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WASHINGTON, DC (BP) – When the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide one year ago this month, Southern Baptist Convention entities and cooperating Baptist state conventions sprung to action to help pastors and churches navigate the new cultural milieu. From books and conferences to videos and suggested church bylaw revisions, Baptist-produced resources have helped thousands with ministry, legal and family responses to the high court's Obergefell v. Hodges ruling June 26, 2015. "The biggest surprise for many church people is how many of their friends and family members are being impacted by this issue," said Jeff Iorg, president of Gateway Seminary of the SBC and editor of the book "Ministry in the New Marriage Culture." "It's not enough to decide not to allow same-sex weddings in church facilities or not to endorse same-sex marriages among members. These are important decisions but they don't make the problem go away. "The real ministerial challenge," Iorg told Baptist Press in written comments, "is helping people impacted by the choices of others. For example, the deacon with a granddaughter who marries a woman and invites him to her wedding. The Sunday School teacher who has a child in her class who has two married male fathers. The business owner who now has same-sex married employees who are entitled to benefits." SBC entities respond Iorg's book, released Oct. 1 of last year by B&H, was based on a 2013 conference at Gateway, then Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, which became increasingly relevant following the Obergefell ruling. The book, featuring an array of authors, explains the biblical and theological foundations for ministry within a culture that embraces same-sex marriage and provides practical guidance on legal issues, children's ministry, family counseling and more. "I have spoken on the book from California to Florida," Iorg said, "and the consistent response has been 'thank you' for helping us start thinking about how to respond to the thorny issues created by same-sex marriage." Among the most immediate responses to the Supreme Court's ruling came from the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. The day the decision was handed down, the ERLC "had ready dozens of resources," the entity said in a statement to BP. "In fact, our site was such a go-to destination for people across the country that we had to strengthen our capacity to withstand all the traffic." Subsequently, the ERLC helped bring together hundreds of evangelical leaders to sign an affirmation of biblical marriage that drew nearly 15,000 online endorsements in 24 hours; convened a conference in July on "the Gospel and Same-Sex Marriage" in Austin, Texas; partnered with pastor and author Sam Alberry to create a series of short videos on same-sex attraction; and published a book titled "The Gospel and Same-Sex Marriage" edited by ERLC director of policy studies Andrew Walker and ERLC President Russell Moore. At LifeWay Christian Resources, the B&H Academic division published "Unchanging Witness" in January, a detailed explanation of what Scripture teaches about homosexuality and how Christians in various phases of church history have responded to it. In the book, authors Donald Fortson and Rollin Grams refute arguments by some of the contemporary homosexual movement's most prominent scholars. "We address a number of the contemporary, revisionist authors and mainline denominations in the West that are trying to distort the clear and unchanging witness of Scripture and the church on this issue," Grams, associate professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, told BP in written comments. "Our book lays out the biblical and orthodox theology of sexuality on which any truly Christian pastoral care must be based." State conventions Numerous Baptist state conventions have helped equip churches for ministry in the new marriage culture. Among them, the Illinois Baptist State Association has continued a ministry it began three years ago, when Illinois began moving toward legalization of same-sex marriage. The state's same-sex marriage law took effect June 1 of last year, less than a month before the Supreme Court's ruling. "When we saw that Illinois was to be one of the first states considering same-sex marriage legislation, our churches passed a unanimous resolution in support of biblical marriage and religious freedom," IBSA executive director Nate Adams told BP in written comments. "This empowered me to speak directly to the issue on behalf of our churches, and I did so with letters to all our state legislators. Conservative legislators held off the legislation for a while, but once it was passed, we began focusing our efforts on awareness and education for our churches. "Now, and especially since the Supreme Court's ruling," Adams said, "our energy is going into making sure churches understand their religious freedoms regarding same-sex marriage assertions, and helping them take steps to protect those liberties through their bylaws and written operating procedures. We have used conferences, articles and especially downloadable resources on our website to make these protections as accessible to churches as possible." The IBSA also has urged pastors to "elevate marriage" -- the theme of a 2014 conference -- by teaching the biblical foundation of one man and one woman united in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The Alabama Baptist Convention's State Board of Missions has developed a sample Facilities Usage Policy that churches may choose to adopt in an effort to prevent their facilities from being used for same-sex weddings and their pastors from performing such weddings. In February, the State Board of Missions sponsored a conference on "the church and sexuality" one day prior to the annual State Evangelism Conference. The 500-plus attendees "well exceeded our initial expectations and estimates," the State Board of Missions told BP in an email. State Board of Missions executive director Rick Lance told Alabama Baptists in a blog post last summer, "We are not to be hateful people who despise and loathe those with whom we disagree. No, we are to have a missionary spirit, seeking to serve in a culture not inclined to look to Christ as the The Way, The Truth and The Life." The Tennessee Baptist Convention has helped churches on multiple fronts following the ruling, with an emphasis on smaller congregations. "We recognized last year that our smaller churches potentially have more legal exposure than larger churches because of lack of resources," TBC communications director Chris Turner told BP in written comments. "We wanted to equip them so they could be proactive in protecting their churches, which is