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HODGENVILLE, KY (KT) – DeWayne Gibson’s everyday life is like a blur. Not only is he in his 18th year of teaching in LaRue County but he’s a chaplain two days a week at Baptist Health in Hardin and teaches classes at Campbellsville University. That’s all on top of being the senior pastor of Parkway Baptist Church in Hodgenville that has grown from 35 when he arrived to more than 600 every Sunday. Sleep? It’s overrated. There's work to be done. Gibson is a bivocational pastor that has a bivocational staff and a membership whose light is always green – meaning "GO!" —when it comes to evangelizing their community. Simply put: They follow their leader. “I’m totally blessed,” Gibson said between classes where he teaches at LaRue County Schools residential facility. “I’ve come to the realization it’s absolutely not me but all God. If He can use somebody like me, he can use anybody.” Gibson is going into his 12th year at Parkway, which was founded in 1991. He was leading a booming youth group of 150 at South Fork Baptist Church when God began nudging him to pastoral ministry. He finally relented. “God provided Parkway,” he said. Hodgenville is his home community, living in the area since he was 9 years old. He has coached football, track and field and girls’ softball and everybody knows his name. That has helped the ministry, the pastor said. But when he stepped into the pastoral role at Parkway, the challenge hit him in the face quickly. “I never knew much about Parkway,” he said. “My first Sunday there were 35 people there. I had stepped out of a booming youth group and my first Sunday, I was like, ‘What have I done?’ Into the second year, we started seeing good regular growth.” The worship center was mostly carved out of a ranch home and only seated about 150 with two narrow walkways. “By the second Easter, I was sitting the deacons down the hall so others would have a place to sit,” he said. “The church took a big step of faith, and we built a $350,000 worship area.” That was in 2015. The church paid it off in three years. And the growth continued as Parkway Baptist started becoming known for being involved in the community. “We’ve done some evangelical trainings,” he said. “We are learning. We don’t do everything perfectly but we’re investing in our communities, not just LaRue County. We have someone who attends our church from every county around us. It helps I’ve taught here and coached here. Now I’m doing their weddings. We invest in schools and local businesses. “So many in Hardin and LaRue who don’t go to church. If we get them to come to church, they will come back.” The idea that if you want something done, find a busy man certainly pertains to Gibson, who loves the life that God has chosen for him. He has surrounded himself with similarly hard-working bivocational leaders that make his job at the church easier. Shawn Edwards, the associational mission strategist for the Severns Valley Baptist Association, has watched Parkway Baptist blossom under Gibson. “For several years I have been amazed at how God is moving under the ministry of Pastor DeWayne and his church leadership,” he said. “I am excited that God will use Pastor Gibson at the upcoming Bivocational Conference sponsored by the Kentucky Baptist Convention. I believe the attendees will be encouraged by Pastor Gibson’s words.” The Bivocational Pastors & Wives Retreat will be Sept. 15-16 in Bowling Green at Calvary Baptist. The generous giving of Kentucky Baptists through the Cooperative Program and Eliza Broadus Offering covers all meals, lodging and resources for 60 couples. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER Parkway has a husband-and-wife team, Caleb and Kate Canter, that minister to youth; a sound technician in Paul Dangerfield; Demarcus Compton leads praise and worship and Brittany Compton guides a children’s ministry that has 70 regular attendees. On Wednesdays the church has a group of professional teachers leading a group of 50 children, he said. Michelle Milford, an administrative assistant, is not fulltime, but “puts in those kind of hours because she’s passionate and loves it,” Gibson said. Her husband, Todd, a former deacon, is a connection pastor and fills the pulpit occasionally to give the pastor a break, or an opening for a mission trip. He has traveled to Northern Ireland the last 26 years. Parkway has baptized 80 this past fiscal year and 131 joined the church, Gibson said. “I only know those numbers because we just turned that in. I’m thrilled and aware but don’t focus on the big numbers.” One of those he baptized recently was his 17-year-old daughter, Lilli, who had been immersed at the age of 7 but felt the need to be baptized now. Her father had been preaching about baptism recently. Gibson said he wouldn’t change his busy life for anything. “Everyone has caught the vision here,” he said. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark Maynard is the Managing Editor for Kentucky Today. #SEPTEMBER23

