anderson and Yohn retire. Robbie Nutter (left) will take over the leadership role at K-State Christian Challenge, where he now serves. Jeremy Pape (center) will assume leadership of Christian Challenge at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, where he has served since 2005. Ryan Stelk will take over the leadership role at the University of Kansas. He has served for 10 years with K-State Christian Challenge. The Mission Board held a special prayer time for the three men and their wives.

igest

Newsjournal Of Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists

April 2013

Editors Note: For the past year we have been uploading the Digest to an online reading and download site. We have tested this enough now to begin offering our readers an option. If you would like to receive an email notification of the Digest upload to the web either instead of the print copy, or in addition to it, please send your email address to tboyd@kncsb.org. Please note whether you would like to eliminate your print copy. It may take us several months to eliminate your print copy if that is what you choose to do. We want to make sure that the email notification is working.

A rancher in the far southwest corner of Kansas was blessed by a load of donated hay sent by ranchers in the Nebraska Sandhills. John Tucker, who is active in Hillcrest Baptist Church in Elkhart, asked God to make it possible for him to return the blessing. He and his family sent a semi-trailer load of hay to Springview, Neb., in early March. A devastating wildfire hit north-central Nebraska in late July 2012 and a number of ranchers lost everything. (Photo by Terrell Giddens)

WWW.KNCSB.ORG The Thought Occurred to Me

By Bob Mills
KNCSB Executive Director E-mail: bmills@kncsb.org

By Georges Boujakly

Walking With the Master

I want to thank you for your responses to my article that Discipleship is not just about a course of study. It is not just the cognitive acquisition of information. For so many years, I think we as Southern Baptists have viewed discipleship as completing one study after another hopefully resulting in one being more conformed to the image of Christ. How has that worked for us? My conclusion would be, not very well. Whereas, I think one part of discipleship is cognitive we must not ignore the experiential. Southern Baptists have done a less than stellar job in developing believers into Christ followers. Perhaps we have viewed evangelism and discipleship as exclu-

sive to each other. I think they need to be viewed as a continuous action of discipleship. The Great Commission provides us with the clear mandate To make disciples. When an individual comes to faith in Jesus Christ and is baptized, the journey begins. In too many of our churches we fail to develop and intentional plan for growing followers into Christ likeness. It is little wonder why we have congregants who know and do little about stewardship, evangelism, missions, church planting and simple Biblical literacy. Who has taught them? Who has shown them the way? Perhaps the most effective way to realize discipleship is to provide an intentional mentoring system for

all believers. Basic questions need to be asked of all of us. Who are you mentoring and who is mentoring you? Who are we doing life with on this disciplined spiritual journey? Knowing spiritual disciplines and living them out in this life with brothers and sisters in the faith is, I think, Gods design.

Bob Mills

KNCSB State Director of Missions E-mail: gboujakly@kncsb.org

Learning Jesus: Where Is the One To Be Born King of the Jews? I have embarked on a yearlong journey of learning Jesus inspired by Ephesians 4:20. Other than reading the Gospels repeatedly while paying close attention to Jesus words and actions, I am also reading books such as The Man Christ Jesus, by Bruce Ware. Ill recommend others in months to come. Thanks for being learners with me. The Father and the Son lived a life of loving relationship before the world was made. This loving relationship extends to the life of the Son in Jesus the Messiah and by extension to us (John 17:24, 3:16). We must learn this loving God who became Man and grow to be more like him. This Love come to earth is costly. The title of this article is a haunting reminder of the cost. A twisted evil mind, a pitiless king, a Georges Boujakly fearful king, an egomaniacal despot, an insecure dimwit, a merciless murderer of children, some his own, a misogynist, beheading his own wife, a killer of prophets who dared speak the truth, tried to kill this love. It was said of him, it is better to be Herods pig than to be his son. The Coventry Carol poet hit the nail on the head depicting this kings evil: Herod, the king, in his raging, charged he hath this day, his men of might, in his own sight, all children born to slay. While this selfaggrandizing fool (Psalm 14, 53) was bent on becoming glorious in the eyes of man Jesus came into the world in self-abasement to bring glory to his Father and shed his love abroad in the human heart. Herod went to his damned destiny but eternal love flourished in Jesus. The Son accomplished this feat of love by an emptying, which unfolds in three steps: a taking on of humanity, a human birth, and obedience unto death. We must learn the humanity of Jesus and his selfemptying ways. Though hard to grasp, Jesus emptied his very self, not something in himself. But this empty-

