Baptist

Vol. 57 No.6

www.baptistdigest.com

igest

Newsjournal Of Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists

June 2013

Real Encounter Making Evangelistic Impact

In late December 3, Real Encounter rallies were held at two locations in Kansas and one in Nebraska. Because of the timing, school visits were not possible before the rallies. Attendance at all locations was 909. These meetings registered 19 professions of faith. In the spring of 2013 two additional rallies were held. In March a rally was held in Pratt, KS. Before the rally, 3 school assemblies were done by the team. As a result, rally Attendance was 1,100 and 69 professions of Faith were recorded.

In April a rally was held in Eureka, KS. Before this rally 8 schools were visited. Rally attendance was 1,200 and 123 professions of faith The entire campus of Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan., bears the fingerprints of were recorded. architect Jim Williams, Lawrence, Kan. Williams (pictured here with his wife, Virginia) served According to Terry McIlvain, KNCSB Youth Evangelism Director, the for 31 years as the WCC architect. He started when KNCSB acquired the former Camp Webster in 1981 and he retired at the end of 2012. The WCC Board of Directors honored the Wilspring figures show the importance of having the school assemblies liamses during their meeting on Friday, May 3. prior to the Harvest Rally. The December event was designed to let the churches see what Real Encounter Ministries could do in their communities. The 2013 events were done as Real Encounter Ministries usually do their program school assemblies followed by a Wednesday night Harvest Rally. In each of the Harvest Rallies, many other decisions were made for vocational service, rededications and other general inquires. Plans are in process for three other locations at this time. Money is still available to help churches host Real Encounter Events this fall and winter. Contact Brad Bennett at 1-417-353-0888 to tentatively schedule an event and then call Terry McIlvain 1-800-984-9092 to secure up to 10% of the contact price. Maximum amount available per event is $1,000 and Brad will work with the local churches to develop the size, length and cost of the ministry desired.

Plans are now underway to expand the dining hall at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. All other WCC facilities can hold up to 500 people, but the dining hall seating capacity is limited to around 275. This expansion project, when completed, will relieve the need to feed people in shifts. The project also will include some much-needed improvements to the dish return area and other amenities to the dining hall. WCC recently received a $50,000 matching challenge grant from a Kansas family to begin the dining-hall expansion project.

By Bob Mills

WWW.KNCSB.ORG The Thought Occurred to Me

The short answer is yes; I think I have matured in my spiritual journey. Have I gone as far as I would have liked or should have? Probably not! I know this; I want to know more about Jesus. I really want to be His hands and feet. I want to have more of the heart of Christ. I want to see people as He sees people. Jesus asked those that would believe in Him to follow him. Somehow, I think too many have stopped at the point of just believing! Being a follower of Christ means we are willing to yield our lives to Him. We want to spend time getting to know Him through prayer, Bible study and interaction with other Christians. It means we are willing to adjust our lives to live as He would have us live. Being a follower of Christ means our minds, our hearts, our attitudes and our behaviors are constantly being transformed. How are you doing in following Christ? Are you more like Christ today than you were a month ago? How do you know? What has changed and what is changing in your life? This is at the very heart of being a discipleto follow Him.

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

By Georges Boujakly

Walking With the Master

Recently, I was looking through some old picture albums. These albums were from many years ago. I came across a picture from my seminary graduation at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Well, after the initial shock, I came to the realization that I had changed. Physically, my appearance had morphed into this different person. The question that occurred to me had to do with my spiritual change over the years. How have I changed spiritually? Am I a more mature follower of Christ than I was at that time? How have I changed spiritually? Did I just let life take me on this meandering journey? Those were all questions that gave me pause.

Bob Mills

Jesus Was a Wise Guy On our journey of learning Jesus its good to know what and how Jesus learned. The outcome of this learning is for us, who are his students, to be like our Master (Luke 6:40). God has nothing to learn. That is obvious. He knows all the science (cosmic and molecular and everything in between), all history, all economic theories, all the principles of politics, philosophy, psychology, and theology. God knows how storms are formed, how water changes into wine, and how the human heart works. God needs no more learning to run this world better or no more wisdom Georges Boujakly to run his life better. Yet in terms that sound all too human, Luke opens a window on the child Jesus (who is God in the flesh) revealing that he grew in stature, in favor with God and man, and in wisdom (Luke 2:41-52). The context of the passage was a family trip (yearly?) to Jerusalem where we find the 12-yearold Jesus demonstrating unusual wisdom, baffling and amazing learned men three or more times his age. Following this experience Jesus determines to remain obedient to his parents. My Christian teachers told me that the reason Jesus was that wise, and did miracles, and all the unusual things he did, was because he was God. Of course I still believe them. What I dont believe anymore is that Jesuss wisdom and wonder working power are tied to his divine nature. Bruce Ware is supportive of this idea when he says that this growing wisdom of Jesus expresses his full humanity but is not a function of his divine nature. How do the ideas of favor with God and wisdom go together? Why does Luke bind them so? What is the favor of God made of? Its important to know because this favor allowed Jesus to grow in body, mind, spirit and emotionally. The image behind this growth is that of God the Father providing his Son a way to develop and reach his full potential as a human being. Ware believes that this favor is none other than the gift of the Holy Spirit given to Jesus at his conception.

