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FENTON, MI – Happy New Year! I would like to give you an overflowing bucket of “new-starts” for 2019. I want this year to be “God-sized” and unlike any other year for you! If you know me, you know I do not enjoy ordinary routines. I do not watch car races circling on tracks hundreds of times. I watch movies one time. I do not watch TV reruns. I do not repeatedly return to the same vacation spots. I do not eat habitually at the same restaurant. Instead, I love to explore new territories. I want to meet new people. I want to have new conversations on new subjects with old friends. I enjoy new adventures. When it comes to a new year, if we are not careful, we will end up running around the same track and filling the calendar with the same past events with no anticipation of God-sized outcomes while looking to the same team members and leaders. The teams with whom we work might be community groups, civic clubs, or church teams. By placing the “correct” people on teams, you can come to expect bolder outcomes. When we are looking for new teammates, let’s examine the following areas: Character – Is this person trustworthy in all that they do in life? Would I trust them to care for my spouse and my savings? Does this person display the same type of self-control in challenging times that he or she does during the good times? Calling – Does this person understand the intense focus of a team, and what the team is specifically trying to achieve? Are they willing to invest physically and emotionally into the task? Competency – Is this person knowledgeable on the necessary subjects or hungry to learn all that is needed to become a valued team member? Will they read, study, and train in order to acquire all they can on the matter at hand? Commitment – Is there a proven track record in other areas of life that this teammate does not give-up when striving to achieve new results in his or her own life? Will he or she be able to dream-up new initiatives and implement the important steps to achieve bolder outcomes? Chemistry – Does this person play well with others? When you see them at gatherings, are they surrounded by other people? Do others feel valued by this person? Do not be fooled by those who use people, enlist those who love people. Confirmation – Ask other people their opinion as to whether or not an individual would make a valued teammate. Sometimes in our circles, out of mercy, we enlist the broken and put them onto teams before they are ready, before they are healed. Spiritually, emotionally, and morally unfit team members slow and derail a team’s effectiveness. In closing consider three final questions. If you were to measure yourself by these six areas, how would you measure up? Are there any changes that need to take place in your life? Will you make those changes before redesigning the teams with whom you work? I hope these brief suggestions will encourage you and help to create vibrant teams around you for the glory of the Lord. Each year, I see many talented and devoted people working hard and often alone, who would be strengthened by working alongside the “right” people. God says it best in Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NLT), “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.” May we all live by that text during 2019. Happy New Year! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tony Lynn is the State Director of Missions for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before coming on staff at the BSCM, Tony served as lead pastor for more than six years at Crosspoint Church in Monroe, Michigan. He and his wife, Jamie, also served with the International Mission Board in Africa and in Europe. #JANUARY19

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – Google the phrase, church social media, and you’ll be served up over 200 million articles about using social platforms for your ministry. There’s no longer any question about whether your church should be on social media or not, but being on social media isn’t enough. You need to prioritize using it well. If you want to take advantage of all the opportunities social media provides you might need to elevate its importance. Let’s face it: there are a lot of churches and ministries vying for people’s attention out there. If your church is involved — but not invested — in growing a digital presence and social media skills, you might be wasting your time and investment. Social media offers so many perks and possibilities it would be foolhardy not to spend some time devoted to your social media channels. In fact, it might be the secret weapon for struggling churches, or a great tool to boost your attendance for important holidays. If you can’t justify the time spent on social media, I encourage you to consider the following ways your ministry might be missing out. Social media might be the first place people find your church Over 46 percent of church planters say that social media is their most effective method of outreach. Think about that for a second...out of all the possible outreach methods, almost half of today’s church plants are seeing a bigger return for time they invest into social media than anything else. So it isn’t like social media is competing with your website for the most visible digital channel; it’s competing with every method churches are using to draw attention to themselves. With a thoughtful church strategy for social engagement and some regular money devoted to advertising, you can create an awareness of your ministry and send people to your website where they can learn more. Plus, when you add the Facebook pixel to your site, you can retarget the people that Facebook has sent to your website. You can build a relationship with your congregation's friends Let’s face it; this is the reason you’re on Facebook. Through the likes and shares of your updates from people who already attend your church, your content is pushed into the feed of their friends and family. When you explain to your congregation that their interaction with your Facebook page is a form of outreach, you can build a