ing, strange as it may sound, is actually an addition. It sounds strange: subtraction by addition! How can it be? A feeble illustration: Lets say you take a walk in the rain on a dirt road. Dirt turns into mud. You drop your treasured gold and diamond ring in the mud. After searching for a long while you give up and go home. Later up comes the sunshine and dries up all the rain. You return to search. You find your ring, but its caked with dirt. It looks different yet its the same ring. The gold and diamond are still there. The mud is added. The ring has now become more, not less. The kind of obedience of the Son, and the extent of it are remarkable. Not remarkable because it was the first time the Son obeyed. No, the Son is eternally obedient in doing the will of his Father (1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 1:1-2). God creates his creation through the Son and the Spirit according to the will of the Father. The Father sends the Son whose willingness to come is his very act of obedience (John 6:38). Willing and loving submission of the Son has always marked the relationship within the Trinity. The stress of Philippians 2:8 is on the obedience unto death by crucifixion. God the Son became human knowing when he was sent that his obedience would lead to a most cruel death. This is a one of a kind, onetime, obedience that the Son experienced in becoming human. He was always obedient but this obedience was remarkable in that it was unto death. Because of the cross God knows human suffering as we do! Sobering! Selah. Are there implications of learning this emptying,
The Baptist Digest

suffering, dying, Son of God? How can there not be? To my mind this reality changes everything: Who God is, who we are, and what God wants to do through us in this world! 1. For one, we should not quickly or glibly speak of imitating Christ until we have understood something of the extent of his suffering, death, and obedience. There is no imitation of Christ without imitation of his suffering. Our God is a dying and death defying God who has modeled for us how to die and live in obedience (1 Peter 2:21-23). We follow in his footsteps in our willingness to love and experience the suffering of love as he did (1 Corinthians 13). 2. When the heart is invaded by such a God-love the desire for imitation is born. Philippians 2:5 commands: Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. To be like Jesus is to give ourselves in humble service to others. We cant serve to the extent he did (dying on behalf of the world) but our service should follow in his steps. Serving those we lead and those who are our neighbors is a great act of imitation of the Jesus we learn. 3. We learn Jesus when we learn the journey of love. First we begin by loving ourselves for our sake. Next we learn to love God for our sake and then God for his sake. But the last degree of love is to learn to love ourselves only for Gods sake. This ultimate love is what Christ came to demonstrate and accomplish. Christianity is the religion of self-emptying, of love, of service to the world. Learning Jesus is learning to love God and the world and to love ourselves in honor of the One who made us. May it be so!
To give local news:

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(USPS 018-942) Vol. 57 No. 4 Leadership Newsjournal for KansasNebraska Southern Baptists is published monthly 12 times a year. 5410 SW 7th Street Topeka, KS 66606-2398 Phone: (785) 228-6800 Toll Free: 800-984-9092 Fax: (785) 273-4992 E-mail: tboyd@kncsb.org Web site: baptistdigest.com
Periodical postage paid at Topeka, KS 66606 and additional entries. Send address changes to: The Baptist Digest, 5410 SW 7th Street, Topeka, KS 66606-2398.

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES: INFORM -- Regularly share information about ongoing training, curriculum, events, support and personnel. RESOURCE -- Serve as a resource pool for practical ideas about what is working in KS-NE congregations and how it relates to all sizes of churches. GENERATIONAL -- Cast . the widest net, providing stories and information that will appeal to all generations of Southern Baptists in NE-KS. FAMILY-FRIENDLY -- Be family-friendly with stories, regular columns and helps for families and leaders who work with families. AGE DIVERSE -- Publish s . tories that address the diversity of age, ethnicity, and geographical regions of KS-NE. MISSION-ORIENTED -- Publish stories about people and congregations involved in missions and regularly publicize ministry opportunities. PART OF WIDER MISSION - Help congregations discover that they are part of the larger work of the Kingdom of God through their ministries.

Local church and associational news may be submitted by mail, phone, fax or e-mail. Advertising policy and rates are available upon request Call 800-984-9092 or e-mail: tboyd@kncsb.org

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Editor: Tim Boyd, PhD. Associate Editor: Eva Wilson Printing Coordinator: Derek Taylor KNCSB Executive Director
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Robert T. Mills, D. Min.

Gods Plan for Sharing

By Jon Sapp
KNCSB State Director of Evangelism E-mail: jsapp@kncsb.org

Sharing & Strengthening

3. To catalyze our churches to extend beyond their building and current ministry with involvement in schools, local governments and other community settings. In our churches, we already have good evangelism events and opportunities at hand. For example, a good number of churches have had Easter celebrations for children and an outreach into the comJon Sapp munity and with warmer weather, opportunities to engage others will increase. One approach for the Share Team is getting this good news out across the Convention. Communication of best practices is one of the applications we could strengthen. God is using our members in making Him known. We want to see that number increase. Another area of our focus is encouragement and training to move regular ministry into the community. During 2014-15, many of our sister Conventions will be using tools provided through the Gods Plan for Sharing website. These recommendations will highlight servant evangelism with a Day of Serving or Season for Sharing. Elements of these outreach ministries will be building a solid prayer base, training as many as possible and encouraging churches to get involved More information will be coming to help our 400 churches understand and implement efforts to reach out to the local communities. This is just one way of being salt and light where we live. These are my initial ideas as I work with the new Sharing Team. I am so grateful for the commitment to evangelism I see in our churches across Nebraska and Kansas. However, I believe the new vision and energy of the team can encourage a greater impact as we continue to make Him known. I look forward to passing on to you the results of our team as we focus here in Kansas-Nebraska on Gods Plan for Sharing.