RICHMOND, VA (BP) – Kai Ininstoma,* a missionary in training with the International Mission Board, said his path toward full-time missions was heavily shaped by his experience with GenSend, NAMB’s summer missions program. Ininstoma was a part of the first official summer of GenSend in 2013, while he was a student at Texas A&M University. Ten years later, he is completing his final training before going to South Asia to serve full-time with the IMB. He credits GenSend for both changing his life and guiding his path. “Looking back, GenSend really has helped shape my life, how I lead, and how I view ministry,” Ininstoma said. “I’ve just continued to use a lot of the same tools I learned from it. “I’m such a fan of GenSend and that was really my first ministry thing I’d really ever done. It just really grew me a lot.” A self-described country boy from Texas, Ininstoma is the son of a pastor, but admits he never really had much missions experience until college. As an ecology major, he pictured himself working on a ranch somewhere out in the country, before a summer mission trip to South Sudan made him have second thoughts. Just as Ininstoma was “questioning what my future would look like,” NAMB’s Steve Turner, director of Next Gen Mobilization, visited the college ministry Ininstoma attended to talk about the GenSend summer program. Ininstoma soon signed up and joined a group of students spending their summer ministering in Portland, Ore., which he said “might as well been Mars,” for him. Despite how different Portland was from Texas, Ininstoma soon began to learn practical ministry tips which he said prove effective to this day. Some of those include: How to build relationships through a “third place” that people frequent besides work or home such as restaurants, coffee shops or gyms How to understand the spiritual climate of the city you are in How to meet people where they are in evangelism Upon returning from GenSend, Ininstoma would later become an IMB Journeyman, but struggled to “reorient,” back to life in the states. Eventually he fell into a season where he was working in West Texas as a horse trainer, but later thought to himself, “I’m more than what I’ve become.” In this time of confusion, Ininstoma returned to the message Turner gave his college ministry when talking about GenSend. “I remember Steve talking about that story where Peter steps out of the boat when Jesus was walking on the water,” Ininstoma said. “When he came and spoke to us, it was like ‘What is your boat? What does it look for you to step outside of your boat, out of your comfort zone, and trust in the Lord that He’s with you and to see that God is moving?’ Looking back on my 10 years, there’s been a lot of seasons where I was like, ‘Am I really going to step out of the boat or do what’s comfortable?’ “The biggest thing God showed me through GenSend was stepping out of the boat. It’s served me well.” Ininstoma said the reason GenSend is such a valuable program, is it catches college students at the exact crossroads he was at 10 years ago, and teaches them missions skills they keep for the rest of their lives. “There’s nothing new under the sun,” Ininstoma said. “College students still to this day before they graduate are in the same pickle I was in. If all you ever show people is you can work a 9 to 5 job, you could live an hour from where you grew up and you could have 2.5 kids … then that’s usually going to be the vision for their life. “But if you could cast a vision of stepping out of the boat and that you only get one life. We’re all going to spend it on something, so why not jump out of the boat and try to trust God for what He’s going to do? It’s worth it and it’s going to draw people to live in those Send Cities and it’s going to push people all over the world. They’ll use those same experiences wherever they go.” This vision will soon be a reality for Ininstoma. “So much has been given to me through experiences and through availability,” he said. “I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but for right now as a single guy, it’s hard for me to justify doing anything else that I feel like could leverage what I’ve been given for the Kingdom more than this. “So, I’m jumping out of the boat again.” *name changed ABOUT THE AUTHOR Timothy Cockes is a Baptist Press staff writer. #SEPTEMBER23

LOUISVILLE, KY (BP) – A 25-year-old legal dispute has finally been settled in favor of Sunrise Children’s Services. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati unanimously affirmed the final dismissal of all the plaintiffs’ claims against Sunrise with prejudice in a ruling Tuesday. The dismissal with prejudice is the functional and legal equivalent of a final judgment on the merits in Sunrise’s favor following a full-blown trial. This was Sunrise’s fifth trip to the appeals court, and it prevailed each time. “We are grateful it’s over and grateful we were not found guilty of any wrongdoing,” said Sunrise President Dale Suttles. The case dates to 1999 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled for Sunrise in a dispute involving former employee Alicia Pedreira. Pedreira and the ACLU then sued Sunrise and the Commonwealth of Kentucky in federal court in 2000, falsely accusing Sunrise of LGBT and religious discrimination. The court rejected those discrimination claims immediately, and the dismissal was unanimously affirmed by the appellate court in the early 2000s. The discrimination claims remained dead and buried for the remainder of the case. Sunrise has never been found to have unlawfully discriminated against anyone on any basis. However, the dispute over Kentucky’s reimbursements to Sunrise for essential childcare services continued for the next two decades. Kentucky settled the case, but Sunrise refused to go along. Attorney John Sheller of Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC represented Sunrise throughout the 25-year ordeal. “What the court of appeals has done here is approve the district court’s decision to