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by Diana Chandler GREEN BROOK, NJ (BP) – Gloria Gaynor recalls the heyday of her iconic Grammy-winning disco hit “I Will Survive” when the Lord reined her in. “I think I was about to go off the deep end, to make a long story short, and the Lord grabbed me in my collar and said that’s enough. I mean, literally,” she told Baptist Press years after the jolt she experienced during a party she hosted in her home in 1984. “I was visibly shaken. I thought everyone else in the room saw it, and I went into the bathroom shaking and crying and realizing that the Lord had grabbed me, that I was about to go beyond what He was willing to allow me to go as His child.” Gaynor spent a year’s sabbatical in 1988 discerning God’s call on her life. Musically, would she adopt the sacred and let go of the secular? Would she sing a combination? “There’s a long way between the secular and the sacred, but not everything is purely sacred or purely secular,” Gaynor said. “After that year, He sent me back with this. ‘My Word speaks of all of the issues of life. What would make you think that I wouldn’t want you to sing about all of the issues of life from My point of view?’ And that’s what I do in my show.” Gaynor’s sole Gospel album would come decades later. The Grammy-winning “Testimony” released in 2019 by Gaither Music Group includes vocals by Bart Millard, Jason Crabb, Yolanda Adams and Mike Farris. The 20th studio album of her career garnered her second Grammy, this time for Roots Gospel Album. “I’ve always believed that Gospel music or Christian music should minister to people and should do what the Bible does; it should make known to them the love, the knowledge, the design and desire of God’s life for every human being. My purpose was to have songs that did that,” she said of Testimony. “That was what I had in mind, trying to get across to them the character of God, the design of God for the life of His children.” Now 79, Gaynor spoke with Baptist Press in the midst of several projects including live performances in the U.S. and France, and a biographical documentary set to release next year. On Nov. 1, Pure Flix will release the inspirational Christmas movie, “The Thursday Night Club,” featuring Gaynor as a physician and encouraging good deeds particularly among young adults. “I love the idea that it’s young people who are learning to give back, learning to be altruistic, learning to pay it forward,” she said of the movie. “I stand in awe of a God Who gives you gifts, talents, abilities, wealth and welfare to share with other people, and then blesses you even more as you share it and use it to bless others. He’s amazing.” Gaynor was in her 30s when the Lord drew her back to Himself. At that time, she was riding high on I Will Survive, her disco hit in the days of vinyl records. The song was originally produced as a B-side recording designed to take a back seat. But it soared. “When I read the lyrics, I was thinking about the fact that I’d just had surgery on my spine and I was actually standing there recording in a back brace and hoping that I would survive the surgery,” she told Baptist Press. “I was thinking about the fact that my mother had only passed away a few years prior, and I was hoping to survive all of that, and survive not only her death, but survive keeping intact her memory and the things that she taught me about life. Those were the things that the song was about to me, at that point.” Her mother Quinnie Mae Proctor had been Gaynor’s compass when the performer was baptized as a teenager at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Newark. But Gaynor had lost her way when God drew her back to Himself at the house party she hosted in 1984. “That’s when I really changed my life, and about a year later I found a baptismal certificate that I had completely forgotten about. When I found it, all of these memories came rushing back, about how when I was 16 years old, I’d told my mother I wanted to be baptized, I wanted to give my life to the Lord. “And I did that. I was baptized and then I forgot about it,” Gaynor said. Her mother died in 1970. “She was my rock. I lost my moral compass and completely forgot about the Lord, but praise God, He never forgot about me,” Gaynor said. “And I believe that at that at that party, whatever might have gone on, He just said to the enemy, ‘Not this one. This one’s mine.’” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer. #NOVEMBER22

by David Thompson NASHVILLE, TN – Like beauty— success is often in the eye of the beholder. Plato believed “Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.” Let us never ever forget that the world is a stage—- and others are always watching. Everything you do inspires someone to do something…good or bad. Yet still— at the heart of true success is the idea of “Resolve.” That’s why Peter Drucker noted, “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes, but no plans.” So, in a world of very little commitment— please know that ultimate dedication wins the day! Having noted this—it is what you do, not say that matters. Said Andrew Carnegie, “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say, I just watch what they do.” In a world of too many “talking heads” with too many “talking points” let us do more than we say! Along that vein, it’s relevant to know how our framers understand success. “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have NO meaning.”— Benjamin Franklin. Ole Ben was right……why? Who you are carries more weight than words and even more than what you do. So, what is success? Hear from one of the most successful coaches of all time, John Wooden who had similar beliefs when he preached to his team, “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of the self-satisfaction of knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” And believe it or not, halfway around the world, and in a completely different society with completely different ideas, one idealist notes a very similar thought said Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, “The meaning of earthly existence lies, not as we have grown used to thinking, in prospering, but in the development of the soul.” You may be thinking this, “Well they don’t know the struggles I have had” ……. maybe not, but my guess is they learned to deal with it. And so, Frederick Douglas touted, “If there is no struggle…. there is no progress.” If I have learned anything— it