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ALPHARETTA, GA – Pastors & church leaders, you crave dedicated help. You told me so. Here is an online and very affordable discipleship training program created and launched by the North American Mission Board. Churches at every size can enroll. It's located at: www.namb.net/pipeline There are three levels of training for those within your church. L1 - Becoming a learner L2 - Becoming a leader L3 - Becoming part of a church planting team By going to www.namb.net/pipeline you will discover: Inspirational video Full overview Training sample Frequently asked questions Resources to share with the church The online training has the latest resources and allows the pastor and his people to gather when it is best for them. Get started as soon as you can by clicking on "Get Started" at www.namb.net/pipeline ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, SBC #OCTOBER2017

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: As the landscape of the world around us continues to evolve, ever changing, there comes a need to adapt or be lost in the madness. James Marcus writes of the importance of the local association and how the Genesee Baptist Association is taking proactive steps to continue to be a vital, relevant part of Baptist churches in the Flint, MI area of our state. FLINT, MI – The oldest Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, founded by Roger Williams in 1638. The first Baptist Association in America was the Philadelphia Baptist Association, founded in 1707. Begun at a time when being Baptist was not popular, this first Association proved that churches can do far more by working together than a church of any size can do working alone -- and that is still true. The American colonies' independence from Great Britain was still two generations away when five small congregations formed the Philadelphia Baptist Association. From its first year, the association focused on the unity of Baptist congregations for a greater purpose, but without surrendering the autonomy of the local church. In time, that association grew to include churches from Connecticut to Virginia, and later the Philadelphia Association birthed other associations in Maryland, New York, Delaware, and New Jersey. In May of 1845, Baptists in the south were meeting in Augusta, Georgia. At that time they formed the Southern Baptist Convention and elected William B. Johnson of South Carolina as the first SBC president. We see from all of this that the local church, which was established by Jesus Christ, was the first Baptist body in America, followed by the Baptist Association 69 years later. These were followed by the SBC, which was organized 138 years after the first Baptist Association in America. I mention all of this because I want to remind us the local church is the only Christian entity that was created by God, which you already know. However, Baptist leaders in England and then in America saw the need to band local churches together for strength, encouragement, and greater impact for the kingdom of God on this world, which led to the formation of local Baptist Associations. The Genesee Baptist Association is a relative newcomer, having started nearly 61 years ago. Like we see with the history of Baptists in America, our association preceded the organization of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM), but by one year. The reason that the Genesee Baptist Association was organized was so the Southern Baptist Churches in the Genesee County area could cooperate together to advance God's kingdom more effectively. As was the case with the start of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, the Southern Baptists in Genesee County realized that by working together, more could be accomplished for God by cooperating together than any single church could do on its own, no matter how big the church. My goal in sharing all of this history is to emphasize the importance of the Genesee Baptist Association, so you will support it with your prayers, your finances and your involvement, and that you will support efforts to help the GBA become more effective and more relevant for our churches and pastors for years to come. The same is true for every association across our state. Throughout Michigan we have seen several of our 14 Baptist Associations become weaker with the departure of nine of the DOMs who had been serving in their associations. Several struggling churches in various Baptist Associations in Michigan have closed because they know of no one to turn to when their church began struggling, and then considered closing. In the past, they would call their DOM who would have met with them to encourage them and guide them through the difficult time they were experiencing. However, when the DOMs were defunded and no longer available to these struggling churches and pastors, it resulted in a weaker connection between the pastors, and the churches. This resulted in several struggling churches disbanding and their buildings being sold. We don't want to see that happen in the Genesee Baptist Association. It is our desire to see the GBA remain strong, and get even stronger. This is why we will be presenting a proposal for associational structure change at our 61st Annual Meeting of the GBA at the North End Baptist Church on Monday, October 16th. Approval and adoption will be only the beginning of the GBA's more effective future. It will also take the involvement of gifted and burdened leaders serving on the various Ministry Teams, as well as the continued and even increasing financial support from our affiliated churches to support the mission and ministry of the Genesee Baptist Association. ABOUT THE AUTHOR James Marcus is the Director Missions for the Genesee Baptist Association located in Flint, MI. #OCTOBER2017