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

Isaiah joins together the gift of the Holy Spirit with the gift of wisdom in the coming Messiah (11:1-3). Jesuss baptism was not when he was first introduced to the Holy Spirit! At 12 he already was in tune with the Holy Spirit who had indwelled him from the womb. At his inaugural address in the Synagogue he proclaimed the Spirit of the Lord is upon me and everyone knew it because they heard it in his proclamation. How did Jesus grow wiser? Not because he was God. He grew wiser because of the Spirit and the word. The Holy Spirit flooded the mind of Jesus with wisdom from the reading of Scripture. No he wasnt born knowing the Bible. He learned it and as he learned the Spirit wrapped his knowledge with wisdom. When Jesus read Psalm 1 the Spirit said youre this man. When he read Psalm 22 the Spirit said youre this man. When he read Isaiah 53 the Spirit said youre this man. Youre that perfect man, the God-forsaken man, and the suffering servant king. Youre the lamb who will take away the sin of the world. By age 30 Jesus command of Scripture and its resultant wisdom were so evident that he impressed everyone who had ears to hear and eyes to see. He spoke with authority, he commanded storms to still with a word, he raised the dead by recalling their souls back into their bodies, and he discerned his role as Messiah. In Jesus we see the perfect image of the marriage, the union of Spirit and word of God. All of this by implication belongs to Jesus followers. We have the Spirit at our second birth and we have the word. If only the word and the Spirit have us! Those who follow Jesus cannot do the greater things Jesus promised we would do, without this marriage of word and spirit. Shortcuts here will only get
(USPS 018-942) Vol. 57 No. 6 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.

us lost. We already know the way. The Spirit without the word makes us flaky followers of Jesus. We neither make our Teacher proud nor become like him. The word without the Spirit makes us heartless legalists and distorters of the truth. We will grow wiser and in favor with God and man if we attend to the marriage of Spirit and word in our lives. Those who follow Jesus must regain the art of theological discussions. How many people shun this! Having theological discussions among Christians is practically non-existent in the churches (Yes this is a judgment call on my part). Its rare that we come together and engage in theological discussion when we do the business of ministry. Even in small groups sustained conversations about the things of God are at a premium. Its like theres theological conversation fatigue among us. At 12 Jesus the boy knew the give and take of theological discussion or reflections in the company of others. He grew wiser by them. Its how our faith will grow as well, our minds will stretch, and our love of God will grow. People fear that if we fill our heads with God-things itll make us puffed up. It didnt Jesuss. At 12 he was wiser than his teachers and his parents, (didnt you know that I must be in my Fathers house shows that he already knew he was the Son of God). Yet he submitted to them (Luke 2:51). Submission is a sign of strength not weakness especially to those who are inferior to us in wisdom and knowledge. To learn Jesus is to learn the way of wisdom: The Spirit and the Word. This couple is the sine qua non (that without which it is impossible) of the Christian life and of the constant companions of those bold enough to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
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

The Baptist Digest

POSTMASTER:

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.

To give local news:

Advertising:

JUNE 2013

Editor: Tim Boyd, PhD. Associate Editor: Eva Wilson Printing Coordinator: Derek Taylor KNCSB Executive Director
AFFILIATIONS Association of State Baptist Papers Baptist Communicators Association

STAFF

Robert T. Mills, D. Min.

Gods Plan for Sharing

By Jon Sapp

Sharing & Strengthening

upper classmen and staff stands as the priority for the initial weeks of the fall semester. Your using the Campus Connect web tool encourages getting those initial introductions started early. Pastors, parents, youth staff or small group leaders utilize this online resource for connecting your recent graduates to those that will care for your students. Getting connected is not just for college freshmen. Your friends and neighbors need to experience entering the life changing relationship with the Lord. This November the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will provide you with a great tool to connect your friends and neighbors with Christ. In working with the Graham organization, well help people in your church learn to identify and pray for friends, neighbors and family members who dont yet know Christ. Theyll learn to prepare their own personal testimonies and invite these friends and neighbors into their homes this November for a special program called My Hope With Billy Graham. Already a number of churches in both Nebraska and Kansas have planned for training to prepare everyone to invite friends for an evening dessert or meal and then hear what Dr. Graham will have to say to America. His message will be carried by one of the major television networks. Watch the Digest and information from your church to learn more of the details of this special time of making Christ known. Transitions and connections are elements of our daily lives. Lets serve our high school seniors that are leaving and starting new chapters on college campuses. Thanks for your help in getting their information entered at http://www.kncsb.org/ministry/article/ campus_connect/. I appreciate your partnership in walking with Him as we live out Gods Plan for Sharing.