is that successful folk never ever allow themselves to make excuses!! Parenthetically— the attitude and mindset of achievers is often a matter of the heart, soul, and spirit. Ralph Waldo Emerson believed— “Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.” Also, herein lies yet another matter of the heart to consider. So, what is your crowning achievement? What is the crown you wear? (The Invisible Crown). Said William Shakespeare, ”My crown is called content, a crown that seldom kings enjoy.” And that being factual, the opposite is true to form “worry” must be the opposite of said contentment. Hear the lighthearted heart of Robert Frost, “The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.” So even though it sounds like a line from a cheesy song, “Don’t worry…Be Happy!” Now surely there is more than that. I love what Albert Einstein taught, “Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” So maybe you just need a new motto, by the way, each state has one, Ohio finally got one, it took them 156 years but they finally did and they got it right, ”With God, all things are possible.” So, if everything else has failed for you, I dare you to just try that and trust the God who alone can be trusted! That equals success!! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. David L. Thompson holds an undergraduate degree from Belmont University in Psychology and Religion, a graduate degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Education, and a doctorate in Counseling and Pastoral Psychology. He has served as a chairman of the Church Planting Group and Executive Committee Chair at the North American Mission Board for 10 years. He has been a Police Chaplain since 1991 and served as a Corporate Chaplain to the Coca Cola Bottling Company in Nashville, Tennessee where he resides with his wife. He has six children and five grandsons. #NOVEMBER22

by Brandon Elrod PUERTO RICO – Following Hurricane Fiona’s landfall in Puerto Rico Sunday, Sept. 18, Southern Baptist churches on the island have begun meeting crisis needs and engaging their communities with the Gospel through Send Relief. “In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, all North American Mission Board (NAMB) and Send Relief staff are safe,” said Jonathan Santiago, Send Relief’s ministry center director in Puerto Rico. “We are in the process of responding all across the island.” The entire island lost power, which has made feeding those in need a top priority. Send Relief has launched six response sites through local churches across the island, some of them Send Network churches that were recently planted. “My heroes! Our Send Puerto Rico church planters are at work, meeting needs and changing lives with the gospel,” tweeted Felix Cabrera, director for Send Puerto Rico. “Please continue praying for them.” Send Relief’s immediate response so far is focusing on providing meals and water as long as these needs persist. Each site can produce up to 2,000 meals a day, and local Puerto Rican Southern Baptist volunteers have been driving the response. Before Fiona made landfall, Send Relief leadership pre-staged equipment and resources to enhance their ability to respond, and on Tuesday morning, Sept. 20, they began delivering food, water and other emergency supplies to the six churches, which are located in the hardest hit areas. “Puerto Rican Southern Baptists have been eager to serve their neighbors and communities,” said Coy Webb, Send Relief’s crisis response director. “That’s why hundreds of people have trained to respond to crises like Hurricane Fiona in recent years, and now they’re putting themselves into action to meet needs and proclaim the hope of the Gospel as they serve.” Volunteers also began removing debris from people’s yards and started the recovery process. Local churches are receiving calls from people who need help, which may open up opportunities for volunteers from the mainland in the coming weeks. Hurricane Fiona is the first major hurricane of the 2022 hurricane season and has reportedly killed five people across the various islands of the Caribbean. After hitting Puerto Rico as a Category 1 storm, Fiona has since migrated further north into the Atlantic where it has become a Category 4 storm. According to the National Hurricane Center, it is slated to make landfall in northeast Canada by this weekend. Fiona made landfall nearly five years to the day after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. Send Relief was still actively organizing trips to help homeowners rebuild from the historic 2017 storm when Fiona hit. “Southern Baptists, we want to thank you for your prayers. Thank you for reaching out and thank you for all you’ve done to make this response possible,” Santiago said. “Thank you for your giving that allows us to bring the gospel through serving people.” To learn more and donate to Send Relief’s hurricane response fund, visit Send Relief’s Hurricane Fiona response page. Send Relief’s opportunities for teams to serve on mission trips remain available as well. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board. #OCTOBER22

by Sue Hodnett CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI – One step at a time. We all have a next step to take, whether it’s your first step or one of many in a long journey with God. Leading and serving is about more than liking Jesus or knowing about Him. It's about becoming like Him. “Rather than view women as risks, liabilities, or burdens, Jesus invited them to draw near.” ~ Jen Wilkin. How as women do we view Jesus? “We see Him as the one who welcomes women and defends their right to learn from Him.” ~ Rebecca McLaughlin. Bible studies, small groups, leadership training and trustworthy courses to assist women into God’s Word are not only vital but biblical. Our desire is to assist you in developing the leadership skills needed to make disciples of Jesus who live on mission. Sharing knowledge and tools needed to start a new ministry or take the next step in your current ministry. Ministry Center Training and Resourcing for Christian Women Leaders. Bible Studies & Leadership Courses (FALL 2022) 1) ISAIAH: STRIVING LESS & TRUSTING GOD MORE (Melissa Spoelstra |Lifeway) Discover a life truth: Following God isn’t about striving; it’s about trusting God more. In this study, we will unpack Isaiah’s words to reveal that we can trust God more than our human effort. You won’t be striving harder, but instead trusting