why we created a template to help them in amending their constitutions and bylaws." Turner noted, "There was and is a lot of misinformation out there so we created a series of articles for the Baptist and Reflector Tennessee Baptists' newsjournal to help answer questions we heard from people. We sent those stories out directly to all our churches. This is obviously an issue that is not going away and we feel a responsibility to making sure we keep our pastors informed and churches equipped." Christians 'on mission' The day the court handed down its ruling by a 5-4 margin, Moore of the ERLC charged Christians in a video to be "holy" and on "mission" -- words that have proven prophetic in light of the activities of SBC entities and state conventions. "There are many people outside the court today," Moore said, "who are exuberant because they believe that what the court has done today is to give them something that will fulfill them and make them happy.... It won't do that. Our churches need to be the places to receive the refugees from the Sexual Revolution, those who have been hurt and harmed by it." 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. #AUGUST16

FENTON, MI – MI Disaster Relief (DR) has been activated as one of the nation’s worst natural disasters continues to clobber the Texas coast. Hurricane Harvey made landfall on August 26th moving inland and bringing a record setting amount of rainfall. There are several ways to help: 1. GIVE – Give financially to the MI Southern Baptist teams working in the Texas disaster and for buying needed relief supplies. Send your checks to: BSCM - Disaster Relief, 8420 Runyan Lake Rd., Fenton, MI 48430. Churches and individuals can go to BSCM.org and click on the "Online Giving & Hurricane Harvey Relief" yellow button or GIVE NOW Hurricane Harvey Relief button! Click "Give Now" and then on the popup page select a fund to donate to: MI - Cooperative Program North American Missions - Annie Armstrong Offering International Missions - Lottie Moon Offering State Missions: Bambi Lake - Frances Brown Offering Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund Add the gift amount and click "Next" to complete your contact and bank information. You can even set this up for regular giving as well as a one-time-gift. Go to BSCM.org now and check it out!! 2. GO – Go as a volunteer to Texas to help! You don't have to be a trained DR volunteer. DR would provide on-the-job training free in transit to the location. If your church, individuals, or mission team could go, please call Judy at 810-223-2465 to arrange the schedule and travel information. 3. PRAY – Pray for the families devastated by this disaster. Pray for those still trapped amidst rising waters. Pray for the rain to end and for more volunteers to come to the aid of our fellow citizens. Gather in groups to pray, join in corporate prayer as a church, pray as you watch the news or think of loved ones in that area. #SEPTEMBER17

AMURIA, UGANDA (BP) – Islamic extremists ambushed a church leader in eastern Uganda this month after a sheikh sent to assassinate him during worship instead accepted Christ, sources told Morning Star News. Sunni Muslim extremists had sent the sheikh, an Islamic teacher trained in Islamic proselytization, to the Pentecostal Upright Church to kill pastor George Edweu. But during Edweu's sermon on hearing and understanding the voice of God, the power of the Gospel convicted the sheik of sin, Edweu said. News of the former sheikh's conversion shocked the community, and the 24-year-old newly converted Christian went into hiding. He, his wife and two children, ages 2 and 4, took refuge at an undisclosed location. A month later on Jan 2, Muslims ambushed Edweu when he arrived for a devotion at the church in Amuria, about 170 miles north of Kampala. Six masked men grabbed Edweu and demanded that he reveal the whereabouts of the sheikh. Some of the gang began slapping and kicking Edweu; others hit him with sticks. "As I fell down, a vehicle with bright lights flashed, which scared them away, and they disappeared into the nearby bush," Edweu told Morning Star. "The vehicle arrived and took me into the church compound. Inside the church building we found a letter with a threatening message: 'We are going to destroy your church unless you show us where name withheld is.'" Area Muslims have reportedly been announcing the conversion weekly as they gather for mosque prayers. A local Christian resident told Morning Star News that on Fridays he has heard over the mosque loudspeaker, "Name withheld needs to die for forsaking Islam." When converted, the sheik had rushed up to the podium and fell at the feet of Edweu, who stopped preaching and questioned the young man. As tears rolled down the sheikh's cheeks, he answered, "I was sent to come and attack, to kill the pastor and destroy the church," according to the pastor. The Muslim repented in front of the congregation, Edweu prayed for him, and the would-be assassin put his faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, the pastor said. Since the ambush, Edweu and his congregation fear more persecution could be imminent. The ambush was the latest in a series of anti-Christian attacks in eastern Uganda. Also in eastern Uganda, Muslim relatives of 24-year-old Sandra Summaya coerced her into taking poison at a New Year's celebration, she said, because she accepted Christ at a Christmas worship service. Muslims in eastern Uganda beat Christians at a Christmas worship service and wrecked the home of a single mother on Christmas Eve, sources said. This past December, relatives of a former Islamic teacher attacked his 60-year-old mother for becoming a Christian, wounding her head and breaking her hand, sources said. Aimuna Namutongi sustained a deep cut on her forehead. She and her son Malik Higenyi, whom Muslim relatives had beaten unconscious on Nov. 13 after he made a public profession of faith in Christ, managed to escape the attackers in December. Namutongi had been converted through her son's testimony, a local source said. Villagers recounted isolated attacks dating back to last June. About 85 percent of the people in Uganda are Christian and 11 percent Muslim, with some eastern areas having large Muslim populations. The country's constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one's faith and convert from one faith to another, but Christians in eastern Uganda are suffering continual attacks by non-state figures. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Morning Star News is a California-based independent news service focusing on the persecution of Christians worldwide. #FEBRUARY17

