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by David Thompson NASHVILLE, TN – Where are you going to be when you get where you’re going? That question was often posed to me by a great mentor and friend, David Jones. I dare say that most of us think we are headed in the right direction. I heard about a man who had moved from the country to the big city of Atlanta, and did not know the roads very well at all. He was talking to his wife on the phone as he drove home from the inner city after his first day at work. She was at home watching the news live feed from a helicopter which was reporting that someone was going the opposite direction of traffic on the interstate. She told her husband, “Be careful honey—someone not far from you is driving the wrong way on the interstate!” He replied, “Oh, it’s not one! It’s thousands!” Maybe you have felt like that man before. You’re going in the wrong direction. Ancient and wise king Solomon was right when he said in Proverbs, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death?” Motown favorite, Diana Ross, proposed the same question in a song over 40 years ago— “Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know?” Here are a few perspectives on how to finish well: 1. Always aim high One of our greatest American military snipers hit his target at 2.2 miles. In trying to determine the exact settings on his scope, his partner said you must go at least 80 yards above for distance, the shooter then estimated another 70 yards for a total of 150 yards above the target when considering the wind and humidity. The point is it is not enough just to have a goal out there in the far distance. Your goal should have a higher purpose. The apostle Paul told the believers at Colossae, “If you are then risen with Christ, seek the things that are above… And set your affection on things that are above.” In other words, if Christ is in you, He should be your aim. So, AIM HIGH! Yet we have all lost our way from time to time. Will Rogers said, “Men show their ignorance not by what they don’t know, they show their ignorance by what they know that just ain’t so.” So where will you be when you get where you’re going? Are you following the way that seems right to the crowd, to the average person, or to the general public? 2. Know that if your goal or direction causes you to stand alone—you are never really alone. A rite of passage for one Native American tribe here in the south was for a young man at age 12 to go spend his first night completely alone in the middle of the wilderness far from anyone. He was challenged to stand in a small 3-foot circle all night long, and not leave in order to pass the test. The young boy was terrified listening to the howls of wild animals all around him. At first light, while trembling and scared and nearly frozen, what would he see… but his own father—standing not 50 feet away behind a large tree with his bow drawn ready to kill anything that would attack his son. Listen child of God, do you think God loves you any less? The very last words of Jesus to his disciples were, “I will never, ever, ever, leave you!” 3. To know where you will be when you get where you’re going requires faith. President Kennedy said, “We need men who can dream of things that never were.” I hope your dream is impossible as far as man is concerned. When called of God, Abraham set out on a journey having absolutely no idea where he was going. The Hebrew writer puts it like this,” By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go to a place he should receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out not knowing where he was going. By FAITH, he sojourned in the land of promise… he looked for a city that has foundations whose builder and maker is God.” Like Abraham, you will get what you are “looking” for. Simply stated, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!” That, my friend, is how you finish well. 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. #MARCH22

by Alex Ward NASHVILLE, TN – In a moment of politicization and tribalism, conversations are always difficult. There are any number of topics today that cause controversy: who to vote (or not) for in the next election, responding to COVID restrictions, and how to think about protests both domestically and abroad. But there are few conversations that are as difficult to have as discussions of race. While Christians should be able to have these conversations because of our shared identity in Christ, we too are prone to avoiding the topic because it can be hard, difficult, and awkward. Isaac Adams wrote his new book, Talking About Race: Gospel Hope for Hard Conversations, to counter that problem. Adams offers hope for how to have these conversations and some guidance on where to begin. Alex Ward: You originally set out to write a book about what to do, and instead ended up writing about how to talk about the issue of racism. Why was it essential to make that shift, and why do we need to start there? Isaac Adams: Often when I teach on race and racism, the question I know I’ll be asked is, “What can I do?” And in so many ways this is a great question. While we Christians aren’t saved by good works, we are saved for good works (Rom. 7:4; Titus 2:14). Yet, as a pastor, I often find people wanted to go and do big things as regards racial justice — they wanted to march down the street; they wanted to maintain unity in their church — yet these same people couldn’t even have a constructive conversation with the person they dreaded seeing at Thanksgiving, much less on Sunday morning. It seemed to me, then, that before we could talk about action, we’d do well to figure out why we couldn’t talk at all. Figuring that out would have us be that much better equipped for the good and right active pursuit of racial justice. AW: In the book, you use these fictional characters to unpack some of the common responses to the topic and provide an entry point. Why start with a story? Why not just begin with application and teachings? IA: There’s something in people that loves a story. We see Jesus use them so often — the parables. Nathan, in 2 Samuel 12, when confronting David uses what? A story! David is sucked into it before he realizes that he is the bad guy. Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns, though massive, reads beautifully because it’s told primarily through the lens of story. And so, I landed on a story because a fictional account would help me grasp the complexity that people are. Writing straightforward, didactic stuff, while I do that, doesn’t allow for painting the complexity that you and I so often live in. A person is more than their political opinions, their racial perspective, their racial sins. A story helped me to paint that complex picture more clearly. AW: When reading the chapter about the two sisters, Anna Beth and Samantha Lee, I was struck how often I have seen their argument play out, whether in real life or social media. One is more concerned with structural issues and doesn’t think her church and peers care enough about racism. The other thinks an overemphasis on race is part of the problem causing the divisions and anger. So as you look at the state of the discourse among white evangelicals today with one another, what counsel would you offer? IA: I try to offer a lot of different counsel in the book, as there are so many things to address. One piece of counsel I would give is to listen to the perspective of non-white evangelicals, and I praise God for many of my white brothers and sisters who do that. That said, often, the things that determine “the race conversation” are the anxieties and burdens of white evangelicals. But it’s important to realize that all people in the kingdom of God have anxieties and burdens that need to be addressed. AW: One of the main reasons, you write, that we should engage in cross-race conversations about this topic is because “love compels” us. What do you mean by that? And if so, why are we so hard-pressed to have these conversations? IA: I meant that love ought to be the main motivator behind our conversations. Without this, we could have all racial knowledge in the world and still be a clanging cymbal (1 Cor. 13). To love God and love neighbor are the two greatest commandments, and so it’s love for God’s glory, love for our Christian witness, love for our hurting neighbors that ought to motivate us — not revenge or power. In terms of being hard-pressed, I think it’s easy for many American Christians to have a biblical gospel in name but a prosperity gospel in function — a gospel that says life should always be easy. But, of course, we know that Scripture says quite the opposite. In the world we will have trouble (John 16:33). I say this because I think it’s easy to assume that love should be pain free. But the cross shows us that love can be painful, difficult, messy. And so much of what’s going on in our conversations about race is painful, difficult, messy. So while love is our motivator, it actually presses us further into hard things rather than further from them. Still, those hard things, I’d say, are good and worthwhile things to wrestle with. AW: The recent COVID lockdowns and the protests for racial justice of the last few years have highlighted the exit of many African Americans from