FENTON, MI – What I am about to tell you will certainly date me, but I can distinctly remember filling automobile after automobile with gasoline at my father’s Fina Service Station for the mere price of 19.9 cents per gallon for regular. Ethyl sold for the astronomical price of 24.9 cents per gallon, and was purchased by the guys who owned high-powered hotrods. On a Friday or Saturday night most of my business consisted of the teenagers in town pulling in and asking for a “dollars worth”. If it happened to be a motorcycle they would usually flip me a quarter and say filler up. To say the least, things have changed. A dollar will only purchase a third of a gallon of fuel and a quarter won’t even buy a candy-bar much less a gallon of gasoline. I worked in that service station for several years, and as a result learned a great deal about discipline, people, and a small amount about running a business. My dad was a hard working man that provided well for his family, but to say he was a really good businessman would be a bit of an overstatement. Because of this, the service station never really produced much tangible income, but in reality cost my family more than it brought in. Many times my friends would want me to give them gasoline at no cost. Of course, they always had a good excuse or they would ask me to fill it up now and they would pay me later. My dad was very soft hearted and created a credit account for several in the community, and when we finally extricated ourselves from the business the family was left holding thousands of dollars of delinquent accounts that were never collected. They all wanted something for nothing. It was a learning experience, to say the least. I came away from my “station days” with a new perspective on people and for that matter life. I don’t believe I was really jaded by those encounters, but I did become more discerning. My time there also helped me to be a better judge of people and their character. My gullibility level went down, but I still inherited the “softy” gene from my dad. People in need still get to me, and I would probably give away the farm if my wife would let me. I have also learned the actions and character of people today are very little different than those people in that day and time. People are people, no matter when or where they exist. I have learned those human characteristics that are common to all of humanity transcend into the spiritual realm as well. I have found many people want to have a full and meaningful relationship with God, but they don’t want to pay the price for it. They just want God or someone to hand it to them with little or no sacrifice on their part. Many are well intentioned when they try to make deals with God, and reason with Him that they will do much better in the future, if He will just meet their pressing need right now. They want the blessings of God now, but on credit. I have even seen some display the same actions and attitude of one fellow I remember that pulled into our Fina Station in a monumental hurry. He was in a mad dash and didn’t even wait for me to come out and start the pump and put fuel in his vehicle for him (In those days they were actually service stations and we actually serviced their cars for them! What a concept!). By the time I got out to the pump he shoved $5.00 in my hand, jumped back into his truck and told me to hurry and finish it up. Before I was half finished, he thought for some reason that his tank was full and he cranked up the motor and peeled out of the drive as fast as he could. The nozzle was still inserted in the filler neck of his truck and gasoline was still flowing as he pulled away. The hose came out and fuel was spewed all over the pavement because there were no automatic cut-off valves on pumps at that time. He was in such a big hurry that he never really filled up and left me with a mess to clean up. Too many people today believe they can be spiritually filled without ever slowing down and stopping in the process. They are in such a hurry that they believe in a sort of “in flight fueling system” that doesn’t require a reduction of activity or actions. In order for us to get filled and full we must first get close enough to God for Him to provide what we need. We also must slow down and wait until the process is finished or we will go away with only a small portion of what we need or worse, still empty. Besides, running away from the work of God in you life before it is complete will always result in a mess. That is usually when you rely on the service station attendant (Local Pastor) to help clean up the mess. The price of filling up today may be exorbitantly high, but the cost of running on empty is not something anyone can afford. 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. #OCTOBER2017

FENTON, MI – Diamonds. American tradition says that a 60th anniversary means diamonds are to be given as gifts. Could you imagine if all of us showed up at the 60th anniversary of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM) at Middlebelt Baptist Church in Inkster, MI on November 7-8, 2017 ready to contribute jewelry so that we could move boldly forward into the future??? Watches? Rings? Necklaces? Coin collections? Gems? In Exodus 35-36, we see where Moses invited the community to give so they could build a tabernacle. The tabernacle was the mobile worship center of the living God. That mobile worship center reminded the community and their unbelieving neighbors that God was in the center of their daily lives. Read chapter 35:5 and you will see the call was issued to those with “generous hearts.” Read further and you will see in verse 21, those who responded were those “whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved.” Throughout the account the ones who gave were described repeatedly as the “willing.” As the collection came in, designers designed, sewers sewed, craftsmen crafted. The event was community-wide. Everyone with a “willing heart” was involved. They gave tribute. They gave time. They shared their talents. The achievement is recorded in Exodus 36:6-7 (NLT) where we read, “So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: ‘Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!’ So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.” Wow! Can you pause long enough to let that sink in? It said, “Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.” Where are the willing hearts today? I am going to the annual convention at Middlebelt Baptist Church in Inkster, Michigan on November 7-8 because I want to praise God for what God did through the people of the past. I am also going because I want to respond with you, as a community, to the invitation God issues for our future. I want to go with a willing heart. Will you? Do we understand as a people of God what that means, what it looks like? Let’s begin with -What Makes Us a Convention of Churches? There are three simple traits that make us a united convention of churches: We believe together We give to the same priorities We cooperate to achieve God’s desires Believe Together Back in 2000, our national convention reissued a confession of faith that expresses our beliefs. It is called the “Baptist Faith and Message 2000.” You can read the confession in one of nine languages: www.sbc.net/bfm2000/bfm2000.asp Same Priorities Back in 1925 our national convention of churches created the Cooperative Program, which, today, is a unified system of giving and distributing funds from 45,000 churches to our highest priorities. You can see how large that love spreads by looking at this “Heart Chart:” www.sbc.net/cp/loveinaction.asp Cooperate to Achieve Our churches can cooperate in many ways. Locally, within the state, and on a national level as we mobilize and act for different reasons. Some are continuous and other initiatives are special efforts such as the heroic ways in which Southern Baptists acted for those in need during the Hurricanes, and still are. Each church member and each church selects when and where they want to participate. 