dismiss the case because of the settlement between Kentucky and the ACLU, a settlement to which Sunrise was not a party and did not agree,” Sheller said. “The essence of the case was the state’s decision to continue to partner with Sunrise. The judge determined if Kentucky and the ACLU want to settle their disputes, they can do so.” The dismissal of the case with prejudice means it cannot be refiled, he said. It is essentially a victory for Sunrise, Sheller said, “because it was not found liable, isn’t found to have done anything wrong and is free to continue doing what it was doing. That’s the long and short of the decision. There is a concurring opinion from the court that further underscored the First Amendment rights of Sunrise as a faith-based organization, Sheller said. Among the settlement terms between Kentucky and the ACLU were: engaging in affirmative action, recognizing same-sex marriage and having the LGBTQ community on staffs and in foster families. Again, Sunrise’s First Amendment rights as a faith-based organization were upheld. “Sunrise didn’t agree with that even though Kentucky did,” Sheller said of the settlement. Several recent religious liberty decisions rendered by the Supreme Court, including Fulton v. Philadelphia, and other federal and state courts reinforce the protection of Sunrise’s First Amendment rights. It is now the law of the land in all 50 states, thanks to Sunrise and others like it, that faith-based child-care providers can continue their support for vulnerable children without compromising or abandoning their religious values. Suttles said he was thankful for the 25 years of support and many prayers. “This is a case that never hindered us from serving these needy children, but it was always out there, always haunting us and it would always frustrate us,” he said. “We just wanted to serve children.” Sunrise achieved the outcome without a single child, parent, or guardian ever being forced to testify in the case or without ever having to disclose private, sensitive, and confidential information or documents about the children and their families, Sheller said. Sunrise never lost its state contracts, state funding, and never cut back on the children and families it was and is helping. In fact, over the last quarter-century, Sunrise has greatly expanded its size and scope and continues to be a top provider for the commonwealth’s most troubled and endangered children. “I really think God has some major plans for Sunrise to help the commonwealth through the crisis it is facing in trying to place teenagers,” Suttles said. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lawrence Smith is the communications director for the Kentucky Baptist Convention. #SEPTEMBER23

MOSCOW (BP) – The raid by secret police of Russian evangelical leader Yuri Sipko’s home will not silence the former Baptist Union president’s “uncompromised” stance. Sergey Rakhuba, president of Mission Eurasia, promised as much in comments he shared with Baptist Press. (See related story.) “I have personally known Yuri Sipko for a long time,” Rakhuba said. “He is an uncompromised, powerful leader and preacher of the Gospel for whom truth is the most important thing.” Sipko’s home was one of many among prominent evangelical leaders that was raided by the FSB, Russia’s secret police, Mission Eurasia reported on Aug. 8. A critic of his home country’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, Sipko was accused of spreading false information about the Russian government and its army’s actions in Ukraine. He fled his home prior to the raid and is now in a safe location, reported Mission Eurasia. Rakhuba said the raid of Sipko’s home was “widely televised all across the news channels in Russia.” “[Aug. 15], the Department of Internal Affairs of Russia actually announced that Yuri Sipko, the former president of the Baptist Union of Russia and the president of the World Baptist Alliance, is Russia’s most wanted criminal. This means that his name is everywhere and his family is now being targeted. Yuri has 10 children and many grandchildren, and they are feeling threatened wherever they go,” Rakhuba said. Sipko’s opposition to Vladimir Putin extends back to the Russian president’s early days in power, particularly Putin’s past as a KGB officer. Those stances continued with Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. The next year Sipko spoke at a consultation hosted by Mission Eurasia at the Bishop of Canterbury’s headquarters in London to raise awareness over the invasion. The Russian government has continued targeting evangelical leaders across denominational lines who dare to criticize the Putin regime, Rakhuba said. One leader and his wife were detained, threatened and interrogated for two days. When released they were warned about sharing anything that happened during interrogation. A friend of Rakhuba’s was invited to share a word of encouragement at one of Moscow’s larger churches on Aug. 13. Sipko had previously preached at the church and was well-respected there. Before the friend spoke, church leaders warned him to not mention Sipko as they had received a warning from the FSB. “Most deny that this is the beginning of a new wave of repression by the Russian regime. [But] we are monitoring churches in the occupied territories in Ukraine through our Religious Freedom Initiative and have discovered that more than 500 churches have been seized, many pastors have been deported, some have disappeared and many have been killed by the Russian regime.” A common thread is emerging in those areas, he noted. Only the Russian Orthodox Church is allowed to remain. Religions and “any foreign religious influences” are being removed from the nation. “Mission Eurasia is doing everything possible to raise more awareness about this situation,” said Rakhuba. “We would really like the global Christian community to know more about all of our educational programs in Ukraine where we are training pastors to understand and deal with persecution, and to offer their prayers, support and involvement to help ease the pressure.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott Barkley is national correspondent for Baptist Press. #SEPTEMBER23