strategy around sharing your culture with people who might be open to learning more. Facebook's groups and events rival some real life church networks There are some great software solutions out there for churches to use to facilitate digital community. But one thing that’s fantastic about Facebook is the fact that most of your people are already there every day. Using Facebook groups for ministries or studies is an incredibly easy (and free) way to keep everyone together and on the same page. You can create groups for prayer, home groups, Bible studies, classes, or lifestyle groups for people that like to do things like hike or garden. You can make them as private as you want, and you can invite people outside the church, too. This gives people another level of exposure and interaction with your church. Facebook events are another stellar way to raise awareness for an event. You can invite everyone in the church, and they can invite others, too. All updates and important information can be communicated in the event group. And you can even experiment with ads to promote your event. And, again, the great thing about it is everyone’s already on Facebook. (Check out our 10 Facebook Tips for Churches.) You're meeting people where they are Community is in transition. People are building important networks and connections online, and it is becoming a valuable way for people to connect. For instance, did you know that 35 percent of the couples married between 2005 and 2012 met online? Instead of fighting this transition, the church should be embracing its inherent positives and opportunities. We should be taking advantage of every tool at our disposal to reach people where they are, and there may be no greater tool available than social media. Your social media accounts represent your church vitality I know it doesn’t feel like it should be the case, but when people come to one of your social media platforms and you haven’t updated it in months, it shapes their impression of your church. If you’re going to have a social-media presence it’s important for you to regularly update it. This means that you need to be very particular about the social-media platforms your church adopts. It’s better to have one or two platforms you really excel at than to be on every platform and to do them terribly. Integrating social with your church app If you already have a church app, you have an intuitive way to integrate social media into your engagement strategy. Since more people are using mobile devices to shop and interact online, an app is a great way to keep people involved, to tell your story, and to share your church’s teaching and content. People can share your content to their social-media platforms from your app and you can use your social channels to promote the app. It creates a seamless way to build an audience and expose more people to your church culture. ABOUT THE AUTHOR MinistryTech Magazine is the go-to source for the latest information on technology and its use in ministry, known as technical ministry. We feature articles on things like church management software, electronic Bible study, Internet security, websites, e-giving and more. #JANUARY19

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. LANSING, MI – When approached about writing on ‘New Beginnings’ the above verse came to mind FIRST. As a matter of fact, I searched for it because I could not fully remember the whole verse (and praise God for a husband and biblegateway.com). However, what I found MOST compelling was not the ‘behold, new things have come,’ or the ‘Therefore,’ but ‘…the old things passed away.’ How many times have you and I been stuck on the ‘old things’ in our lives, that we are not able to see that ‘new things have come?’ That is the phrase I am stuck on. Why you may ask? Well I’m glad you asked, friend, because we need to realize that before we approach, arrive, or move forward to the ‘new things,’ we MUST remember that the ‘old things’ have to pass. What are the ‘old things’ that you have to put away? What are the behaviors, thoughts, habits, and actions that you are trying to keep attached to the ‘new creature’ that Paul is exposing to you and to me? On December 18, 2018 my husband, Pastor Coye Bouyer, and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary. It’s been an interesting and hard road, especially over the past three years. To put it simply, I was having a hard time believing that the ‘old things had passed away.’ Was I really top priority in his life? Did I really come before the church? For me, I had begun the practice of spending too much time thinking on some of the ‘old things,’ some ‘old hurts,’ some ‘old baggage’ instead of the realizing the ‘new’ had come. You see about five to six years ago my husband shared from the pulpit his need to repent…and before you go too far, NO he did not have a moral failure. However, he expressed how over the past few years he had neglected his family; and he expressed how God had begun to deal with him on his time off during August. As he cried and shared with the congregation, I sat in my seat asking myself this one question: ‘Can I really believe him? Can I move past the years of asking and requesting for uninterrupted time for me and our children? Can I move forward?’ Honestly, I thought I had until three years ago I came face to face with some ‘old things’ and realized I had not made room for the ‘new’ to come. New Beginnings…say it to yourself: ‘New Beginnings’. What comes to your mind? Is it the start of a new day? Is it the start of a new job? Is it the ‘restart’ of a relationship? Friends, as we exit 2018 and enter the New Year, I want us to pray and ask God: What are the old things that I need to allow to pass away in order to embrace the new? I truly believe, only then, can you and I experience the ‘new things have come.’ Be blessed in this New Year and enjoy your New Beginnings! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Keturah Bouyer is the wife of Pastor Coye Bouyer at Kingdom Life Church in Lansing, MI. #JANUARY19