60th Anniversary When you and I attend the annual convention at Middlebelt Baptist Church in Inkster, Michigan on November 7-8 let’s remember it’s more about “willing hearts” than anything else – out of willing heart come the contributions that change the world. 1/3 Are Missing a Blessing - One last word, check with you pastor, church treasurer, or leadership team and ask how often and how much your church contributes to the Cooperative Program through the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. I did some research and discovered that 1/3 of our churches have not given to the Cooperative Program during 2017. If that is your church, you’re missing out on changing the world. It has never been easier to give. Contributions can be made securely, online by going to www.bscm.org and clicking on the “online giving” button. Individual contributions or repeat contributions can be set-up within minutes. May we give as those in Exodus gave. Let’s look forward to the day when we hear, “Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project” (Exodus 36:7, NLT). 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. #OCTOBER2017

FENTON, MI – During a time of personal study recently, I ran across a quote from C.H. Spurgeon that captivated my thoughts. The eloquent preacher wrote: “If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.” Every phrase of this picturesque quote has much for reflection, but I was particularly challenged by the words, “…let not one go there… unprayed for.” It dawned on me some people have no one praying for them. I wondered what it would be like to live an unprayed for life. I’m glad I don't know because there are people praying for me, but some people have no one lifting their name before God. No one asking the Father to use them, protect them, guide them, comfort them, or strengthen them through trials. And, the greatest tragedy of all, no one is praying for their salvation! I asked myself, “Is there someone in my life who has no one praying for them?” There’s no way to know for certain, but several names came to mind as I thought about that question. I decided to pray for those people - and specifically ask God to show them their need for Christ. Salvation is the work of God. We are totally dependent on Him to draw people to Himself. At the same time, we can earnestly pray for our loved ones knowing that God is "...not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Intentional prayer for people to be saved needs to be a part of our prayers as we bow in God’s presence. Let it not be said that someone in our lives perished that had no one praying for them. The people of Michigan need someone praying for their salvation. It is estimated that four out of every five people here do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. Many of them have never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. They hear bits and pieces about Jesus, but not enough to understand His saving work. Often, the "information" they have is "misinformation" and not a Biblically faithful presentation of Jesus. The Apostle Paul is a vivid example of someone misinformed about Jesus. The information he had moved him to reject Jesus. It wasn’t until his encounter with the resurrected Christ on the Road to Damascus that Paul experienced Jesus personally. It was this encounter with Jesus that totally transformed his life. From that moment forward, Paul dedicated his life to Jesus. Paul’s transformation by Jesus is so complete that he desperately wants all people to know the Christ he once rejected. You can feel his passion as he writes, "Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation!" (Romans 10:1). Paul wants all people to know Christ, but in this passage, he is praying specifically for his nation. He wants his people to know Jesus more than anything, and this burden moves him to earnestly pray for their salvation. You and I need that same burden for those who do not know Jesus - especially for those who are closest to us. Like Paul, we need to make it our "...heart's desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation!" Could there be someone in your life no one is praying for? You can change that. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Durbin is the State Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before joining the state convention staff, Mike served as Church Planting Catalyst and Director of Missions in Metro Detroit since 2007. He also has served as a pastor and bi-vocational pastor in Michigan, as well as International Missionary to Brazil. #OCTOBER2017

ROSCOMMON, MI – “Bambi Lake Life” – This is the phrase we use here at Bambi Lake Retreat and Conference Center to describe the experience of being at Bambi. It embodies peace, love, joy, fellowship, renewal and personal time spent with God. It also alludes to being aware of how God’s grace sustains and strengthens us when we humble ourselves in His presence. Bambi Lake has a way of showing us how small we are compared to God’s majestic creation while also reminding us of how extravagant His love has been poured out on us. Personally, I need those reminders. Recently I was reminded, by Dr. Tony Lynn, just how important grace is in our lives. At Bambi Lake we are in the middle of finishing construction on a new slide scheduled to be open next spring. The slide is in place, however, there is no water gushing down the inside of the tubes. Dr. Tony, upon seeing the slide, decided he wanted to be the first to go down the new Bambi adventure. He got into the slide and then proceeded to “scoot” down the tube by pushing himself. All the way down you could hear the sound of him “scooting” along the bottom of the tube. Eventually he made it to the bottom of the slide and fell into the water which was quite cold. It was a very funny event to witness, and many have seen it on Facebook as it was also captured on video. I was very honored to have Dr. Lynn be the first down our new slide, it was extremely, belly laughing funny. Nevertheless, this funny event served as a reminder of how grace or the lack of grace can work in our lives. How? As naturally selfish individuals we constantly strive to be number one. We want to be seen first. We want our needs met first. We want our “rights” acknowledged first. We want to be the center of the universe. This selfishness can keep us from experiencing God’s Grace and disrupt our everyday lives by