Isabel Andrews was approached by Moises, one of her Togolese national partners and a church planter. He knew she was a physician’s assistant, her husband was a general surgeon, and, more importantly, they cared for people’s souls. His father, a leader in their village, was deep into animism. A short walk from his father’s home was an idol – a dirt mound resembling a face. Currently nailed to it was an animal sacrifice. The people of his village were lost. But as one of the youngest of 20 children, Moises had no real authority to persuade his father. His father’s spiritual state weighed heavy on his heart. Yet, today, he knew his father had a pressing physical need as well. Diabetes had taken its toll on his father’s body, and now an infected and swollen foot seemed to signal it would continue ravaging his body. Could the physician’s assistant and missionary stop by his father’s home and see if there was anything they could do? As Isabel examined the rotting foot, she grew concerned. She promised the village leader, Moises’ father, that she’d return with her husband, Brennan, the general surgeon. When Brennan came to the house, he examined the swollen foot. Seeing that it wasn’t as urgent as it looked in pictures, he advised the leader to go to the nearest hospital, one hour away, and left money for the journey. Moises’ father was perplexed. Why would this American, this surgeon, come to his home to examine his foot? Brennan took this chance to present the gospel, the same one Moises had shared countless times with his family. He shared with the father that with his health conditions, he wouldn’t be on this earth a long time. He wanted him to understand the urgency of caring for his soul, that his lostness really was his greatest problem. The father said he would consider their words. Next time they came to visit, he was armed with questions, considering the validity of these Christians’ faith, because they seemed to genuinely care about him. He wanted to be sure of his decision because he knew if he became a Christian, he would be sure to tell his whole village. Two weeks later, this animistic village leader evaluated the cost and left his old beliefs behind to follow Christ. He’s now faithfully attending a church that meets just a third of a mile from his village. Though there was little the surgeon, or the PA could do for his foot, their care for him led him to know God’s love in a tangible way. This is the premise of the IMB’s healthcare strategies – providing tangible help can lead a dying world to hope in Christ. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Brennan and Isabel Andrews are IMB missionaries on our team. As a general surgeon and a physician assistant they hope to be involved in the ministry of the hospital with the goal of coming alongside the Togolese church in engaging unreached people groups and seeing churches planted. Isabel is from Mason, MI. She went to Mason public schools. All her family is still in Michigan so their state-side time will be 50% in Michigan. #AUGUST23

TECUMSEH – On July 7, 1992, my dad went to Heaven. A few years later, my mom found a note he wrote hidden in some of his stuff. It was a handwritten letter to his children (Dick, Joanie, Mike & me) about the day he became a Christian. He never gave it to us, but my mom gave us all a copy. Here’s part of it. I hope it encourages you. What I’m going to tell you now is not what I did for you, but rather what God did for you. When Greg & Dick were about 3 and 4 years old, I began to think what a challenge me and your mother had before us raising a family. Then came a daughter and, Mike, when you came along, I really got serious. Although I wasn’t a Christian at the time, I began praying for each of you. That you would grow to believe in God and that you would become Christians. I didn’t know at the time that I was actually praying for myself. Then one August in 1970 God began talking to me. So, one Wednesday evening when your mother thought I had lost it (my mind) I decided to go to a Wednesday night Prayer Meeting. I had never been to church on Wednesday in my life, so I took Greg and Dick with me for support. I began going to church for the next 2 or 3 months pretty regular, thinking I would change a lot of my habits and clean myself up a little and be a better person and father for going to church. After 3 months I couldn’t see much change, so I decided to give up on God. I called your mother from work one Saturday night and told her of this and that if she wanted to go back to the Presbyterian Church and keep you children in church it was fine with me. I was through with God and the Baptists. That Saturday night after I got home, God gave me what I believe today was a last chance. So that night while everyone was asleep but me, I began to fight, pray, cuss, cry, and