more deeply the Faithful One who is so worthy of our utter dependence. Wednesdays 10am – 12pm @ the Ministry Center 7 Weeks / Begins October 3rd 2) SPIRITUAL FORMATION AS A LEADER (by Dr. Noel Forlini Burt) CWLC, National WMU Participants look closely at the role of grace in their lives and to accept the invitation to go in the way of peace as they lead. Upside-Down Leadership (New Hope Publishers), by Taylor Field, is the course text. Online Course/Student completes assignment on their own, we meet on zoom weekly to review and encourage. Thursdays 7:00pm – 8:30pm via zoom call 4 Weeks / Begins October 3rd Cost: $30 / online course fee 3) THE BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF LEADERSHIP (Dr. Andrea Mullins) CWLC, National WMU Gives participants opportunities to discover the meaning of leading with a biblical perspective based on Christian values. Real Women Leading with Proverbs 31 Values (New Hope Publishers), by Lisa Troyer and Dawn Yoder, is the course textbook. Online Course/Student completes assignment on their own, we meet on zoom weekly to review and encourage. Tuesdays 7:00pm – 8:30pm via zoom call 4 Weeks / Begins November 1st Cost: $30 / online course fee 4) MINISTRY TO WOMEN (Kelly D King |Lifeway) The Essential Guide for Leading Women in the Local Church Providing a theological framework as a foundation for practical ministry, this guide by Women’s Ministry Specialist Kelly D. King covers a range of topics relevant to the modern leader, including discipleship, events, mentorship, communication, crisis, and more. Wednesdays 7:00pm – 8:30pm @ the Ministry Center 7 Weeks / Begins October 3rd To Register for Course(s) https://form.jotform.com/222408253865155 National WMU National WMU has launched a focus on mental health. This self-guided course will provide you with an understanding of mental health challenges and how they impact those around you. It will equip you with resources for leading training conferences on mental health. This course costs $20. Register Now Lifeway Women Academy Online Courses for Women We want to fuel the ministry of women just like you in churches around the world by helping you to treasure biblical truth for yourself. Learn more about the Academy at: https://www.lifeway.com/en/special-emphasis/lifeway-women-academy Women's Ministry is dedicated to strengthening the women of BSCM by encouraging, equipping, and engaging them to live intentional lives to the glory of God. Our ministry opportunities are of culturally relevant content, guided by a missional mindset, compassionate care, and places value on the development of women in leadership. Women’s Ministries provide encouragement and support the professional development of women leaders in our churches. We come alongside our pastors and ministry leaders to provide resources and support in Leadership Development, Compassion Ministries, Missions Discipleship and Administration. Visit: www.facebook.com/bscmwmu for the most current women’s ministry information. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sue Hodnett serves as women’s ministry leader for the BSCM as well as WMU Michigan Executive Director. She has dedicated her life to ministering to women in Michigan. #OCTOBER22

by Glenda Lassiter CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI – A few years before I retired from teaching, I felt God pulling me in the direction of teaching English to immigrants. Soon after my retirement, I began searching for opportunities for teaching English, and my first thought was to seek a part-time job with the local public school adult education program. I also started looking for training, but wasn’t having much success.. In January of 2021 I began volunteering with the English as a Second Language (ESL) group at my local public library. One of the teachers there told me about the North American Mission Board (NAMB) training through the Georgia Association where he was trained. When I reached out to Georgia for information I was told that I had missed the registration deadline by three days, the class was already full, and I didn’t live in Georgia, so I couldn’t be enrolled. Three days later I got a call from Karen Elrod, Georgia WMU. She said that the teacher had agreed to accept an additional student and I could enroll. Within a week I started the five week online training. After my first online training session, it became clear that God was calling me to start an ESL ministry rather than finding a secular English job. The training was wonderful, not only for learning how to teach English to Internationals, but it also gave excellent direction for launching a successful ministry. When I shared the possibility of starting a ministry at Lakepointe Church with my pastor, Scott Blanchard, he was very supportive. 14% of Macomb County residents speak another language as their native tongue, so there is definitely a need. And Matthew 28:19-20 and Leviticus 19:33-34 give us the call to love immigrants and share the gospel with them. The next step was to enlist a few other teachers and get them enrolled in the Georgia Association online training. Once their training was complete, we began to meet and plan out what the ESL ministry would look like at Lakepointe. I also had help planning from several ESL leaders in Georgia and North Carolina. I was given excellent advice on materials to use, advertising, and organization. They have answered questions and given me great encouragement along the way. By October 2021 we were ready to launch the ministry. Our first night we had 3 trained teachers, 7 rotating childcare volunteers, 3 adult students, and no children. By the end of our school year in May 2022, we had 4 trained teachers, 13 adult students, and 7 children. Our students were from 7 different countries. Most of the students are not Christians. Most of our volunteers are senior citizens, which shows we’re never too old for ministry! Every week we begin class with a devotional message, and our students have been open to hearing the Word and asking questions about our faith. We have been so blessed and have had opportunities to meet with our students outside of class to build relationships. Several have reached out to us for prayer. Two of our Albanian students became United States citizens with the help of their English teacher. We gave a baby shower for one of our students whose family lives far away in Turkmenistan. One of our students from Iraq needed transportation to purchase necessities for her apartment and her teacher provided that. We saw needs to be met, and God helped us to meet them. We have set a goal to double our enrollment this year. This summer we expanded our advertising, especially reaching out to places that employ immigrants and to libraries in neighboring communities. To be prepared for the students that God will bring our way, we will have 5 trained teachers, allowing us to offer 5 levels of instruction. We have also enlisted 12 rotating childcare volunteers. As we begin our new school year, we look forward to seeing what God is going to do! God is always at work, in our hearts, in our lives, and in our churches. Now, looking back on these last few years, it is clear that He was leading and lining up everything for an ESL ministry at Lakepointe Church according to His will. Maybe He has ESL plans for your church. Is He calling you to reach the nations through ESL? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Glenda Lassiter lives in Clinton Township with her husband, Dan, who is also an ESL teacher. She is a member of Lakepointe Church in Shelby Township where she serves as Director of ESL Ministry. She also serves in children’s ministry and co-teaches an adult Life Group with Dan. She recently retired from 35 years of public school teaching but doesn’t plan to retire from ministry. #OCTOBER22

by Brian Jones TECUMSEH, MI – I don’t know why people do it. Why do they treat fast food restaurants better than they treat churches? Well, if not better, at least in showing more grace. Let me explain what I mean. Imagine that you went to the local burger fast food chain. Maybe it is known for a certain golden letter of the alphabet. As a hypothetical. You go through the drive thru, which now takes longer than it used to, you pay (which now takes more than it used to), you receive your bag of goodies and head home. And what do you find when you arrive safely to your abode? A messed-up order. The double burger that was supposed to be no onion has onions, no pickles, and extra mustard. The fries are cold and the drink now comes in a container big enough to satisfy the thirst of King Kong. So, what does any reasonable person do at this point? Clearly, they decide that they will never again go to any fast food restaurant. Ever. Anywhere. Of any type. Period. But that isn’t what happens, at least not in the real world. In the real world you might not go back to that particular clown endorsed establishment (although in truth you will probably end up there again and sooner than you would like to admit). But you will most likely visit another of the same chain, just at a different location. Maybe you are so frustrated that you abandon that chain all together and decide to take your hard-earned money to other dining options. After all, they aren’t the only burger place in town. (Unless they actually are the only burger place in town.) And who said it has to be burgers? Taco Tuesday anyone? Chicken? Chinese? Sub sandwiches? Roast beef sandwiches? You won’t give up fast food, but you might stop supporting the one that just can’t get it right. We don’t take one bad experience and throw them all to the curb. But what do people do when they attend a church? Imagine that you went to the local Baptist church. And let’s imagine that they were cold and distant. No one greeted you. No one welcomed you to service. And the service was a mess. So, what does any reasonable person do at this point? Clearly, they decide that they will never again go to any church. Ever. Anywhere. Of any type. Period. And sometimes, that is exactly what happens. They don’t give the church another shot. They don’t try other churches of the same denomination. They don’t visit other denominations. They have one bad experience and throw them all to the curb. Now, it may seem silly to point this out in the official newsletter of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. After all, everyone reading this probably goes to church on a regular basis. But maybe it will come in handy when you talk with others. One time our church was hosting a health screening, and one of the nurses was mentioning how she didn’t go to church anymore because she caught the pastor and the secretary in an embrace. [This analogy is not meant to diminish the true hurts that people can experience and the analogy isn’t perfect, but hopefully it gets people to think.] Now, she had told me earlier that she was recently engaged. So, I asked her if all the men she had previously dated treated her well, or if there were some bad experiences. She was quick to respond that she had indeed dated some less than excellent men. And that is when I asked her. But you didn’t give up on men, did you? She smiled sheepishly. She understood perfectly. Men were important enough to her to give them another shot. For most of us, so is fast food. For all of us, church should be too. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pastor Brian Jones, Tecumseh Missionary Baptist Church, MDiv. SBTS. His wife, Lisa, and family came to TMBC in March 2008, and have been privileged to serve at TMBC for over a decade. #OCTOBER22

by Tim Patterson PLYMOUTH, MI – While I was continuing my theological education, Sabrina and I were living in Dallas, Texas. We experienced the good and bad of big city life. The 6:00 am traffic and the smog on hot summer days were sights and sounds we will never forget. We had very little money at any time, so we looked for ways to entertain ourselves on a pocket full of nothing. One of our favorite pastimes was to go to a local mall and “people watch”. We would find a comfortable location that was as close to the center of the flow of foot traffic as possible and just sit. You can learn a great deal about people and our society, just by careful observations. This was great fun, but for a short period of one year there was a rash of car thefts at the mall, and a series of breaking into automobiles and stealing stereos and contents. Because of this, many were afraid to patronize this particular mall. Business dropped and many stores were in jeopardy of closing until the mall association put a great deal of money into security, promotions, and subsidized sales at all the stores. People began to flood back to the mall in herds. A pastor friend of mine told me the story of an elderly lady in his church who had been afraid to go shopping at this mall, but because of the super sales they