Todays world needs to know, believe and experience the power of the Good News of Jesus Christ more than ever. As Christ-followers, we are called to be ambassadors of Him and to be obedient in working with others to make new generations of Christ-followers where we live and work. We cant ignore this command. This past month, ten of us agreed to work together to serve the Kansas and Nebraska churches to continue the task of sharing the gospel. Across our two states we have more than 400 churches and mission points. It excites me to imagine the number of relationships we have with folks that have yet to discover the hope and peace that comes from having a relationship with Christ. To work with all our churches, our Share Team intends to focus on three areas. These include: 1. To encourage every believer to passionately share the truth of Christ in their life context. 2. To cooperatively ignite a zeal for sharing the Gospel by hearing of where evangelism is impacting local communities.

By Diana Davis

A 30-Second Celebration

Ive noticed an interesting common denominator in vibrant, growing churches: They always seem to be celebrating something Gods doing there. Your church can do that! Use these two simple steps to add a mini-celebration during weekly church announcements. Step One: Be vigilantly observant to see what Gods doing in His church. He is at work! Keep an ongoing list, and select at least one current praise to mention each Sunday. Step Two: Plan the best way to brag on God. Use varying methods to praise Him for that specific blessing during Sunday worships announcements. Here are some ideas and examples, each requiring less than thirty seconds: 1. Show it. The Fire Department sent this thank you note for our churchs prayer and the Firemans Bibles we gave them! 2. Numbers. Create giant numbers, and use them to announce camp enrollment, baptism numbers, cans of food collected, etc. 3. Tour instructions. After worship, follow the yellow arrows to see our remodeled nursery! 4. Assignment. Gods blessing our new singles class! They are distributing invitation cards for you to give a single adult you know. 5. Tradition. Play four musical bars of Jesus Loves the Little Children then announce Gods newest blessing at our churchIan Key, born to Hal and Jan on Monday. 6. Reminder. We exceeded our Annie Armstrong offering goal! Take the bookmark in your chair to remind you to pray for our North American Mission Board missionaries. 7. PowerPoint slide. Add praises into pre- and post-service audiovisuals. 73 stopped here to pray on National

Day of Prayer! 8. Facebook. Ann, who is being baptized today, wrote her testimony as a Facebook post! Share it on your page today. 9. Wall graphic. After every baptism, our pastor refers to the wall visual tallying Gods blessing of new believers. 10. Applause. God has answered our churchs prayers for new small group leaders. Lets all applaud Him for His blessing! 11. Raise hands. Our mens Bible class is the fastest-growing in the church. If youre in that class, raise your hand. 12. Certificates. Everyone on the front row has completed our Discipleship 101 class! Each received a beautiful certificate like this one. 13. Visible results. Our youth garage sale raised $800 to buy these 40 Bibles and 100 witness bracelets for their Mexico mission trip! 14. Stand up. Our 5th grade Bible class set a record attendance of __! Stand up, 5th graders! 15. Photo. Use supersized or PowerPoint photo. Heres the property our church plant, Soma Church, has purchased! 16. Ask for action. Lets use our vehicles as mobile church invitations! Take a church window sticker. Volunteers in the parking lot can help you with installation. God is at work in His church. Will you be constantly on watch, and use praise announcements during worship to intentionally, joyfully celebrate what Hes doing? Diana Davis 2013. For more baptism ideas and invitation links see www.dianadavis.org

Lighthouse Baptist Church Saint George, Kansas had a fire in its kitchen on Sunday March 3. On Sunday nights the church opens up the gymnasium for a basketball ministry. March 3rd was like any other Sunday night as the young men and women made their way into the gym to start warming up.

Church Experiences Kitchen Fire

scene they took great care to put out the fire and protect the building. They even went to the extent of putting down kitty litter to keep water from getting onto the gym floor. The fire investigator informed Pastor Jim that the fire was started by a old electric can opener. The fire was contained to the kitchen, however there was a great deal of smoke and soot damage in that building. Damage is estimated at $50,000$70,000. Lighthouse is expected to have full use of the kitchen by the end of April.

Lighthouse Baptist Church, Saint George, Kansas recovering from kitchen fire by continuing to press forward in ministry.