CLINTON TOWNSHIP – Christmas is often hailed as the most wonderful time of the year. However, for many, the season is far from joyful. More than a few people would rather sing Blue Christmas than Joy to the World. Studies indicate a surge in loneliness and depression during the holidays compared to other times of the year. The reality is Christmas, for many people, is anything but a joyful time of year. There are any number of reasons why people suffer from the Christmas Blues - death of a loved one, divorce, memories of holiday abuse from past years, and even mental illness or depression. While most people are basking in the warmth of memories from past Christmases, some are shivering from the chill of broken Christmas promises or the absence of a cherished family member who once filled a seat at the Christmas table. And to make matters worse, we can be so into our own joyful Christmas celebration we might overlook those around us who are not filled with a festive spirit. Or if we do notice them, we may be tempted to simply dismiss their lack of cheer as mere Scrooge-like behavior. However, there is often more to the story than they are simply a Scrouge who hates Christmas. The pain and grief experienced by many this time of year are often rooted in legitimate struggles. The stresses of real life do not magically disappear with a chipper “Merry Christmas!” If we take our role as Christ’s ambassadors seriously, we should make sure we aren’t so caught up in our own celebration of the holidays that we miss ministering Jesus’ love to those who are seriously hurting around us. Here are a few simple suggestions that can help. First, open your eyes. Those who are hurting or lonely are there, often right in front of us, but we can be too busy doing Christmas that we do not even see them. Do not assume that those with a "Bah! Humbug!" demeanor prefer to be that way. Second, open your heart. Yes, our Christmas list is usually cram packed with more than enough chores and responsibilities for us to do. But busyness is no excuse for us to neglect our responsibility to love our neighbor as ourselves. Make room in your heart to love someone who may have no one else to share the joy of the season. Third, open your circle. Hurting people will not come to us and ask if they can crash our Christmas party. Often, they will need more than one invitation. Don’t be afraid to be persistent. No one wants to feel like they are an imposition, so do your best to convey a “the more the merrier” attitude. Get out of the comfort of your own Christmas bubble and go share the joy of the season with someone who may be feeling truly miserable today. Let’s not settle for mere Christmas wishes when so much more is needed. God came near when Immanuel entered our desperate situation. We can do no less for the hurting people around us today. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Art Werry has been pastor of New Life in Fraser for over thirty years. Recently, he was confirmed as the director of missions for the Motor Cities Association. He also handles the technology needs of the BSCM. Art and his wife Tricia are raising their teenage daughter, Hannah, in Clinton Township. #DECEMBER23

NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – Folk singer Arlo Guthrie sang it at Woodstock. Pop star Rod Stewart recorded it in 1971. Crowd-surfing is rampant as American Celtic punk rock band Dropkick Murphys perform it on YouTube. “Amazing Grace,” in its 250th year, has such eclectic appeal and attracts so many genres that ethnomusicologist Paul Benham often discusses with his students whether it’s a gospel song. “People will sit and argue about it,” said Benham, an adjunct professor of music and ethnomusicology at Liberty University. Benham and Joshua Waggener, a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary professor of church music and worship, both say the song’s pentatonic or five-note scale common to traditional spirituals is part of its appeal. The lyrics resonate with many, with certain verses omitted at will. John Newton: infidel Amazing Grace was first sung in 1773 on New Year’s Day at Lord Dartmouth’s Great Hall in Olney, England. John Newton wrote it to accompany his New Year’s sermon from 1 Chronicles 17, encouraging worshipers to remember the Lord’s “past mercies and future hopes,” the Museum of the Bible records in an online exhibit. Such blessings were precious to Newton, a former atheist, exceptionally foul-mouthed sailor and slave trader known for self-proclaimed debauchery. Saved by God’s grace, he ministered 43 years. Newton claimed conversion in his early 20s when he cried out to God during a violent storm aboard The Greyhound slave ship in 1748, but continued to work in the slave trade for another six years, those latter years as a slave ship captain. “(Newton) didn’t leave the slave trade immediately following his conversion and never organized the release of any Africans that he had been responsible for enslaving,” the Museum of the Bible quotes journalist and biographer Steve Turner. “Crucially, his captaincy of slave ships didn’t begin until after he had become a Christian.” Newton’s delayed rejection of the trade has not deterred social justice advocates and Christians alike from embracing the hymn. Those on the right and wrong sides of history have claimed the song as an expression of resilience, determination and protection, including abolitionists and enslavers, the blue and the gray during the Civil War, segregationists and civil rights advocates alike. Turner notes the irony that the first slaves to sing Amazing Grace would not have known it was the work of someone who actively participated in the cruelty they suffered. ‘Conviction and suffering’ Mahalia Jackson, whose 1947 recording of Amazing Grace is among the most notable, puts the hymn in a category with “The Day is Past and Gone,” a gospel song based on words written in 1792 by Englishman John Leland. “Those songs come out of conviction and suffering,” Jackson is quoted in the Museum of the Bible exhibit. “The worst voices can get through singing them, ‘cause they’re telling their experiences.” Benham speaks similarly. “Everybody’s had toil and trouble, or dangers and toils and snares,” Benham said. “I think that resonates. … It’s almost universal.” The lack of the name of Jesus in the lyrics also makes the song easier to sing by nonbelievers, said Waggener, who is also SWBTS coordinator of research doctoral programs in church music and worship. “It is distinctly biblical in its words, distinctly Christian in its origins, but because it doesn’t mention Christ by name,” Waggener said, “it doesn’t use the name ‘Jesus,’ … others can, you might say, appropriate. “For them, the words ‘grace,’ or even, ‘I was lost,’ or, ‘the Lord has promised good to me,’” Waggener said, “it can mean all kinds of things.” Both Waggener and Benham note Judy Collins’ 1970 recording of Amazing Grace, an a