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GRAND BLANC, MI – In 2002, I watched my parents plant a church in Hartland, MI. It was a fun experience, but I didn’t play a huge role. I had a couple years of high school left then I would be off to college. As I matured and my relationship with Christ grew, I started to feel a pull to working in the ministry. However, as I observed from afar my parents experience of planting a church, it didn’t look like anything that I wanted to be involved in. In fact, I remember telling several people in college that “I would never work for a church.” I graduated from college in April of 2009 and accepted a position working at a camp in Vermilion, OH called Beulah Beach. I never felt a clear call in college towards a particular occupation, but I knew I loved summer camp through my experiences as a counselor at SpringHill, so working full-time at a camp seemed like a logical destination. Working at Beulah Beach was extremely valuable- for the first time in my life I was truly on my own. My relationship with Jesus grew tremendously during those two years. I was given a substantial amount of responsibility; interviewing and hiring 60+ summer staff each summer, summer camp programming, managing facilities, preaching, and overseeing a large staff were just some of my roles. This was also the place where I started my marriage- I will forever be grateful for the foundation it laid for our marriage as we both served in full-time ministry (my wife, Andrea, served as the Day Camp Director). Fast forward to 2011, and God had led my wife and I back to Michigan. For the next four years I worked in medical sales, a job I excelled at, but as time continued to pass, I couldn’t help but think, “is this seriously what God has designed me to do?” In the summer of 2015, Andrea and I took a trip to see friends that serve as full time missionaries in Guatemala. The entire time I was there I felt so jealous, jealous of what my friends were doing with their lives and the perpetual feeling that I was wasting my life. I started begging God to move in our lives, to whatever the next chapter was because I refused to believe I would work in medical sales for the rest of my life. It was shortly after returning from that trip that I called Travis Whittaker because we hadn’t spoken in about a year. As soon as he answered, he remarked, “You’re calling me to come help me start this church.” Travis was right. Over the next couple months, God made it abundantly clear that we were supposed to help start Mile City, a new church in Livonia, MI, but also showed us that it was not our “final stop.” Throughout 2016, God continued to put people in my life and grab my attention in ways that made it very clear that church planting was a part of our future. Grumlaw Church is God’s dream, not mine. It’s ironic that I once said “I would never work for a church.” God has clearly changed my heart and pushed me forward on a mission that I can’t ignore. Each day, I am excited and terrified, but more than anything, I’m humbled that God has chosen me for this purpose. Planting a church has been the most challenging endeavor of my life, and it constantly puts me in a place that if God doesn’t come through, you’re in trouble. But my goodness, is it rewarding and incredible that God chooses to use ordinary, sinful idiots in His plan for redemption. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shea Prisk is Lead Pastor of Grumlaw Church in Grand Blanc, MI. His wife is Andrea, and they have two children. Grumlaw Church meets at Genesys Conference & Banquet Center, 805 Health Park Blvd, Grand Blanc, MI 48439 on Sunday mornings at 10:30am. #MARCH18

IRONWOOD, MI – A number of weeks ago, I asked my congregation if they were arrested and charged with being a Christian, what in their life could a court use to convict them? This question has nothing to do with a works based salvation and everything to do with the reality of the past. For the past 2,000 years many Christians have faced that question and been found guilty. They were guilty not for what they believed, but for the results of those beliefs. It is easy to say we believe. It is easy to claim the mantle and name “Christian.” But what is the outward expression of that faith, what is the result? As Paul described to the Ephesians in Chapter 4: 17, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” This is a call to action by Paul, reminding the Ephesian church they are no longer who they were, they are now Children of God, in Christ, which we see in verse 24, …” put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Our new lives in Christ result in our being separate from that which we were. As such, there should be an obvious difference between the old and the new. If there isn’t, we have to ask why? What are we doing to reject the call and separation from our old life? We are accepting of grace and eternal life, which we did not pay for, but slow to change on our end and live as called. Are we making good choices and living righteously so our deeds rise to God’s throne as a pleasant aroma or are we continuing as before? So I ask again, what in your life could be used to convict you of being a Christian? Church attendance? I think not. Many who do not believe go to church and many who do have stopped. What about regularly tithing? I think not, many tithe without belief for status, family, and economic benefit. So, what in your life could be used against you because a judge and jury cannot see what we profess, but they can see the results. So what might be enough for conviction? If there was evidence of care for widows and orphans, this would count against you as Christian behavior, but who does that anymore. What about loving your neighbor as yourself? This would be easy to figure out. Let the prosecutor interrogate the stranger we met last week. Their words might be enough to convict, although for most of us, we did not do anything but exchange empty platitudes. The Good News of Jesus went undelivered. If we remember John 13: 35, all people will know we are disciples of Jesus if we have love for one another. So we must reflect on our lives again, what evidence in my life could be used to convict me of being a Christian? Is there evidence I have love for others? Most of us will need very little space to write those things in our life that a court could use to convict us of our faith. This is a major hole in our faith today and something we should immediately want to rectify. It is an easy fix; we just have to be willing to freely love others, without an expectation of return, to the glory of our Lord and Savior. Challenge your spouse and kids and church to live radical Christian lives, just as we are called. Often the only thing necessary for change is one person willing to be the first. This is our call, it is not a burden, it is a blessing to us and those around us, and a pleasing aroma to God. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ian Minielly is a church planter and pastor of Catalyst Baptist Church, Upper Peninsula Association of Southern Baptists in Ironwood, MI. #MARCH18