Pastor Jim whistled and everyone gathered at center court for the usual devotion and prayer. After prayer, the just over 30 people there that night started to shoot for teams. After the first 10 minute game finished and the second was starting one of the teenagers headed to the kitchen to get a case of water and a case of Gatorade. As he opened the door to the church fellowship hall (dining room) black smoke poured out. Quickly several people started to get everyone out and make sure they were all accounted for. While three men fought the fire two others held lights so they could see. The fire department was called, and everyone was safe. Standing just outside the kitchen door the pastor continued to run in every time the fire spiked back up until the firemen arrived. Once the firefighters were on the

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The fire in the kitchen of Lighhouse Baptist Church began with a faulty can opener. The damage seen above has not deterred the church from pressing forward in ministry in spite of this setback.

Christ First Counseling Center Offers Help and Hope

CFCC & Associates, Inc. is a compassionate place for hope and healing for all people in Eastern Kansas. As a 501(c) (3), CFCC is organized exclusively for providing Christ-centered counseling; psychoeducational training classes; specialized treatment groups; and providing clinical supervision for clinical interns. Our primary value is to provide a clientfocused, Christ-centered philosophy of care regardless of a persons ability to pay. At CFCC & Associates, Inc. you can receive counseling services related to a wide variety of mental health issues by participating in traditional or equine assisted psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families, and/or groups. You may go to www.counselingtopeka.com for more information. We would like to invite you to the ACTHA HELP Trail Challenge (CTC) at Clinton Lake in Lawrence, Kansas on April 27th. The CTC is a casual competitive trail ride, and consists of 6-8 miles of trail, with 6 obstacles spaced along the trail. The ride is a fundraiser for a program called Horses Easing Lifes Pain (HELP) administered by CFCC & Associates, Inc. in Topeka, KS. The HELP program provides Equine Assisted Psychotherapy to children and adults suffering from a variety of mental health issues like, PTSD, Anxiety, Addiction and Depression stemming from traumatic life events, such as Domestic Violence or Military Service. In addition to the CTC, we are also

KNCSB Life

UNASHAMED-Voice of the Martyrs ConferenceLenexa Baptist Church, Lenexa, KS

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. Romans 1:16 Today around the world Christians are Unashamed of the gospel and Jesus Christ while under restriction, persecution, and imprisonment. Come and be encouraged by their testimonies of courage and faith, how God is at work in their midst, and what Gods Word says to us about this. Saturday April 13, 2013 - 9am - 5pm. Doors open at 8AM for registration, prayer, resource area. Lunch - noon-1:30 on your own at area restaurants. No charge to attend. An offering will be received. No child care. 15320 W. 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, KS 66219

Viola Webb State & Associational Missions Offering

having contests for Best Dressed Cowgirl, Best Dressed Cowboy, Best Groomed Horse, Best Dressed Dog, Pluggin Along Award, Hard Luck Award, and Farthest Traveled Award. There will be activities back at camp during the ride for kids that dont go out on the trail. If you are interested in volunteering or donating prizes for these events please call us at 785-272-0778. Otherwise, go to https://www.actha.us/ride/6438/view to register for the ride! We hope you can make it! Its going to be fun!

Three Veteran Campus Ministers In Kansas-Nebraska Are Retiring At The End Of The School Year In May
Brett Yohn and Bob Anderson have served for 40 years. Yohn serves at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln while Anderson serves at Kansas State University in Manhattan. A third campus minister -- Rick Clock at the University of Kansas in Lawrence recently announced his plans to retire after 32 years of service. You can help tell the story of how these three men have impacted Kansas, Nebraska and the world by sending your tributes to Eva Wilson at ewilson@kncsb.org. Please dont forget to tell about the impact of their wives who have stood beside them through the years, often out of the spotlight. If you were a part of one of these campus ministries, please list the year you graduated or the years you attended. Please also include your hometown and where you are now living. Photos, especially in digital format, also are welcomed. Send hardcopy photos to Eva Wilson at KNCSB, 5410 SW 7th St., Topeka, KS 66606. The photos will be scanned and returned. Thank you for your help in telling the story of these three mens ministries.