cappella rendition the Library of Congress preserved in the National Recording Registry as “culturally, historically or artistically significant.” Collins’ recording peaked at 15 on Billboard’s Top 100. It was even more popular in the United Kingdom, spurring the Royal Scots Dragoon Guard, Scotland’s senior regiment, to adapt it for bagpipes. Collins discussed her faith in a 2007 PBS interview, expressing a blend of Christianity, Buddhism and the Self-Realization Fellowship movement founded by Indian guru Paramahansa Yogananda. Operatic soprano Jessye Norman sang it at Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday tribute, a rock concert that drew perhaps 70,000 to Wembley Stadium in 1988. Organizers requested the hymn specifically. “I wasn’t at all sure that was a great idea. And it was certainly something a lot of the rock fans did not understand,” she said of the audience in a 1990 PBS interview with Bill Moyers. “But after a while, they finally quieted down to listen, and some of them sang with me. They were forced to remember why they were there, that it was not only a rock concert, it was a remembrance of somebody that was in prison for the wrong reason.” Becoming Amazing Grace The song took decades to reach its current form. It is unknown which music accompanied its first rendition. It was first published in Olney Hymns in 1779 under the title, “Faith’s Review and Expectation,” among a collection of 348 hymns written by Newton and poet William Cowper. As was custom, none of the hymns included musical scores. American Baptist song leader William Walker was the first to pair it with the tune of “New Britain,” the Museum of the Bible states in its exhibit. It is the most popular soundtrack for the hymn today. As the song gained popularity across the southern U.S., song leaders would add verses that suited them, expressing contemporary struggles of the day, Waggener said. “A lot of it has to do with us as Americans. We take something and we improve on it,” he said. Amazing Grace “took on a life of its own.” The song was particularly fluid in the Black early American Gospel tradition when churches didn’t often use hymnals. “They could do it how they wanted it,” he said. “A song leader would get up and just say a line, and everybody would sing it. The song leaders had a lot of freedom. They could sing it slow. They could sing it fast. They could add notes. They could subtract notes. “And once that gets to Mahalia Jackson, she’s sung a lot of hymns, but no one’s sung them quite like that before.” Among the Library of Congress’ Chasanoff/Elozua Amazing Grace Collection are performances from more than 3000 musicians or ensembles, all available for public listening at the library’s Recorded Sound Reference Center. Newton had written six verses. The final verse included today was added along the way. It was first printed in 1851 in the abolitionist periodical, “The National Era,” in a 40-week serial telling of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” the Museum of the Bible said. Waggener sees the last verse as a crucial completion, telling of our heavenly home. Yet noting the lack of Jesus’ name in the song, Waggener exhorts his students to always include a song that clearly mentions Christ by name when including Amazing Grace in worship. “So that in that context, it’s clear where our salvation comes from,” Waggener said. “That it is only through the redemption that Christ supplies, and by His grace alone.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer. #DECEMBER23

SOUTH LYON – Looking back on life, I can’t really remember how Tim and I became friends. I do remember a very unkind voice message that he left for me on the church message machine one time, and I got in my truck to drive around town until I found him and asked that he not do that again. To my surprise, the next day I was sitting in my office with him helping him to write a resume for a job that he was wanting. I would see him walking all over town, usually standing in front of a building smoking and talking to some folks. Every now and then, he would stop by to visit and then take off. During Covid, we started doing our morning worship services outside and he became a regular. He would show up early to help us set up chairs and take them down when we were done. As we moved back into the building, he became pretty faithful in his attendance on Sunday mornings. Like a lot of people, he was stressed because of job loss and needed help with filing for unemployment. Once again, I found myself filling out his unemployment forms and submitting them. Every few days he would stop by the church to see if I had heard anything about his unemployment check. I would always tell him that he would know that his check had arrived when the money was directly deposited into his account. That never seemed to be what he wanted to hear. He would never admit it but I always suspected that Tim was homeless. He never would give me an address when I pressed him on it so I would always put the church address down when I needed to fill in a spot just to keep things going. He also wore a heavy coat and heavy work boots, even on the hottest days of summer. He eventually landed a job for a brief period and was excited about getting an apartment. I could tell by the answers that he was giving me about the conversation with those who worked at the apartment complex that they were just pulling his leg, and that he would not be living there anytime soon. When the job came to an end, Tim once again came to the church for assistance. He never asked for money or a handout, he just wanted help with filling out forms that he didn’t understand on the government computer system. While we were doing some remodeling in the church that year, Tim would stop to watch or even help if he could. He was pretty comfortable stopping by and staying for different lengths of time. I noticed, as things began to get cold, Tim was stopping by more often and lingering longer. He would always ask if I had heard anything about his unemployment money. Government agencies can move slowly and there is usually no caring voice at the other end of the phone. I remember the last time I saw Tim was at an Operation Christmas Child packing party that we were having on a Sunday night at the church. Tim came with his usually heavy coat and work boots. His hair was sticking up all over, but he was happy and upbeat. The year before he just stood and watched as everyone would pack boxes with toys, soap, washcloths, hats, etc. but this year, he was participating. I’ve got pictures on my phone of Tim working with others to fill boxes. You could tell from his smile that he was having a good time and later stayed to enjoy hot chocolate and cookies with all of us as we finished up the job to