OMRO, WI (BP) – A great majority of Protestant pastors were approached by staff or members for help with marital infidelity, premarital sex, pornography and other sexual sins, according to new data released by Barna Group spanning a year. But only a third of pastors said they felt "very qualified" to address the preponderance of issues staff and members broached, Barna said in the survey of 410 mainline and non-mainline senior and executive pastors. Eighty percent of pastors including Southern Baptists were asked to help or counsel a staff or church member dealing with marital infidelity, the most prevalent problem in the study, Barna said. On average, staff and members approached pastors regarding half of a list of 18 concerns Barna addressed, the study found. Issues brought to the attention of more than half of pastors were, in descending order of prevalence, marital infidelity, premarital sex, sexual problems within marriage, lust, pornography use by a husband, sexual abuse or assault, porn use by a teen, sex offender issues, sex education questions, and porn use by an unmarried adult. The findings are the first in a projected series of reports from the Sexuality and the Church study commissioned by the Brushfires Foundation, a sexual integrity ministry in Omro, Wis. The collaborative research project is supported by 24 national and state groups including Focus on the Family, Enough is Enough (EIE), the American Family Association and the Louisiana Family Forum. Southern Baptist pastors, considered non-mainline by Barna, were among respondents from 29 other denominations as well as non-denominational churches, Brushfires said in releasing its findings Nov. 15. Brushfires president Daniel Wiess described the findings as concerning. "It doesn't alarm us that pastors are encountering so much sexual brokenness over the course of a year. We know such issues exist," Weiss said in a study press release. "What concerns us is so few pastors feel very qualified to handle these difficult and painful issues. "There is a great need for ministry leaders to be trained," he said, "and for outside caregiving ministries to work directly with local churches to handle these issues in a caring and professional way." EIE, which works to make the Internet safe for children and families, said the findings evidence that the church is not immune to porn. "The church body, men, women and children, are not immune from the gross consumption of pornography, contrary to what many believe," EIE President Donna Rice Hughes said in an EIE press release. "Internet pornography consumption is at an all-time high, fueling pornography addiction, sexual exploitation and the breakdown of marriage both in and out of the church. "Pornographers understand the content they produce and distribute is highly addictive," Hughes said, "and they will likely have a consumer for life unless the addiction cycle is broken." The Southern Baptist Convention has adopted numerous resolutions since the mid-1900s focusing on sexual behavior, pornography and marital fidelity, most recently a resolution "On The Holiness and Integrity of Ministry Leaders" at the 2018 annual meeting in Dallas. A 2015 resolution adopted at the annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, focused "On Pornography and Sexual Purity." And in 2010 in Orlando, Fla., messengers promoted marital love and fidelity in a resolution "On The Scandal of Southern Baptist Divorce." Additionally, the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty has focused on sexual issues during annual conferences and events, and offers educational and spiritual resources at erlc.com. Among top findings in the study conducted in October 2017 regarding the previous 12 months, according to Brushfires, are: 77 percent of non-mainline pastors such as Southern Baptists said the church should address sexual brokenness, compared to 56 percent of mainline pastors. Overall, 68 percent of pastors strongly agree that the church should help people deal with issues of sexual brokenness. Churches of fewer than 100 members and budgets under $150,000 encounter fewer sexual concerns, and are less likely to think the church should address such concerns. 23 percent of pastors offer DVD or Bible studies on sexual topics, and 16 percent are hosting related support groups. 19 percent of pastors are training lay leaders to assist with sexual concerns. 86 percent of pastors offer pastoral counseling and 76 percent refer people to professionals when approached by someone with a sexual concern. Among the sexual issues 47 percent or fewer pastors were approached regarding are, in descending order of prevalence, struggles with same-sex attraction, sexting, transgenderism/gender dysphoria, masturbation, same-sex parenting situations, porn use by a child under 12, erotica/written porn, and porn use by a wife. Study results are available at brushfiresfoundation.org. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' general assignment writer/editor. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. #JANUARY19

ST. CHARLES, MO – Late last year I was having a discussion with a relative who was concerned about how much she owed to the church to meet her tithe. She was literally distraught over the situation not wanting to allow the end of the year to pass without meeting her obligation. While many pastors would be pleased to have such a congregant with this attitude, I submit it’s not the posture that would most honor the Lord. So, when is giving enough? Jesus talked a lot in the Bible about money. He talked about our relationship to and stewardship of money. The truth is, everything we have, our money, our property, our time, talents and everything else, belongs to God. We have been entrusted with it for a purpose, some would conclude a divine purpose. We are to steward it, manage it for the One that owns it. Jesus used a parable to illustrate this truth and his pleasure with the one that got the most out of it. The Apostle Paul said, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV. I’ll leave the discussion of the tithe to others but it’s clear that God set the standard in giving. He so loved that he gave. We’ve all heard it said that