EDWARDSVILLE, IL – Do churches ever misrepresent themselves? Sure they do! Ask most pastors within their first two to three years of being on a church field. “They told me they were mission-minded. They said they really wanted to grow and reach this community….” are just two common comments I have received in the past nine years of relating specifically with pastors and staff. Do churches intentionally misrepresent themselves? Probably not. Or at least, I pray that is not their intention. One thing of which I am keenly aware - churches often say they are ready and willing to change, hoping they will experience the anointing of God upon their church, but once the change begins to affect the church they know and love, they begin to push back. This is a major blockade to revitalization. From the information I gathered, it was Mark Twain who made the statement "The only person who likes change is a wet baby". I wonder if Mark Twain ever changed a baby's diaper. None of our five children seemed to enjoy the whole "changing" process, especially when they had diaper rash. They would cry, kick and scream throughout the entire process. I can’t fathom why either. They were in an “awful mess” and inundated with an “awful aroma.” Change is not always pleasant, but when a church is in an “awful mess,” it is the only solution to the unpleasantness and pain. The Lord desires us to be followers who present a “sweet-smelling aroma” by the conduct of our lives in this present environment (Eph. 4:17–5:17, esp.5:2). Therefore, change is a model and a regular practice we are obligated to submit to for the glory of God to be revealed in us and in our assemblies. Hold all ministry and programs with a loose grasp, allowing the Holy Spirit to evaluate and adjust everything for its greatest effectiveness. Change and pain need not be synonymous, if we come to realize that who we are, and everything we are steward over, is HIS! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Tracy Jaggers is the Associational Director of Missions at Gateway Baptist Association, Edwardsville, IL #MARCH18

MONROE, MI – Seven Michigan Baptist leaders attended a national Vacation Bible School (VBS) Institute at Ridgecrest Conference Center in January. Along with Southern Baptist Leaders from across the eastern United States, they received training to plan, to prepare, and to conduct VBS. Commenting on the event, Megan Line said, “It was a blessing to be surrounded by men and woman at Ridgecrest who not only love VBS, but that had a passion to make it better, to reach children for the Glory of God. It was great to get pumped up, trained and equipped to teach others how to provide an amazing VBS for their communities!” Another team member, Betty Ward, observed, “I enjoyed being at Ridgecrest and seeing people from other states getting as excited as I am about VBS. That they were willing to take time out of their busy lives to come and learn and go back to their states to teach others.” The training equipped the team to return to Michigan, and lead VBS Institutes for local church leaders in our state. Shar Durbin commented, “VBS gives a huge boost of excitement and an urgency to prepare for VBS. Although it is in the dead of winter, and VBS will be in the heat of summer, it is not too soon to get our hearts and materials ready. This year ‘s songs are super loaded with Scripture and catchy tunes that will find their way into the hearts of children and leaders for years to come. They are already in mine.” The Michigan VBS leadership team members come from churches across Michigan. The team includes Shar Durbin, Megan Line, Nickol Mearnic, Carla Saunders, Debbie Turner, Betty Ward and Bob Wood. Please contact any of the team members for VBS information or assistance. Michigan VBS Institutes will be April 28, 2018 at Merriman Road Baptist Church, Garden City and May 5, 2018 at Bambi Lake Retreat and Conference Center. VBS Institutes are on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A LifeWay VBS bookstore will be available at both locations. Each VBS Institute starts with a worship/pep rally, and core leadership workshops for all VBS leaders in the morning. Lunch is provided. Breakout enrichment workshops are offered after lunch. Carla Saunders describes one of the breakouts, Gospel-centered Children’s Ministry, “We learned that the Bible stories we read and teach are truly centered around Christ.” Core leadership workshops feature LifeWay’s VBS theme. Most of the breakouts are curriculum-neutral; they are applicable to VBS no matter which curriculum you choose to use. You can register online at www.bscm.org/register. Vacation Bible School continues to be one of the most effective outreach and evangelism tools your church can use. VBS Training enhances your evangelistic effectiveness. Research has shown that on average we baptize one person from VBS for every worker we train for VBS. Receive inspiration and training for your VBS leaders at one of the Michigan VBS Institutes sponsored by the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob Wood is pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Monroe, Michigan. He also serves as a VBS consultant for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before coming to Heritage Baptist Church, he served as a state missionary for the BSCM. #MARCH18

“For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” (2 Timothy 1:7) ORLANDO, FL – The small church is the beginning of our early American Religious Heritage. We started our religious foundation with the creation of small churches. Even during the early days of the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, the small church was in existence. Many things can be said about the small church. The small church is unique from all other sized churches. Paul Madsen says it so well, "The small church has no different mission than any other church of the land, regardless of size. It may use different methods to achieve that mission, but the mission of proclamation, fellowship, ministry, and service is the same for all.” It is astounding to realize that 90 percent of all churches today are not growing, and that churches with 101-200 total members 50 percent of them have plateaued. Another 19 percent have declined, leaving only 31 percent of these churches that are growing. A more recent series of studies (The State of the Church) was conducted by Bill Day; Associate Director of the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health, who serves the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as the Gurney Professor of Evangelism and Church Health in his sequential studies on church health and growth of 2003, 2007, and 2010 where he reports that currently there are less than seven percent (6.8) of our SBC churches which are healthy growing churches. That means 3,087 of our 45,727 SBC churches are healthy. Abraham Lincoln said about the small churches in America, "God must love the small church. He made so many of them.” Carl S. Dudley, professor of church and community at McCormick Theological Seminary, in Chicago, Illinois, states that the break-even number (small church congregation) would be around 175 participants in the Sunday School structure of the church. He does give us one careful delineation, he says that in the Mennonite denomination a congregation of 75 would be considered quite large. Small Church Defined Number of members now Worship attendance A comparison with past days when the congregation was much larger The image projected by the pastor's definition of comparative church size The physical size of the building or buildings The size of the budget as compared to the past A full workload for the minister or ministers An individual's previous experiences in other congregations The quality of caring relationships among the members The size, number, and variety of fellowship circles or primary face-to-face groups which together constitute that congregation Most definitions of the small church are misleading. In most mainline denominations, at least 60 percent of the congregations are included among the "small" churches. One stunning report comes from James E. Lowery as he describes the Churches of his particular denomination where he states: "43 percent of the clergy are serving 18 percent of the people in 62 percent of the churches in a situation which is programmed for failure.