get ready to go home. For some reason, the cold air of the night bothered me as I made my way to my van to head home that night. After a long day, I was ready to climb into my nice warm bed and pull the covers up to go to sleep. As I worked on that following Tuesday, I fully expected at some point in the day to have Tim knocking at my office door to check on his unemployment money. To my surprise, he didn’t show. By Thursday, I began to wonder, especially since he seemed desperate for the money and he was always good about being there to check in on the day he was supposed to. So, I decided to jump in my van and drive around town to see if I could find him. I stopped by the local stores and asked about him. I stopped by some of those who seemed to be good friends. Nobody seemed to know what he was doing or where he was at. I thought maybe he had gone to stay with family somewhere for the holidays. Later that day, he was found, laying on the floor of a metal shed in the trailer park next to the church, with a plastic tarp pulled up to keep him warm. No one knew how long he had been there or how long he had been using the shed as a place to sleep. Since he had no family that we knew of to claim his body, the state buried him in a grave with a number on the marker. There are “feel good” moments in our lives when we pat ourselves on the back because we have done a “good deed” for someone or, we have reached out in some small way and it hasn’t really cost us anything but maybe a little time. As the Christmas Season approaches, we might give some change in a red kettle, or pack a box with cheap toys and odds and ends. If we really go the extra mile, we might even give the wait staff an extra tip for their service. As a Child of God, how far do we really go to help others? How caring are we? Some people are calling out right in front of you and so many times, we just do enough to make ourselves feel good. These are things we don’t really think about until something forces us to see it upfront and personal like I did, with Tim. “For God so loved the world that He gave….” I’m not sure we will truly understand what it means to care until we truly know what it means to give like God gave. He sent His one and only Son because of His love for you and for me. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Randy Weaks is the Associate Pastor/Youth Pastor of First Baptist Church of South Lyon. #DECEMBER23

BOSTON, MA (BP) – In the nearly four centuries since its founding as America’s first park, Boston Common has witnessed some of the most important news events of American history – from public hangings during Colonial days to celebrating American independence in 1776 to Union soldier recruitment in the 1860s. Earlier this month, Boston Common witnessed the sharing of history’s greatest news – the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jaime Owens, lead pastor of the historic Tremont Temple Baptist Church just a few blocks from Boston Common, led 15 congregants to the park to give away copies of the Gospel of John and sandwiches and to share the Good News. While at the park, the group initiated conversations through a sign saying, “Ask a pastor anything.” A number of interesting questions came Owens’ way, including one from a Muslim who wondered how Christians could believe in a God who died on the cross. Another non-religious man asked what the world would be like if everyone lived like the Good Samaritan. In each case, Owens shared the Gospel. He also teamed other experienced personal evangelists with less experienced ones to strike up conversations, hand out food and talk about Jesus. It was the first week of what Owens hopes will be at least a monthly time of personal evangelism for church members. “In my preaching, I’ve always emphasized sharing the Gospel personally with those God has placed in our lives – neighbors, coworkers, unsaved family,” Owens said. “But we had never considered going downtown together to openly share the Gospel. This is a new direction for us. It’s one way we can carry out the mission, and it’s encouraging because we can do it together.” Tremont Temple began as an American Baptist congregation in 1839. Abraham Lincoln once spoke at the church, and Charles Dickens first read A Christmas Carol on American soil there. Today, it’s jointly affiliated with both American and Southern Baptists. Carl Bradford, an associate professor of evangelism and missions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, says the timing couldn’t be better for churches like Tremont Temple to get more involved in personal evangelism. Bradford believes the old adage that people are more open to the Gospel during the holiday season than other times of the year. He notes research has shown more people are searching for churches online during Christmas and Easter than at any other time of the year. The same studies, he says, show Christmas and Easter are the highest attendance Sundays of the year in many churches. “Though not everyone in the world understands the Gospel message, many do embrace the spirit of giving behind Christmas,” Bradford said. “The season’s emphasis on generosity and goodwill can make people more open to hearing the Gospel.” Bradford also notes many people struggle through the holidays because of all the cultural pressures attached to the holidays. Often, those people are open to hearing about what Jesus has done for them. At Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Ill., the holiday season comes during the middle of a fresh evangelistic push. While the church is in a transition period between lead pastors, interim pastor Eric Reed has been encouraging the church to focus on evangelism. “There was a real sense of, ‘We’re going to be OK. We’re good.’” said David Higgs, the worship pastor at Lincoln Avenue. “But [Pastor Reed] brought this to our attention. We knew we were good, but we couldn’t just settle there. We don’t want to settle. The way he put it is, ‘When the sheep catch their breath and get comfortable, they tend to nibble, and they nibble on each other.” So, the church decided to go all in on an initiative they call “Engage J-Ville,” which is all about personal connections and community connections. Leveraging an evangelistic prayer app through their state Baptist convention, church members began praying for and sharing the Gospel with friends and neighbors who didn’t have a relationship with Jesus. The church also had several events scheduled throughout the fall and into the holiday season, including a Fall on the Farm outreach and a Christmas concert. To create a visual reminder of their commitment to sharing the Good News, the church has a display of ping-pong balls. Each represents a person who heard the Gospel through someone in the church. “We’ve not, to my knowledge, heard of any immediate people coming to Christ yet,” Higgs said. “But there are a whole lot of seeds being sown. We’re hearing that, so we’re just going to watch those be planted and trust the Lord will work.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tobin Perry is a writer living in Evansville, Ind. #DECEMBER23