Fresh Ideas: Moving Van Alert

I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35 One-fifth of all Americans move one or more times each year, according to the U.S. Census. LifeWay Research indicates that 82% of unchurched people are likely to attend church if invited. That number might be higher for people in transition. Statistics like these reveal a staggering mission field of new move-ins, right there in your churchs neighborhood. Why not make an intentional plan for your church to immediately welcome, serve and invite newcomers to your town? First, establish a church-wide Moving Van Alert. Every member is part of the team. The assignment? To be on the lookout for moving vans unloading in the community, and immediately text, call or email that address to the church office. This triggers the entire action plan. New residents can also be obtained through a newcomer service or weekly list of sold homes. Your churchs action plan should include several of these welcome ideas: Nearly Neighbors contact. Immediately call or email at least two church members who live near the newcomer. Request that they walk, bike or drive by before Sunday to introduce themselves as neighbors and invite the newcomer to worship. Plot a map of members addresses (try Google Fusion Tables) to simplify this step. The Pizza Posse or We Take the Cake team makes a quick delivery. Purchase gift cards for pizza
By Diana Davis

I love high school graduations. The excited students, proud parents and supportive friends have celebrated ceremonies marking the completion of high school and the transition to the next chapter of life. Many of those graduating seniors will begin their college experience in the next three months. Transition from high school into the college world will surround students and parents all across Nebraska and Kansas. All of us have experienced transition. Connecting in a healthy way to the next chapter of life lessens the impact of the transition. Help in Jon Sapp making good connections is available. At http://www.kncsb.org/ministry/article/campus_connect/ you will discover the Campus Connect tool. New friends and relationships will begin for college freshmen in the first days of their college experience. The collegiate ministry staff wants to meet your graduating seniors. Connecting new students with

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

Available to churches cooperating with KNCSB by contacting library@kncsb.org or calling either 785/228-6800 or 800/984-9092. Ask for Barbara Spicer

Featured Video
Simple Surrender DVD By Haley DiMarco

delivery, or recruit bakers in the church to prepare homemade dessert on short notice. Deliver the pizza card or dessert with a church brochure and note: Whats even better than pizza [or homemade cookies] on moving day? The warm welcome youll receive at Living Faith Church this Sunday! Hope to see you there. Welcome Basket delivery. A team of friendly church members deliver a newcomer basket containing community info, a well-designed church brochure and a small gift. The gift could be a Bible, a local product (i.e. Smuckers jam in Orville OH), or a handmade gift, such as a God bless this home plate or Welcome to Wilkesboro ornament. Welcome note. A pre-prepared welcome note from the pastor is addressed to our new neighbors at It will be one of the new residents first pieces of snail mail. Timings critical, but with planning and delegation, you can greet new residents within days or hours of their move. Those brief, personal contacts may establish friendships and meet needs, and God may use your invitation to impact eternity! Now thats worth baking cookies. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers. Hebrews 13:2a 2013 Diana Davis is an author and columnist based in Pensacola FL. Her husband, Steve, is North American Mission Board Vice President, South Region. www. dianadavis.org

Includes one DVD with seven sessions and

leader guide. This DVD kit guides teen girls to examine the lives of six Old Testament women who surrendered their lives to God. It will help girls understand what it means to pursue Christ in their daily lives and defy cultures self-serving pursuit and experience the joy and freedom found in surrendering to Christ. Session 1: Letting Go: Yielding to the Beauty of Surrender Session 2: The Safety Net: Trusting the Safety of Gods Sovereignty Session 3 Not About Me: The Humility of Surrender Session 4: Released: The Brokenness of Surrender Session 5: Love is a Verb: Sacrificial Love & Surrender Session 6: Do Something: Compelled to Action

JUNE 2013

We dont give to the Cooperative Program, but we give through the Cooperative Program.

Session 7 Make a Commitment: The Sweet Safety of Surrender.