predominantly white congregations. Your book thinks through that process and doesn’t condemn Christians who make a decision to stay or leave. How would you encourage Christians to wrestle with that choice? Are there clear reasons why someone should choose to leave or stay? IA: I appreciate this question! In the book, I tried to tackle questions like these head on. My main encouragement for Christians wrestling with this choice would be to fear the Lord most in the decision. It’s easy to fear what people will say about you, whether they call you an Uncle Tom for staying or a theological liberal for leaving. It turns out, though, that these aren’t the only two options. What’s more, someone’s opinion of you pales in importance compared to the Lord’s opinion about you. That said, the decision to leave or stay can be so difficult, so painful. As an African American who often navigates white spaces, I felt I had to address The Black Exodus from predominantly white churches. Regarding the clear reasons to stay or leave, yes — there are some reasons that are clear, and some that aren’t so clear. I lay that out on pages 32-36 in my book. AW: A helpful part of the book is the reminder that conversations about race are not just about the white-black binary, even if it appears to be the most pressing and visible. As you wrote about Jane (Eun-ji) and Luis, what were you hoping Christians would understand about this conversation? IA: The black-white conversation is obviously an important one, and it’s a historically unique one. However, the kingdom of God is wonderfully colorful; it’s not just black and white. And I wanted to convey that in the book because if we’re going to faithfully follow Jesus amidst race relations, we’re going to have to remember that he bled and died for all tribes, not just ours. AW: Throughout the book, I was constantly thinking about the way that tone was essential to the conversations, particularly one of humility and lament as well as a refusal to impute motives to others or respond with sarcasm and condescension. How can Christians go about cultivating that in their own lives and conversations? The lives of their families? Their churches? IA: Start with prayer. Ask the Lord to reveal to you your hidden faults (Psa. 19:12). Then, go to a brother or sister from the “other side” and admit to them some things they’re right about. Then pray some more. Apologize for some of the ways you have not conducted yourself helpfully in these conversations. Then pray some more. Then, tell that person some things you are afraid about regarding this conversation. Then pray some more. Confession, humility, vulnerability, prayer — this is how we lower defenses rather than make other people defensive. AW: For a topic that is so polarizing, what encouragement would you offer for how to get the conversation started? And what should be our goal in that conversation? IA: There’s no better goal than Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” The goal, then, is to benefit others. In terms of getting started, you would be shocked at how much talking to God (praying) before talking to that person can help you. After prayer, you might just print out this interview, ask the person to read it, and ask two questions: 1) What did you think of this? 2) Can I please share what I thought, and some of my hopes and fears in this conversation? This article first appeared here. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alex Ward serves as Lead Researcher for the ERLC. He assists with the oversight of the Research Institute under the leadership of the Director of Research. Additionally, he serves as an Associate Editor for the organization. Alex is currently pursuing a PhD in History at the University of Mississippi studying evangelical political activity in the 20th century. He holds a Master of Theology in church history from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from Mississippi State University. He is married to Lindsey and they have one daughter. #MARCH22

by Tom Strode WASHINGTON, D.C. – Achieving racial reconciliation calls for building friendships over a meal, the audience for a Southern Baptist-sponsored conversation was told Wednesday (Feb. 23). In an online event hosted by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), four Southern Baptist panelists – including both the current SBC president and the convention’s only African American president – addressed ethnic relations under the title “Pursuing Unity: A Discussion of Racial Reconciliation Efforts and the SBC.” “It doesn’t matter how many panel discussions you watch,” Chicago pastor Jon Kelly said. “It doesn’t matter how many books you read, how many conferences you go to. None of that will do better than dinner table ministry.” Kelly urged viewers to consider their five to 10 closest friends and ask themselves why everyone “looks like me, votes like me, thinks like me in such a diverse world.” “[T]he biggest challenge we have is when we talk about racial reconciliation we want the fruit of reconciliation without the relationships,” said Kelly, lead pastor of Chicago West Bible Church, a member church of the Illinois Baptist State Association (IBSA). “[U]ntil our dinner tables become diversified, you can’t hire this away, you can’t appoint this away. Until we eat bread together and fellowship together, we won’t make any progress.” Ed Litton, current SBC president, told viewers that pastors in Mobile, Ala., began gathering to solve race problems but instead spent two years eating lunch together and talking. “But what emerged from that was God transformed our hearts with one another,” said Litton, senior pastor of Redemption Church in Saraland, Ala., a suburb of Mobile. “We fell in love with one another, and we started serving the Lord together.” Litton is asking Southern Baptists to “initiate this kind of love for one another,” he said. “Start to get to know each other. Listen to each other. Humble yourself to learn something you thought you knew and understood, but you didn’t.” “This is spiritual warfare of the enemy that we cannot as blood-washed, born-again, baptized believers in Jesus Christ come together, realizing the separation that we have because of our skin color is an attack of the enemy.” – Fred Luter Messengers to last year’s SBC annual meeting in Nashville communicated their desire for progress in this area, Litton said. “[T]he message that came through very clear is that this convention wants to deal with [sexual] abuse and wants to deal with racism,” he said. “We want to deal with having racial reconciliation. And I take that as a mandate.” Southern Baptists have made some notable advances in racial reconciliation, said Fred Luter, who was elected in 2012 as the SBC’s first African American president. He has “seen this convention grow in leaps and bounds as far as including non-Anglos in leadership roles, and I think that’s the key,” he said. “It’s one thing to say that we are racially connected, but if it doesn’t show across the board in positions of leadership, I think that’s where we miss the mark at.” Luter cited the recent selection of Willie McLaurin as interim president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee and the 2020 election of California pastor Rolland Slade as the committee’s chairman. Challenges remain in the SBC, the panelists told the audience. “[T]he lack of humility and the tone of the things that are discussed,” especially on social media, has made his efforts with potential church planters through the North American Mission Board’s Send Network difficult, Kelly said. “It’s one thing for Christians to disagree,” he said. “I think what’s very discouraging for me is the sarcasm and tone and the belittling, and the way that we do it I don’t think we realize kills our witness, especially when it’s coming from men and women who profess Christ and who have roles within denominations, and our pastors as well. And I think being slow to speak, quick to listen, slow to anger would really help us all. “It’s been a serious blow for the work of missions – trying to talk to minority church planters about partnering with Send, which is a great network, when all they’re looking at is what someone posted or what someone said and what’s making the news.” Missie Branch, assistant dean of students to women and director of graduate life at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, said a “unified Christian message” and “courageous leaders” are needed. “So many people are saying so many things about what it means or what we should be talking about or what we shouldn’t be talking about,” Branch said. “And to the world, we’re not able to present a unified message of what it means for us to come together as believers in Christ from every color, every stripe, every economic background.” Also, she said, “it takes a level of courage for a leader to say, ‘We’re going to say the things that need to be said, and we’re going to preach the Gospel the way it needs to be preached, and we’re going to pursue unity in spite of the fact that this might cause this group of people to be upset.’” The primary challenge, Luter said, is God’s people “must recognize the enemy’s attack in all of this. This is spiritual warfare of the enemy that we cannot as blood-washed, born-again, baptized