PLYMOUTH – Over the past few weeks, I have been retrieving “Christmas Tubs” from the basement in order that Sabrina may begin her annual and all-consuming ritual of decorating the house for the season. As I bring the Christmas bling up, I am taking the Fall accouterments down. Good thing I got a new hip this year. I have a newfound knowledge and realization that the Patterson’s possess way too many of the trappings of Christmas. Box after box and container after container came up the stairs with every trip I took. Little ones, big ones, heavy ones and only one light one. All of them were cram-packed full of tinsel, lights, trinkets, bows and more ornaments than most trees could bear. The accumulations of 49 years of housekeeping are evident because of the inordinate amounts of decorative cheer that are now strategically placed in every corner and nook of our abode. But when I look past all the trappings and see the joy of the season that all this glitter, gold and lights help illuminate, I find it is well worth the effort. When it comes to Christmas, I love every minute of it. The sights, smells, crowds, cooking, candy, parties, trees, lights and oh, especially the lights. Ever since my childhood days in West Texas I have had a long-lasting infatuation with Christmas lights. As you can imagine, the landscape of the barren Texas desert lacked the twinkle of colored lights. For that matter, most of the year it was only one color. BROWN! So, when Christmas came about, color came to my world as well. Almost every weekend during the Christmas season the Patterson family of my childhood would pile in our 1956 Chevrolet Belair and cruise the streets of our tiny, Texas hamlet. OOOh’s and AHHH’s could be heard floating out the open windows of our sedan as we slowly rolled by house after house in our Gulf Project community. Christmas in color. Though I loved and thrilled at the exterior decorative lights of those cute little homes, the lights that brought wonder and fascination to my little mind were the miraculous bubble lights that adorned our tree. Slender, candle-like lights that when illuminated could capture anyone’s attention. They consisted of a long glass tube about 2 inches long that was sealed and filled with a special liquid. A small light was housed within a round base that held the glass tube that resembled a candle and when the light within was electrified and emitted heat, the liquid would boil, creating tiny bubbles. But what really fascinated me was the fact that if you held one of these lights in your hand that it would begin to boil without the heat from the bulb. Magic! How could this be? Lights that bubbled? Shear wonder! These little luminary wonders were the creation of the National Outfit Manufacturing Association (NOMA) back in 1946. Their ability to create these recurring bubbles and boil this liquid is really not a miracle, but merely the laws of nature at work. The liquid that is sealed within the glass tubes is methylene chloride, which has a very low boiling point, and when exposed to the heat emitted from the enclosed light, it boils. And all this time I thought there was something magical and mystical about those lights. Just a little heat and what was inside revealed its nature. I have noticed that bubble lights have made a big comeback. Oh, not the ones that adorn our trees but the ones that scurry through the hallowed halls of our malls, shopping centers, big-box stores and other retail establishments. Everywhere I look this season I see these large human bubble lights bounding about society. They are mostly bright red in color with some that turn an intense blue, depending on their emotional state. Others are green in an envious sort of way while others have turned white or a pale yellow because of the sick feeling they have in their stomachs because of their overspending. I heard that some of these human bubble lights have begun to boil and bubble so much that they have gotten into fistfights with one another. YouTube is filled with these Yule Tide tantrums. Now that’s the Christmas spirit! The reason these human bubble lights reach the boiling point so quickly and easily is the very same reason the bubble lights on our trees do so. It is what is inside. If we are filled with envy, greed, hate, frustration, anger and just a downright “grinchiness”, then when we are exposed to the slightest amount of friction, we will boil. The heat of life has a way of revealing the true contents of our hearts. None of us are immune from the friction we encounter when we rub family, friends and fellow societal inhabitants the wrong way. Bubble lights have a place in our lives and when in their proper place they bring beauty and wonder. They should adorn our trees, hearths and homes but not our hearts. This Christmas may we all be filled with the true Spirit of the season.The Spirit of Peace on Earth and Good Will to all Men. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” I wanted to share one of my BAD DAD HOLIDAY JOKES. You can begin groaning now. This guy goes into his dentist's office, because something is wrong with his mouth. After a brief examination, the dentist exclaims, "Holy Smoke! That plate I installed in your mouth about six months ago has nearly completely corroded! What on earth have you been eating?" "Well... the only thing I can think of is this... my wife made me some asparagus about four months ago with this stuff on it... Hollandaise sauce she called it... and doctor, I'm talking DELICIOUS! I've never tasted anything like it, and ever since then I've been putting it on everything... meat, fish, toast, vegetables... you name it!" "That's probably it," replied the dentist. "Hollandaise sauce is made with lemon juice, which is acidic and highly corrosive. It seems as though I'll have to install a new plate made out of chrome this time." "Why chrome?" the man asked. "Well, everyone knows that there's no plate like chrome for the Hollandaise!" Sorry about that! But I do pray that this Holiday Season your home is filled with love, wonder and the Grace of God's most precious gift. 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. #DECEMBER23