By Tim Boyd

Revitalization - Major Emphasis of Strengthening Team

KNCSB also offers the Transformational Church process. This is a tool developed by LifeWay that utilizes the Transformational Church Assessment Tool to evaluate church health and suggest needed change. It is similar to ReFocus in its goal and outcome. However, ReFocus attempts to work with as large as portion of the congregation as possible. Transformational Church works with key leaders in the church moving toward the outcome of strategic initiatives and action plans. This process only involves one weekend seminar with much of the work being done through the assessment tool process. Similarly, KNCSB will provide

Strengthening

Digest Editor and Strengthening Team Leader E-mail: tboyd@kncsb.org

For over two years the Future Directions Taskforce appointed by KNCSB Executive Director, Bob Mills, has been working on future strategies for the work of KNCSB. Even before the appointment of the Future Directions Taskforce, KNCSB had been moving away from a program-driven approach for serving our churches. Our desire is to be able to meet the needs of our churches and church leaders in a flexible, dynamic way. Because of the work of the Future Directions Taskforce, we have been restructuring our staff around the tasks of Strengthening, Starting, Sending and Sharing. One of the key areas in Strengthening is church revitalization. A lot of effort at KNCSB is spent on church planting and starting new works. But, we recognize that we also have to spend energy as well on helping our existing churches maintain spiritual health. Our ultimate Kingdom success in Kansas and Nebraska will include both starting new works and helping existing works survive in a healthy fashion. One of the tools that we offer to all of our churches is a life cycle evaluation. Every church goes through a life cycle from birth to maturity and ultimately to death. The length of the life cycle can be extended, however, and renewed health can be realized. This evaluation involves visiting the church and giving a simple assessment tool to members. This has been proven to be a fairly accurate assessment of where a church is in its life cycle. When churches discover that they do need help in regaining spiritual health and renewing their life cycle there are three primary processes that we offer through KNCSB, although we sometimes blend elements of each together. The first is ReFocus. The ReFocus process leads a church to re-evaluate its vision and sense of purpose in Gods plans. It begins with a seminar that allows members to re-examine their own sense of calling and

a coach after the end of the process to help the church develop action plans to achieve its strategic initiatives.

The final process that KNCSB offers is the Radical Rebuild. This is designed for churches who are so far down the life cycle that the death of the church is imminent. In a Radical Rebuild, KNCSB will, with the permission of the church, bring in as many outside resources as necessary to revitalize a church. A church may be asked to suspend its constitution and by-laws to allow an outside board to restructure the church to make it more effective and hopefully restore health. KNCSB will work with the pastor and leaders as long as they show a willingness to move toward a healthy church life. If your church is interested in talking about a life cycle assessment or one of these processes, contact Tim Boyd (tboyd@kncsb.org or 913-221-5552.

Viola Webb State & Associational Missions Offering

Why Does KNCSB Exist? In order to accomplish the Great Commission Task of disciple making, KNCSB exists to glorify God by serving the churches and leaders in Kansas and Nebraska. What Does KNCSB Do? KNCSB promotes healthy spiritual growth to STRENGTHEN churches and leaders; partners with associations, churches and leaders to START new works; provides resources to help churches and leaders be more effective in SHARING the Gospel; and equips and encourages churches in SENDING their members on mission.

purpose. This is followed up with three other seminars which seek the answer to three questions: 1. Where have we been?; 2. Where are we going?; and 3. How will we get there? As many members as possible are encouraged to attend. ReFocus takes about six months to complete. The four seminars are usually done on Saturdays and last six to eight hours depending on the size of the church. Between seminars the church works on activities to be ready for the next seminar. At the end of the seminars the church should have three to five strategic initiatives to guide the church for the next three to five years. A followup meeting is held between church leadership and a KNCSB provided coach to help the church develop action plans to accomplish the strategic initiatives. The coach works with the church for a year or longer to help keep the initiatives on course. In this and all revitalization efforts, KNCSB bears most of the cost. The expense to the church is miniminal.

JUNE 2013

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

KNCSB Goal $210,000

First Southern, KC, Kan., Celebrates 60 Years

A small church with a farreaching influence describes First Southern Baptist Church, Kansas City, Kan. Former church members and friends gathered for the churchs 60th anniversary celebration on Sunday, April 7. First Southerns building occupies a prominent spot on the north side of Interstate 70 west of the 78th Street interchange. Although the congregation is small in number, it has been a part of spreading the gospel around the world. The celebration had a special meaning for Othoniel and Noeida Castro, former Cuban refugees. First Southern sponsored them when they came to the United States in the early 1960s. Ron Malott, who grew up in the church, was the guest speaker for the celebration service. He and his wife, Vickie, were missionaries in Nigeria from 1990 to 2003. They now live in Lathrop, Mo., where he is pastor of First Baptist Church. Malott preached from Philippians 3. He urged First Southern to celebrate the past but look at what God wants to do in the next 60 years. What needs to be the mission of the next 60 years? Jesus the crucified and resurrected Lord, Malott said. The 60th anniversary celebration began with the congregation singing Onward Christian Soldiers. The churchs first service on March 29, 1953, included singing that hymn. In 60 years First Southern has had seven pastors with an average tenure of 8.5 years. Pastor Rick Rooks urged the church members to continue their faithful service. You dont know what youre doing that will bless someone tomorrow. Our faithfulness makes a difference. Visit the churchs web site at http://firstsouthernkck.com/ and look for it on Facebook.