“ You ask ten leaders of small churches today you will get at least ten different lists of characteristics of a small church. There are at least fifteen characteristics of the small church today. Regardless of denomination, these fifteen elements appear predominantly throughout the small church in America. The Small Church acts as: One big family and is one cell A close niche family Casual in its character Displays marvelous devotion and compassion Allows for faster participation and connection Significantly relies on volunteers to lead the church Knows when you are not there instantly Practices careful financing and management Is involvement-focused not quality-focused Has few entry points initially Places the center of attention on a single event at a time Pastor may or may not have impact Is guided by a few committed lay leaders Growth blueprint is small group and clusters designed Draws participants for a variety of reasons For the small house of worship there are various impediments to expansion that need to be defeated if it wishes to break the hurdle in church renewal. What is of significance, is that some of the small churches strengths can also be their weaknesses. I see at least eight growth impediments for those small churches desiring to break through in church renewal. Here are the eight enlargement obstacles: The small church plant has partial or incomplete programming. The small church plant has very little outreach or evangelism. The small church plant can rear smallness if it does not keep a growth mentality clearly before the people. The small church plant can exhibit swift and steady pastoral transition after the initial funds run out to launch the church. The small church plant can begin to grow a tough crusted leadership team. The small church plant dictates mere existence financial practices. The small church plant exhibits to their target area insufficient amenities and services. In the small church plant, familiarity of small group becomes too familiar. Since one quarter of the Protestant churches in the United States and Canada average fewer than thirty-five at worship, what can we find are the strengths of these congregations? I believe there are at least nine strengths: The strength of a high degree of lay ownership The strength of possessing a vision for reaching the community The strength of having a hard working and dedicated pastor The strength of a supportive pastor's wife The strength of dedicated lay leadership investment The strength of ample facility for the present and near future The strength of correct methodology The strength of fellowship The strength of baptism There are at least eight major factors that influence the capability of the small church to survive. The small church: Is not a branch office It reinforces community It's subsidies increase vulnerability It is a socialization factor It displays the Importance of shared experiences It shows distinctively the centrality of worship It is a lay-dominated institution The members institutional commitment is directed as a whole rather than toward any one component For the small church aspiring to crack the barrier to church enlargement there are at least 7 intentional actions to be considered. Requires changes in pastoral leadership patterns Requires changes in organizational formation Requires changes in how new members are incorporated into the work Requires changes in the new church's outreach strategies Requires changes in the budget and financial policies of the new church Requires changes in the way the new church functions in regard to business procedures Requires changes in the new lay leadership patterns One important ingredient when just starting out to renew your church: Seek to Continually Build Momentum in Your Church. Prayer is the often overlooked revitalization tool! It ought to go without saying but here is the first thing you need to do. Pray and teach your people to pray Stop talking about it and start actually praying at prayer meetings Keep preaching about prayer and model prayer during your preaching Have a prayer list and pray through it Develop a ministry that prays for all other ministries Be a leader that models prayer For most denominations the small participant church, though it is tenacious, does not have the willingness alone to break the barriers needed for church revitalization. A church revitalizer should be deployed. Yes, the small church is vital to the American heartland and by and large will not die. Yes, they do not experience great shifts in membership, but they do not have the willingness to take the actions needed to break the barriers necessary for church revitalization. There are at least nine characteristics of the church which is beginning to stall and face plateau or decline. Achieving original goals Peaking attendance & membership The good ole days Stagnant population Community in transition Not making correct transitions Senior influence Befuddled building complex Not involving new members Lack of pastoral discretionary time Declining attendance Comfort turning inward Key Insights Remember from “0-50”-ish members, your people helped you grow to that level! To get the next 50 people the pastor will have to get them and personal evangelism will be a key contribution to that cause! Member will usually not help with growing the church due to comfort restraints. However, as you get to 125 participants church members begin bringing new people again! Discovery #1: Growing and declining churches actually do the same things! Discovery #2: Growing and declining communities do not statistically correlate with growing and shrinking congregations! Discovery #3: Growing churches have a clear sense that God is active within them and is using them to change lives! Discovery #4: In both growing and declining congregations the emphasizing of money and programming is a mistake! Discovery #5: Growing congregations that have turned things around have experienced a spiritual renewal. Discovery #6: Nothing happens without that spiritual renewal first and foremost. Discovery #7: All renewed churches were outer focused and other focused. Discovery #8: All renewed churches were willing to change! It was not lip service but real commitment. The overall discovery from the report is that these factors are the distinctions between growing and declining congregations. It concludes all of these must take place for revitalization and growth to happen. Church Revitalization Is A Long-Term Many Year Process! Plan on investing a minimum of three or four years at the outset. Do not allow oneself to become distracted in the process. Remember you are called to do God’s thing not a good thing! Beware of a short attention span within yourself and your congregation. New is not always the best or right answer, it is just new and can contribute to failure. Be sure the new things you do match the main thing you are doing to revitalize your church. ™Lastly, Prayer is the glue that holds everything together! So keep praying! It will be the very thing that hold the church together during difficult times. If you're interested in knowing more about church revitalization, check out the upcoming Renovate Conference! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Tom Cheyney is founder and Executive Director for RenovateConference.org and ReproducingChurches.com located in central Florida. #MARCH18