PLYMOUTH – In 1822, Professor Clement Clark Moore, a family man and biblical scholar wrote the poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” for his children. The poem that became an American favorite started as a simple expression of love of a father to his children during the holidays. History says that Moore ideas and images came to him after a wintery shopping trip riding in a sleigh and spotting a Dutch immigrant who gave him the idea for St. Nicholas. Reports say that a friend, visiting from elsewhere in the state of New York, who listened as Moore read to his children on evening, was so moved by the poem that the friend took a copy of Moore’s poem, without his permission, to a local newspaper who published the story the next year and each year during the holidays. Moore, a poet and biblical scholar, was embarrassed by the acclaim given to his poem for so long that he did not claim authorship until 1837 after his family urged him to announce his ownership. Moore wanted to be known for his writings about Scripture, not a legend about St. Nicholas. Later, due to his family’s encouragement Moore finally placed the poem in his book of poetry in 1844, twenty-two years later. Since those early days until now, scholars still debate whether Moore is the author or another man by the name of Major Henry Livingston who died in 1828. Livingston never claimed to have written the poem but his family, after his death without any physical evidence, claimed their beloved major was the writer of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The Certainty As we approach the time of year when we commemorate the wonderful miracle of the Lord becoming flesh (John 1:14) in Jesus Christ, do you find this celebration strengthens your faith? I feel bolder and more certain with each year’s celebration of Christ’s birth! The story we celebrate was planned before the beginning of time, long before the aroma of the Garden of Eden filled the nostrils of Adam and Eve. Look at the image of the author, Clement Clark Moore, of Twas the Night Before Christmas. He looks stoic and solemn in the black and white picture with his long coat and streaming beard, yet he was a loving earthly father who carved out time during the hectic holiday season to pen a poem to entertain his children and ultimately the world’s children for 201 years. Throughout the years, as I lived overseas with my wife and our children as missionaries on three continents, I would on occasion recite the poem to our children stretching their imaginations about winter while we lived on the edge of the African Sahara Desert. However, the one story I will never explain away as a legend of entertainment is the Good News of Jesus Christ! I now have nine grandchildren who know with every ounce of certainty that their papa clings to his hope in Jesus Christ. Paul said it best to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15 (NLT), “Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you . . . I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.” That is the kind of story we need to read on Christmas Eve. My hope and prayer for all of us this Christmas season is that our lives and testimonies in Jesus Christ will be seen and heard by those around us so that their faith will grow stronger and more certain this holiday season. Merry Christmas! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Tony L. 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. #DECEMBER23

WINDSOR, ONTARIO – A few years ago, I read an article on The Gospel Coalition website. It was about preaching at Christmas, and I was in crisis mode in mid-October without a plan for the annual Christmas series. Christmas comes around every year. The same songs. The same texts. The same old, old, old story. Most of the time I love the familiar rhythm and routine, but that particular year, I just panicked. “How many more Christmas sermons and holiday talks can I possibly come up with?” I was in the habit of preaching four weeks of Christmas messages. We love Christmas at our church, but if I do a Christmas series every year for 40 years, that is going to be 160 sermons just on Christmas. It’s tempting to play with innovation, invention, novelty. “But don’t do it, pastor. Don’t get cute at Christmas,” advised Kevin DeYoung (Pastor, Don’t Get Cute this Christmas). “Your people need regular meat and potatoes, not the newest eggnog recipe. Stay away from props and video clips. Put to death the Star Wars tie-in you’ve been really excited about. Don’t worry about preaching the same truths and the same themes. They don’t remember last year’s sermon anyway. Go ahead and tell them the old, old story one more time.” That set me free. Maybe it will do the same for you. “That means the Christmas Eve service should not be about the evils of shopping or the dangers of busyness. We can leave behind clever cliches like Wise Men Still Seek Him or Have Yourself a Mary Christmas. There’s no need to focus for 40 minutes on what exactly was the Star of Bethlehem, and if you are going to talk about the Magi, don’t make it an academic lecture on Persian astrology…” Good advice. Thank you, Kevin. Let’s just keep the main thing the main thing. Let’s tell the familiar Christmas story the way it was told to us from the Bible. There may or may not be unbelievers in your Christmas services. But I’m sure there will be saints struggling with sin, and weary and wounded seniors, and exhausted mothers, and fathers who work too much for the good of their family. They need to hear about Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace who came from heaven to be our Savior. He was born in a manger to die on a Cross, and he is the only way to the Father. DeYoung is right. “Our people don’t need us to find something new. They don’t need empty spiritual bromides… Our people need the gospel.” They need to hear the extraordinary, miraculous story of Christmas and experience the majesty and glory of God in the Word proclaimed afresh as their pastor exalts the name and power of Jesus to save. Just preach Jesus. Don’t be cute or clever or charming or cool or complicated or cheeky. Just preach Jesus. “Hunker down in Matthew 1 or Luke 2 or Isaiah 9 or Micah 5 or John 1 or in any text that will lead you to lift high the name of Jesus. Don’t be cute or clever. Just preach Jesus,” writes Kevin DeYoung. I agree. And your congregation, however big or small it might be, will be glad you did. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Garth Leno is the Pastor/Planter Care Specialist with the BSCM. He serves in a similar role with the Canadian National Baptist Convention, and he is the founding pastor of The Gathering Church in Windsor, Ontario, a church he planted with his wife, Patty, and a few of their friends. #DECEMBER23