creating “friction” in our relationships. If we are not in the flow of God’s grace it cannot flow out of us to others. Our abrasive reactions and attitudes ebb and flow out of pride instead of humility and grace. We need God’s Grace everyday to move us along and keep us from getting stuck in the slide. Grace is like the water in the slide – “If you’re not in the flow, you’re not gonna go.” If you are not in the flow you are not gonna go anywhere spiritually and your witness will be handicapped. When we are in the flow, it lifts us, sustains us, strengthens us and delivers us from our selfishness. It allows us to interact gracefully with others. It allows us to forgive because we have been forgiven. It allows wounds to heal, and hope to grow. It’s a lot easier to navigate the hazards of life and relationships when we humble ourselves and allow grace to carry us along. It takes a lot of work to “scoot” ourselves along in our own strength. It can be hard to overcome the friction we create with our pride. Maybe we should humble ourselves, rest in His embrace, and be carried by His grace. A water slide works best when there is water flowing through it. Our lives and relationships work best when His grace is flowing through them! This is - Bambi Lake Life! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mick Schatz serves on the staff of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. He is the State Director of Spiritual Enrichment and Retreats and lives at Bambi Lake. #OCTOBER2017

FENTON, MI – The 2017 Church Equipping Conference provides specialized training for everyone who serves in your church. Don't believe us? Click HERE to take a peek at the list of speakers and varied topics to choose from. We are confident the Holy Spirit will be moving through this event, and we hope you are there to experience it! Lay leaders, Sunday School teachers, music staff, discipleship trainers, prayer warriors and anyone else who seeks to serve the local church will find value in this one day of intense training and fellowship. Though we are not all called to stand in a pulpit, we do want to serve well and the CEC provides opportunity for growth, encouragement and refining of skills, all for the glory of the Gospel. It is not too late to attend. Share this opportunity with your church and offer to get them here, September 16. Join us at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Roseville on September 16th from 8:30am-4pm. Tickets are just $15. Come on your own, or bring your whole church. Just make sure you are here! This is a perfect jump start into your Fall season. For more information, visit BSCM.org/cec. To register today visit us at BSCM.org/register! We are thrilled to see how God works at this event. This is not something you want to miss! #SEPTEMBER17

MINNESOTA – How effectively a church communicates with its members can often determine how effective they are in their different areas of ministry. With social media so prevalent in today’s society, it is something that can be used as an effective way to build communication in your church, resulting in more positive ministry experiences. So while churches are scrambling to stay up to date with the latest technology trends or social media crazes, I’ve come up with six creative ways to incorporate social media into your church that you might not have thought about yet. Remind App Got a junior high/middle school camp coming up? Is registration due this Sunday for the youth group fall conference? Did an urgent prayer request just come through to the church that needs to get out quickly? If you’ve ever said yes to any of these, then the Remind app is for you. While built as a website for schools, it can just as easily be translated to churches. If you visit www.remind.com it’s easy and free to sign up. The website allows you to sign up (again, for free) and send out remind text messages to groups of people. You can send out messages as often or as little as you want. When you type in the message, it sends it as a text message to anyone who wants. Since most phone plans have unlimited texting these days, it’s free to receive texts, too. Facebook Live Feeds Can’t make it to church Sunday morning? Why not bring church to you! Sometimes circumstances don’t allow you to be at church. Whether you’re recovering from a recent surgery or enjoying a family vacation a thousand miles away, having a live feed of your service gives you the feeling of being right there. While podcasts are great, live feeds are where it’s at! Facebook provides one of the easiest avenues to provide a live feed to your service to those who can’t otherwise attend. The only downside here is trying to get your 90-year-old grandma connected to Facebook! Member/Guest Blogging Amongst the writing world, guest blogging seems to be one of the most innovative and up and coming trends out there. The owner/author of a website has someone write an article for them and in turn that person brings in a new crowd or audience to that website, creating a bigger traffic flow. In blogging, the bigger your target audience is the better off your website and blogging career tend to be. You can use the same concept to build your church. Have a featured member write a little about themselves. Naturally they’ll have all their friends, relatives and even coworkers checking them out on the church's website. As they’re looking, they scroll through other areas like upcoming events and different types of ministries and outreaches. In doing so, this creates a buzz and interest in what the church is doing. In addition to reaching a completely different audience, it helps build community within the church. Youth Group Scavenger Hunts If you have a group of youth leaders who are all connected via Google Drive(as simple as having a Gmail account), then you can have an interactive scavenger hunt. Give each team five minutes to get to their destination and then upload the list of things they need to find. Each youth leader will have access as soon as it’s put into Google Drive. You can upload pictures onto the drive and have them shared with the youth leaders. If you ever need pictures for a slideshow, then you’ve already got them in your Google Drive. If you want to take it a step farther, you can upload a random task every couple of minutes and have your youth members complete the task, again with proof of picture. A sample scavenger hunt might look like: 6:00-6:04 – Pump someone’s gas. 6:04-6:08 – Hold the door open for someone. 6:08-6:10 – Get a picture of a stranger’s driver’s license. 