believers in Jesus Christ come together, realizing the separation that we have because of our skin color is an attack of the enemy.” Public discourse, especially on social media, regarding the issue “is at a low,” Litton said. “What we need is to fear God before we ever hit a ‘Send’ key,” he told viewers. “We need to fear God before we take on somebody and attack their character and diminish the work of the Gospel in their community. “But the hope that we have is the Gospel that we preach. We need to preach it to each other; we need to preach it to ourselves; and we need to preach it to a lost world. And they’re saying, ‘Well, do you live by what you preach?’” Branch said, “[O]ne of the things that I think we’re bringing to the table too is this almost prideful ideal that someone else is more sinful than we are. So when we are speaking to people, we’re not coming with the humility of: ‘We’re all broken, and we’re all a mess. And there are hurdles you have to jump to get to the middle, and there are hurdles I have to jump to get to the middle.’” “It doesn’t matter how many books you read, how many conferences you go to. None of that will do better than dinner table ministry.” – Jon Kelly Kelly and Luter responded to a question about the departure of some influential black pastors from the convention. Some left when the presidents of the six SBC seminaries issued a statement in November 2020 that said “affirmation of Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality and any version of Critical Theory is incompatible with the Baptist Faith & Message.” The statement reaffirming the BF&M 2000, the SBC’s confession of faith, also condemned “racism in any form.” The National African American Fellowship (NAAF) of the SBC objected to the seminary presidents’ broad condemnation, saying it had “the effect of delegitimizing and dismissing the lived experiences of African Americans and other ethnic groups.” The NAAF said, “[C]ertain limited insights from CRT, not as an ideology or worldview, can be useful to identify and repudiate racial bias and systemic racism in organizations and institutions.” His church “wrestled with the tension” in 2020 involved in its affiliation with the SBC and decided to stay, but those who chose not to leave should humbly ask those who did the reasons for their departures and what can be learned, Kelly said. Minority pastors and church planters “can’t preach the Gospel without getting over the hump of history,” Kelly told the audience. “I can’t go talk to a guy on the corner without him saying, ‘Well how do you believe in a Jesus that was given to you from slave masters? Well why would you be a part of a convention that was founded upon slavery?’ “Other people don’t have to answer that question,” he said. “And I don’t think we realize the hump that that takes to get over when you have to articulate the Gospel in the midst of historical context and historical narrative for people in your context. And so I can understand why there have been men and women whom we all love and respect who have decided to transition because they felt like that was too much to bear.” The seminary presidents’ statement “really caused havoc across this convention and particularly in African American churches,” Luter said. Some members of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church even requested it leave the SBC, he said. He respects and admires each of the pastors who left, but Luter said he wishes they had discussed their differences with those they disagreed with and attempted to resolve them. After the seminary presidents issued their statement, Luter talked to three of them “personally and got insight on what happened and why they thought it was necessary to do that,” he said. “And after sitting down and talking to them one on one, … we were able to come with some understanding — apologies, forgiveness and working things out – that we could work together again.” Brent Leatherwood, the ERLC’s acting president, moderated the discussion. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. #MARCH22

WEST POINT, NY – A pair of cadets at the United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, N.Y., celebrated a day they are not likely to forget any time soon. On Feb. 12, Brooke Parker and Zhaoxin (Jenny) Ma were baptized by Baptist Campus Ministry (BCM) director Joshua Austin in an icy Hudson River. The two cadets had other options: wait for the warmer weather of spring or be baptized in a baptistry that is in the basement of a chapel on campus. But both cadets felt like the choice was clear. “The basement almost felt like hiding my faith as few people would be able to attend and celebrate with me the good things God has done,” said Parker, “and nobody would be able to just happen upon this event as they would if I were to be baptized outside. This would eliminate a big opportunity to share this experience and Christ with others who may not have previously considered attending.” So, the indoor baptistry was eliminated as an option. “I didn’t want to wait any longer to show others what God has done for me and what God can do, which is why I chose to get baptized in the icy waters,” Ma said. “I couldn’t wait any longer to show others all His greatness but also to proclaim to God that I am His, and I welcome Him into my heart, and I want to follow Him.” Austin, a North American Mission Board (NAMB) missionary, received the go-ahead from the USMA Chaplaincy chain of command, and 60 onlookers stood on the banks of the Hudson to witness the two ladies share their testimonies and receive baptism. Austin shared a brief message about the free gift of grace from Ephesians 2 before wading out into what he described as “painfully frigid waters.” “They have boldly taken advantage of every opportunity to tell others about what baptism means to them and what Christ has done in their lives,” Austin said. Ma came to West Point focused on success and achievement, but the degree of difficulty increased at the academy. She put a lot of pressure on herself and began struggling with her sense of worth, eventually isolating herself as depression and anxiety set in. But a friend kept seeking her out to check on her and asked her if she had ever considered turning to God. “At first, I laughed, and I told him how stupid I thought that was and how evolution and science made much more sense,” Ma recalled. “But he told me his story, and although I did not believe in God at the time, the thought was planted in my head.” Ma began attending chapel services and BCM meetings, but her mental and emotional health took a turn for the worse, resulting in a 12-day hospital. She found a Bible in the hospital library, and something changed. Before entering the hospital, she had never sought help, but after her release, she made appointments to seek academic, medical and spiritual help. “Chaplain Major Jose Rondon [a Southern Baptist chaplain] was the first appointment I made,” Ma said. “Something inside told me it was time to, and that day, Chaplain Rondon helped me open my heart up to Jesus, and words cannot describe the amount of relief and joy I felt that day. I cried knowing I made it, that there is hope for a brighter future and a better life.” For Parker, she had grown up in a religious home, even asking Jesus into her heart at a young age, but difficulties at her church and in her homemade it tough to believe in God. “If God loved us so much that he sent His Son to die for us, I didn’t understand how he could let people hurt us that way,” Parker said. “At that time, I felt a presence of darkness, I felt lost and alone in the world.” By high school, though, she began meeting students who were positive representations of Christ and Christianity. A friend during her senior year helped her to start actively believing in God again. During her military training after high school, she began meeting more and more believers who showed her what it looked like to follow Christ. “I realized over time that God had changed my attitude to one of repentance and that He had developed a desire in me to be closer to Him,” said Parker. “As I prayed about it more, I felt God urging me to be baptized and telling me that I had no reason for shame or to be hesitant.” Ma and Parker met in a discipleship group through the BCM, and their desire to follow Christ in believer’s baptism, even on below-freezing, February day has afforded them opportunities to tell others about their faith. “Because I followed His lead, God has further used my baptism to make His name greater,” Parker said. “In the week following the event, I received many congratulations from complete strangers. My hope is that God sparked something in their hearts.” Austin became BCM director at West Point in January of 2020, right before the pandemic. Even in the face of those challenges, he has still seen God working to bring hope and peace to cadets’ lives, like Ma’s. “I am placing myself and building my relationship with God above all, and I have never been more happy and joyful,” Ma said. “I have fallen in love with life again, and it is because of God.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board. #MARCH22

by Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – Americans are curious about the religious devotion of others and are willing to discuss the topic, but most say they rarely have conversations about faith with their Christian friends. An Evangelism Explosion study conducted by Lifeway Research found Americans are widely receptive to spiritual conversations in a variety of settings. “This study reveals that most Americans are open to talking about faith,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “It really isn’t about religious liberty, people not wanting to hear, or religion being off-limits. The reason conversations are not happening about the Christian faith is that Christians are not bringing it up.” Half of Americans (51 percent) say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, including 60 percent of the religiously unaffiliated. Curiosity is also more likely among younger adults. Those 18 to 34 (61 percent) and 35 to 49 (55 percent) are more likely than those 50 to 64 (43 percent) and those 65 and older (40 percent) to say they’re curious about others’ religious devotion. Amid this curiosity, however, most say their Christian friends don’t often bring up their religious beliefs. Six in 10 (60 percent) Americans say many of their friends who claim to be Christians rarely talk about their faith, including 52 percent of the religiously unaffiliated. Most Americans (61 percent) say the pandemic has not changed their interest in spiritual matters. For a third of Americans (32 percent), however, COVID-19 has made them more interested. Few (7 percent) say they are less interested now compared to before the pandemic. One in 5 religiously unaffiliated Americans (20 percent) say they are more interested in spiritual matters now. Still, for many, religion is not something they think about unless others broach the subject. Two in 5 Americans (40 percent) say they wouldn’t think about faith on their own unless a friend or family member brought it up. The religiously unaffiliated (50 percent), young adults 18 to 34 (49 percent) and men (47 percent) are among those more likely to say they do not think about matters of faith unless others bring up the topic. “There is a quiet chasm between the religiously devoted and those who have no religion in the U.S.,” McConnell said. “The irony is that religious devotion intrigues many people, yet many avid Christians fail to share why faith is so important in their lives.” Heavenly certainty Most Americans (55 percent) say it’s very important to be sure they will go to heaven or have eternal life, and another 19 percent say it’s important. Fewer say it’s somewhat important (9 percent) or not important at all (12 percent). Even among the religiously unaffiliated 1 in 5 (19 percent) say it’s very important. Despite how important most Americans say eternal life is, few say they have such certainty. Slightly more than a third (37 percent) say they are sure they will be with God in heaven. Another 11 percent say they are somewhat sure, while 23 percent say they hope they’ll be in heaven. Few (4 percent) don’t expect to make it, and 6 percent are sure there is no God or heaven. According to 17 percent of Americans, no one can know if they’ll go to heaven. When contemplating a conversation with God about getting into heaven, Americans are split between pointing to their goodness or trusting in Jesus. Considering the question, “If God asked you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you say?” 38 percent say they would respond that they trust in Jesus Christ alone, while 34 percent say they would respond that they are a good person. Few (4 percent) say they would bring up that they’ve been a very religious person. Some don’t know (12 percent) or prefer not to answer (5 percent). Another 7 percent don’t believe God exists. “A quarter of Americans see heaven as a question mark or less,” McConnell said. “But the rest are evenly divided between relying on someone else – Jesus Christ – or themselves to be admitted. There’s a stark difference between heaven being a badge of affirmation for your human life or a mark of God’s ownership of your current life.” Willing to talk Around two-thirds of Americans say they are open to different types of spiritual conversations with a friend. Two in 3 (66 percent) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend, including 41 percent who say they are very open. Similarly, 66 percent of Americans are at least open to specifically discussing the Christian faith with a friend, including 40 percent who are very open. And 65 percent are at least open, including 36 percent who are very open, to talking with a friend about having a relationship with God. Even among the religiously unaffiliated, few say they’re not open to having spiritual conversations with a friend at all. One in 5 (20 percent) aren’t at all open to a conversation about faith with a friend. One in 4 (26 percent) say they are not open to having a conversation with a friend about the Christian faith or having a relationship with God, yet 20 percent say they’re very open to either. Fewer Americans are open to these types of conversations with people they don’t know, but still, at least half will talk about spiritual matters with a stranger. Half of Americans (51 percent) say they’re at least open to faith discussions with a stranger, with 26 percent saying they’re very open. When asked about having conversations with a stranger about the Christian faith specifically, 52 percent say they’re at least open, with 27 percent saying they’re very open. Slightly more than half say they are open (24 percent) or very open (30 percent) to talking with someone they don’t know about having a relationship with God. The religiously unaffiliated are less open than others, but still most have some level of openness to religious conversations with strangers. Fewer than 2 in 5 (38 percent) say they’re not open at all to having a conversation about faith with a stranger. Almost half of religiously unaffiliated Americans (45 percent) are not open to talking with a stranger about the Christian faith, but 14 percent are very open. More than 2 in 5 (43 percent) say they have no openness to talking with a stranger about having a relationship with God, but 15 percent of the religiously unaffiliated are very open. “Religion is a taboo topic for some, but actually very few people feel this way if it is between friends,” McConnell said. “There is typically no way of knowing ahead of time if someone hates the subject of faith, but the majority are open to you bringing it up even if they don’t know you.” When meeting someone new, 71 percent of Americans are at least open to hearing about that person’s life story. A similar number (69 percent) say they’re at least open to hearing the life story from someone new if it includes faith. Compared to in-person conversations, Americans are less likely to want to have a spiritual discussion on social media. Fewer than half (48 percent) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith on social media, including 26 percent who say they are very open. A third (33 percent) say they are not open at all to that type of conversation on social media. As most Americans are already open to spiritual conversations, there aren’t many tools or tips that would make them more likely to engage in those discussions. Almost half of Americans said it would not change their level of interest in continuing a conversation about faith if the other person shared a pamphlet or brochure (45 percent), showed information via an app (45 percent) or quoted from their religious text (49 percent). Similarly, around half (49 percent) say they wouldn’t be more willing to listen to someone else’s religious beliefs if the other person first listened to their beliefs. “Many differences between potential types of religious conversations have no impact on people’s attitude about engaging in those conversations,” McConnell said. “The biggest thing that influences people’s willingness to talk about faith is the presence of a relationship with that person or faith being tied to their life story. If your relationship with God isn’t impacting your life, why would someone else want to hear about it?” Very important needs Americans of all religious convictions want certain things to be part of their lives. Most say it is very important to have peace (74 percent), hope (71 percent), and purpose and fulfillment (66 percent) in their lives. Religious Americans are more likely to agree these are very important aspects to have in their lives, but a majority of the religiously unaffiliated also say it’s very important their lives contain peace (63 percent), hope (54 percent), and purpose and fulfillment (55 percent). As most consider these to be essential aspects of life, Americans may be more interested to hear how someone’s religious beliefs contribute to obtaining these. Around 7 in 10 Americans (69 percent) say they want to hear why someone thinks their faith helps meet a core human need. Close to 1 in 5 (21 percent) disagree. The religiously unaffiliated are more likely to disagree (32 percent), but the majority still say if someone they knew thinks their faith helps with a core human need, they want to hear more about why that person thinks that. “For Americans with no religious affiliation, faith is not a goal or a destination,” McConnell said. “While some have reached a firm conclusion that they are not interested in faith, most are open to hearing about faith when someone can show it matters or when it is shared by someone who matters to them.” Methodology The study was originated and commissioned by Evangelism Explosion. The online survey of 1,002 Americans was conducted by Lifeway Research Dec. 8-17, 2021, using a national pre-recruited panel. Quotas and slight weights were used to balance gender, age, region, ethnicity, education and religion to reflect the population more accurately. The completed sample is 1,002 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error from the panel does not exceed plus or minus 3.3 percent This margin of error accounts for the effect of weighting. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. For more information, view the complete report and visit LifewayResearch.com. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aaron Earls is a writer for LifeWay Christian Resources. #MARCH22

by Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, TN – Compared to the beginning of 2021, more U.S. Protestant churches are gathering in person and more churchgoers are filling the pews. The return to pre-pandemic attendance levels has stalled, however, in recent months. The latest Lifeway Research study found, despite a new variant wave of COVID-19, 97% of U.S. Protestant churches met in person during January 2022, while 3% say they did not gather for in-person services. The percentage of churches meeting in person is statistically unchanged from an August 2021 Lifeway Research study, when 98% of churches physically gathered, but is up significantly from the 76% that met in January 2021. “Almost all churches are able to meet in person for worship, though a few are struggling to re-open their doors,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Many more churches are working to restart all their important ministries and continuing to encourage people to resume in-person participation.” More than 1 in 5 U.S. Protestant pastors (22%) say their church is close to their January 2020 attendance, with 10% saying they are at 90% to 100% of pre-pandemic levels and 12% reporting attendance is now higher than before COVID-19. The same percentage of pastors (22%) reported crowds reaching at least 90% of their pre-pandemic attendance in August 2021. In January 2021, however, only 8% of churches had such levels. Compared to January 2021, far fewer churches today have crowds of less than half of what they had in January 2020. At the beginning of last year, 31% of churches were at less than 50% of their pre-pandemic attendance levels, including 8% of churches that were below 30%. Now, 14% are below 50% attendance, and only 1% still say their congregation is less than 30% of what it was before COVID-19. More than 8 in 10 churches have an attendance of at least half of what it was prior to the pandemic. The average U.S. Protestant church reports attendance at 74% of what it was prior to COVID-19, which means 1 in 4 pre-pandemic churchgoers are still missing from in-person worship services. “People’s return to in-person worship services has stalled,” said McConnell. “There has been virtually no change in average attendance since August 2021. Some of this is the direct impact of COVID with people getting sick, needing to quarantine or being at high risk. But this also likely includes healthy individuals choosing to not return.” The smallest churches, those with attendance less than 50 before COVID-19, are the most likely to be back at pre-pandemic levels. More than a third of those small churches (37%) report their attendance is at least 90% of what it was in January 2020, including 18% who say they have grown numerically during the pandemic. Online transitions Most churches shifted to some type of online video services during the height of the pandemic. Now, many are asking those watching online to participate in person. In January 2022, more than 9 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors (94%) say their churches provided some type of video content for their congregations, including 84% who livestreamed their worship services and 10% who posted a video of the sermon later. Prior to the pandemic, Lifeway Research found 2 in 5 churches said they neither livestreamed their service nor posted the sermon online later. As the pandemic progressed, more churches shifted to livestreaming services. In March 2020, around 2 in 3 pastors (65%) said they livestreamed services, and more than a quarter (27%) posted a sermon online later. With more churches using online video in recent years, 45% of Americans said they watched a Christian church service online during the pandemic, including 15% who say they normally don’t attend church, according to a 2021 Lifeway Research study. Now, however, as almost all churches are holding in-person services again, many pastors say they want to see some online viewers transition to physical participation. Three in 5 pastors (60%) say they are exhorting online worshipers, who are able, to resume or begin to attend in person. “Livestreaming has done a lot of good for churches, allowing members to hear weekly messages during the pandemic and allowing churches to reach new people,” said McConnell. “Many pastors are hoping and actively working to reduce the number of shut-in members who are physically able but aren’t gathering in person with other believers.” Evangelical pastors (70%) are more likely than mainline pastors (49%) to say they’re specifically encouraging those watching online to physically attend if they are able. Pastors of churches with 200 or more in attendance on Sunday (72%) are more likely than smaller churches to also say they’re asking those able to transition from online to in person. Pandemic impact The pandemic continues to have a lasting impact on congregations, and most pastors say that it’s been a negative one. Half (51%) say COVID-19 revealed weaknesses that already existed in their ministry, and 14% say the pandemic caused considerable damage to the church’s ministry. Far fewer say COVID-19 has hardly had any ministry impact on the congregation (12%) or has launched the church to greater levels of ministry (17%). Most congregations have faced COVID-19 directly. Almost 9 in 10 pastors (88%) say someone in their church has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last six months. Around 1 in 5 congregations (21%) say a churchgoer has died from COVID-19. Additionally, 88% of U.S. Protestant pastors say attendees at their church have helped each other with tangible needs in the past six months. Almost 2 in 3 (63%) say churchgoers have recently met pandemic-related needs in the community. In a 2021 Lifeway Research study, most Americans (53%) said churches in their community have been helpful during the pandemic. While only 12% of churches say they have grown numerically during the pandemic, most say they have connected with new people during the last six months. More than 4 in 5 pastors (83%) say new people who haven’t attended their church in the past have recently attended or connected in person. Around 3 in 4 pastors (74%) say they’ve had new people attend or connect with their church online in the past six months. Still, a third of pastors (33%) say the considerable number of needs within their congregation has made it hard to focus on reaching their community. Two in 5 pastors (40%) admit that it’s hard to keep a positive tone among the leaders of the church. When asked directly about the attitude of the congregation, a quarter of pastors (24%) say the church is concerned about having fewer people and activities than before the pandemic, 27% say their congregation is moving forward but is exhausted trying to cover all the bases, and 44% say the congregation is excited about what God is doing today. Ministry recovery In addition to returning to in-person worship services, most U.S. Protestant pastors say their churches are also restarting small groups, student ministry and kids ministry. More small groups are meeting now, and more are meeting in person compared to last January. On average, pastors now report 79% of their small group classes for adults that existed prior to the pandemic are now meeting, including 69% that are gathering in person. In January 2021, 36% of groups that existed before COVID-19 met in person, 25% connected online or by phone, 33% didn’t meet and 6% no longer existed. Today, 13% of groups aren’t meeting and 8% no longer exist. Among churches that had student and kids ministry activities prior to the pandemic, most have restarted but have yet to see their attendance return to pre-pandemic levels. Churches also remain more hesitant to resume all activities for children compared to teenagers. Almost 9 in 10 pastors who had student ministries prior to COVID-19 say they have resumed at least some activities in person (86%), including 70% who say all their activities are back to meeting in person. The average pastor with at least some of their student ministry activities meeting in person says attendance for those is 65% of what it was prior to the pandemic. Most (58%) say attendance is below 90% of pre-COVID levels, but 33% report attendance close to early 2020 levels. Another 10% say their student ministry has grown. Like student