As of the end of February, the 2012-2013 Viola Webb State & Associational Missions Offering has received $142,487.55 from the churches of Nebraska and Kansas. Below is a record of giving from each association. Remember that the offering is divided equally between your association and KNCSB. n Central 11,330.11 n Eastern Nebraska 5,343.20 n Flint Hills 21,159.06 n Heart of Kansas 21,859.56 n Kansas City 34,890.55 n Northeast 433.66 n Oregon Trail 5,091.82 n Sandhills 1,506.10 n Smoky Hill 7,326.35 n South Central 9,473.66 n Southeast Kansas 12,474.05 n Spurgeon 1,840.00 n Western Kansas 11,599.43

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And then I heard the voice of the Master: Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? I spoke up. Isaiah 6:8

Enthusiastic Crowd Prepares for VBS

Gray, rainy weather outside failed to dampen the spirits of participants in the 2013 KNCSB Vacation Bible School Jumpstart Clinc. The event was held Saturday, March 9, at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. It helped VBS leaders and workers prepare for what can be a churchs most effective outreach event. Jumpstart participants learned about Colossal Coaster World: Facing Fear, Trusting God, which is the main 2013 LifeWay VBS theme. The theme is based on 2 Timothy 1:7: For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment (HCSB). Professions of faith made during Vacation Bible School consistently equal about 25 percent of the number of baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention, said Jerry Wooley, LifeWay VBS specialist. VBS rotation sites will reflect the theme park setting: n Main Gate (worship rally) n Coaster Alley (Bible study) n Scissors & Stuff Emporium (crafts) n Tune Town (music) n Global Expo (missions) n Adrenaline Zone (recreation)
n Cotton Candy Caf (snacks) Daily themes will focus on the Apostle Paul and how he faced his fears: n Day 1: Dare to Change Bible story: Paul Obeyed (Acts 9:1-18) Life application: I can trust God and obey Him without fear. n Day 2: Dare to Speak Up Bible story: Paul Spoke Boldly (Acts 9:20-30) Life application: I can trust God to help me speak boldly about Him. n Day 3: Dare to Believe Bible story: Paul Proclaimed Salvation (Acts 16:16-34) Life application: I can trust Gods plan of salvation and share His love with others. n Day 4: Dare to Stand Strong Bible Story: Paul Responded Wisely (Acts 21:27-23:11) Life application: I can trust God to help me have selfcontrol and honor Him with my actions. n Day 5: Dare to Trust Bible story: Paul Trusted God (Acts 27) Life application: I can trust God to give me the power to face my fears no matter what comes next.

kncsb on mission

Francisca Bluvan (left) led one of the core conferences in Spanish during the KNCSB Vacation Bible School Jumpstart Clinic. It was held Saturday, March 9, at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. Here, her son, Jesse, and his wife, Darlene, display their talents in making balloon creations to be used in ministry. Jesse Bluvan pastors a Hispanic congregation in Topeka, Kan. He and his wife use a variety of creative outreach methods, including balloons and puppets. Backyard Kids Club LifeWay also is offering the new Backyard Kids Club as a way to use Colossal Coaster World in a mission setting. Find more information at http:// blog.lifeway.com/vbs/about/ vbs-options/backyard-kids-club/ Club VBS Club VBS is LifeWays second line of VBS curriculum. It offers a two-hour schedule for five days or a one-hour schedule for 10 days. Club VBS is ideal for use by smaller churches or in mission settings. In 2013, Club VBS will be returning to the rainforest with Club VBS Jungle Jaunt! The Scripture passage is Psalm 145:1-2 and the motto is Praise Him! Trust Him! Follow Him! The One True God! Daily content for children is: n Day 1: One Amazing Creator Bible story: God Created the World (Genesis 1:1-2:3) Life application: Because God is Creator, I can praise Him and care for His world. n Day 2: One Miraculous Provider Bible story: God Provided for Elisha and His People (2 Kings 4:1-7, 38-44) Life application: Because God is Provider, I can depend on Him and share with others. n Day 3: One Powerful Healer Bible story: Jesus Healed (Matthew 9:1-8,18-33) Life application: Because God is Healer, I can thank Him and show love for others. n Day 4: One Living Savior Bible story: Jesus Is Alive! (Luke 23-24:1-12,36-49) Life application: Because God sent Jesus to be the Savior of the World, I can trust Jesus as my Savior and Lord and tell others about Him. n Day 5: One Lord of All Bible story: Peter Visits Cornelius Home (Acts 10:36) Life application: Because God is Lord of all, I can follow Him and show respect to all people. E-Anytime, Anywhere LifeWay also offers EAnytime, Anywhere, a series of Bible lessons for preschoolers and children. It offers great flexibility for use in both church and mission settings. Lessons may be downloaded from the LifeWay Web site for $4.95 per lesson. Each lesson includes: n A Bible story with key verses n Teaching tips n Activities that use easy-tofind resources n A Fun Page that can be used during the session or as a take-home page n Preschool sessions Find more information at http://www.lifeway.com/n/ Product-Family/E-AnytimeAnywhere

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Colossal Coaster World: Facing Fear, Trusting God, is the main 2013 LifeWay Vacation Bible School theme. It is based on 2 Timothy 1:7: For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment (HCSB).