6:10-6:13 – Pick up a piece of litter and put it in a nearby trash can. Every couple of minutes you would put in a new task for each team to do. If they upload a picture in the time frame given, they are awarded points. With Google Drive, everything is saved with a timestamp so the pressure is on to meet the time constraints. You can make the hunt as hard, or easy as you want depending on your youth group needs. Facebook Groups Our church’s secretary, Alison, does a great job of sending out a list of who is working in different areas of children’s ministry each week. She really is great at sending reminders to everyone. From toddlers to little kids to infants, each person knows each week where they’re working in advance. While our church uses it mostly with children’s ministry, having a Facebook group is a great and easy way get the word out and keep everyone connected. Tagging people as a reminder of when they’re scheduled goes a long way in making sure you’re covered. Calendar of Events Similar to using Gmail and Google Drive for your scavenger hunt, anyone in your church who uses them can be connected to an online, interactive calendar of events. Instead of having to log into a computer, go to the church's website and scroll through to find a calendar, you can use a Google calendar to keep everyone informed of all those upcoming events. From Bible studies and camps to choir practice and upcoming baptisms, you can keep everyone connected through one Gmail church calendar. Conclusion Consider exploring apps based on needs of your church or group. Slack is a wonderful app for churches and small groups, community groups, etc. as it functions like a private social site. Social media use is such as great way to not only grow but connect your church with communication. Social media extends past websites such as Facebook and Twitter and goes into simply using 21st century communication avenues. Many times these communication avenues are great fun and will help your church to connect in an exciting way. Don’t be afraid to use such avenues to help reach the world for Christ! ABOUT THE AUTHOR J. Allen has a heart for reaching today’s youth. He is a teacher, coach, and sports advocate. He also writes from deep in the wilderness for Lights UP North, a source of encouragement and inspiration. #SEPTEMBER17

NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – Small churches can make a difference by sticking to the basics, according to a study released today (Aug. 28). The study -- conducted in collaboration by the Billy Graham Center of Wheaton College, LifeWay Research and the Caskey Center for Church Excellence of New Orleans Baptist Theological Center -- identifies at least 13 effective ways small churches can attract and retain more new converts, including many practices churches have used for years. The research, additionally sponsored by 11 denominations, and undertaken by LifeWay Research, shows that among the 13 are: holding classes for new attenders, committing a healthy portion of the church budget to evangelism and missions, serving outside the church to share the Gospel with unchurched people, and having the pastor set up specific hours to share the Gospel. LifeWay Research tested 29 factors that could potentially affect the number of people who decide to follow Christ and stay committed to small churches. Thirteen of those factors predicted which churches retained more converts. Doing all 13 well can create an environment that helps newcomers connect with the church, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. "There's no single approach or strategy that leads to more converts in small churches," he said. "Instead, it appears that doing a lot of small things really adds up." A little more intentionality matters The phone survey of 1,500 pastors of small churches -- evangelical and Black Protestant congregations of 250 or fewer -- asked how many converts each church had in the last 12 months and whether those converts stayed with the church after they came to faith. Researchers then compared the 20 percent of churches with the most retained converts (11.7 or more per 100 attendees) to the 50 percent with the fewest retained converts (5.56 or fewer per 100 attendees). Here are some of their findings. Among pastors of churches with the most retained converts: 93 percent say their church engages in ministry outside the church at least every six months to share the Gospel with the unchurched. 92 percent consistently hear reports of church members engaging in evangelistic conversations and sharing their faith with non-Christians. 68 percent offer classes for new attenders at least every six months. 66 percent ask people weekly to commit to Christ following a personal presentation of the Gospel. 57 percent block out time on their calendar at least once a week for the purpose of sharing their faith with non-Christians outside the church office. 51 percent attend training on personal evangelism at least every six months. 26 percent have a higher percentage of the church's budget (30 percent or more) given to evangelism and missions. Pastors of churches with 5.6 or fewer converts are less likely to follow these strategies so frequently: 83 percent say their church engages in ministry outside the church at least every six months to share the Gospel with the unchurched. 77 percent consistently hear reports of church members engaging in evangelistic conversations and sharing their faith with non-Christians. 47 percent offer classes for new attenders at least every six months. 37 percent ask people weekly to commit to Christ following a personal presentation of the Gospel. 31 percent block out time on their calendar at least once a week for the purpose of sharing their faith with non-Christians outside the church office. 32 percent attend training on personal evangelism at least every six months. 16 percent have a higher percentage of the church's budget (30 percent or more) given to evangelism and missions. The number one predictive factor, according to researchers: Churches with more converts tended to attract and keep more unchurched people. Pastors of churches with the most retained converts were more likely (35 percent) to say half of their congregation used to be unchurched. That dropped to 18 percent for churches with the fewest retained converts. Small churches may be able to reach more people simply by doing what they are already doing -- with a little more consistency, McConnell said. Asking more non-Christians to come to church, sharing the Gospel with them, following up with them, and inviting them to follow Jesus can all lead to more converts. Jeff Farmer, associate professor of church, ministry and evangelism at New Orleans Seminary and lead researcher on the project, said inviting more unchurched people to attend services is key. "We need to be focusing on lost people -- those who have no previous church background -- and there are plenty of them," he said. And a pastor can