everything else I could to put off God. So, after 3 or 4 hours of this I accepted Christ just like I was… standing there looking out the window on Decker Road. No hymns being sung by a choir or a preacher standing up talking or no one praying for me (maybe my mom in Kentucky)… just me and Jesus. The next morning your mother got us up, unaware of my nighttime experience and asked if I was going to Sunday School. The last she had heard was I was through with God. Even after I had accepted Christ that night, I still wasn’t ready to tell anyone. But decided to go to Sunday School with every intention of leaving Sunday School, skipping church and pick you all up afterwards. But when Sunday School was over, for some reason, I walked into the chapel and there was one seat left, beside your mother and next to the aisle. No place to hide. I don’t remember the sermon but on the first verse of the altar call, when I asked your mother if she was going with me, she thought I was going out the door. I made public then what happened to me earlier in the night. The Lord has spoken to me twice pretty strong, where He really had to get my attention, and this was one of them. One of the reasons I went into detail was to let you all know that God worked with me by using you four. Although I wasn’t blinded or seen a great light from the sky that night, my salvation was just as dramatic and meaningful to me as Paul’s was to him. With that decision to accept Christ I was able to turn you children over to Him and enlist His help in rearing you. I think He has done a fine job. You can also read another article about my dad: Today I Am As Old As My Dad Ever Was. or Judy’s dad: Remembering my Father-in-law. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Greg Burdine has been senior pastor of Faith Baptist Church since 1994. He has been married since 1981 to Judy, a preschool teacher in Tecumseh. They have four children and ten grandchildren. Greg’s passion is teaching the Word of God. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri and his Master’s and Doctorate degrees from Louisiana Baptist University in Shreveport, Louisiana. He has been in full-time ministry since 1982, serving churches in Iowa, Ohio, and Michigan. He likes to read, run, and play with his grandchildren. #AUGUST23

GARDEN CITY – I just got back from a popular music festival called “Alive” in Ohio I have attended almost every year since 2008. For most people, the big draw is the main stage artists that headline each of the three nights of concerts. This year did not disappoint, drawing crowds of 6000 fans to sit on the grass or stand in the mosh pit to cheer, dance, jump and sing along with the likes of David Crowder, Lauren Daigle, TAYA, Mac Powell, Need to Breathe and, yes, even the 80’s hair band Stryper. Families, youth groups, their leaders, as well as couples and groups of friends of all ages attend. The artists proclaimed God’s love, faithfulness and the hope that is found in Christ in song, testimony and infectious energy. I love to see God’s faithfulness as He brings His people to worship together under His sky, surrounded by His handiwork. My original reason for going was an opportunity to take my teenagers to see some of their favorite bands and spend time with their friends. But I was surprised to find that God used the time at Alive Festival with Him and my co-leader friends (who are further along the journey), worshiping under the canopy of nature, and hearing His truth from a different perspective. It was for my good, my growth, and my healing as I came face to face with God. He pointed out the truth of who He is, His character and His faithfulness as He drew me into His loving arms in a way that changed my perspective. As I leaned in, God uncovered hurt and sin, but provided peace by being near and whispering words of hope in scripture that I could hang onto for dear life. As He showed me a new way of living, one that was centered on Him, I received a purpose to point to the only One who can rescue from the lies of the evil one. This was my last year at Alive, but my journey is not over. As any loving Father would, He continues to give good gifts to me. One of the gifts that I am looking forward to is seeing what He has to say to me through Ellen Harbin at the Women’s Harvest Retreat, October 13-15 at Bambi Lake Retreat and Conference Center. Harbin will be speaking on the subject, ‘Face to Face’, explaining how God’s presence shifted the gaze and focus of those in scripture. Having their eyes fixed on Jesus, from a face-to-face encounter with Him, allows proper perspective through the hardships in life, perfect peace amid our scattered pieces, and passionate purpose God reveals through the disruptions of life. This is available to us, too. I invite you and your friends to join me for the 2023 Women’s Harvest Retreat at Bambi Lake Retreat and Conference Center. Register soon as we expect a full retreat. Go to Bambilake.churchcenter.com or call Bambi Lake (989) 275-5844. Cost range from $139.00-$149.00 before 9/30/23. Scholarships are available. Please contact darlene_walsh@yahoo.com. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mickey Gross lives in Garden City, MI and is a member of Resurrection Church in Lincoln Park. She has devoted years in church leadership as a children's ministry director, praise team member, pianist, facilities coordinator, and event planner. Mickey loves camp ministry and has had the privilege of spending time at camp as a camper, serving as a volunteer, and operating on the leadership team for Harvest Retreat. #AUGUST23