Thank You for Supporting the Cooperative Program

Find resources to promote CP at http://www.cpmissions.net/2003/default.asp

Progress Continues at Weir Baptist Camp

(This article includes information from the Southeast Kansas Association newsletter.) New construction and other developments are helping to make Weir Baptist Camp even more effective in reaching people for Christ. The camp is located 12 miles southwest of Pittsburg, Kan. One of the highlights of the past year was beginning construction on a second new cabin called Bethel Cabin. The cabin is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2013 summer camping season. Plans call for constructing four more new cabins at the camp as money becomes available. The new cabins are being constructed on the plain below the hill where the original cabins are located. Weir Baptist Camp is now more than 50 years old. Most of the original cabins were constructed during the camps early days. Southern Baptists in Southeast Kansas joined volunteer groups in constructing the new cabin. Kansas-Nebraska Campers on Mission poured the slab for Bethel Cabin during their April 2012 work project at the camp. Volunteer Christian Builders, based in Texas, arrived in mid-May 2012 to frame the cabin. Kansas-Nebraska Baptist Builders came later to install the electrical wiring. This was the fourth joint project for VCB and Kansas-Nebraska Baptist Builders. Summer Camp 2012 Although the 2012 camp attendance of 290 was the lowest in eight years, it was still a great summer. The six camp sessions brought glory to God. Twentyfour campers accepted Christ as their Savior, and 41 other decisions were recorded. n Senior High Camp The Senior High Camp theme was Changed! Ben Scott of Cherokee was camp director. There were 46 campers and 11 sponsors, plus the camp staff and college team. Monday night featured a concert with three bands. Jason Taylor of Joplin was camp pastor. Chris Bolen of Bellevue, Neb., was the worship leader. Worship workshops involved each camper in music and drama. n Junior High Camp This camp featured a theme of The Deadliest Warriors. Valerie Richardson of Columbus was camp director. Attendance was small with only 22 campers. But nine decisions were recorded and eyes were opened to the enemys deceit. The Summies and their leaders had been working since October on the lessons, team building and worship. Kevin McCloud of Liberal, Kan., was camp pastor and the Summies were the worship leaders. n Pre-Teen Camp Surf for Souls for the theme of PreTeen Camp. The directors were

KNCSB on mission

Weir Baptist Camp, 12 miles southwest of Pittsburg, Kan., has been the scene of much activity in the past year. Construction began on a new cabin called Bethel Cabin. It is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2013 summer camping season. (Photo by Sue Marcum) Kris and Becky Smilko along with Ricky and Dana Davis, all of Sedan, Kan. Kevin Fitzgerald of Oklahoma was camp pastor and the Travis Lee Band from Missouri led worship. One of the weeks highlights was a luau on Wednesday night complete with roasted pig and all of the Hawaiian side dishes. Six campers were saved with a total of 19 decisions. n Childrens Camp New camp directors were Randy and Darla Dirrim from Westview Baptist Church, Chanute, Kan. There were 52 campers, 12 sponsors and lots of helpers from Westview Baptist Church. Awesome God was the camp theme. Jim Hoipkemier from Oklahoma was camp pastor. The Haiti mission team from Cherokee taught missions. Twelve campers accepted Christ and 13 other decisions were recorded. n Kingdom Kids Camp Best Friends with Jesus was the theme for Kingdom Kids Camp for first and second graders. Alyson Bailes of Neodesha and Lori Oldweiler of Altoona were the first-time camp leaders. Luke Oldweiler of Oklahoma was camp pastor. Amanda Perry, a member of the Haiti mission team, led missions. There were 66 campers and 21 sponsors. n Childrens Day Camp The last 2012 camp session was Day Camp. Leaders were Stephen and Heather Heslip Campers on Mission. Kansas-Nebraska Campers on Mission held their fall rally at the camp along with a twoweek work project. Campers on Mission projects at the camp included working on Bethel Cabin. These projects included installing knotty-pine paneling and ceramic floor tile and texturing the ceiling and walls. Part of the COM group worked on remodeling an older cabin to be used by camp pastors and cooks. The Campers on Mission ladies painted playground equipment, building trim and the sign at the camp entrance. Three of the COM men worked on constructing cabinets to be installed in Bethel Cabin. Work will soon be underway on constructing a new addition to the camp kitchen. The slab was poured in November. The new addition will include a complete clean-up station, a bathroom and a storage closet. For more than 50 years, God has been using Weir Baptist Camp to reach people for Christ and disciple them. New cabins and other development will help make the camp even more effective in reaching people.