you can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. We’ve also heard our checkbook tells the story of what we love. But the bottom line is that generosity is a Godly characteristic and giving our money is one example of generosity and should be part of every believer’s life. Consider these questions in relationship to your giving: What should I do with it all? You see, as a steward we are responsible and accountable for everything God has entrusted to us, not just financially. How we treat the possessions he has entrusted us, and what we do with it all, is a question of stewardship. Similar to the question of how much to give we should be in constant contact with the Father, following His lead in sharing all we’ve been entrusted to whomever, whenever and however. How much should I give? Actually, I think the answer to this question starts with the wrong perspective. It assumes the ownership of that which we’re giving. The question really should be, how much should I keep. How much of the owner’s (God) money would he want us to keep as our management fee? Since It is not ours to keep we should feel good about giving some away. It’s God’s money and he should be making the decision about how much is given and how much is kept. If we start every conversation about our time, talent and resources with the concept that it belongs to God, it will change how we approach the conversation and it will change the outcome. The result will be investing the things he has given you and I for his glory differently. We will question a purchase before we make it and think about it differently. Our lives will be lived differently. We will be more motivated to use what he’s given us for his glory than for our comfort. Try it! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bruce Scott is the Senior Vice President for Westfall Gold, the nation’s leading innovator and implementer of major donor events. Westfall Gold has raised nearly a billion dollars for their clients. In addition to serving as VP Bruce has previously served as Executive Director of Revenue for a major para-church ministry and as local pastor. He’s married and has one daughter who is also involved in major donor philanthropy with a Christian University. #JANUARY19

“Arguments won’t change people. Simply giving away kindness won’t either. Only Jesus has the power to change people, and it will be harder for them to see Jesus if their view of Him is blocked by our opinions.” Chapter One, page seven. Bob Goff, is an unlikely sort to be found on the bestseller stand of our local book store, or speaking before literally millions of people telling stories and touching lives. He is not a preacher, nor a theologian, rather Bob is a lawyer, and were it not for his persistence he may not have garnered that achievement. Bob has a passion for people and it is this passion that permeates his books, and will motivate the reader to pursue their God-given passion in order to be fulfilled, happy, and successful. “Everybody Aways” is filled with first-person stories and the lessons learned as Bob has become love to a world full of difficult people, challenging circumstances and scary surroundings. His love for people is best demonstrated in how he treats them. It has been written, Bob teaches love to others Jesus-style, with an extravagant grace. He believes God doesn’t want us to spend our lives studying Him, as much as imitating Him by being love to the world. It is time to step out from the closed doors of our churches and homes to express love to the unloved. Another bestselling author, Carmine Gallo, of “Talk Like Ted” and “The Storyteller’s Secret” examines the way communications has become an art form of storytelling. We see it in our commercials, gone are the days of simply selling a product. Commercials take the audience on an emotional journey, “Love is what makes a Subaru,” “Eat a Snickers, you aren’t yourself when you’re hungry,” or an all time favorite, “Guess what day it is…” The American audience would be bored within seconds if a product was displayed along with a narrator telling of how good it is. “We” are visual snobs, and expect more. We want to be entertained. As a result, the need for entertainment has driven speakers, authors and even preachers to share relational stories that can be tied to a message. The best stories make an emotional connection, and it is with emotions an audience is moved to action. That action maybe to get involved in a needy cause, or it may persuade the decision of that next purchase, but either way the audience has made a connection and are touched. As you read, “Everybody Always” there is an almost certainty of connection. Goff’s stories are compelling and motivating. His writing style leaves you feeling changed, energized to do something, and want more. So, dig into your book bag and pull out this incredible read, “Everybody Always” that in the new year of 2019 your life will be different. If you don’t own it, there are both digital and hardback copies available. It’s another bestseller by Bob Goff. #JANUARY19

CHICAGO, IL – If you think community is an important part of healthy church life, and I hope you do, then small groups should also be important to you. They are actually crucial to the life of any church. I’m not the only one who thinks so—we have the research to back it up. For the book Transformational Groups, which I co-authored with Eric Geiger, we conducted a survey of churchgoers in the United States and Canada. The results were telling. Almost 8-in-10 (79 percent) of those surveyed agreed that small groups are very important in the church. Two-thirds said that their church regularly starts new small groups. We saw widespread agreement, but perhaps not widespread engagement. What’s the Right Engagement? Some would say that 50 percent of your Sunday morning attendance should be in small groups. I would say that is low, because I believe all of the people who are involved in your church should also be plugged into small community in whatever form you offer it. Realistically, though, I don’t think 70 percent is an unreachable goal for churches that