lead the way, Farmer said. "No one in the church is going to share the Gospel more than the pastor. Pastors who make time for sharing their faith with non-Christians and who teach church members to do the same can have a big impact," he said. Rick Richardson of the Billy Graham Center of Wheaton College agrees, saying that the churches with the most converts in the study seemed to do a better job at attracting and keeping new people. "Those churches go the extra mile when it comes to inviting people and extending hospitality," he said. Overall, Richardson was encouraged by the study, which showed that most small churches are active in evangelism. They're doing the right things, Richardson said. They just need to become more consistent in evangelism and outreach. "A few small things can make a big difference," he said. Methodology The study was sponsored by the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College and the Caskey Center for Church Excellence at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The phone survey of pastors of churches in evangelical and black Protestant denominations was conducted March 16 to March 31, 2017. The calling list was a random sample, stratified by church membership and denominational groups, drawn from a list of all evangelical and black Protestant churches. Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister or priest of the church called. The completed sample is 1,500 surveys. Responses were weighted by region and denominational group to more accurately reflect the population. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 2.7 percent (This margin of error accounts for the effect of weighting). Margins of error are higher in subgroups. The research was sponsored by the Billy Graham Center, the Caskey Center, the Assemblies of God, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, the Church of the Nazarene, the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, Converge Worldwide, the Evangelical Covenant Church, the Evangelical Free Church of America, the Foursquare Church, The Missionary Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, Vineyard USA, and The Wesleyan Church. LifeWay Research is a Nashville-based, evangelical research firm that specializes in surveys about faith in culture and matters that affect churches. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob Smietana is a Nashville-based correspondent for Religion News Service and former religion writer for the Tennessean. #SEPTEMBER17

ROSCOMMON, MI – "...That moment when every girl in your cabin starts screaming bloody murder, and you think something is wrong but it’s just a daddy long leg." - Ruthie Bowman, Assistant Leader ...That moment a girl catches a fish, to only have it eaten by a bigger fish. ...That moment a young girl prays to accept Jesus as Savior. These are moments to be treasured, and Girls’ and Teen Girls’ Mission Camp is a place to find those treasures. Ninety-four girls and leaders came from across the state to Bambi Lake for a week of diving into the Word, meeting our missionary from Russia and applying missions to their lives. Through Bible study and quiet time, four young ladies prayed to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Through mission study, mission projects and our missionary, Jessie Hoyer, 10 girls made commitments to missions. Seven girls rededicated their life to Jesus. God was at work throughout the week making Himself known. The week was full of activities and fun. Creative track times included drama, painting to music, sewing and learning how to use a storytelling cloth and henna. The sewing group made T-shirt dresses for mission teams to girls who need them. “Our master seamstresses are going to make some young ladies very happy!” - Denise Dishon, Leader The younger girls gathered for their mission project to count out bead activity packs to send to a missionary in Thailand. Each girl made five sets of a bead activity that the missionary could use to help girls in Thailand stay off the streets. More than 180 packs were made. The missionary, with the help of two cabins of girls, led morning worship. The girls participated by reading the scripture, praying, introducing our special speakers and picking the songs to sing. It was the best way to start out our day! There was swimming, boating, fishing, messy games, and Lori Burford, from the Department of Natural Resources, led the girls on a hike through the grounds of Bambi Lake. Campfires with s’mores and singing, water games, and mini-golf were all part of the fun. It was hard to pick a favorite activity. Following the Girls’ and Teen Girls’ Mission Camp, the Mom and Me Weekend started about 4:00 pm on Friday afternoon. Nine girls, eight moms and grandmas, and five leaders spent the rest of Friday and Saturday together. The joy of seeing young moms who had once spent a week at Bambi Lake as a child was overwhelming. It was exciting to see them share their stories with the girls about their days at Bambi Lake. “I can’t wait until next year for Mom and Me!” – Heather Sommers, Mom “Thank you to all who took care of our girls this week.” - Erica Horton, Parent “Thank you to all the leaders for giving your time this week! My daughter, Elli, and her friend, Chelsea, were blessed. The seeds were planted and watered. May the Holy Spirit bear fruit!!” – Pastor Matt Trombley Thank you to the women and young women who volunteered to spend the week at Bambi Lake so that these girls could come and experience God in a very personal way. Memories were made and lives were changed. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nelda Popkey who serves on the Michigan WMU Team as a past state president and is currently the Woman on Missions consultant. Nelda is co-director of our Girls' Mission Camp and a member of Eastside Community Church in Eastpointe, MI. #SEPTEMBER17