kncsb on mission

First Southern Baptist Church, Kansas City, Kan., celebrated its 60th anniversary on Sunday, April 7. The service began with the congregation singing Onward Christian Soldiers just as the church sang during its first service on March 29, 1953. Ron Malott, the guest speaker, urged the church to look at what God wants to do during its next 60 years. Malott grew up in the church. He and his wife, Vickie, were missionaries in Nigeria from 1990 to 2003. They now live in Lathrop, Mo., where he is pastor of First Baptist Church.

LifeQuest Church Marks 10th Anniversary

Hundreds of lives have been changed during the 10-year ministry of LifeQuest Church, Belton, Mo. The three campuses of LifeQuest Church gathered on Sunday, April 26, to celebrate the churchs 10th anniversary. A celebration service and a dinner were held at Belton High School. In addition to Belton, LifeQuest has campuses in Parkville and Pleasant Hill, Mo. LifeQuest was sponsored by Daybreak Community Church, Shawnee, Kan. Although Daybreak no longer meets, it still is having a major impact, given that the church evolved into Daybreak International. Pastor Steve Reed travels regularly to Central America, where he is involved in church planting in the cowboy culture there. Testimonies from some of the people who have found Christ through LifeQuests ministry were featured during the anniversary service. The church has led Blue River-Kansas City Baptist Association in baptisms three of the last four years, said Rodney Hammer. He is the associations executive director. This 10-year journey has been exhilarating and painful, Pastor Chris Pinion said. Pinion led a special recognition for Karen Blankenship, the churchs executive pastor. She has held a variety of positions during the churchs 10 years of ministry. Pinion preached about the Prodigal Son. He urged the crowd to celebrate what God has done through LifeQuest, but encouraged them to keep focused on the future. Visit the churchs web site at http://www.lifequestchurch.tv/

Cling to Biblical Values to Navigate Change, Terry Dorsett Urges Small-Church Leaders
Churches need to cling to biblical values as technology brings postmodern ideas into small towns and rural areas, Terry Dorsett said. Dorsett was the featured speaker for the KNCSB Normative Church Conference held April 19-20 at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. He spent 19 years ministering in Vermont and is now a church planter in Connecticut. The Normative Church Conference was aimed at pastors and key leaders in smallermembership churches. Postmoderns decide what is truth based on experiences and relationships, Dorsett said. They do not recognize absolute truth. Despite the challenges churches are now facing, Dorsett was full of encouragement. Small churches have carried the spiritual fiber of our nation for generations, he said. Although megachurches are now in the spotlight, Dorsett believes small churches can still play vital roles, both now and in the future. Dorsett offered five suggestions for small churches to impact changing communities. This is found in his book, Mission Possible: Reaching the Next Generation through the Small Church and on his blog at terrydorsett.com. n Embrace technology. Postmodern people are more virtual than ever before, he said. Learn to use social media. Embrace technology in public worship services without losing the sacred aspects. n Embrace bivocationalism and lay ministry. Bivocational ministry will become even more important, Dorsett said. Funding for small churches will decrease due to a variety of reasons. Young people have not embraced tithing, he continued. And many of them are drowning in student-loan debt and are unable to give. Dorsett urged the group to look at bivocational ministry from a missional perspective. For example, being a school bus driver offers an excellent way to get build relationships in a community. He also told of a pastor who is a pharmacy technician at a Wal-Mart. n Embrace racial diversity. This is essential, especially if we want to reach a younger generation, Dorsett said. n Use the church building as much as possible. Make the building available for community groups to meet and for such events as weddings, funerals and family reunions. n Get outside the church walls into the community. Dorsetts other books include: o Developing Leadership Teams in the Bivocational Church o Creating Effective Partnerships Strategies for Increasing Kingdom Impact o Malachi: Finding Hope in the Midst of Adversity Look for Terry on Facebook and on Twitter at @terrydorsett.