rightly emphasize small groups. I’ve been in traditional churches with 94% involvement in small groups (in this case, Sunday School). That’s a lot, but it’s doable. And it’s important because relationships within the church body are important. Let me say that again, it is important because relationships within the church body are important. Why It Matters? I find that a lot of Christian discipleship deals with what you need to know, not who you need to be with. That is sad, because if we get the relationships right, the information will follow. If we connect people in real gospel community, they will learn. But the opposite is not always true. We’re too often concerned only with conversion and information download, and we don’t take community and relationship-based discipleship seriously enough. You can’t build community by way of programming, but you can use a program to create a pathway through which community can happen. Maybe you should read that sentence again; the difference in the two is subtle. Programs do not community make. However, programs can create the pathway—the opportunity—for birthing healthy community. The Value of Community When we preach the gospel to one another in close-knit community, there is spiritual growth that changes us individually and as a whole. That change causes us to position for an outward focus and encourage gospel transformation in the communities outside the church walls. As much as I love gathering with the whole of the local church for corporate worship, there is something powerfully unique about an intimate gathering around a living room, a small classroom, or a dining room table that forces us to think differently than when we are in a big room for worship. Small groups, in fact, are where much of the theology taught in our pulpits begins to be fleshed out in conversation and action. If you want your church to be on mission, teach it from the pulpit and equip your people to wrestle with it in small groups. It’s messy that way, but it’s fruitful. Recognizing that, there are four factors we found in transformational churches that were foundational to small group success. 1. Personal Discovery First, personal discovery happens in small groups better than large groups for a number of reasons. You can learn, ask questions, involve yourself in the lives of others, and generally make yourself vulnerable among other people who are doing the same in small groups. You just can’t do that in sermons. There is no conversation, no feedback, and no questions. There’s no room to challenge the preacher or even question any part of what’s being taught. Spiritual growth happens better with others, in community, with open lines of communication and freedom to speak into one another’s lives. 2. Smaller Communities Are More Effective Second and closely related to the first, smaller communities act more like, well, communities. That may seem like a given, but the bigger the group is, the less like community it feels. The kind of community I am advocating requires a level of intimacy easily lost as numbers grow. You simply cannot know everyone beyond a certain point, and you certainly will not open up about your struggles and sins in a large group of people you don’t know. 3. Deeper Friendships With that in mind, the third factor is that small groups deliver deeper friendships that double as accountability. When people know you, really know you, your life becomes far more transparent, including your sin. Others learn to read you and will call you out for those sins, creating opportunities to deal with real life difficulties as they surface. This is part of what we should expect from good friends. 4. Maximum Participation Finally, small groups deliver maximum participation. There are opportunities to discuss the issues with others in the church. Church life issues can be discussed openly among trusted friends. Mission can be planned out and participated in together. Lives are sharpened and leaders developed. Small groups are an absolute necessity for involving as many people as possible in the life and ministry of your church. Make Space for Community Community matters enough to be prioritized. It needs to be more than an afterthought, but needs to be part of our focus. We often say there is not more important ministry in the life of our church that our small groups. It’s that important. Whatever your plan or program for small groups, keep these principles in mind. Understand why groups are good and take advantage of the good they can bring into your church. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ed Stetzer holds the Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College, Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center, Dean of the Wheaton College School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership, and is interim teaching pastor of Moody Church in Chicago. #JANUARY19

FENTON, MI – As Michigan Disaster Relief begins the New Year, there will be many opportunities to volunteer and serve, both in Michigan and across the country. We have the finest training available, and the best people to go out and share the love of Jesus in times of need. If you are looking to get trained, we have varied opportunities for you to take advantage of your talents. The first Basic Training event will be Saturday, January 12th at The Valley Church in Saginaw from 10am to 1pm. If you are interested in hearing more about becoming a Disaster Relief volunteer, please call Judy Roy at 810-223-2465 and register for the training. The next training is scheduled for May and will be held at Bambi Lake Baptist Retreat and Conference center. This training will be in conjunction with a week-long chainsaw opportunity to help Bambi trim and fell trees to enhance the visual appearance of the property. You may be surprised to learn qualified chainsaw operators are a huge need when disaster strikes. Besides, this particular week is always a great time of fellowship and worshipping at Bambi. Even if you are not trained in the chainsaw discipline, please join us. There is always work that can be done while enjoying the time together. In