were advertising, she had decided to deny her fears and to give into the enticement of a great bargain. (I have since heard this story told about different women at different malls, so I don’t vouch for its veracity. It’s still a great story.) It was said that her husband wouldn’t go near a mall, but was concerned for her safety, so he made her take their “38 snub nose revolver” with her. He told her, “If you get into trouble, don’t hesitate to show your fire power”. (In order for you to have a better grasp of the situation and setting, this was in 1980!) Well, she had been shopping for an hour or so and had collected all the bargains she could hold, and made her way to her car. As she approached her white, Buick LA Sabre, she saw two men standing at the doors and one was trying to open the driver's side. At that moment she dropped her packages, pulled the ‘38” from her purse, spread her legs just like she had seen on the television cop shows, held the pistol with both hands and pointed it at the would-be intruders. “All right you scum bags! Get away from that car or I’ll fill you full of lead”. The two men didn’t wait to discuss the matter, and went running as fast as they could in opposite directions. She put her gun back in her purse, picked up her packages and walked over to the car. She took her keys from her purse and placed one in the door lock. When she tried to turn the lock, it wouldn’t budge. That’s when she realized she was at the wrong car. Her car was parked several rows over. Have you ever done anything like that? I mean, leap before you look? Speak before you think? Purchase before you determine if you can afford something? React to a situation of which you do not have a full understanding? Make important decisions based purely on emotion? If so, it is very likely that you have risked causing great damage not only to yourself but to those around you. A term I often use and can easily relate to is “Stepped in Stupid!” We all do it and most of the time we regret it. It’s a characteristic of our human nature. Or should I say our fallen human nature. One of my greatest fears is that I will react to a situation and say something that will hurt someone else or cause damage to our relationship. Sadly, this still happens in my life. I have found when I am not at my best physically, spiritually, and emotionally is when I am most susceptible to acting in the “flesh”. If I am over fatigued, don’t sleep well, don’t eat properly, and let myself get physically depleted, that is when I can succumb to these reactions. I am not giving an excuse, but stating the reasons. I have a choice in those matters, and when I choose poorly, the results are evident. The same is true in my spiritual life. When I neglect the spiritual disciplines of practicing the presence of Jesus in my life through prayer, study, and meditating on His Word, I am susceptible to inappropriate actions. Here are some practices that will help you stay out of trouble: Stop. Think. Pray. Ask God for wisdom. Use discernment. Get wise counsel from others. Men, ask your wives. Wives, ask you husbands. But whatever you do, don’t be so quick on the draw and shoot off your mouth until you know what is really going on. Remember, Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.[1] "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5 KJV) "Through presumption comes nothing but strife, But with those who receive counsel is wisdom." (Proverbs 13:10 NASB) 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. [1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Pr 17:28). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. #OCTOBER22

by Tony Lynn PLYMOUTH, MI – You may have tired of last month’s Facebook posts of our personal vacation to the Holy Lands. If so, I am sorry about that. For us, the posts were an easy sharing-point with our immediate family. We gave reports on amazing locations like Jerusalem, Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, Jericho, Masada, and the Dead Sea. I thought along with some vacation snapshots that I would share some lessons we learned during our trip to the Holy Lands. Lesson 1 – Ask those who previously traveled about their favorite experiences. Two weeks before leaving for Israel, we had dinner in Michigan with friends including the Renders and Tim Steele and asked, “What were some of your favorite memories?” They responded rapidly that the Western Wall of Solomon’s Temple, at the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, was one of their favorites. They were correct! We saw what the locals themselves described as the celebration of Sabbath which included dancing, recitation of prayers, readings, and family-like excitement. We found ourselves suspended in a sea of color and sounds, among the Orthodox, those in military uniforms, parents holding children in their arms, and those in solitude in deep reflection. While at the Wall, we prayed that Jesus Christ would be made known among the nations. Lesson 2 – Enjoy the enchanting international interaction with locals and visitors. We customized each day’s excursion for ourselves and walked slowly experiencing every moment with individuals. Jamie’s warm smile and kindness makes friends without words that then lead to enjoyable conversations and easy interactions. People from two major world religions, Judaism and Islam, were overwhelmingly hospitable to us during our entire visit. As we often do during international trips, we learn 8-12 of the most common phrases of the local languages found at our vacation destination. This time we concentrated on less phrases but two languages. The effort is always rewarded with friendly gestures and uplifting, personal conversations. Being that our vacation included the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, our greetings helped us learn how our hosts were going to celebrate family time over the course of a few days. An exceptional joy was remembering how big the Lord is among the nations, tribes, peoples, and languages as we rubbed shoulders with, had conversations with, ate with, and knelt together in silence with other Christians. People from Central Asia sang familiar old hymns in their mother tongue at the Garden Tomb. We recognized the tune, but the words were unfamiliar until their beautiful voices reminded us of the English words we sang as children and teenagers. A South African woman standing alongside Jamie in the waters of the Jordan River may be one