WINDSOR, ONTARIO – As our small church began to take form, and God began to save sinners by His grace, we ran into a problem. These new believers wanted to share their faith, but didn’t know how. They were excited about their new life, they were glowing with the light of Christ, but they were unsure how to share this good news, and frankly, I didn’t know how to help them. The temptation can be to hold back sharing the Gospel until we “know enough.” But I knew there had to be a simple, reproducible and faithful way that a newly baptized believer, still dripping with baptismal water, can faithfully begin sharing the Gospel, but how? The Gospel is not a religious doctrine, as much as it is good news. It’s easy to baptize the Gospel in religious rhetoric and forget that its ACTUAL news. The Gospel is history, it’s flesh and bone! The Gospel is front page current events news. Then it hit me, “That’s it! It’s news!” In that moment God saturated my mind with ideas. It was as if a flood gate opened and I couldn’t stop the creative energy of the Holy Spirit from consuming me. The world is sharing their “gospel” everyday through every means and medium possible. The Church needs to do the same. God led me to create a ministry called, “Good News for Windsor.” The goal of this ministry was to start a grassroots movement that would embolden Christians to live as domestic missionaries. We created simple, clear, and easy to present resurrection pamphlets so that even new believers could open them up and share with anyone. We created drop cards that pointed people to our website, where they would see a professionally produced proclamation of the Good News as well as other resources for those wishing to dig deeper. We made T-Shirts that said, “Ask Me for Some Good News” in order to prompt people to begin conversations with us! It’s always nerve wracking to start a Gospel conversation, but it’s much easier when someone else ASKS YOU for the Gospel! The results have been nothing short of miraculous. We were able to share the Gospel with over 50 people, face to face, at a local festival last summer using the materials we created. But more importantly, our congregation is reporting an increase of Gospel conversations with their family, friends and even strangers! I was able to personally share the Gospel with a Muslim woman at the grocery store and give her a resurrection pamphlet. However, in the providence of God, the next week at the gym she saw me, and I was able to witness to her again at the gym. We chatted for 20 minutes about the resurrection and eternal life, and this time her Muslim friend got to hear the Good News as well. All because I wore a shirt that said, “Ask Me for Some Good News!” If we truly believe that God came in the flesh, died on a cross to cleanse us from all our sins, and rose from the dead to grant us eternal life, then we ought to go to extreme measures to share this news. We are strongly encouraging the Saints in our fellowship to become living, breathing, Gospel billboards. After all, isn’t that what Church Planting is all about? Bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to every living soul on this beautiful planet? Charles Spurgeon said, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” Every believer on mission is normative Christianity. Pew warming and consumer Christianity needs to become the oddity among us, not the norm. So think, how can I begin to clearly and simply share the Good News of Jesus of Nazareth? And then GO and DO IT! Don’t wait for permission, don’t look to see what others are doing, GO! This news is too wonderful to wait!!!! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alin Patularu is the founder and Lead Teaching Pastor of Life-Giver Church in Windsor, Ontario. Alin has been married to his wife Shelly for 7 years and they are expecting twin baby boys. #MARCH18

God is a missionary God. He is a sending God. His plan from the very beginning has always involved sending His people do His work. FLINT, MI – The Latin term missio Dei is a common term used to describe God and it has often been translated as the “sending of God” or the “mission of God” which comes from the very nature of God Himself, “encompassing everything God does in relation to the kingdom and everything the church is sent to do on the earth.” (McIntosh, John A. 2000. Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions, ed. A Scott Moreau, s.v. “Missio Dei.” Grand Rapids: Baker.) The nature of God and the understanding of the missio Dei reveals to us that God is not only a supporter of missions, but that He is actually the initiator of missions. Missions exists because God exists. Church planting exists because God exists. When people engage in church planting or other missionary activity it is not like they are doing something for God. They are actually simply joining God in what He is doing. The nature of God and the mission of God cannot be separated. In contemporary society today, it seems that the majority of Christians don’t connect theology to church planting. It seems that most simply compartmentalize the faith saying that theology is what we believe and church planting or other missionary activity is what we do without any continuity or connectivity between them. This is a flawed view as the right thinking always precedes the right action. In order to be faithful in our church planting we must have a Biblical understanding of theology. Upon studying the Trinity, we see the pattern of relationships as it relates to church planting. In the plan of redemption, it is revealed to us the unique role that each person of the trinity plays. There is a division of labor even within the Godhead. In salvation God the Father is the sending God. He sends the Son and the Holy Spirit. He is the master planner of redeeming the elect. When Jesus was carrying out His ministry He often explained that He was sent to the earth in order to do the will of the Father. God the Father is the sender. Jesus is the sent one. He was sent to carry out a specific ministry of living the perfect life that none of us could live and then dying the death that we should have died. Then on the third day He was resurrected unto newness of life making man’s redemption complete. He was the one sent. The Holy Spirit was finally sent as a support to Jesus. His main mission is to carry out the work of Jesus. Herein we see a model for church planting. In order for church planting to exist there must be a sending church. Just as there is a sending church there is also a sent one, the church planter. This is the church planter that is called to fulfill the specific assignment of planting a new church. No church planter can do his work alone so there must also be a support team sent to surround him. That is a group of people that come along side of the church planter to fulfill the task. Literally the sending God gives us a model of what church planting relationships should look like. Our ecclesiology is vitally important as it relates to missions. What is the purpose of the church? Is the church an end unto itself, or is it the means to carrying out the missionary task. It is my persuasion that each local church should form into a missionary agency with one of its chief concerns to send believers out on mission with the chief mission being planting new churches. The goal is to not just grow the seating capacity of the church, but to grow the sending capacity of the church. It seems the Apostle Paul made this extremely clear when he gave instructions to the leaders at the church in Ephesus, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-12). These verses teach us that the leaders of the church are called and put in place in order to equip the saints to carry out the ministry. What better ministry than church planting. The church should have a primary focus on equipping those in her midst to take up the call of planting other churches that plant other churches. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Eric Stewart married his wife Lori in October of 2006 and they now have three beautiful children. Pastor Eric received a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science and Religion from Liberty University and has since begun working on a Masters of Divinity degree. In the fall of 2014 Eric along with others from the Flint area started ONElife Church which Pastor Eric now serves as the Lead Pastor. #MARCH18