PORT AUSTIN – 0.1%... That is the estimated percentage of evangelical believers in Frankfurt, Germany. Let that sink in for a moment. A city just a few hours away from where the Protestant Reformation began is now almost completely unreached. In fact, the number of believers in Frankfurt is so low, that the government doesn’t even recognize them as a group in their statistical studies. If these estimates are correct, 99.9% of the people in Frankfurt are lost—without God and without hope. 99.9% of the people in Frankfurt have not entered the joy and satisfaction of worshiping our triune God. They are not giving Him the glory that is due Him. As heartbreaking as this reality is, there is hope. God is at work in Frankfurt, pursuing people through faithful missionaries who are there, engaged in the work. Recently, I had the privilege to visit some of these missionaries in Frankfurt through our partnership with NAMB and IMB. It was an incredible opportunity and I’d like to share three takeaways from my trip. 1. The Nations are in Frankfurt One of the most surprising things about my time in Frankfurt was how diverse the population was. As I walked through the streets of the city, I saw nationalities from all over the world. I later found out that the majority of people in Frankfurt actually have a non-German background. This is partly because Frankfurt is a key financial and transportation hub for Europe. Along with this, Frankfurt is a central location for refugee placement. And during our time there we got to visit a group of refugees who are being ministered to by IMB missionaries. All of this makes Frankfurt a strategic multi-cultural mission field. In other words, if we want to be involved in what God is doing to reach every tribe, tongue, and nation—then we need to be involved in Frankfurt (Rev. 7:9). 2. God is at Work in the Darkness The lostness in Frankfurt was overwhelming. While we were there, we had the opportunity to walk the streets and do cultural surveys. We saw poverty-stricken lostness in the red-light district followed by blissfully-ignorant lostness in the financial district. However, even in this darkness, I was encouraged by how God was at work. Specifically, we saw how local churches were putting God’s kingdom above their own individual ministries to try to collectively push back the darkness in Frankfurt. Our primary contacts for this trip were IMB missionaries Kelly and Janice Seely. They have been a part of several church plants in Frankfurt and are now helping lead the Main Projekt. This is a collaborative effort among churches and individuals to see a movement of the gospel in Frankfurt and Offenbach. I was so encouraged to see how God had used the overwhelming lostness to birth a desire for collaboration in the city. 3. All of Us Can Get Involved How should we respond to the heartbreaking reality of lostness in Frankfurt? The IMB has helped us with this question by pointing us to three clear, biblical ways that we can get involved. First, we can pray. Will you pray for the Seely family as they lead the Main Projekt? Will you pray for the refugee ministry in Frankfurt? Will you pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in the city? Second, we can give. Through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, churches and individuals have the incredible privilege of being a part of what God is doing in Frankfurt through giving. Finally, we can go. The harvest in Frankfurt is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Will you pray for God to send laborers and consider going yourself? God is worthy to be worshiped by all the peoples of Frankfurt and you have the opportunity to get involved for His glory. So, what is your next step? May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that His way may be known in Frankfurt, His saving power among all nations. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Goforth serves as the Lead Pastor of Mercy Hill Church in Port Austin, Michigan. He has been married to his wife, Shannon, for eight years. Mercy Hill exists to spread a passion for the glory of Jesus in Port Austin and beyond. #AUGUST23

MONROE – The question so many followers of Christ ask themselves, yet a question that we like to think does not exist: God, why? If there has ever been a question that I have asked of God more times than I care to admit, it is God, why? When I look back on my personal life and take inventory, I begin to get overwhelmed as I think of all that life has sent my way. By the time I was 29 years old, I had lost both of my parents to a heart attack and cancer, I lost two of my grandparents, I was called to preach, completely changed career paths to pursue God’s call on my life, got married, had two wonderful children, began to pastor at two different churches, and the list just goes on. In absolutely all of these situations, I found myself asking God why? Amidst these times of change in my life, the hardest hitting most certainly was the loss of my father. Next to my wife, my father was the best friend I ever had and my greatest supporter. The day before my father passed, I had just finished my field training program in law enforcement, and the following day, I was going to begin solo patrol. In addition to being on solo patrol, my father and I were going to have the opportunity to work the same shift together, which felt like a hard-working dream that was finally going to come true. As