JUNE 2013

Keep updated about Webster Conference Center

Stay up to date on how God is working at WCC. Subscribe to the WCC E-Newsletter at http://www.webstercc.org/ wcc/e_newsletter/

Girls, Mothers Learn of Need To Pray for Missionaries

Prayer gives vital support to missionaries as they share the gospel around the world. Participants in Glow 2013 learned how they can be a part of praying for missionaries. Glow is the KNCSB retreat for girls in grades 1-6 and their mothers or other women in their lives. It was held April 5-6 at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. When I was just a little older than you, I felt God calling me to be a missionary in a country outside of the United States, Priscilla Sapp, the featured speaker, said. She and her husband, Jon, served as missionaries in Africa for 27 years. They retired from the International Mission Board in 2010 and are now North American Mission Board missionaries. Sapp works with her husband as he serves as KNCSB director of evangelism and

KNCSB on mission

Praying for missionaries is like cheering them on, Priscilla Sapp told participants in Glow, the KNCSB retreat for girls and their mothers.
collegiate ministry. She led the girls and their mothers in a cheer to help them remember to pray for missionaries.

When you pray for missionaries, you really are cheering them on. Missionaries are normal, everyday people, she said. They are just like you. Sapp told stories of how the power of prayer protected and sustained her family as they served in Africa. Glow also gave the girls an opportunity for hands-on missions. They made bracelets that will be used by a missionary from Kansas who serves in South Africa. She holds princess parties to help teen girls learn about being a child of the King and keeping their bodies pure.

Participants in Glow 2013 had the opportunity for handson missions. They made bracelets (below) for a missionary in South Africa to use in Princess parties where she teaches girls about Gods plan for purity. Glow is the KNCSB retreat for girls in grades 1-6 and their mothers or other women in their lives. It was held April 5-6 at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. Priscilla Sapp from Topeka, Kan., spoke on the retreat theme of praying for missionaries.

Be Ready to Share the Gospel, Campers on Mission are Urged

Be ready to share the gospel at a moments notice. That was the reminder given to Kansas-Nebraska Campers on Mission during their spring rally. The rally was held May 3-5 at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. A work week at WCC followed the rally. Some of the COM members have found themselves being pushed out of their comfort zone to share the gospel. Gary Shaw conducted the memorial service for his brother-in-law. He and his wife, Sondra, spend their winters at an RV park in Yuma, Ariz. The wife of a fellow camper died and Gary ended up leading her memorial service. People see you every day and they see how you live your Lord, said Larry Smith, COM president. Here is a list of upcoming COM events: n June 19-21 Campers on Mission National Rally, Mineola Civic Center, Mineola, Texas n July 21-26 Work project at Americus Southern Baptist Church, Americus, Kan. n Aug. 11-16 Work project at Alpha Christian Childrens Home, Perry, Kan. n Sept. 27-29 Fall rally at Weir Baptist Camp followed by a work week at the camp. n Oct. 6-11 Work project at New Life Baptist Church, Independence, Kan. To learn how you can get involved in Kansas-Nebraska Campers on Mission, contact Smith at lrrsmth3@gmail.com.

life, Shaw said. Theyll lean on you in time of sorrow. So be ready [to share the gospel] in season and out. Members of Kansas-Nebraska Campers on Mission are involved in a wide range of ministries. But the goal of all this is to lead people to the

JUNE 2013

KNCSB Campus Ministry Reunion Planned for Aug. 2-4

A Kansas-Nebraska campus ministry reunion will be held Aug. 2-4 at the Sheraton Hotel at the Convention Center, Overland Park, Kan. The event is sponsored by the newly formed Friends of Kansas-Nebraska Campus Ministries Association. Registration is now open. Please note that you must register separately for the hotel and the reunion events. July 10 is the deadline to register for both the event and the hotel. Find more information at http://www.friendsofcma.org/2013-celebration/ Kansas-Nebraska Campers on Mission held a week-long project at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan., after their spring rally May 3-5. Here, retired firefighter Deen Satterlee installs new shingles on the roof of the storage shed at the WCC high-ropes course.

www.knwomen.com

WWW 2013: Chase

By Debbie Eble

Dive Right In
KNCSB Womens Leadership, Fit 4 Him Consultant

Racheal Lampa, WWW 2013 Worship Leader Susan Holdaway

KNCSB Womens Leadership: Women 4 Him Team

Wonderful Weekend for Women is the KNCSB annual fall conference designed to strengthen women and leaders for service in the local church and beyond. Participants enjoy worship, Bible study, individualized life sessions and just plain girl fun. Our goal is for the women who attend to return home to their communities and be the Church. The date is September 13 & 14, 2013 at Webster Conference Center in Salina, Kansas. Jennie Allen will be the featured speaker teaching on the theme, chasing after the heart of God. Rachael Lampa will lead the worship music sets, which are always a highlight at WWW as hundreds of women join their hearts in singing. In addition, participants will hear from a special guest missionary as well as experience Life Session breakout groups. As a participant of previous WWW conferences, I have seen how God can use this event to touch women in a powerful way. Information will arrive in churches in June. You will also be able to download the materials on our website as well as find the links to our guest speaker and worship leader. www.KNwomen.com Why will this fall weekend be wonderful? Because God will work wonderfully in the lives of women that he knows and for whom he careslike you!