addition to cutting trees there is always lots more to do, like brush removal and burning. Keep checking back as the exact dates and details will be shared in posts on the Baptist Beacon. It may surprise you to learn, we have a massive opportunity each spring to work with college students. This year, there will be several opportunities to volunteer during college spring breaks. Crew chiefs are needed during the month of March to help supervise student teams. Our student volunteers chose to spend their spring break repairing or rebuilding damaged homes instead of vacationing. It is always a rewarding and refreshing experience to see the youth of our Michigan spend their time off sharing their faith and demonstrating the “good Samaritan” love to these families. This year’s opportunities are predominantly located in Puerto Rico, North Carolina and Florida as those areas continue to recover from hurricanes in 2018. North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Florence, and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams from all over the country, including Michigan, have been instrumental in the recovery and are continuing rebuild efforts. At one time, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief kitchens were operating at ten different sites providing food to survivors. You might not be aware that we offer training in the culinary arts specifically for large capacity cooking. A total of 1,057,623 HOT meals were prepared and served from ten sites! Michigan Disaster Relief sent a chainsaw team to assist in the initial response efforts. Since the hurricane, 4500 recovery jobs have been completed and now have moved into rebuild efforts. The goal for 2019 is to assist 2,000 families in returning to their residences. This is a long-term project (2 to 3 years) and will require thousands of volunteers to help, including you. Hurricane Michael did extensive damage to the Florida panhandle and similar types of efforts have deployed to that area. Michigan DR responded by sending volunteers to help work in a kitchen, preparing 150 meals a day for the volunteer teams. This work is ongoing as we care for the volunteers, providing food, shelter and even laundry service for them. As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities for volunteers whether it is feeding, chainsaw, flood recovery or chaplaincy. If your church or association wants to conduct Basic Training or training in any of the other areas, please call to schedule a time. Encourage your church members to get involved so they can be blessed by blessing the victims of disasters. “And the King will answer them, I assure you: Whatever you did to the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40 If you want to find out more information about sending a team from your church or association to help, you can go to https://baptistonmission.org/Mission-Projects/By-Mission-Type/Disaster-Relief/Hurricane-Florence/Get-Involved. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob Kiger is the state director for Michigan Disaster Relief efforts at the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. #JANUARY19

CHICAGO, IL – I am a missionary and so are you. We are called to be missionaries right where we live, work and play. Often, maybe too often, we only think of missionaries as those who give their lives to go far away and serve the Lord in jungles or vastly different culture. While there are those who do and we are thankful for them, you and I are called just as they are to be representatives of the Gospel before the world around us. Take a look at the diagram to find your way: STEPS TOWARD NEIGHBORHOOD MISSIONS! Map out your neighborhood – draw the immediate area around your home. Create margin – allow time to be a missionary by scheduling your efforts. Prepare for mission – what are some ways to engage your neighbors? Pray up – lift up your neighbors address until you get to know them. Drop by – Intentionally engage your neighbors while working outside or walking. Make the ask – Invite them to church. Invite over – create opportunities for your neighbors to get to know you. Look for opportunities – God will provide chances to connect, don’t miss them. Fuel up – Stay constant in your quiet time, your church and small groups to be ready for missionary service. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ed Stetzer holds the Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College, Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center, Dean of the Wheaton College School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership, and is interim teaching pastor of Moody Church in Chicago. #JANUARY19

CARY, NC (BP) – A review of this year's top stories reveals one particular topic that seems to stand out -- change. And it is presented here as a call to pray for the many churches, organizations and individual Christians involved -- that is to say, all of us. The Southern Baptist Convention began what appears to be a season of change in 2018, signaled most noticeably by vacancies in executive leadership roles at five SBC entities. Yet, there was also a wave of other openings, transitions or announced departures in seats of influence at state and national entities, as well as local churches. Below is a collection of news snippets that, when stitched together, offers a broad perspective on current events in Southern Baptist life. Frank S. Page resigned his position as head of the SBC Executive Committee in March due to personal, moral failings. Paige Patterson, a dominant personality in Baptist life, was terminated as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in May amid a swirl of controversy and scandal. Thom S. Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, announced in August his intentions to retire in the coming year. In September, David Platt exited his leadership role at the International Mission Board to pastor full-time at McLean Bible Church in metro Washington, D.C. Chuck Kelley announced in late fall his intentions to retire from his post at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 2019. Also declaring plans to retire in the coming months were three Baptist state executive directors: David Hankins in Louisiana, Robert White in Georgia and Lynn Nikkel in Wyoming. Three editors of Baptist state news agencies reported their upcoming retirements as well: Gerald Harris of Georgia's Christian Index; Allan Blume of North Carolina's Biblical Recorder and Bob Terry of the Alabama Baptist. A number of pastors at influential churches across the SBC signaled plans to pursue various ministry opportunities. Well-known preacher and former SBC president Johnny Hunt left First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., to lead the North American Mission Board's evangelism and leadership training initiative. Mark Harris stepped away from the pulpit of First Baptist Church in Charlotte to campaign for office in the United States Congress. And former SBC president Bryant Wright announced his plans to retire as pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga. A spate of faculty resignations over moral concerns touched three of the SBC's six seminaries this year, including Alvin Reid from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, David Sills from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Christian George from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. A small number of the vacancies listed above have been filled, but many are still open or are expected to be filled soon. Jeffery Bingham was named interim president of SWBTS shortly after Patterson's departure. Paul Chitwood was chosen to replace Platt as the next leader of the IMB, leaving open his former position as executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Jeremy Morton now occupies Hunt's former pulpit at Woodstock in Georgia. Jennifer Davis Rash currently works as editor-elect for the Alabama Baptist and will assume the lead role Jan. 1, 2019, upon Terry's retirement. Thomas Hammond will step into Georgia's executive director seat after the first of the year following White's departure. Likewise, Quin Williams will bear the leadership mantle for the Wyoming Convention on Nikkel's exit. Some of the transitions listed above are somber and sobering. Others are the result of the natural ebb and flow of life and ministry. Still more changes are exciting and encouraging. Regardless, each is an opportunity for Southern Baptists to pray. We are, above all else, a praying people, believing in God’s faithfulness to answer our prayers. This story first appeared on the Biblical Recorder website (brnow.org), newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. #JANUARY19

LOUISVILLE, KY (BP) – Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's 71-page report on the institution's history of slavery and racism garnered coverage in hundreds of media outlets during the week following its release. Reaction to the report ranged from affirmation by many evangelicals to criticism from both the left and right. "Insofar as there is any legitimacy to any criticism, we need to hear it," Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. said Dec. 17 on NPR's On Point radio broadcast. "... I intend to deal with honest partners in this, with people who want to engage in a conversation about the Christian responsibility that we face as Southern Seminary. And I think Southern Baptists would be willing to enter into that conversation." The report was researched and drafted by a six-member committee of current and former faculty appointed by Mohler in late 2017. Their work, released Dec. 12, documents the racist history of the Southern Baptist Convention's flagship seminary -- from its slaveholding founders in the antebellum South to its segregation-defending faculty in the early 20th century. Overall, reaction has been "overwhelmingly positive," Southern told Baptist Press. Among those to praise the report are African American pastors on social media. Dwight McKissic, a Texas pastor long known for speaking to racial justice issues in the SBC, tweeted Dec. 12, "I'm unaccustomed to reading racial truth & transparency at this level from author(s) who were not liberal or African American. Refreshing to get an honest, insightful, and helpful historical overview of race/slavery. Truth that you acknowledge & act upon will set you free." Thabiti Anyabwile, a Washington pastor and speaker at Gospel Coalition events, tweeted Dec. 12, "One of the things to point out about this report is that there's a faculty at the institution that was being prepared over many years, not just when someone decided to write a report. The report is only possible because the Spirit has been at work in private for a long time." Among conservative evangelical critics of the report was Douglas Wilson, a Reformed author and pastor known for defending some aspects of the Confederacy. The report, Wilson wrote in a Dec. 17 blog post, seems to succumb to "a bizarre form of works righteousness" that repeatedly rehashes past racial sins without offering full forgiveness and pardon to members of the offending group. "With regard to this original sin of American slavery, under no conceivable scenario will Al Mohler ever be allowed to stand before the students of Southern Seminary and declare to them that their sins are entirely and completely forgiven," Wilson wrote. Other critics claimed the report should not have ended its historical survey with the mid-1960s. Emory University historian Alison Greene told the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal the report failed to address more recent alleged instances of white supremacy among Southern Baptists. "You don't get the whole story of the seminary's history of white supremacy," Greene said. "They are almost claiming it is not relevant." Lawrence Ware, an Oklahoma State University philosophy professor, said "the vast majority" of Southern Baptist churches still "are going to be white supremacist churches, and we have to kind of deal with that and be honest about that." Ware made his comments during an On Point appearance with Mohler and Curtis Woods, a member of the report's drafting committee. Woods, co-interim executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, challenged Ware. "We have to have research in order to back a statement like that up," he said. Woods also recounted steps toward racial inclusion taken by the SBC and its entities. Still other critics claimed Southern Seminary must revise its theology entirely to address adequately its racist history. North Carolina Baptist minister Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove wrote in a Dec. 13 Washington Post op-ed that Southern Baptists stand in the tradition of "slaveholder religion" and need "a theological reckoning that gets to the heart of what it means to read the Bible, to share its Good News and to be saved." "Slaveholder religion makes a relationship with God separate from one's obligation to work for God's justice," Wilson-Hartgrove wrote. "It made it possible for Southern Baptists in the early 20th century" to "feel righteous in their defense of white supremacy" and for today's Southern Baptists "to say they're concerned about the evangelization of migrants" while also claiming "they are in no way obligated to work for policies that would help those people find homes in the United States or anywhere else." When asked on NPR about such criticism, Mohler said he thinks "there will be very little interest on the part of Southern Baptists -- or for that matter, evangelical Christians -- in discussing the dismantling of Christianity in order to meet a political objective." SBC President J.D. Greear was among positive reactors to the report. He tweeted Dec. 13, "I am grateful for this historic step of gospel healing @albertmohler & @sbts have taken. No matter how painful it can be to learn, we cannot heal what we do not know." ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Roach is chief national correspondent for Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention's news service. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. #JANUARY19

FENTON, MI – A few years ago I was in the Trauma Center at University Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. A member of our church family was there with her father who was involved in a serious automobile accident. People were running everywhere and it seemed like mass chaos. One group of people were huddled in the corner, clinging to each other as tears rolled down their faces, and open sobs were heard throughout the waiting area. Nurses and technicians were scurrying about trying to meet the needs of so many hurting people. It was not unlike some scene from a television program like E.R. or New Amsterdam. I am not a stranger to these situations or places, but this time there seemed to be a more intense atmosphere that filled the corridors. I needed to be with my friends and their father, but others needed more immediate attention. I tried to get someone to help me, but they were busy with more important matters. The actual treatment areas where the patients were cared for were separated from the waiting and admission area by a large double door. I knew I needed to be on the other side of that door, but I was not allowed. The sign over it clearly stated that absolutely no one was to be admitted without proper clearance. I did not have that clearance, and only someone with such authorization could get me in. This one door kept me from where I needed to be. But something fascinated me about this door, and it was the fact that it did not have a conventional lock and key system or a push button lock activation pad. The entrance locking mechanism was controlled by a biometrics security system. I had seen these devices in various places in my travels, but I had not seen one of these in use at a hospital before, so it did catch my attention. A biometrics security system is a system that scans fingerprints, palm prints, voice and facial patterns, or even the retinal structures of the eye, and then compares what it "sees" with data stored in a digitized memory bank. At this particular door a palm print scan was used, and all that was necessary to open the door was “yourself” --as long as you had your hand with you and you were on record. After finally getting the attention of one of the trauma nurses and explaining my situation she simply placed her hand on the scanner and in less than two seconds the door opened. No fuss and no problem. I was in. No worrying with keys or numbers that could be stolen, lost or forgotten, all one need do is lightly place their hand on the scanner. If I had tried to enter through that door by placing my hand on the scanner it would have denied me entrance. No matter how much I needed to be on the other side of those doors, and no matter how much I desired to be given entrance, it would still be denied me because I was not on record with the data bank. One day we will all stand before the gates of heaven. They won't be controlled by some biometrics security system, but one fact will still be the same, unless you and I are found in the "Heavenly Data Bank", (The Book Of Life) no matter how important it is for us to enter in or how much we desire to be on the other side of the Gates of Heaven, we will be denied entrance. No good works, no church membership, not ritual or deed will let us in. What is required is for you and me to be sure the right information is in the right book? Is your name there? I know mine is and I want you to know yours is as well. Read, John 3:16-18. Cry out to God for His forgiveness and believe. You will be saved! May I encourage you to begin this year knowing your eternal information is recorded in the Book of Life. Don’t be denied entrance into heaven. If you have questions or want to talk to someone about this, call me! (904) 408-9521 is my direct number, and I am always eager to talk about the love of Jesus. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tim Patterson is Executive Director/Treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Elected unanimously in May of 2015, Patterson formerly served for 9 years as pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He also served as trustee chair and national mobilizer for the North American Mission Board. #JANUARY19