2013 Camp Dates At Weir Baptist Camp

n June 3-7 Senior High Camp (grades 9-12) n June 10-14 Junior High Camp (grades 7-8) n June 17-21 Pre-Teen Camp (grade 5-6) n June 24-28 Childrens Camp (grades 3-4) n July 1 Day Camp (4 years to kindergarten) n July 2-3 Kingdom Kids Camp (grades 1-2)

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and Karen McCord. There were 40 campers, 24 sponsors and 18 staff. Children rotated among five different stations including Bible story, crafts, missions, recreation and music. The theme was God Made the World, and each rotation emphasized that truth. Fall volunteer groups Fall 2012 saw return visits from Volunteer Christian Builders and Kansas-Nebraska

Kansas-Nebraska Campers on Mission women tackled a variety of projects during the COM fall 2012 work project at Weir Baptist Camp. Sherry Smith (left) and Jean Wade worked on painting the sign at the camp entrance. (Photo by Sue Marcum)

Never Give Up the Pursuit

By Debbie Eble
KNCSB Womens Leadership, Fit 4 Him Consultant

www.knwomen.com

Beautiful Feet

There are days when I wonder if I ever do anything right, but then once in a while, through the action of another person, God sends me a sweet message of love and encouragement. I received one of those this morning as I was urging my body out of bed while it was still dark. Some time before 6:00 God put it on the heart of my oldest son to text me these words of encouragement, and with his permission I am sharing it with you exactly as he sent it. Mom Thank you for instilling fitness into my life at a young age. God being number one. Number two is fitness. It releases the things that hurt me in my own mind. I am very thankful for your endurance and perseverance in your walk with Christ and fitness. Love you, your son. If you are a parent I dont have to tell you what a boost that gave me not only for the day, but will help to carry me through the entire year! It is so easy to get discouraged in our work, even when we have a passion for it. Being beautifully transparent, my son described what it was about his workouts he was thankful for.it releases the things that hurt me in my own mind. This benefit is known as the release of mental anxiety and is something important to take note of.

Bob Philips, Christian author and counselor writes, Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained. Anxiety and depression are the two most common emotions that plague people. According to statistics by The National Institute of Mental Health approximately 40 million Americans, ages 18 and older, have an anxiety disorder such as panic disorder, obsessivecompulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress, generalized anxiety, and phobias. Exercising yourself into a good sweat helps by releasing the feel-good brain chemicals (neurotransmitters and endorphins), reducing the bad immune system chemicals that can worsen depression, it takes your mind off worries and gets you out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed the anxiety and depression, it gives you the chance to socialize with others, and teaches you healthy coping skills. What great benefits! Why arent we all sweating more? The link between anxiety, depression and exercise is still being researched, but one thing is sureworking out can definitely help you relax and make you feel better. Exercise may also help keep anxiety and depression from coming back once you are feeling better. That being said, the other part of his text stated that God was number one in importance. God has so closely intertwined that connection of mind, body and spirit that He instructs us in Mark 12:30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Seek God first. Then check with your doctor and try some lowimpact activities like swimming, cycling, or using an elliptical trainer (my sons favorite) to get your heart rate up without compromising the quality of your joints. Spiritual fitness and physical fitness never give up the pursuit!

By Pam McDonald
, KNCSB Womens Leadership, Baptist Nursing Fellowship President

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Romans 10:15b As a health care professional we have the unique opportunity to bring good news to people in all stages of their life; birth of a baby, the near miss accident, the miraculous recovery from a serious illness. But do we ever give them the Good News? What shape are your feet in? The other day I was putting a race car track on my four year old grandsons wall. I was barefooted and on my knees, concentrating with all my might. All of sudden I felt his little fingers pulling the dried skin off the bottom of my feet! That night, knowing I needed to write an article for this paper, Romans 10:15b, kept running through my mind. Were my spiritual feet like the bottom of my physical feet? Had I let them get dried and calloused? When was the last time I had brought someone good news? It was a call to let the Healer exfoliate my feet and make them beautiful again. Are you looking for ways to bring good news? This summer offers just such a venue. Where else can you find a large population of teens and adults in a confined area for a week! Super Summer at Webster Conference Center is just around the corner. Pray about volunteering to minister at camp as only a health care professional can. To get a list of camp dates and information, contact me, Pam, at teacupofjoy@hotmail.com or Beth Payne at bpayne@kncsb.org

Every time I see a semi truck on the highway I wonder what its hauling. Could it be young girls and boys being transported like packages to the next truck stop, where they will be released 2 or 3 at a time to go clean up by begging and/or stealing soap, and then returning to the truck where, during the night truckers will come negotiate with the drivers for one of his/her packages to use for his/her own selfish, ugly, sexual pleasure? Or when Im sitting at a restaurant and wonder why the young man taking my food order refuses to look in my eyes, has bruises along his cheekbone and speaks in broken English, if he is being paid a fair wage and if he is being housed with other young men in an apartment with inadequate plumbing and no electricity. Sex trafficking and human exploitation are in the news every day now. If you read the stories of women who have broken free, you will soon learn that the sex trade business is a huge business with male and female pimps from corporate America to blue-collar America. Sex trade and human slavery businesses are fronted as casinos, massage parlors, bars, nail salons, restaurants, and more. At the Wonderful Weekend for Women 2 years ago we learned about ways to identify trafficked peoplenail techs at the salon we visit, hotel maids, employees at