ministry, close to 9 in 10 churches who had kids ministry activities before the pandemic say they have restarted at least some activities in person (86%). Churches are less likely, however, to say all their activities for children are back to gathering in person (64%). Almost a quarter of churches (22%) say they are only doing some of their kids’ activities in person. In the average U.S. Protestant church holding at least some of their kids ministry activities, 64% of kids are participating compared to pre-pandemic attendance. Three in 5 (60%) say attendance is below 90% of what it was before COVID-19. And again, like with student ministries, 32% report attendance close to early 2020 levels, and 8% say their kids ministry has grown. “The typical church has made great progress this last year in resuming Bible studies for all ages,” said McConnell. “Restarting Sunday schools and small groups have allowed the majority of pre-pandemic participants to re-engage in this vital connecting point.” For more information, read the complete report and visit LifewayResearch.com. Methodology The online survey of 560 Protestant pastors was conducted Feb. 1-11, 2022. Invitations were emailed to the Lifeway Research Pastor Panel followed by two reminders. The probability sample of Protestant churches was created by Lifeway Research through direct recruiting from random samples selected from all Protestant churches. Pastors who agree to be contacted by email for future surveys make up this Lifeway Research Pastor Panel. Each survey was completed by the senior or sole pastor or a minister at the church. Responses were weighted by church average attendance, region, ethnicity of pastor and whether the pastor self-identified as evangelical or mainline to reflect the population more accurately. The final sample is 560 usable surveys. The sample provides 95% confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 6.2%. This margin of error accounts for the effect of weighting. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Comparisons are made to a survey using the same methodology conducted Feb. 1-11, 2021, with 430 completes, April 27-29, 2020, with 470 completes and March 30-31, 2020, with 400 completes. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aaron Earls is a writer for Lifeway Christian Resources. ABOUT LIFEWAY RESEARCH Lifeway Research is a Nashville-based, evangelical research firm that specializes in surveys about faith in culture and matters that affect churches. For more information, visit LifewayResearch.com. ABOUT LIFEWAY CHRISTIAN RESOURCES In operation since 1891, Lifeway Christian Resources is one of the leading providers of Christian resources, including Bibles, books, Bible studies, Christian music and movies, VBS, and church supplies, as well as camps and events for all ages. Lifeway is the world’s largest provider of Spanish Bibles. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Lifeway operates as a self-supporting nonprofit. For more information, visit Lifeway.com. #MARCH22

#FEBRUARY22

by Mick Schatz ROSCOMMON, MI – Over the last few months here at Bambi Lake, we have been diligently working to renovate the inside of the Wilson Building. After 20 years of service-camps, retreats, parties, countless meals, adults and teenagers, it was past time. It was time for new colors on the walls, new carpet on the floors, and new decor all around. We had been discussing this undertaking for quite some time, and had a good idea of what we wanted the look and feel of the building to be. However, reaching the desired outcome has proven to be quite the journey. I refer to it as the Destination of Renovation. The motivation to renovate usually comes from the amount of disrepair that exists, or just the simple fact that the building (or whatever you're renovating) should look and function better. So a vision for what could be was imagined, and we began the journey of what we thought was a reasonable timeline to reach our imagined destination. We soon discovered having a strict timeline for our renovation was like trying to find Bigfoot - pointless! Unlike building something from the ground up, we encountered multiple pre-existing issues throughout the renovation that had to be corrected before more renovation could be done. The tearing out of the old to replace with new was very time consuming and often physically painful and difficult work. Readjusting the vision to overcome previous construction flaws added more time and cost. Some of us had to learn new skills to complete the tasks when skilled laborers were not available. The fact of the matter is reaching the Destination of Renovation has been difficult, downright frustrating, and stressful. However, the end result has proven to be beautiful! I can’t help but equate this experience to the renovations Jesus performs in my life (sometimes it seems constant). His desire is to dwell and be at home - be comfortable in my life. He lovingly comes in, and begins to renovate every room in my life where He doesn’t feel comfortable. This process can be kinda scary, and the journey painful because I like to overlook my flaws. I like my stuff and I’m comfortable with my sin - don’t mess with it! I have a lot of pre-existing defects, and old glitches that have to be torn out and made new. Ephesians 14:17-19 says that Jesus wants to live in my house, and fill every room with His Love so my life can be rooted and continually grow and be filled with all of Him. If I’m gonna be filled with all of Him, He’s gotta get rid of all of me (selfish junk and pride). I wish the renovation could happen overnight, it won’t. It’s a process- Jesus is the Master Builder, and the reconstruction happens according to His timeline. So I can trust we will reach the Destination of Renovation and it will be beautiful! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mick Schatz serves on the staff of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. He is the State Director of Spiritual Enrichment and Retreats and lives at Bambi Lake. #FEBRUARY22

by Eric Reed SPRINGFIELD, IL – “The Midwest is all about hard work, blue collar, get it done,” Noah Oldham told the people at his breakout session. “It is to these people you need to be able to cast a vision,” said the planting pastor of August Gate Church in St. Louis and Send City senior planting director for the metro area. Leaders attending the Midwest Leadership Summit in Springfield came with questions about ministry in the region, and many found answers. Some 850 leaders from 12 states in the region attended the three-day event in Springfield January 18-20. In three worship settings and 70 breakouts, they considered their calling again and took home fresh training for ministry. “This year was especially inspiring and enlightening to me,” said Michael Nave, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Marion, IL. “I connected and reconnected with a handful of fellow pastors and leaders in a really meaningful way. I don’t think I have ever walked away from MLS so encouraged!” Some of the focus of the gathering was about fellowship and relationships. Some pastors and church leaders from 9 Baptist state conventions filled the halls and ballrooms at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield IL, juggling conversations and notebooks and busy schedules. The main purpose of the event, as it has been since the 1950s, was equipping leaders for ministry that matches our north central territory. “Southern Baptist churches in the north have unique challenges and opportunities,” said Nate Adams, Executive Director of the Illinois Baptist State Association and one of the organizers of the event. “And the Midwest Leadership Summit is a unique opportunity to network with other pastors and leaders, and to hear about ministry approaches that are effective in this Midwest context.” The Summit is a partnership between the nine state conventions, the North American Mission Board, Woman’s Missionary Union, and Guidestone Financial Resources. Leaders attend three plenary sessions, and they may choose six breakout sessions from a list of 70 options featuring experts and practitioners in church leadership, evangelism, missions, and church planting. For Pastor Nave, one session was especially insightful about the nature of the Midwest. “During Ben Mandrell’s session about preaching to skeptics, he showed a map of the U.S. noting the prevailing religious group (in each region). We SBCers have the SEC region! In other places it is Roman Catholic, L.D.S., and Methodist. “I found myself really encouraged by our location in the U.S.,” Nave said. “We are not in a region that is completely post-Christian, and we’re sure not in the Bible Belt. Thus, we are able to learn from our brothers and sisters in those regions and create our own hybrid approach!” Mandrell is the President of Lifeway Christian Resources. He was a featured speaker in one of the three plenary sessions. When he interviewed with the Lifeway trustees two years ago, Mandrell admitted that his Colorado church did not use discipleship materials from the SBC publishing house because the content presumed a level of biblical literacy and church culture that were alien in the West. The same might be said of the Midwest. “It’s good to be here, where people