of my favorite pictures from the trip. Their spontaneous smiles show the supernatural fellowship that can immediately be created among those who love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Listening to them discuss life, the Lord, and faith was uplifting. Stumbling upon an elderly woman reading, with a magnifying glass, in a sacred place was unexpected and precious. The instant reminded us again that our trip was about drawing closer to the Lord while being surrounded by the crowds. We find the Lord teaches us a lot through our human interactions like those lifted above which leads us into deeper reflection and prayer so that we would become more like the Lord Jesus Christ. Lesson 3 – Always when traveling, find a place of local worship. When we arranged our lodging in Jerusalem, we placed ourselves within walking distance of the important items for us. That has been our standard operating procedure for years. Old Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate was within a fifteen-minute walk. Church/Sunday morning worship was within a ten-minute walk. Grocery stores were within a five-minute walk. Mass and low-cost transportation was within a three-minute walk. The Baptist congregation with about 125 fellow believers blessed us. It was an international group. The experience was uplifting because we saw the reach of God’s arms wrap around an entire world reminding us that the Good News of Jesus Christ is for everyone everywhere. We are always glad to see the Lord’s people gather to encourage one another in their faith when they are far from their homeland and families. After each service a fellowship meal is provided. Be certain we stayed and visited with our brothers and sisters from across the globe. Our gratitude is always increased when we meet people courageous enough to live in other countries, on mission for the Lord and His plans. Lesson 4 – We must urgently share the Good News of Jesus Christ among the nations. The Central Bureau of Statistics tells us that as of 2022, in Israel, that 73% of the residents are Jews 21% are Arab 5% are members of other religious groups Less than 2% is Christian If any of this testimony of our excursion is turning your heart and mind to global considerations, please click on and investigate a possible future for you with: https://www.imb.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. #OCTOBER22

by Mike Durbin PLYMOUTH, MI – God has blessed Michigan Baptist Churches with gifted and loving pastors, and we are grateful for each one. October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Please take some time to express your love and appreciation to your pastor (and his family). A simple web search with the words: “Pastor Appreciation Month” will result in a variety of ways to express appreciation to your pastor. I want to share an idea that may be an incredible blessing to your pastor - especially if he has not really gotten away from the demands of ministry in recent years. It’s called the “Sabbatical.” I like to think of a Sabbatical as a sustained, mutually agreed upon time away from the demands of daily ministry for the pastor to rest, reflect, and refresh personally. Our BSCM Staff has helped two pastors this year take Sabbaticals by filling the pulpit while their pastor was on Sabbatical. Recently, one of them shared his experience with us, and with his permission, I want to share it with you. “Sabbatical, the best gift I’ve received in years. It has not only undoubtedly prolonged my time in ministry, but it’s also helped my marriage and family life as well. I cannot recall how many times I’ve heard people say or ask me in the past couple of years, 'Are you taking your vacation days?’ or ’Are you taking a sabbath?’ I would always respond, ‘What’s a vacation?’ or ‘I try to.’" In my mind I didn’t think I could get away. There was always too much work to do, as there was no one else who could do it. But if I am being honest, I really didn’t trust anyone to do anything. So, I made excuses, and I worked, and I worked to the point of just exhaustion. To the point of being burned out and ready to walk at any time. I would have kept going too, just because it’s who I am and how I was raised. I am a workaholic, just like my dad. But it wasn’t till a family crisis arose and I reached out for help with that and then it happened. I was asked a simple little question, ‘But how are you doing?’ ‘Pastor, how are you doing?’ Normally I would have said, ‘Living the dream,’ but for some reason, this time I was honest, brutally honest. I just spilled my guts. Next thing I knew I was on sabbatical. I had never been on a sabbatical, and didn’t even know how to “sabbatical” for that matter. But I will tell you that this time away has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. To be honest, the only way that I can compare it is Adam walking with God in the garden. It was just me and God, with no agenda other than just spending time with Him. I wasn’t in His Word, in silence in solitude, or in some other discipline to get something, or for sermon prep, or for some lesson I had to give. It was just to be with Him, to rekindle my first love, to realign my heart and desires to His. I believe that I had become theologically arrogant because all I did was work. Studying the scriptures for sermons, for lessons and for knowledge, but with a void of a relationship and connection over time to the author created an arrogance in me that made me vulnerable to spiritual warfare. It was subtle at first, but over time the damage it was creating was being felt and seen by everyone but myself. Relationships were deteriorating, but because I was theologically or biblically correct, I kept pushing forward. See you can be theologically correct, and still be a jerk and still end up on the losing side. That’s where I was. This sabbatical has been a true blessing and will be added to our regular church calendar for staff from here on out. I just wish that every single one of my brothers in ministry could be able to benefit like I have these past few weeks. Just the ability alone to step away in absolute freedom to reconnect with God, and to work on specific areas of your spiritual walk or other areas you may be lacking in is invaluable. It is a tool that every church and ministry should have in their toolbox available to their leadership teams.” 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. #OCTOBER22