SARNIA, ONTARIO – As the clouds darkened the skies over the city of Sarnia I was reminded it was expected to be a colder winter and the snow would pile up. The cold winter is what birthed the idea to hand out retired winter wear along with with the gospel message, thanks to the Ayton family. This year we had over thirty people participated in reaching the unchurched people of Sarnia. The winter wear had been collected diligently and coats were ready to be handed out to anyone who had a need. Not to be put off by the foreboding sky, this little band of Christians gathered along the side of Bayside Mall to hand out hot chocolate, coffee, winter coats, boots, hats and mitts. Along with these acts of kindness were people ready to talk about the love of our Saviour. Gospel literature was available and tracts were intermingled in the pockets of all the coats. We were all gathered to give a cup of water in Jesus’ name. The spirit of spontaneity, adventure and resourcefulness all came to fruition on a particular Thursday morning. As the raindrops hits my windshield I decided to turn around and go home to gather plastic tarps and my sunshade. Before long we had constructed a “tent city” to keep the garments and shoppers dry as they looked for something that might fit their children or themselves. One single mom remarked how thankful she was for these coats because she did not know what she was going to do for her kids. Our church planting team (The Bridge Gathering) put together eighty “blessing bags” filled with colorful homemade hats, many personal items and a New Testament. We added a special event prize filled with Christmas delicacies, bus passes and other practical helps for anyone who filled out a ballot, which would be drawn at a free Christmas dinner in two weeks. We gained contact information for future events and asked if they would check off an interest in life skill classes like cooking, finances and parenting. Many responded positively to this initiative and we look forward to maintaining email and phone contact to continue our ministry to this community in the days ahead. Over the next three-hours, we witnessed to more than two hundred people, enrolled them for future follow up and handed out Christmas dinner invitations to which one hundred actually came two weeks later. And just when you think you’ve done everything, I had my first turkey cooking experience as I spent the day putting three of those big birds through my kitchen oven. At the event, volunteers mixed and mingled during the dinner to indicate that we are interested in a relationship, not just helping them out. Children were kept occupied with a craft while parents enjoyed the delicious turkey and ham dinner. Someone even set up a photo booth and took family pictures, printed them off and delivered them to the families. One person remarked, “this was the first family picture they had taken in years.” At the end of the day, here is what we learned: If we are going to ask someone to consider a personal relationship with our Saviour, we had better be ready to establish a personal relationship with them first. We cannot talk about a relationship with Jesus Christ and not be prepared to engage ourselves in relationship with others. This is the gospel connection we must make if we are going to reach our lost neighbours. This is what it means to be “On Mission” and it is the most exciting thing we can do as Christians. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cecil Cogswell serves The Gathering Church as Director of Community Outreach for Sarnia-Lambton. Cecil and wife Jayne planted a church in the Greater Toronto Area years ago and pastored that church faithfully until relocating to Sarnia. Cecil and their team plan to develop small groups within the area as a strategy for reaching people with the Gospel. They are extremely hospitable and enjoy having people into their home. They have two married daughters. #MARCH18

RICHMOND, VA – David Platt, president of the International Missions Board (the sending arm of the Southern Baptist Church), has announced his intention to resign from that position and focus his efforts on the local church. Platt has expressed his commitment to continue serving as president of IMB until a suitable replacement can be found. Taking on the role of president in 2014, Platt has led the organization through a significant time of transition due to budget constraints. In 2015, Platt led the organization through a lot of cutbacks due to a $21 million budget deficit. IMB ended up losing over 1,000 missionaries and staff. In addition to the changes due to budget constraints, Platt also made other changes to the qualifications for those who can serve as missionaries. The most head-turning of those changes was lifting the ban on speaking in tongues. The Local Church Wins Out in David Platt’s Decision In September 2017, Platt was confirmed into the role of teaching pastor of McLean Bible Church (MBC), McLean, Virginia, by a 95 percent approval vote from the congregational members. Platt and his family are members of the Washington, D.C., area church, where Platt also serves as elder. When he took on the role at McLean Bible Church in September 2017, Platt said, “I am all in as IMB president,” he shared. “Me teaching God’s Word in the local church is not in any way indicative of a desire to do less at IMB. I am not changing anything when it comes to my commitment to the IMB.” However, he also expressed the reason for taking on the teaching pastor role was because of his feeling that “he wasn’t using his role and gifts in a way that shepherds and mobilizes as many people as possible on mission.” BSCM Reaction Tim Patterson, the Director of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan, recently spoke with David at the annual meeting of State Executives in Galveston, TX. He asked David if he and his wife had peace about the decision. Plat said that he had complete peace but still felt a heaviness about IMB. Patterson responded to him saying that he understood and would be praying for him and his family as they make the transition. David Platt Announced His Intentions to Trustees of IMB On Monday, February 12, 2018, Platt spoke to trustees of the IMB about his decision to transition from the role of president. Platt requested the group begin searching for his replacement immediately, but assured them he would continue in the role until a suitable successor had been found. According to a statement on IMB’s website, Platt gave this explanation to the trustees: “I have come to the realization that it is not viable long-term for me to lead as president of the IMB while serving as teaching pastor in a church,” Platt said. “This realization has been sobering, for I don’t believe I can choose between preaching and leading in the local church, and mobilizing and shepherding people in global missions. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that if I am going to serve in this way in the local church, then I need to serve in different ways for the cause of global missions.” “I love this IMB family, and I want to encourage you continually with God’s Word, I want to mobilize limitless missionaries to join you, and I want to work with you overseas in any ways I can help you,” Platt said. “In short, I want to do anything I can to see missions succeed across and beyond IMB and the SBC for the glory of God.” Before serving as president of IMB, Platt was pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, from 2006 to 2014. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Megan Briggs is a writer and editor for ChurchLeaders.com. Her experience in ministry, an extensive amount of which was garnered overseas, gives her a unique perspective on the global church. She has the longsuffering and altruistic nature of foreign friends and missionaries to humbly thank for this experience. Megan is passionate about seeking and proclaiming the truth. When she’s not writing, Megan likes to explore God’s magnificent creation. #MARCH18

NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – Few men could spark the outpouring of respect and gratitude as Billy Graham upon his death today (Feb. 21) at age 99. Among Southern Baptists -- among whom Graham counted himself -- a range of leaders underscored the broad scope of the famed evangelist's influence. Steve Gaines, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of the Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church: "Billy Graham is with Jesus. He has seen and talked with our beloved Savior. May the awareness of his death result in many people hearing the Gospel and being converted to Jesus Christ! "He is the nearest thing to a true prophet that Christians have had in the past century. He was a man of integrity, simplicity, love and evangelistic fervency. He preached to more people than anyone else in the history of Christianity. He was a legendary man of God, and every born again Christian will miss him. He was converted to Christ in 1934 at an evangelistic crusade in Charlotte, N.C., led by evangelist Mordecai Ham. He soon felt the call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the world has never been the same." Frank S. Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee: "Along with countless others, I mourn today for the passing of Billy Graham. As I came to Christ as a young man out of a non-Christian home, he became a mentor to me from afar. I admired his preaching, his life and his integrity. I told him so years ago when I got to meet with him. Heaven is a richer place today. "For three-quarters of a century, he has been a faithful ambassador for Christ, seeking to reconcile men and women to God through faith in Jesus Christ," Page said. "He has borne witness for Christ without distinction, sharing the Gospel with the world's most powerful leaders and with the oppressed, urging the wealthiest and the most impoverished alike to find their hope in Christ alone." Ronnie Floyd, pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas, president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force and immediate past president of the SBC: "I am overcome with emotion when I think of Billy Graham and his influence on all of Christianity. He was a giant for God, a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-generation prophet of God's truth and grace. He called everyone, young and old and even boys and girls, to get up from their chairs and give their lives to Christ. And they poured out by the thousands.... I pray we may never forget his legacy and his unrelenting passion for Jesus, and may we follow his footsteps in calling people to repentance in Christ." Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board: "Only eternity is expansive enough to measure the impact Billy Graham had on our world. I will be forever grateful for the way he kept believers focused on the priority of proclaiming Jesus. I am thankful and grateful for the impact he made on my life and that of millions of others." Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary: "The eyes of a North Carolina farm boy sparkled as never before this morning when Billy Graham entered heaven. After nearly 100 years spent largely in an effort to 'rescue the perishing and care for the dying,' the world's evangelist was called home to a prophet's reward. "Never accused of the hoarding of wealth or of sexual misconduct, his careful practices of conduct place him in a category of a man whose life was a proclamation of Christ as well as His message. His faithfulness to the proclamation of God's plan of redemption -- undergirded by his initiatives on racial justice and his concern for the lost -- set the standard for all who would attempt to preach the riches of the Gospel. His allegiance to sacred Scripture was legendary. Never did he allow doubt to shake his confidence in God's Word." R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: "An epic era of evangelical history has come to an end. Billy Graham was not only a titanic figure in evangelicalism, but in world history and perhaps represents the last of a kind. He dominated 20th-century American evangelicalism and remained a major figure on the world stage throughout most of the 20th century in a way that we can envision no evangelical leader in our times. He was a man of deep conviction whose passionate heartbeat was for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ." Thom S. Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources and founding dean of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry: "Graham will forever be revered as one of the greatest evangelists the Christian faith has ever known. In a day and time when Mr. Graham could have easily commanded the attention of millions for his own gain, he chose to live a private, humble life. Throughout his life, it was obvious he wanted the focus to be not on himself but on one thing: the cross of Jesus Christ." Russell Moore, president of the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission: "We are fortunate to have lived in the era of Billy Graham. He was perhaps the greatest Southern Baptist in history, turning the world upside down with the Gospel. He was never ashamed to confront a brave new world with the old-time Gospel. Combining the power of a 'the Bible says' authority with the compassion of a 'Just as I Am' invitation, he projected the mission of Christ Jesus, full of grace and truth. Behind Dr. Graham's stately North Carolina accent, millions of people heard another voice, a northern Galilean voice calling 'Come, follow Me.' As we grieve the loss of Billy Graham, let's thank God that in this man's life we were able to see the Gospel that is, still and forever, the power of God unto salvation." Tim Patterson, Executive Director-Treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan: “Dr. Billy Graham was the voice of the evangelical church before and during my lifetime. His uncompromising clarion call of the Gospel that "whosoever will may come", will thankfully continue to ring for generations to come. I can think of no other Christian voice that has impacted more people with the saving knowledge of Jesus than that of Billy Graham. He was a man of integrity and convictions, to which he stayed true for the entirety of his life. All of Christianity is saddened by his homegoing but we look forward to a great reunion one day soon.” Adam Greenway, dean of Southern Seminary's Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry: "The passing of Billy Graham marks the end of an era in American Christianity. He was incredibly passionate for evangelism and he influenced every level of American life. He was also passionate about theological education and the training of the next generation of evangelists and evangelistic pastors. That's personified by his support for the creation of the Billy Graham School at Southern Seminary -- the only graduate school ever allowed to carry his name. I think his greatest legacy would not only be those whom he personally impacted through his evangelistic ministry, but the scores of pastors and evangelists who have been trained to preach the same Gospel that he so faithfully proclaimed." Jerry A. Johnson, president of National Religious Broadcasters: "The world has lost a great man, but those in heaven are surely rejoicing in the homecoming of this good and faithful servant. Only God knows how many are there with him because of his ministry and how many more there will be. It seems trite to say he was a giant among men, but no one could doubt the truth of this statement. For more than eight decades, Billy Graham faithfully obeyed Christ's command to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature as our Lord commanded. Billy Graham loved the Lord with all of his heart and demonstrated this through his ministry. He was a trailblazer in the use of radio, television, film and other communications