ROSEVILLE – Sometime in the summer I start planning the layout of my train (now trains) and village display that I set up under and around our Christmas tree. This has admittedly gotten a little out of hand, but I try to tell my wife Cathi, that it is not really my fault. I want to have a train or trolley for each of our grandkids, and we are up to seven. This means I go to estate and garage sales in search of trains, track, transformers, and any village pieces that I think will work. Then, when the layout goes from paper into form, I send pictures to my grandkids so they can begin to anticipate what it will be. This year I started following some people on YouTube who, even from my view, go bonkers. The setup takes hours and for a guy like me since I hold a graduate degree in Murphy’s Law. But, if it all comes together and if all the trains, trolleys, lights in the buildings, skaters on the pond, merry-go-round, teacup ride, cable cars, and the hot air balloons work, the result is magical. I can control the tree, village lights, trolleys, rides and trains from my phone. It is pretty neat. But the payoff is when my grandkids see it and the fuses in their little brains explode. I love to do things that cause my grandkids to want to be with me because they know I love them. I know that December 25 is not the day that Christ was born. I know that the origin of the date is sketchy at best. So, is it worth celebrating Christmas? Are we guilty of making more of this than we should? I don’t think so. In fact, I don’t think we could ever make more of this than we should. Let me explain. Sometime (before there was time) God designed the universe and before the foundation of the earth was laid, he planned for his Son to come to this earth to live the life that we could not live and die the death that we could not die. God knew that this plan would be almost impossible for us to believe, so he prepared us and spent thousands of years of human history putting into place every piece and along the way, he kept giving us pictures of what the Messiah would be like. God sent prophets who over hundreds of years told us of the One who would come. Those who had ears to hear (like Simeon and Anna) were waiting and longing for this day. God sent Gabriel, to Zechariah, then Mary, and then Joseph in order to prepare them for this once in a universe event. God was indeed coming to earth to be part of his own creation so that he could do for us what we could never and would never do for ourselves. And then, it all came together, just like God planned. God is directing it all and all the players and pieces start moving. Elizabeth conceives, then Mary conceives, then John is born, then the decree is given and Joseph and Mary start heading south to Jerusalem, the birth of Christ takes place, angels blow up the sky, and a star appears. Shepherds run to Bethlehem from the fields while wise men start moving from the east. Do you see it now? Do you see how millions and millions of pieces all work together in perfect harmony to carry out God’s plan to send us a Savior? Do you see the heart of our good God doing all of this in order to blow our minds with his grace? Do you see how much God has done so that you will know he loves you and wants you to want to be with him? So, yes, this event is worth celebrating. What a God! What a Savior! Joy to the world, the Lord has come! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob Johnson has been serving as the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church since 1989. He has a Master of Divinity degree from the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary (1997). #DECEMBER23

LANSING – Perhaps one of the most unique gifts I have ever received was from one of my dad’s elder sisters. She handed me an envelope about two and a half inches by three inches, addressed to my aunt and my uncle from my parents, who were stationed overseas in the military in the early 1970’s. I carefully opened the envelope, and saw what looked like a hand drawn card with bright pastel-colored flowers and butterfly on the front with the words, “We had a Happening…” in the center. I opened the card revealing a picture of a baby holding a flower with the words, “and this is who happened!”. What I was given was my birth announcement! The card contained my name, my weight, my parent’s names, the date, and time that I was born. In the lives of families in the 1970’s military and otherwise, when you had news to spread, you sent out announcements through the mail (air mail in this case) and then you waited, and waited, and waited for it to arrive then waited some more to receive a response! This was a typical birth announcement for the time. In Luke chapter 2 we see the birth announcement of the world’s Savior! It wasn’t sent by airmail but was fittingly sent by an angel, a messenger from God followed by a multitude of heavenly hosts singing, glory in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men! While they were in the peace of the night, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and announced, For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Suddenly with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts appeared praising God and saying:“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” – Luke 2:11-14 We can all relate to the joy a person feels when they hear the news of someone welcoming a child into the world. Can you imagine the joy that the shepherds must have felt when they heard the announcement of the birth of Jesus! He was the expected Savior of the world! He was the One that the prophet Isaiah prophesied about hundreds of years beforehand. Isaiah wrote, "Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." – Isaiah 7:14 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." – Isaiah 9:6 The shepherds responded with immediate obedience to, “see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. They found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger, just like the angel had said. The shepherds then announced to others the message given to them about this Child”. Lk. 2:15-18 God sent into the world a Savior! One who would meet man’s greatest need, forgiveness of sin, and peace through this Savior, Jesus Christ! The angels announced the birth and the shepherds shared this news with everyone! Will you allow Him to meet your greatest need? Will you ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to make you a new creation, in Him? Will you share with others what Jesus has done in your life? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joshua Diaz has served as Youth Leader, Worship Leader, Deacon, Sunday School teacher, Baseball Chaplain (of the Local Single A Team) and recently an Interim Pastor. Joshua and Annabel have served jointly leading VBS outreach. Joshua is a husband, father, and grandfather who has served in ministry at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, (El Buen Pastor) in Lansing, MI since 1991. Joshua and his lovely wife Annabel have recently celebrated 29 years of marriage. #DECEMBER23