by Coye Bouyer PLYMOUTH, MI – ‘But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her”’ (Luke 10:40-42). What is the one thing you need? What is that one thing that feels necessary in your life? What is it that keeps you going from one day to the next, possibly from one minute to the next because it is what seems to give your life meaning? In the passage above Martha is so busy with her preparations that the Bible calls them distractions. Wait a minute, she is preparing a meal for Jesus and their guests. Surely, if Jesus and His disciples were to show up to your house or mine, after traveling (v. 38) and doing ministry all day you and I would also assume that they might be tired and probably pretty hungry. Yet, the Bible seems to be alluding to that idea that it was these exact feelings, and Martha’s preparations in her meal that were distracting her. Not only is she distracted, but we find that she is bothered and worried. Bothered by the fact that Mary has failed to assist her in the preparations of the food. Mary is present, and instead of helping out in the kitchen (where Martha was at) she was in the family room sitting with the men and Jesus. There are a couple of problems with this. First, culturally speaking when men were talking or being taught women were usually not present. Second, it was the women and servants who prepared meals for the household, and so it would have been expected for Mary and Martha to be in the kitchen. Thus, Martha’s request to Jesus would have made much sense in the cultural times of Jesus’ day. But Jesus informs Martha that in all her preparation she has been distracted from the one thing that was necessary. But how is she distracted? Jesus’ words inform us of this point when He highlights her worry and being bothered. Jesus says Martha is worried, and worry is not something that Jesus followers are to hold onto. For Martha’s worry is a waste of her time as she is probably attempting to prepare what she thinks is the perfect meal for Jesus. Next, Jesus says that Martha is bothered, meaning she is so focused on what Mary is not doing, she has become frustrated. For in some sense, Martha believes that what she is doing is so important, that Mary should also be doing it with her. Mary seems fine with what Mary is doing, so why is Martha not fine with what Mary is doing? Because in this moment Martha has made her work in the kitchen more important than Mary’s sitting at Jesus’ feet. Whenever we make our desires bigger than someone else’s desire or our thing more important than their thing we will usually find ourselves frustrated by the lack of attention on our thing. While Mary is relaxing listening to Jesus, Martha is feeling overwhelmed by the work she wanted to do. Finally, Jesus informs Martha that Mary is doing the necessary thing by simply sitting at His feet. But why is this the necessary thing? It is necessary because in this moment the only thing Mary needs is the only thing Martha needs, it’s the only thing we all need; to sit in the presence of Jesus. Are you discouraged today, tired of your job, worried about the children or even your own health? What is it you really need? Well regardless of what we may think we need, Jesus reminds us that in this moment, and every moment, He is all we need. In fact, it is stories like this that reminds us that Jesus is and always will be what is necessary in this life. Therefore, whenever given an opportunity to sit with Him or be busy for Him, sitting with Him is more necessary than the work we do for Him. Today, stop letting life, its worries, its task and its concerns distract you from sitting at the feet of Jesus. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Coye L. Bouyer is the founding pastor of Kingdom Life Church in Lansing, MI where he has served since March of 2010. Pastor Bouyer recently stepped into the Diversity Ambassador role for the BSCM and firmly believes that he was not only called to Preach the Gospel as part of the process of reconciliation of man to God, but also using any platform as a bridge of reconciliation of man to man, and even more so amongst the brethren. Pastor Bouyer and his lovely wife Keturah (Gen. 25:1) have been married four over 20 years and have four children; Sierra, Seth, Cayla and Coye II. #OCTOBER22

by Karen Blanchard SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MI – It is easy to assume that everyone who follows Christ is a disciple. I have been in ministry now for more than 20 years, and God has been teaching me a great deal on the topic of discipleship. Just because a person has chosen to invite Jesus into their life, doesn’t mean they are living as a disciple. I accepted Christ when I was a young girl and attended church regularly. My parents did devotions with us, and encouraged us to read the Bible. Sadly, I would begin to read the Bible many times, become frustrated, and give up. It wasn’t until about eight years ago that I realized I was a spiritual infant, mostly relying on Sunday messages to teach me the Word of God. I believe many people are this way. It might be because we don’t understand how to read the Bible or even know where to start. Another reason we don’t read the Bible could be that we are busy and don’t set the time aside to really dig in and meditate on what the Scriptures say. Whatever the case may be, the church is full of people who have made a decision for Jesus, but haven’t yet become disciples. Converts are people who truly have had a heart change, but have never taken the steps to grow in their relationship with the Lord. The following passage from Hebrews explains this, You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s Word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what it is right. (Hebrews 5:12-13 NLT) These verses explain that when we are a spiritual infant, we depend on others to feed us God’s Word. Please don’t misunderstand, we should go to church, and we should have teachers and leaders around us that we can learn from. However, that isn’t where we should stop. In Hebrews, the passage continues on to say, Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. (Hebrews 5:14 NLT) When you begin to change from a convert to a disciple, you begin to feed yourself. Spiritual growth is not accidental, it is intentional. It doesn’t just happen because you have accepted Christ. For myself, I began to make the change from a convert to a disciple when I realized my time with the Lord was meant to get to know