FLINT, MI – Thursday, March 16, 2017, is a day in which our household was dramatically changed for the rest of our lives. It was a day the journey of repeated trips to and from the hospital began. My two children, Ana (15) and Steven (13) were busy finishing up on homework and playing games on the computer. Karen, my wife of 19 years, was finally coming home late from work. She had been working a lot lately, and after dinner fell asleep in her recliner. I did not want to wake her since she was comfortable and sleeping so soundly. Sometime later, I was awakened by a sound and rolled over to go back to sleep, but there was this nagging sensation for me to investigate.n It was 5:04 in the morning. Opening the bedroom door, I found Karen beneath the dining room table. I went over to her and tried to wake her, but to little avail. All Karen would say is, “I can’t breathe.” My eyes quickly caught the sight of Ana and Steven's faces, both white as sheets, staring in silence at the sight before them. Immediately, I called 911. The paramedics were there in minutes and took her to Hurley Medical Center in Flint. I called our family Pastor, Ted Stephens, who came immediately. We sat alone in the waiting room, numb and silent, trying hard to make sense of what had happened. The ER physician said they believed Karen had suffered a pulmonary embolism that had gone to either her heart or her lungs, but they were unsure, since they were unable to perform the correct testing. Karen’s heart kept stopping. She had been given powerful medications to break up the clot, but it had failed to work. The doctor calmly said that there was nothing more they could do, but to clean Karen up to make her presentable, and for the three of us to go back, hold her hand, speak with her, and be there when she takes her last breath. My two children immediately broke down. I just sat there, numb to it all. I thanked the doctor as she went out the door, then I shut off my emotions. I could not concentrate on Karen. I had to think about my children. I stood up, pulling them up with me, and stated that we were not going to do this; we needed to stay strong. We prayed selfishly. We prayed that if it is God’s will then take her home, but we also asked God to keep her here with us. We hugged and cried. The doctor returned, and escorted us to Karen’s room. The three of us walked slowly, our heads held high, with me trying hard to be strong for my teens. Pastor Ted appeared behind us as we went. The vitals screen in Karen’s room showed her heart rate to be 232 (double normal rate) and having an oxygen level of 46 (normal is 90 to 100). Her chest was heaving up and down, almost lifting her entire torso off of the bed. Her hands were tied down with tubes going down her throat and numerous tubes to her arms and legs. It was so much to take in, too much yet we found the strength for her. We began to speak to Karen, telling her how much we loved her, and that it was okay to go home. ‘Go home, Mom. Go home,” I can still hear my children utter those words in my ears. We prayed for her and tried to speak about the good times that we had. As we spoke, time slowly crept by- 3 minutes, 5, 10, then 15 minutes. As we spoke I noticed that Karen’s skin began to appear pink. At this point the ER physician rushed us out of the room, stating that they needed to do more work on her. Around noon, a new physician for that shift said she read Karen’s charts and spoken with the staff and several other physicians concerning Karen. They all had come to the conclusion, due to the number of times Karen’s heart had stopped (seven times), and how long she had gone with low oxygen to expect Karen to have neurological brain damage, and possibly other neurological damages, as well. The doctor told me this to ask, if knowing this, would I want Karen resuscitated if her heart should stop again. I turned to Pastor Ted, Joe and Lisa Hanson, our close friends from church who had come to the hospital, and asked what they thought. I found myself unable to make any more decisions,I was too worn out. Lisa counseled to resuscitate to find out what the damage was and I agreed. They moved Karen to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) where her new physician ordered that all medications be stopped, so he could, ‘see what I have to work with’. To everyone’s amazement, Karen responded better than expected. When questioned, she knew where she was and what was going on. Over the next two weeks, cardiologists, hematologists, nephrologists, and other specialists, would run tests on Karen, with each doctor being completely stumped on what happened to Karen. The staff was so amazed that the ER physician and crew would keep coming up to see Karen over the next three or four days. No one could believe she was alive, and no one could believe that she didn’t suffer neurological damage. But for my family and our church, we know there was only one possibility - a miracle. The Great Physician was on duty that day, reminding all of the power of prayer and how He is in control, not us. Karen was released from the hospital after 14 days, thought it took several months for her body to completely heal. She has since returned to work full time, caring for her family, and working in our church. Life will never be the same. The memories of that life-changing event have impacted all of us. Somewhat surprisingly, it has been the hardest on our two teenage children. By God's love, mercy, and grace, along with the love and support from a great church body, family, and friends, we are all slowly getting back to a new version of normal. For me, I now cherish each day God gives me with my wife. God is good! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Davis of Flint, Michigan, where he and the Davis family reside. Michael is as an Adjunct Professor for a local university, while Karen is a Territorial Assistant for Hallmark Greeting Cards. They have two teenagers, Anastashya and Steven. The entire family are members of North End Baptist church. This past August 23rd, Michael and Karen celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. #SEPTEMBER17

NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – Christian parents must seek to be what they want their children to become, a sellout audience was told during the final two days of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission's 2017 national conference. A diverse collection of speakers -- including a United States senator, a filmmaker, storytellers, songwriters, as well as pastors and authors -- addressed about 1,300 attendees at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville. The three-day event -- titled "Parenting: Christ-centered Parenting in a Complex World" -- concluded Aug. 26. Longtime pastor and author Crawford Loritts told the crowd Aug. 25 whatever he wants his children to be they have to see in him. "They have to see me moving aggressively toward" that goal, he said. "At the end of the day, the thing that's going to shape your future, shape your family, help your child to make it home before dark spiritually are callouses on your knees with an open Bible and a walk before God," said Loritts, senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Ga. "That must never be forsaken. That has got to be the centerpiece of what we're really, really all about." Bible teacher and author Jen Wilkin said in an address on rearing an "alien child" -- a phrase based on I Peter 2:11 -- the bottom line is: "The only reliable way to raise an alien child is to be an alien parent. "Just think about this, before your child ever learns to read a Bible, they will read you," she said. The "alien parent" is not concerned with what other parents think; they are concerned with what God thinks, Wilkin said. "Alien parents trade the fear of man for the life-giving fear" of God. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said parents are going to feel guilty about the lack of time with their children in an age when work is normally separated from home. "You're always going to feel guilty, because we're going to fail as parents," he told attendees Aug. 26. "So one thing to do is to flee to Christ. ... They're ultimately His kids, and we're trying to steward them." In an in-person interview with ERLC President Russell Moore, Sasse addressed themes in his new book The Vanishing American Adult. Sasse described the concept of adolescence -- the "greenhouse phase" from about 18 months to four years after reaching puberty -- as "basically a pretty good thing." He said, however, "Perpetual adolescence is a disastrous thing where you never end that middle state. "Adolescence is a means to an end. It's not a destination," Sasse told Moore and the audience. Sasse said the practice by churches of "generational segregation" in corporate worship is problematic. "The reality is that we should recognize that we live across generations and ultimately we're going to be in a dependent state again unless the Lord returns prior," he said. "We live in a world where we are going to decline and we should love our neighbor, and we should start doing that now." The Aug. 25 evening session focused on artists Sally Lloyd-Jones, author of The Jesus Storybook Bible and other books; singer/songwriter/author Andrew Peterson; and Phil Vischer, creator of Veggie Tales and "What's in the Bible?" Lloyd-Jones told Moore in an in-person interview she wrote The Jesus Storybook Bible because she wanted children to know God loves them. "We're part of an incredible, real-life fairy tale," she said. "Storytelling is often the most effective way to ambush us. "Really, the most beautiful characters in the Bible are the ones who turn and repent. And we love them because we see ourselves in them." Lloyd-Jones encouraged the audience to tell children the truth even about scary things. "Tell it in an age-appropriate way, but don't shy away from it," she said. "Unless you tell them the truth, it's more terrifying to them. "Our job is not so much to protect children as to equip them." Peterson told his story of being captivated by fantasy novels as a boy until an experience when he was 19 transformed him and he became "wide awake to God's presence." "What I was looking for all along had found me," he said. "This beautiful, broken world that had been hidden in plain sight my whole life suddenly ambushed me." "I believe the Lord used those books to pique my desire for another world, to exercise the muscle of my imagination ... and even to comfort a little kid," Peterson told attendees. "I think the trick to captivating your child's imagination with the beauty of the Gospel is to show them that the Gospel matters at all and it matters in every corner of the universe," he said. "That doesn't mean that we shouldn't exercise discernment. It does mean that Christ is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." After he spoke, Peterson sang a song he had finished writing only a couple of days before on the preeminence of Christ based on Col. 1. After the end of Veggie Tales, Vischer said he looked back and wondered, "Am I persuading kids to behave Christianly without giving them Christianity? I realized to help kids I needed to go deeper." The DVD series "What's in the Bible?" came as a result. He encouraged parents at the conference and watching by live stream to tell kids the whole story about the Bible so they can build a "spiritual foundation for a moral imagination." "The world today is trying to decorate a tree with morals without a tree," Vischer said. "The world is hanging morals in the air and hoping they'll just stay there somehow. We still have the tree to hang morality on. "The world desperately needs us to keep telling our story, the story of God who made you special and loves you very much, who has a plan, a plan of salvation, a plan of redemption, who's calling us to be ambassadors of reconciliation. We can change the world because we are the ones with the story." Dennis Rainey, longtime president of FamilyLife, offered from his own experience four Gospel lessons for parents: "Model and pass on the truth about God and your experience of God. "Pass on the good news about how Jesus came to rescue us from the wrath of God from hell. "Model and teach your children to love God and to love others. "Transmit a vision for their mission." "Your home is an embassy of the King of kings and Lord of lords," Rainey said. "The world we're operating in is not our home. The embassy you're from represents the place that is home. And so you're raising emissaries; you're raising dignitaries; you're raising children who are to be ambassadors to their generation." Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, told attendees "a strong marriage empowers us to be strong parents." "When you love your mate well, you are loving your children well," he said. "And your children first see love and understand what it is by watching the way you love one another." Phillip Bethancourt, the ERLC's executive vice president, said in remarks based on Eph. 6:10-13 parents must give their children "a purpose to pursue," "an identity to embrace" and "a battle to fight." "One of the best ways we can lead our children in the battle is by modeling what it means to fight the good fight of faith in our home," he said. "We're not just seeking to tell our kids they need to engage in spiritual warfare. We're saying, 'Watch me, because I'm going to show you what it looks like.'" On Aug. 25-26, the conference included panel discussions during the plenary sessions, as well as breakout sessions on a variety of topics Aug. 25. One of those breakout sessions -- on sexual orientation and gender identity -- was greeted by a group of about 50 demonstrators from the pro-lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender organization Faith in America, which is seeking to persuade churches to change their viewpoint about the biblical teaching on the issues. The group gathered outside the room where the session was held and sang "Amazing Grace" as part of its peaceful demonstration. The ERLC's 2018 national conference is scheduled Oct. 11-13 in Dallas. With the theme of "The Cross-shaped Family," the event will feature such speakers as Bible teacher Beth Moore, Nashville pastor Ray Ortlund, as well as Moore and Wilkin. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief 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. #SEPTEMBER17