drink ‘pop’ and shop at Menards,” the Illinois native told the crowd, who laughed at the regional references. Then he launched into a strong and revealing message. Mandrell told of his own experiences since taking that Lifeway helm that coincided with the Covid pandemic, continued financial downturns, and the need to reinvent the publisher’s ministry. “There have been times in the last two years where I have struggled to believe, where I have cried, where I wondered what did I get myself into… where waves of fear overwhelmed me,” Mandrell said. “Anybody who leads in ministry right now has days like that.” Citing recent Lifeway research, Mandrell said, 66% of pastors say they are struggling to trust God. But he called the leaders to “fierce optimism,” another term for faith. The people of the church are counting on their pastor to exercise bold faith. “The leader, if he is to be stable, must believe that God has the power to reverse a trend, to overcome statistics.” Mandrell called this faith “the secret sauce” of Old Testament leaders. “Without a fierce optimism, the floor will collapse beneath you,” he said to amens. “Faith is what separates the men from the boys, the big from the little in Christian history.” Big territory, big challenges Begun as the North Central States Rally on a triennial basis, the Summit now meets every two years. The state convention partners are Dakota Baptist Convention, Illinois Baptist State Association, State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, Baptist Convention of Iowa, Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists, Baptist State Convention of Michigan, Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention, Missouri Baptist Convention, and the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. As a regional equipping event focusing on a multi-state region, the Midwest event is unique in Southern Baptist life. It is funded by the state associations and national partners Guidestone Financial Services, North American Mission Board, and Woman’s Missionary Union. Church leaders are invited by their local associations. “We continually hear both participants and national ministry partners describe the Midwest Leadership Summit as the most helpful and practical church leadership training event they attend,” Adams said. “And this has consistently been the case for the past 16 years that I’ve been participating in the event.” The executive directors of the nine sponsoring state conventions addressed the challenges of ministry in the region at a lunchtime panel discussion. The presentation was wide-ranging, but “outside the pandemic” as instructed by Tim Patterson of Michigan, who moderated the panel. “The objective of a network of churches is to focus on the common ground that churches have,” said Nate Adams of Illinois. “We look for things that unify us and bring us together,” Adams said. “Let’s not go out into the margins where there isn’t so much agreement.” The new convention leader of the Dakotas, Fred McDonald, talked about the distance between SBC churches in his part of the country and a resulting sense of isolation. “Loneliness is an issue in the Dakotas,” McDonald said. “Our churches are very spread out from each other. It creates loneliness among pastors, discouragement, and loneliness among pastors’ wives separated from family who live far away.” McDonald’s observations drew nods of recognition. God’s success stories “Yes, ministry in the Midwest can be hard,” said Kirk Kirkland, planter and pastor of Revive City Church in Cincinnati. “Ministry in the city, ministry in the pandemic. We have moved our location 11 times” in the past two years. Kirkland described ministry among homeless and addicted people—and seeing God at work in a neighborhood once named the most dangerous in America. The obstacle in that situation is escape. “It’s really hard when you start getting job offers,” Kirkland said, but urged pastors to stay put. “The gospel is able to break up the hardest of soils,” he said. “God can give you the grace of grit. “I’m indebted to Midwest pastors,” Kirkland said, acknowledging the value of comradery. “There was a pastor in Indianapolis who encouraged me, gave me guidance, and sent me back home” to continue the work. With unity and cooperation, evangelism was the third strand in the leadership cord. David Martinez, a Mexican pastor of 23 years who is now planting Spanish-language churches in Nebraska, charged the leaders to look to the needs of their Samaria, referencing Acts 1:8. “Jesus was committed to reach poor and rich, old and young people, Jews and Gentile,” Martinez went on to name black and white, Hispanic and Somali and Karin and Burmese. “We need to reach others,” he said. In the Midwest, “we have our Samaria also.” Yankton, South Dakota church planter Jeffrey Mueller ignited the crowd with his testimony. “We have to be part of the community and not a pocket community,” Mueller said. “Church planters all say ‘We’re gonna be a different church, be part of the community.’ We said it, but we didn’t do it. Our outreach was only to get people to come hear me preach, and I wasn’t any good at preaching,” he said, receiving laughs. “God said the command was to go to them, not for them to come to you.” Mueller and his wife returned to their small hometown to plant Restore Church. Today the church has two campuses and four ministry points, including a crisis pregnancy center and an indoor playground serving their financially challenged community. “Our whole life, the community has cried out that there’s not enough free or affordable family fun. Most of the activities are drunken parties with the approval of the community.” Restore Church responded with community services that double as open doors for evangelism. Mueller said his ministry changed when he took seriously this statement: The pastor should be well acquainted with the smell of the carpet in his office, not from being on his knees, but from having his face on the floor before God. A few moments later, Mueller was on his face on the platform at the Crowne Plaza. “You might be one special shift away from discouragement to encouragement,” he said. Pastors and church leaders across the ballroom joined him in prayer with their faces on the carpet. “Where will IMB get missionaries like Jeffrey?” Sandy Wisdom Martin asked after the season of prayer. “They will come from your church… At WMU we want to help your people develop a mission lifestyle.” The Executive Director-Treasurer of National WMU frequently tells the story of her calling to mission service that was encouraged in her home church in Carbondale, IL. She invited pastors and church leaders to call on WMU for mission support and education. In the final message, Willie McLaurin, Vice President for Great Commission Relations and Mobilization for the SBC Executive Committee focused on unity in the Southern Baptist Convention. “We need to get on the same side of the rope and pull together,” McLaurin said after describing his childhood tug-of-war games. He recited a list of differences among Southern Baptists, including theology, ethnicity, and politics. “We don’t need to focus on a donkey or an elephant, we need to focus on the Lamb,” he said as the crowd applauded. “We have one enemy and he is already defeated!” “We need to get busy getting people off the road to hell and on the way to heaven,” he said. “There is not one problem the church has that soul winning cannot solve.” McLaurin concluded, “Any way you slice it, we are Great Commission Baptists, because we are better together.” Used with permission from the Illinois Baptist ABOUT THE AUTHOR Written by Eric Reed with additional reporting by Lisa Misner. Eric Reed is editor of Illinois Baptist Media. #FEBRUARY22

by Scott Statson FENTON, MI – When we felt God leading us in the direction of church planting, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Hesitantly, we started asking Him to open doors, and it wasn’t long before our prayers were answered. God blessed us with an amazing facility in the community we were hoping to reach. We set out to help people find and follow Jesus, and we’ve watched as God has done some incredible things. Just last year we celebrated with 5 individuals who went public with their decision to follow Jesus in baptism, we were able to renovate our facilities after He blessed us with over $51,000 in special gifts, and we even partnered with other local ministries to throw some massive parties to love our community. God’s been doing amazing things since we’ve been here and it’s not because of us. If we’re being honest, it feels as though we’ve failed. I’ve been dreaming about the impact we could have if we just started with Georgetown. God placed us next to this massive apartment complex, Georgetown Park Apartments. They make up roughly 10% of our entire city, and it’s right in our own backyard! 20 buildings full of the people we set out to reach, and we’ve not made an ounce of difference. Every day moving trucks roll out, and we miss our window of opportunity. For a while, I’ve been dreaming about the day our church would take this opportunity seriously. Recently, our church made the decision to do just that. We laid all our cards on the table, and went public with our goal. We want to see a small group meeting in all 20 buildings in 10 years. Put simply, 20 in 10. It seems like an impossible feat to accomplish, but we know He is able. Our church has committed to pray. We’re praying that God will use us to accomplish the impossible. We’re praying that God will use us to see 20 in 10. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott Statson is the Lead Pastor of The Way Church. Prior to planting The Way Church, Scott held various positions in ministry in several churches throughout Michigan & Nebraska. Scott & Amanda reside in Fenton with their two beautiful daughters. #FEBRUARY22