Him. So often we make reading the Bible about us! The Bible should teach us and change us, but our first priority is to get to know God. We need to have a desire to know Him and his character. In the church when a person accepts Christ, we tell them they now can “have a personal relationship with God.” I have heard this all my life, yet I don’t know if I truly understood what that meant. Consider the relationships you have in your life. We don’t go deep in relationships in our own lives until we have taken the time to get to know a person. Once we feel safe, we then feel comfortable to share our deepest thoughts and feelings. How do you build relationships so that you can get to a place of trust and vulnerability? You spend time with that person. You get to know who they are and their character. The same is true about God. I believe a disciple takes steps past conversion to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. This happens in different ways for everyone. Once we accept Christ, he begins to sanctify us. Sanctification is a big word that just means we are on a journey to become more like Christ! The journey is different for all, but the journey is how we grow and change. Below is a prayer to help you surrender to the Lord to become a fully, devoted disciple for Him. Father God, I thank you for who you are and for sending Jesus to die on the cross. He didn’t die so that I could play it safe as a convert. Lord, I declare today that I want to move from being a convert to a disciple. I want to know you more. I pray you begin to reveal to me the ways you are working. I desire to hear your voice and follow you. I want to experience what it means to have a personal, intimate relationship with you. Holy Spirit, fill me with more of you so that I can live the abundant life in Christ as a fully, devoted disciple. Remove from me what doesn’t belong, so I can become who you created me to be. I surrender all to you. Amen ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen is married to Scott Blanchard, pastor of Lakepointe Church, and moved from Florida to Michigan in the summer of 2009 to plant Lakepointe Church in Shelby Township. She enjoys mentoring and discipling women and also leads women’s life groups through her church. She is passionate about helping women find their purpose in who God created them to be. She is on staff at Lakepointe Church and loves being part of what God is doing in the Metro Detroit area! #OCTOBER22

by Tim Iocoangeli MONROE, MI – I don’t know how it is in your church, but in our church there are a few topics that get people talking. Sometimes these topics lead to good discussion, and at other times it can lead to frustration. I am sure each of us has been a part of these types of conversations. One of these topics that usually gets people going is worship. I know the worship wars seem to have been taking place now, I don’t know, for 500 years or so, and there has been plenty written about it. All it takes is a quick google search and you can find hundreds of books, articles, and videos on the subject. With so much out there I find it helpful sometimes to just get back to basics. This enables me to simplify the topic and often get rid of much of the “noise.” One of the ways I like to do this is by asking some basic questions. Question 1- What is Worship? If you look up the word worship in the Oxford Dictionary you will find this, “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.” Now one might say that this is a good definition, but I find it comes up a bit short. The reason for this is that one can worship all sorts of things, putting these things in the place of the deity, but not actually being deity. The fact is all people worship because we have been created to worship. One of the great truths of the Bible is that mankind is made in the image of God and therefore we are image bearers of Him. We have been made to worship Him and glorify Him, yet sadly, people too often choose to be image bearers of something other than God. Sometimes it is material things, sometimes it is other people, but mostly we tend to be worshippers of ourselves. Even Adam and Eve fell for this great lie choosing to worship themselves instead of the One to whom they were created to worship. Ever since that fateful day, mankind has struggled with worship. There is another definition of worship that I like much better. It is found in the Westminster Dictionary of Theological terms, and it says worship is, “The service of praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and petition directed toward God through actions and attitudes. Christian’s worship is Trinitarian in form as praise is offered to God through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.” There is a ton to unpack in that definition, but I only want to focus on the one aspect of who we are to worship. That leads to my next basic question. Question 2- Who is the object of Worship? According to this Westminster definition we are to worship God through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, if we are to be worshiping God then who is God? Why is He worthy of our worship? There are many ways to approach this question and try to answer it well, but I want to do it by focusing on one particular attribute of God; is His holiness. When we as believers approach God in worship it is good for us to remember that He is Holy, and we are not. In fact, the only reason we are allowed to approach Him is because of the blood of Jesus that has cleansed us from our sin. Every time in the Bible that God would reveal His glory or His holiness to someone they simply fell to the ground and acknowledged their unworthiness to be there. Isaiah said, “I am a man of unclean lips.” John fell over as dead! When we approach God in worship, whether in our personal time, or as we gather as a church let us remember who it is we worship. We worship the only one who is Holy. The only one who has made a way for us sinners to be in His presence through the work of His Son. Remembering this will cause us to approach worship with reverence and awe of Him. It will allow us to make sure our focus is on the One we worship and how He has called us to worship Him instead of arguing about it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tim Iocoangeli is Lead Pastor at Monroe Missionary Baptist Church which is in the Southeastern Association. He is married to Amanda and together they have 4 children. #OCTOBER22