platforms to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.... Billy Graham was and will remain a shining example for us all." Richard Land, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary and former president of the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission: "I grew up in a home with a Christian father because of Billy Graham. Dr. Graham came to Houston’s Rice Stadium for a crusade in the early 1950s. Some of the men from the local Baptist church in our neighborhood invited my father to go with them to hear Billy Graham. It was there that my father accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior and became a faithful deacon and Christian father for the rest of his life. Similar stories have been repeated literally hundreds of thousands of times across the globe. I am eternally grateful that God sent Billy Graham to us and that he answered God’s call and became the greatest messenger for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ since the Apostles." Jerry Drace, a former president of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists and president of the Jerry Drace Evangelistic Association: "Graham's standards of integrity, honesty and genuine concern for all people of all backgrounds will forever be a model for every vocational evangelist. His single message of telling others that, 'God loves you' and his constant reminder that, 'The Bible says' was the foundation of his God-anointed ministry. One one occasion I was scheduled to speak to the annual meeting of religious officials in Shenzhen, China. Rev. Graham shared with me the message which he delivered to that same group a few years before. That evening when I spoke, I brought them greetings from Rev. Billy Graham and they applauded. I knew then that everything was going to be fine. His impact will continue to live on in the lives of the thousands of evangelists throughout the world who were blessed to have come under his influence." From Twitter: Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary: "With news of the passing of evangelist Billy Graham, I am rejoicing over his magnificent life of faithful, powerful, fruitful Gospel preaching & careful, intentional, consistent Gospel living!" Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary: "I'm saddened to learn of Dr. @BillyGraham's passing. Yet rejoice that he is now in the arms of King Jesus, and for the legacy of evangelism he leaves." Bryant Wright, pastor of the Atlanta-area Johnson Ferry Baptist Church and a former SBC president: "Isn't it a fitting tribute to Billy Graham's life that on every major news outlet that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being shared over and over. Oh Lord, may Jesus and the Gospel be the focus as we live each day and when any of us are called to heaven one day!" Jack Graham, pastor of the Dallas-area Prestonwood Baptist Church and a former SBC president: "Billy Graham never wavered and preached Jesus faithfully without apology. The cross and resurrection and the public call to decision was the focus of every sermon." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Art Toalston is senior editor of Baptist Press, news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. #MARCH18

FENTON, MI – Several years ago Sabrina and I frequented a particular restaurant that served a variety of foods at a reasonable price. The service was good, but the food was good enough to make you slap your grandma. One day the waiter, who had come to know us by our first names, told us about a brand new dessert item and suggested that we try it. On most of our dining occasions, by the time we got to the dessert portion of our meal there was no room for anything, especially dessert. But this particular time the dessert that was offered, and the unusual nature of this treat captured the attention of our curious little taste buds. The dessert that our waiter offered was fried ice cream. Just the thought of how frying ice cream could take place made you want to place the order. How would it keep from melting? What would it taste like or for that matter what would it look like? How could two seemingly opposing tastes, textures and states of being be brought together to produce anything that tasted good or for that matter was edible? It was almost incredulous to me that one could fry that which was to be an ice cold dessert, and it remain frozen and maintain it’s cold, smooth and creamy texture. Would modern miracles never cease? When our waiter did deliver our confectioner's crazy cold creation, it was a culinary delight. The combination of a hot flaky crust encasing a frozen center of vanilla ice cream was a gastronomical delight that sent my salivary senses into extreme agitation. In other words, I slobbered all over myself it was so good. The improbable and seemingly opposing tastes and textures had been combined to provide a most memorable dining delight. The same sort of culinary combination is accomplished with the “sweet and sour” sauces used in Chinese food. Logic and experience would tell us that these opposing tastes and textures should not get together but the fact of the matter is that they do. I have found these diverse combinations that produce unexpectedly wonderful blends are not unique to the world of foods. These perplexing paradoxes are found in our life experiences as well. Sabrina and I have experienced these paradoxical happenings on more than one occasion. I remember well when we moved our eldest son and his wife many hundreds of miles away in order for them to attend seminary. We were so excited and thrilled for them and their new adventure, but at the same time we were saddened and even grieved at the loss we sensed. We were fully aware that because they had been called into the ministry that the possibility of us living in the same area with them in the future was very unlikely. We knew that this meant that we would be with them on very rare occasions and with any “future” grandchildren. They now have three daughters in this foreign land. This happened again when my youngest son and his wife moved to Colorado and took our grandgirls with him. I believe it should be a law that our children must get parental permission to move grandchildren more than 20 miles away! If you are a parent or know what it is like to be separated from the ones you love then you understand the difficulty of such an event, yet at the same time this new life in a different place is exciting and fulfilling. How can these two blend to create a wonderful life experience? How can the joy of seeing your children step out into life’s great adventure mingle together with the grief of loss? Does the one outweigh the other and thus make it just bearable? No! The fact is that God takes the joy and the sadness, and combines them to create a brand new life experience that will be used to make us more like Him and honor His wisdom. He mixes the good and the bad, the joyful and sorrowful, the sweet and the sour, and makes something wonderful and new. Yes, it goes beyond our logic and the experiences of our past. It really doesn’t make sense, but God somehow synthesizes it for our good and His glory. If you have not already encountered God’s special way of combining life’s experiences, you will. Just relax and enjoy the meal. The fried ice cream is a tasty treat indeed. Romans 8:28 reads, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” I now know, that includes fried ice cream. 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. #MARCH18