Packages in Semi Trailers

restaurants. We were told to notice homes or apartments that use padlocks on the outside of the doors, and to be a praying presence at truck stops in our communities. I remember praying for the women who would attend WWW 2011 that they would be so uncomfortable with the info shared that they could not go home and do life as normal. Including me! And yet, here I am, still pretty comfortable with my normal life. Sure Ive taken a stand against trafficking on face book by staying offline for one day. I read as much as I can on these issues and even passed info along to you through a variety of social media. Ive even prayed at truck stops as Ive stopped to get gas for my car and a nice cold or hot beverage for myself. I buy bags and clothes and shoes from businesses that help free people from the sex trade business. But let me tell you girls, God is still whispering in my earyou can do more! And finally, I am. In my city there is an organization that helps get girls and women out of the sex trade business by providing them a safe place to live, skills needed to get work, and an invitation to live a life of faith in a God who will never abuse them, who loves them with open arms and way too much to leave them where they are, and who will guide them to discover the purpose he always had for their lives. Ive submitted my application and am waiting to be trained as a mentor to one or two of these girls. Please God, give me your eyes and your love and your mercy as I connect with these girls and women through this program. Let them see you through my feeble attempts of being your hands and feet. Then he will answer, I assure you that when you havent done it for one of the least of these, you havent done it for me. Matt. 31:45 CEB Life as normal? Not again! Shiggaion! 

April 2013

Mari

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WCC Update
n WCC recently received a new 2013 Matching Challenge Grant from a Kansas family to begin the Dining Hall expansion project to increase Dining Hall seating to 500. The Challenge Grant is for $50,000 and to date approximately $6,000 has been given. Send tax deductible gifts to: 2013 Matching Challenge Grant; 5410 SW 7th Street; Topeka, KS 66606-2398. n An estate settlement gift was recently given to WCC for $162,439.47 for the Dining Hall expansion project. n The KNCSB Mission Board elected Craig Zachariasen has a new WCC Board Member to represent Eastern Nebraska Association. n Please pray that WCCs greatest numbers for the year will be the number of lives that are transformed by God through events held at the facility in 2013. n WCC is now available to KNCSB Associations to begin booking their 2015 meetings at WCC. n KNCSB churches may begin booking their 2015 meetings at WCC beginning April 1, 2013. Thank you for your continued support of this mission facility as we continue to reach people for Christ and train believers for the work of the ministry! The WCC Staff

Coming April 19-20, 2013, a conference for our Normative (under 150 in attendance) Churches. Place: Webster Conference Center Keynote: Terry Dorsett, author (Developing Leadership Teams in the Bivocational Church) and normative church leader. Who: Pastors, key leaders, and spouses The conference will begin Friday evening (19th) and conclude mid to late afternoon on Saturday (20th). In addition to Dorsett, there will be breakout session dealing with issues facing the normative churches of KNCSB. The cost for the conference will be $40 per person and $60 per couple. This includes one nights lodging at WCC and 2 meals plus a gift book. To make a reservation, contact Jana Gifford (jgifford@kncsb.org or call 800-984-9092).

April Sunday School Seminar to Be Held at Webster

On Saturday, April 27, LifeWays National Sunday School Director Seminar will be held at Webster Conference Center in Salina, Kansas, from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Marie Clark, KNCSB Bible Teaching & Discipling Team Leader, recently wrote, This seminar has had literally thousands of pastors, Sunday School Directors, and other leaders from across the nation participate. It has received some of the most positive feedback of any training LifeWay has done in the past 20 years. I have personally been involved in five of these events held here in Kansas and Nebraska during that period. I want to invite pastors and Sunday School directors to participate, along with any of their Sunday School teachers. Additionally the seminar will be of great benefit for churches doing Small Groups. During the seminarin a very practical, interactive way some key areas for your Sunday School / small groups will be addressed: instilling a sense of purpose and mission; blueprints (practical steps) for growth; developing teaching that leads to life change; and building a strategy (intentional plan). Church leaders will walk away with a library of materials that will serve as a resource after the seminar. The How-To Sunday School Manual offers over 100 step-by-step how-tos for accomplishing practical actions in building your Sunday School / Bible study groups. A Sunday School Training System CD is a comprehensive training system that includes 9 books, training plans, handouts, PowerPoint presentations and more. Finally, a seminar notebook in both printed and electronic form plus an electronic copy of all the seminar presentations will be provided. Leaders will get all of the above for just $35, and lunch is provided. To register, go to www.lifeway.com/nssds or call 800-254-2022.

Baptist Digest online.

APRIL 2013