Warm air and sunshine have arrived! Its time to get your swimsuit out, get it on, and take your workout to the water. Water is the most abundant compound on the Earths surface, covering about 70 percent of the planet. In nature, water exists in liquid, solid, and gaseous states. At room temperature, it is a tasteless, odorless, calorie-free drink that we need approximately 8 cups a day of to ensure our bodies stay hydrated and operational. And if you stop to consider the miracle of how God created the water cycle, or hydrologic cycle, which is the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth, there is no end to the beauty and wonder of water! The properties of water make swimming a unique sport. The American Council on Exercise notes that the buoyancy of water reduces your weight by approximately 90%. That means less

stress on back, hips, and knees. Even if you dont know how to swim, the pool can help you get a calorie burning workout because in the water you are surrounded by resistance in any direction of movement; horizontal, vertical and diagonal. With all that extra effort going on, you can be assured there will be gains in muscle strength, agility and flexibility. Water exercise is a social activity, too. Taking a class at the pool is a great way to meet friends that will make exercise more fun. And depending on how hard you work, your goals might be accomplished in less time than on land. Now that is an exercise bonanza! The Word of God sustains us spiritually just as water sustains us physically. Jesus had a conversation about water with a woman of Samaria that had come to fill her vessels at Jacobs well. He said, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:13,14 As you go to the pool today, or grab your cup for a drink, remember that Jesus is our spiritual drink and the fountainhead of the life that wells up inside every believer like an unending spring. Jesus is Living Water. Drink deeply.

Theres a line of thinking out there that is proclaiming that past generations of church leaders were successful in creating church members, or some have said club members or cruise ship vacationers, but not so successful in developing people who view themselves as the church in their culture. This is what I remember growing up in churchEvery Sunday morning I was greeted in my Sunday School class by the teacher and an envelope where I had to check off: Sunday School Attendance Worship Attendance Offering Bible Read Daily We had memory verses and Bible stories and eventually as a youth, fun games, Bible lessons, parties, and encouragement to have a daily quiet time with God. Did this upbringing, oh and by the way my dad was also my pastor so my Christian education was not just

Definition of soapbox: A thing that provides an opportunity for someone to air their views publicly
at church, develop me to be a great church member or the understanding that I am the church? Did my parents generation get it wrong? Later, as a parent myself, the responsibility of raising my daughter to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and being involved in church looked pretty much the same, except that we were also the generation changing up the worship music part of church. Did my generation get it wrong? My daughters generation, and the next, are all about this idea of authenticity and being the church not going to church. Love this!!! Some of my most meaningful ministry times are happening right now, where I have been blessed to life-walk with several women of a variety of ages as they go through lifes storms or just need a sounding board to understand what direction they should take in their walk with Jesus. Part of me hopes this generational mark never changes! Are they getting it right? What about those being born today? What will the face of Christianity look like for them? We know they will put their mark on their culture, because, as history has proven, it will definitely have to change from the

previous generations mark. And then Im reminded of Hebrews 12: 1 where it talks about the great cloud of witnesses, people like Noah, Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Rahab (just to name a few), who earned the right to be described as a great cloud of witnesses, not because they were focused on the race but rather on Jesus, and in doing so, stayed in the race running toward the finish line. Now, added to that great cloud of witnesses are devoted leaders of my parents generation, and already some from mine. And joining them will be some from my daughters generation, and eventually that cloud will include those just now on the horizon of being the future church leaders. And as with each generation of church leaders, that expanding cloud of witnesses will continue to cheer on the newbies who will approach their faith life with fresh eyes and ears and most importantly, maintaining their focus on God and the importance of being obedient to His direction. Thats my soapbox! Shiggaion! 