I prepared for my first shift, I sat on the floor in my living room shining my dress boots. I was so excited to make sure my uniform was in tip top shape as I prepared for that first day. Little did I know that during this routine moment, I would have the last conversation this side of heaven with my dad. As we briefly chatted, I am so grateful that the last words we uttered to each other were “I love you”. The next morning, which was like many other Sunday mornings, everyone in the house prepared to go to church. As the preacher began to end the service and begin a time of invitation, my father bowed his head, and suffered a massive heart attack. Despite the efforts of the congregation and even some nurses who were there, my father passed away that morning. Even as I write this story, I so vividly remember the raw emotions I felt that day and still feel at times. On that day and many days thereafter, I began to ask God the question of why? As I have traversed the many ups and downs, I believe that God has truly answered my question of why, but not in the way I expected. God has shown me that the answer to why is not found in material things of this world or an itemized description of why he allowed something into my life, but instead is found in his response through one of his attributes, and that is peace. Peace is that inner state of rest, tranquility, quiet, and alignment with the Holy Spirit through the provisions of God. I love how Paul encourages the church of Philippi in Philippians 4:7 to remember that God’s peace passes all understanding. God does not always show us the reasons why things happen in our lives, but he does provide a place of comfort and strength as we navigate our trials, and that is his peace. I can truly testify that in all my situations of life, I have never completely understood the timing of these things, but thanks be to God that even on my worst day, he was at his best! As you have read my story, I hope that it can be a point of encouragement for you to not focus on your circumstance but focus on the place of Peace that God provides to all of his believers who seek him! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Matt Foley is Senior Pastor of Liberty Missionary Baptist Church of Monroe, MI, and he is a recent graduate of Liberty University with a degree in Biblical and Theological Studies. Matt is married to the love of his life Lindsey, and they have two children. #AUGUST23

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – Kevin and Keri Sheckler have been reaching Africans and others with the IMB for 10 years. They started by serving in the Horn of Africa for the first 2 years of their ministry. But then they moved to a place that might not seem obvious for reaching Africans. For the last 8 years the Shecklers have been ministering to immigrants in Birmingham, England. Birmingham is the second largest city in the United Kingdom, and it attracts a diverse array of internationals including people from places like Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea. The Shecklers serve at the Bloomsbury Hope Centre where they offer things like Homework Clubs and English Classes. Hope Church was launched through the Centre’s ministries. Kevin Sheckler says, “Hope Centre gave them access to people, and Hope Church gives those people access to God.” Kevin was raised in Sparta, Michigan before he and Keri met at California Baptist University. The Shecklers and their three children; Sofia, Selah, and Isaiah, return to Michigan when they are in the US to visit family and to enjoy camping by Lake Michigan. The entire family will be here in Michigan during the month of August. To learn more about the Shecklers’ ministry in England. Watch this video they prepared. #AUGUST23

PLYMOUTH – I have often thought about Jesus’ words; "Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." (Mark 10:15 KJV). At times that principle has been a great comfort to me because those who know me best have said that I have never grown up. I suffer from PPS. Peter Pan Syndrome. I’m a little child at heart in a grown up and rapidly deteriorating body. Well, the parts that have been replaced are in good shape, but the remaining “stuff” is questionable or makes terrible squeaking noises. If I had it my way, I would play all day, eat junk food and sleep until I wanted to rise. I would still believe in Santa Claus and truly want birthdays to come around. If I could get away with it, I would keep a good supply of water balloons in one of my filing cabinets just in case a need for them might arise. I can’t tell you how many times these would have come in very handy as negotiating tools where opposing opinions had come to an impasse. I am also still of the opinion that “recess” should still be scheduled twice a day and Saturday mornings should be reserved for cartoons. But like most adults my age, life, and my view from its current perspective, has drastically changed. That childlike innocence, faith and unquestioning love that once was firm and secure, has been tainted by time and the frailty of fallen humanity. Thank goodness there are still children in this world. Children who still love unconditionally and trust totally. Children who believe what they are told and see life simply. This immovable kind of childlike and loving faith that children possess is reflected in the experience of one such child. Some years ago, a little girl named Liz was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. He hesitated