FENTON, MI – Secondhand Faith is affecting our entire lives. Secondhand faith is the prevailing spiritual mood that allows individuals to create, recreate, or crush his or her personal spirituality without that spirituality ever being challenged by anyone. Those holding to secondhand faith no longer believe in absolutes. People, by way of the internet and instantaneous global communication, believe that societies with opposing worldviews appear to thrive and suffer at their own pace regardless of their religious affiliation. During four decades of service in Africa among Muslims, in Europe among postmoderns, and in North America among a mosaic of world religions, I noticed that a very small percentage of the population actually clung to classic religious teachings and practice. Most lived out a secondhand faith. Meaning Behind Secondhand Faith What do I mean by secondhand? Bargains were important to my family, when I was a little boy. We knew how to stretch a dollar. Possessions or gifts, whether they were new or secondhand, made no difference to us. My first guitar was a used-guitar with a neck so bowed that it was almost impossible to get the strings to touch the frets. I quit my guitar lessons after only three months, sore fingers and all. My red go-cart was also previously owned along with every small-engine that was attached to its frame. I have lost track of the guitar and the go-cart. I cannot remember exactly when I stopped playing with them or what became of them. It is no surprise. They did not cost me anything. They were mine. I enjoyed them for a time. Then I lost interest. They became unimportant to me. They were secondhand. It seems to me that we are treating spirituality in the same way that I treated my childhood gifts. We pick up our spirituality without a lot of thought. We hold it for a while. We modify it when we want. We mix our beliefs willy-nilly. We exchange it for another form whenever it suits our mood. And if life’s experiences threaten what we believe then we discard our quasi-spirituality. That is why I call this phenomenon secondhand faith. Six Markers of Secondhand Faith I learned to speak 3 modern languages. I’ve visited 20 countries and lived on 3 continents. I learned that our world is a colorful tapestry of languages, cultures, religions, philosophies, and peoples; yet, I found six markers of secondhand faith present in every area of the globe. Once these attributes are identified and understood it is easy to see how this fraudulent faith has woven itself into the fabric of everyday life. These six traits are equally evident on the streets of our cities and in the sacred places of our society. I have observed the same six markers of secondhand faith in Africa, throughout Europe, and in North America. The six markers of secondhand faith are: Divine Schizophrenia Blended Beliefs Plastic Morals Twisted Tolerance Worldly Ways Spiritual Consumerism Let me suggest, as you become familiar with these six markers, that you ask yourself if today’s ambiguous, self-designed spirituality, with its six traits, is helping us to create a better world – or simply a more confused, chaotic one? 1. Divine Schizophrenia “Divine Schizophrenia,” the first marker, says that any divine force is incapable of clear self-expression in one manner, simultaneously, to every culture and individual, therefore the divine force is revealed in different ways to different cultures and people. Some may believe this divine force is a personal god, while others believe it to be energy, a design, or a destiny. People seem to believe that all religions, worldviews, and truth claims are valid and equal avenues of spiritual expression even though they may be contrary to one another. Those who hold to this point of view think that no individual culture possesses a complete description of a divine force; therefore, each community must ignore the other’s differences and accept their points of view and practices. 2. Blended Beliefs The second marker, “Blended Beliefs,” like a spiritual buffet, allowing people to blend different spiritual views, into customized, confusing, and even contradictory mixtures. People are creating a spirituality that conforms to their own personal notions. To their way of thinking, there are no universal codes of conduct or standards of belief; that would be too confining. Each person is free to choose his own divine force, lifestyle, and beliefs, thereby, creating an array of spiritual dishes. 3. Plastic Morals The third trait, “Plastic Morals,” allows a person’s morality to change based upon their constantly changing circumstances, not their convictions. Much like the plastic plates, cups, and flatware used during a picnic, morals can be jettisoned after they have served their purpose. This conviction promotes personal happiness, without remorse or guilt, as the highest goal. According to this conviction, when it comes to moral issues there are no universally right or wrong answers. There are no appropriate or inappropriate judgments. There are no moral distinctions that apply to every occasion, every place, and to every person. Therefore, personal principles and practices can be followed or disregarded at the whim of each individual. 4. Twisted Tolerance The fourth attribute of “Twisted Tolerance” expects people to give their sincere support to the opposing beliefs and behaviors of other people. Twisted tolerance is likely the strongest conviction. Strange behaviors are more tolerated in society, while traditional values are marginalized, ridiculed, or dismissed as trivial. People are no longer expected to simply put up with opposing points of view; now, they must validate contrary, even repulsive, opinions as acceptable and normal. As a result, people distrust anyone who thinks he has an absolute response for every situation. People label anyone a bigot, militant, or extremist if he is not completely approving of everyone else’s lifestyle and choices. 5. Worldly Ways “Worldly Ways,” the fifth marker, shows how people have exchanged divine guidance for secular counselors. People are attracted to worldly guides and self-designed ideas focusing on self-discovery, self-help, self-affirmation, and feel-good philosophies. People focus much more on the here-and-now rather than the hereafter. They want spirituality that is relevant to their daily lives and think that traditional religions have fallen short on relevancy. They think that human-focused spirituality is more important than pursuing God. People no longer look for guidance from the God of the Ages; instead they are listening to the gods of this age. People are creating demigods from this era of politicians, atheistic moral philosophers, financial mammoths, and celebrities hawking the latest spiritual fad. 6. Spiritual Consumerism The sixth attribute, “Spiritual Consumerism” reveals how people are searching for that choice-driven, customized spirituality, suited to their own tastes, for the smallest cost to themselves. People have become avid bargain hunters when it comes to spirituality. People have grown accustomed to enjoying goods and services for their own immediate gratification. It should be no surprise that economic habits have shaped spiritual habits. Shrewd shoppers have learned to search for bargains at the local malls and on the Internet. In the same way, they want to get all that they can from spirituality while giving up as little as possible. Self-gratification has replaced sacrifice. Convenience has replaced service. People are no longer worried about the epic questions, such as, “Why am I here?” They are too busy dealing with life’s immediate questions, such as, “How can I be happy, right now?” From their perspective, religion exists in order to make people happy or to help them cope with life. Spiritual consumerism is on the rise and rapidly climbing. So how do we lead people to Christ and create dedicated disciples for the Lord is everyone is affected by secondhand faith? Let me invite you to read another section of this column during April, here in the Baptist Beacon, when I will explain how the people with whom we work are much different than decades ago. 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. #MARCH18