June 2013

Mari

Guidestone to Offer Wellness Screening At SBC Meeting

www.KNCSB.org

DALLAS GuideStone Financial Resources will once again offer a free wellness screening to messengers and guests at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting and Pastors Conference, June 10-12 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The first 500 people screened will receive a free copy of GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins book, The Joshua Code: 52 Scripture Verses Every Believer Should Know. Last year, almost 1,200 messengers and their guests had the free wellness screening, which includes measuring cholesterol and glucose levels. Among those participating was Peggy Hatley, along with her husband Tom Hatley, who is the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Rogers, Arkansas. During the 2012 meeting in New Orleans, Peggy Hatley learned she was diabetic. We make a point every year at convention to get a wellness screening, Hatley said. Its normally to keep a watch on our cholesterol to make sure its not too high. Hatley only had to wait a few minutes for the results. My blood sugar level was 155, she said. They said, This is too high. We want you to fast tonight and come back first thing in the morning and well take it again. The next morning her fasting glucose level was 165. Anything over 100 is considered cause for concern. Diabetes runs in Hatleys family, so she knew she needed to take things seriously. After returning home to Rogers, she visited with her doctor whose own tests confirmed the results she received at the booth. Hatley said the doctor gave her the choice of treating her diabetes with diet and lifestyle changes, or by adding medicine to her life. She chose to make lifestyle changes. After meeting with a dietician, she limits herself to no more than 30 grams of carbohydrates per meal. By eating right and monitoring her blood sugar daily, she has lost 25 pounds since August and has managed to keep her blood sugar within the range her doctor prescribed. Hatley said she reads labels carefully at the grocery store and does not bring unhealthy foods into her home anymore. She is committed to making permanent lifestyle changes. I realized I needed to make my body a whole lot better, Hatley said. Im 60 years old. I want the things Im called to do for the Lord to matter, and if Im not well, I wont be able to serve Him effectively. She encourages others coming to the convention to take advantage of the free screening. Its such a great ministry GuideStone offers, she said. Im going to the booth this year to tell the people working there how grateful I am for the screening. The GuideStone Wellness Center will be open each morning at 8 a.m. For best results, it is recommended that participants fast for 12 hours prior to being screened.

Retreats - Camps
www.thearkontablerocklake.wordpress.com James & Marilyn Easley (417-271-4530 or jeasleyark@yahoo.com LifeSpring Church is accepting resumes for the full-time position of College/High School Pastor. LifeSpring is a large, growing church on the south side of the Omaha area. It has a dynamic student ministry that reaches over 200 youth, plus some 50 college students. It is seeking a man to work alongside our current Middle School/High School Pastor in taking student ministry to the next level. This is a pastoral position that requires at least a B.A. degree, experience in working with students in a church setting, and the calling and ability to meet the biblical qualifications for a pastor. Resumes are being accepted via email sent to the search committee chair, Steve Balmer, at steven.balmer@me.com.

The Ark

KNCSB Disaster Relief Team Ready to Minister in Moore, OK

At the time of publication, the KNCSB Disaster Relief Team has not received direction as to our role in the Moore, OK tornado disaster. Disaster Relief Team Leader, Larry Thomas, will be involved over the next week in meeting with NAMB and Oklahoma Baptist leaders to determine what our response needs to be. Bob Mills, KNCSB Executive Director, has indicated that KNCSB will do all that we are asked to do to show Christs love during this disaster. People always want to act immediately in a disaster of this nature. But that is not always the most helpful response. Disaster Relief teams from all over the SBC will be coordinating the best way for us to make an appropriate response. According to Larry Thomas: We all desire to do something of significance to alleviate the suffering that we have seen play out before our eyes. Please join with your Kansas-Nebraska Disaster Relief volunteer team to make a concerted effort to make a real difference in the lives of victims of the Oklahoma tornados. If you cant join us in deploying, but could make a donation to help us take the heart and hands of Jesus to those in need, make your check out to KS-NE Disaster Relief and send it to KNCSB, ATTN: KansasNebraska Disaster Relief, 5410 SW 7th St, Topeka, KS 66606. Continue to pray for victims and volunteers as God uses His people to show people that God loves us all.

WCC Update
n Wedding Bells have been ringing at WCC. On May 11th, Melinda Smith, WCC Office Manager, wed Terry Wolfgang. Congratulations Melinda and Terry! n Floyd Foster received his five year service award at the WCC Board Meeting in May. Congratulations Floyd! n Join us in prayer each MondayThe WCC Board of Directors has agreed to pray each Monday for the camps being conducted at WCC this summer. Camps begin May 27 and continue through August 2. n Craig Zach Zachariasen from Lincoln, NE became a member of the WCC Board of Directors in May. n User Days continue to be strong: Year-to-date User Days are 8,733 while revenues are $136,364.17. n The 2013 $50,000 Matching Challenge Grant to fund the Dining Hall expansion project reached $20,133.94 as of May 17, 2013. To participate in this project, send tax deductible gifts to: 2013 Matching Challenge Grant; 5410 SW 7th Street; Topeka, KS 66606-2398. Make checks payable to WCC. n KNCSB churches may now book their 2015 meetings at WCC. On May 16, entities outside of KNCSB were allowed to begin booking the faculties through 2015. n Thank you for your prayers, financial support and usage of WCC. 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

JUNE 2013