for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, seeing the color return to her cheeks as the transfusion began its miraculous work. Then his face grew pale, and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?” Being just a child, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor. He thought he was going to have to give his sister all his blood in order to save her. I don’t know about you but I’m a “pretty selfish” individual compared to that brave young boy. I want to think that I would do the same thing for someone else, but could I? Or would I if I could? When I see life from the eyes of a child, then I begin to better understand our Lord’s admonition to become as a little child. He was God’s child in a grown-up body. Oh, how I want to live my life like God’s Child in a grown-up body. Don’t you? "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13 KJV) 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. #AUGUST23

PLYMOUTH – One Arabic church sets the stage to create three new Michigan churches. Pastor Amgad Beshai of Evangel Baptist Church of Troy, a pastor, and a key strategist in the state’s Arabic ministry, is leading the way toward church multiplication among Arabic language communities. Two new church starts are projected to begin in the suburbs of Metro Detroit, and another church will be launched in another large city elsewhere in Michigan. Beshai, and the church members at Evangel Baptist Church already launched a new church start during 2023 in Troy. North American Mission Board endorsed church planter David Selou and his wife, Rawa, received the needed sponsorship by Beshai and the congregation due to their longtime relationship. The Selou couple and their congregation share a space generously provided by Northfield Hills Baptist Church of Troy and Pastor Stephen Husava, which allows the English-speaking children in both congregations to attend Bible study together while the adults worship in separate services in their heart-languages. Beshai and the members of Evangel Baptist Church boldly display one of the treasured values of Michigan churches, which is, “Normalize sentness because the urgency of the Gospel mission demands it.” They are not content to simply gather on Sunday, they believe their days should be filled with actions where they take the Gospel to others. Beshai and the church established an impressive international, online presence years before others did during the pandemic. Beshai, a humble man, would hesitate to tell you about the thousands of followers he has on social media, but we can report it here. Beshai explained in a conversation one day, “I post things to bring people’s attention to the Lord, but I do not respond to comments online. I made that decision years ago, understanding that a personal conversation is much more valuable than a public post.” Beshai has on his heart the spiritual well-being of many throughout the Arabic communities in Michigan and overseas. Earlier during 2023, members of Evangel Baptist Church returned from visiting family members in the Middle East. Reporting to Beshai that members of the families in the Middle East were suffering without food Beshai reached out to Tony Lynn, Church Planting Leader with the Send Network of the NAMB to ask what could be done. The church collected thousands of dollars, and Lynn created a direct connection with personnel with Send Relief and the International Mission Board to Beshai which made it possible for the funds to be directed to the need. The Southern Baptist Convention network responded rapidly and effectively due to the ongoing connection between local churches and worldwide efforts of relief and missions. Lynn reports, “The missionaries were so impressed with the church’s actions and Beshai’s network with other Arabic speakers that they invited Beshai to visit Southern Baptist relief efforts in the Middle East. They want Beshai to see how he and others like him might come alongside Send Relief to disciple those who are coming to know the Lord in relief centers and refugee camps. Tony and Jamie Lynn have also been invited to join Beshai, at the end of 2023, on a vision trip to the Middle East to see how the Christian Arabic community in the United States can assist others throughout the world.” Beshai and his family, who are originally from Egypt, experienced a call from the Lord to come to the United States. Beshai could have chosen a career and then served the Lord through his local church with his remaining time and energy but Beshai could not deny the Lord’s calling to come to the United States to serve as a pastor, so he pressed forward with his plans for ministry. Before coming to the United States with his wife and children, Beshai traveled the Middle East in multiple countries helping in benevolent ministries, studying then teaching others, and sharing the Gospel as an evangelist. Lynn explains, “Pastor Amgad Beshai and his wife Eman, along with their three adolescent and young adult children are shaping the direction of one of the most critical areas of ministry across the globe. We are thankful that their compassion, their wisdom, and their service found a home in Michigan. We are better with them in the ministry.” If you are interested in assisting Pastor Amgad Beshai by contributing to strengthen any of the church starts, either as a one one-time gift or as a recurring contribution, you can write directly to Pastor Amgad Beshai at pastor@churchoftroy.org. 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. #AUGUST23