by Karen Blanchard CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI – Have you ever stumbled around a dark room in the middle of the night looking for the light switch? When you first got up, you may have had to get your bearings of where you were. Then as you began to feel your way around the room, you may have started to feel things that are familiar, and it was then you were able to guide yourself to the light. Often in our lives we are walking in the dark of the circumstances we are facing. It might feel that we are fumbling our way through the dark reaching out our hands just to feel something familiar; something we can grasp and hold onto. Having been in this pandemic for two years now, we face days that seem uncertain and difficult to navigate. Yet through all the darkness and confusion, we can hold onto the promise that God is always with us. The verses below are a few of my favorites to help remind me of this promise: It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” – Deuteronomy 31:8 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10 I am not sure what you are currently going through, but I do know that you aren’t going through it alone. If you are a follower of Christ and have surrendered your life to Him, then you have the Holy Spirit in your heart to guide you and comfort you as you navigate the road ahead. One thing God has taught me over the last few years is how to shift my mindset when I am facing something difficult. Instead of focusing on what I am missing out on or what isn’t going the way I had hoped it to go, I begin to ask the Lord to reveal to me where he is working. I ask him to teach me what he wants me to learn through the situation that he has allowed me to be in. When I begin asking God these questions, he begins to answer. I remember reading this verse a few years ago and it really resonated with me. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. – Isaiah 45:3. This verse is a great reminder that there are treasures to be found in the challenging circumstances we go through in life. It is during our sufferings or trials that we face, that God will reveal more of himself to us and teach us things that we would never have learned had we not gone through that difficult situation. Now when things are hard, I try to remember to look for the treasures in the darkness. They are secret riches that are only given when we look past the circumstance and ask God to reveal himself to us. Next time you are facing hardship, don’t forget to look for the hidden treasures. They are there waiting to be found. Once you find them, remember to thank God for them and for allowing you to come to know him in a deeper, more intimate way. These treasures in the darkness are God’s way to remind us that he is right there with us in the middle of our trials. 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! #FEBRUARY22

by ROGER ALFORD, The Christian Index ATLANTA, GA – The hope of America is in the hands of her pastors, says a former U.S. Army Ranger who rose to fame in the aftermath of the Battle of Mogadishu, an intense 18-hour firefight in Somalia that was chronicled in the book and movie Black Hawk Down. Jeff Struecker spoke Thursday to lawmakers and pastors at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s annual legislative prayer breakfast at the Capitol complex in Atlanta. “If there’s a hope for the future of Georgia, if there’s hope for the future of your city, if there’s hope for our country, it will come from the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and only from Him,” Struecker said. “So, it is your pulpit, pastor, that will make all the difference.” When he was 18, Struecker, a member of the Ranger Hall of Fame, enlisted in the Army as an infantryman. He finished his service 22 years later as a chaplain. The heavily decorated soldier participated in the invasion of Panama, Operation Desert Storm, and the Battle of Mogadishu. He completed more than a dozen combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Struecker, now pastor of 2 Cities Church in Columbus, Ga., told the crowd about a return trip he made to Mogadishu 20 years after the 1993 battle. “What I saw really broke my heart,” he said. “I had high hopes for Somalia. I had hopes that after all the American blood that had been spilled there, that the people of Somalia would have a chance for what we have in the United States, that they would have the opportunity for freedom, because a lot of great men gave their lives for that country.” Instead, Struecker said he saw a country that was worse off two decades later. “What I learned returning to Mogadishu a second time is that an ungodly people are an ungovernable people,” he said. “You give men weapons, and you give them the ability to wage war, if there’s nothing inside their heart holding them back, they will kill, destroy and take whatever they want.” Struecker said he sensed his call to ministry after the Battle of Mogadishu. “Because I had this rock solid Christian faith, in the middle of this 18-hour firefight, when everyone around us was absolutely convinced we’re all going to die tonight, that there’s no way we’re going to survive, in the middle of this God gave me supernatural peace,” he said. “When I came back from the battle the very next morning, no exaggeration, guys were … waiting to talk to me and were asking me questions about my faith. And they were saying, ‘Jeff, I saw something in you on those city streets last night. I was listening to your voice on the radio, and when everyone else was totally terrified, you were calm, and I don’t even understand how that’s possible. I don’t know what you have, Jeff, but whatever it is, I want it.’ And I spent the next day telling my buddies about my faith and how Jesus Christ can radically change their life.” In those moments, Struecker said God made clear to him that he was to go into ministry. “I have never forgotten this overwhelming sense that God wanted me to do something different than just kick in doors, kill bad guys, and make a country a safe place – that He wanted me to do something that would last for eternity. “Now, I stand in front of you, and I’m telling you I have great concern for our country. I’m not going to get political. My concern is not for who President Biden is going to pick for the Supreme Court. That worries me. My concern is not about the direction of our country and the polarization of the two political parties and how the news is weaponizing the Democratic and Republican parties against the American people to divide us right down the middle. That worries me. What really concerns me is America is becoming a post-Christian, atheistic, humanistic country, and I can tell you exactly what that looks like. You take it to the full extreme on that scale, and it looks like Mogadishu, Somalia 20 years later … because an ungodly people are an ungovernable people” Struecker described himself as a very patriotic person who takes his politics very seriously. “But,” he said, “my hope is not in our government; my hope is in the gospel.” The Bible makes clear, Struecker said, that the life-changing power of the gospel is what’s necessary to be able to live in a good country, amid good people. “This is what Jesus said in Luke 6:45: ‘A good people produce good fruit out of the goodness of their heart.’ And then just to make sure his audience doesn’t miss it, He says ‘an evil people will produce evil fruit because it comes out of an evil heart.’ What Jesus is really saying is if you want to live around good people, if you want to live in a good country, it’s going to take good hearts and we all know that can’t be done by the Supreme Court. The president of the United States, the Georgia state senate and Congress will not be able to pull that one off. That’s going to come form your churches. That’s going to come from the gospel of Jesus Christ. “In the words of John Adams, our second president: ‘When the pulpits thunder, then there’s hope for our country. So, my challenge to you, as one of you, as a former member of the U.S. military, and now serving the greatest army ever assembled on planet earth, the army of King Jesus, my challenge to you pastor is to thunder the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ form your pulpits because a good people are a governable people, an ungodly people is an ungovernable people, and an ungovernable people will descend into chaos here in our country like it will anywhere else.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Roger Alford is the editor of the Christian Index which was founded in Washington, DC in 1822 by legendary Baptist leader Luther Rice. 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