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by Chad Wells "The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. (Galatians 6:6 NASB) PORTAGE, MI – Allow me to candidly plead with you for the sake of your pastor. It has been a difficult year, and he could use your encouragement. Are you willing to share all good things? Galatians 6:6, Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches, is often cited when discussing pastoral compensation, but our focus is on a different application of the text. This verse gives a simple command to the individual believer who is being instructed in the word: share all good things. Spirit-powered obedience to this command will bless both your pastor and the church. The root of the words translated taught/teaches in this text refers to personal, ongoing instruction by word of mouth. Teaching like this assumes relationship and repetition. Being taught the word is more than a weekly information dump. Ongoing, accountable relationships allow content to be applied directly in the context of life. By sharing all good things, the believer engages with the teacher in a way that reinforces the impact of the word and brings glory to God. Christian content is instantly available in a variety of media formats, but growth and accountability depend on additional relational proximity. The production values of the megachurch livestream may greatly exceed the Radio Shack hodgepodge your church cobbled together. The skills demonstrated by past heroes of proclamation and modern celebrity preachers may easily outpace your pastor. Consume what you will (with discernment), but remember they are not charged to give an account for you. The reality of pastoral responsibility weighs heavily, and even good under-shepherds struggle with how to minister more proactively. We long to celebrate God’s power at work in the lives of those we serve, but we are more often confronted with crisis or complaints. Walking with people through difficulty and desperation is a privilege, but discipleship also takes place whenever believers share all good things. What a blessing it is to hear how the Lord has used our humble service for His glory and your benefit. Those who rightly divide the word of truth are encouraged to hear how those being taught are growing in the Lord. Let your pastor specifically know how the Lord impacts your life through the teaching of the word. You could text, send a letter, mail a card, place a phone call, write an email, zoom, or make an appointment for a face-to-face conversation. Is there a good thing? Share it. As we yearn for Christian fellowship free from covid-inspired restrictions and reticence, let us be diligent to share all good things with our pastors. A year of having decreased opportunities for interaction and proximity makes this task even more urgent. Virtual worship services deliver content, but curtail communication, connection, and accountability. If you must worship remotely, please remember to stay connected by sharing all good things. Your pastor will thank you. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chad Wells is in his 16th year as the pastor of First Baptist Church of Portage. He also serves as the Associational Mission Strategist for the South Central Baptist Association. He & his wife Angela are blessed with five children. #MARCH21

by Diana Chandler LOUISVILLE, KY (BP) – Brian Croft jokes that masks are the new “color of the carpet argument” in churches, with similarly poor outcomes. Pastors are resigning from the stress “kind of in a way I’ve never really seen.” The founder of Practical Shepherding transitioned from fulltime pastoring to lead the shepherding outreach fulltime in January, pulled by a need for coaching and counseling that has steadily increased among pastors over the past decade. Then came COVID-19. “I know of pastors who are quitting just over the stress of this issue and what it’s causing in their churches, and I know churches splitting over whether you should wear a mask or not,” Croft said. “COVID has impacted every pastor to some degree. Usually it has brought more challenges and more difficulty.” Pastors are pulled by conflicting views among congregants over whether to mask or not to mask, whether to meet in person or virtually, or whether social distancing is even necessary. A divisive political year has compounded the issues, Croft said. “Once masks and no masks got politicized, and once masks and no masks became about what’s right and what’s wrong, instead of about what is an individual’s conscience on the matter, then that’s where these unnecessary divisions started setting in, in a really unhealthful way,” Croft said. “That’s pretty much what’s happening all over the place. … And this is global too. I work with pastors all over the world.” Though Croft is not a statistician and does not have hard numbers, he counsels and coaches hundreds of pastors through Practical Shepherding. He is also an adjunct professor and senior fellow for the Mathena Center for Church Revitalization at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Lifeway Research, describing pastors as resilient, said about 250 pastors are known to leave the ministry each month, as opposed to a “prevailing myth” that the number is 1500 to 1700. Croft is eager to see what statistics will indicate once the pandemic ceases. “There are pastors in Africa, there are pastors in Scotland and England, there are pastors in Brazil. I mean there are pastors everywhere who are having to wade through these waters of just disagreement around should the church gather or not,” Croft said, “because it’s not just an opinion about your mask or no mask, it’s politicized, it’s wrapped up in fear for a lot of people, or frustration over the people who are in fear. So people are not really wired and prone to just love one another where they are. “These divisions have just kind of imploded some churches.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer. #MARCH21

by Scott Barkley NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – At the first in-person SBC Executive Committee meeting in more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SBC President J.D. Greear and SBC EC President and CEO Ronnie Floyd called for Southern Baptists to re-engage with a call to take the Gospel to the nations. EC members also voted to disfellowship four churches cited in the Credentials Committee report, accepted amendments to the mission and ministry statement of Lifeway Christian Resources and received a report from the ERLC Task Force, established at last February’s meeting. Greear, whose term as president extended to a third year due to the pandemic-related cancellation of the 2020 SBC Annual Meeting, set the tone with his Monday evening (Feb. 22) president’s address, in which he addressed “demonic” sources of division that threaten to hinder the SBC’s cooperative mission of getting the Gospel to the nations. COVID-19 didn’t cause the disunity that has escalated largely through social media over the last year, he said, but uncovered it. Pointing back to the SBC’s rejection of the “leaven of the liberals” through the Conservative Resurgence, Greear called on Southern Baptists to reject the “leaven of the Pharisees” by refusing to be swayed by a vocal minority choosing to major on secondary issues. “The problem is that many of our divisions are based on 90 percent misunderstandings, distortions and often outright lies. And it has grieved me more than you can imagine,” he said. SBC EC President Ronnie Floyd’s reintroduction of Vision 2025 began with a parallel of Greear’s address, warning of “a sound of war in the camp.” For Southern Baptists to gain traction for evangelism, he claimed, they must “lead the way in helping create a Bible-based, Christ-centered and Spirit-controlled culture in the SBC.” Floyd laid out five action steps for accomplishing that purpose. Increase full-time, fully-funded International Mission Board missionaries by a net gain of 500, bringing that total to 4,200. Add 5,000 new Southern Baptist congregations through church plants, replants, new campuses and new church affiliations, bringing the total to more than 50,000. Increase the total number of church ministry staff and volunteers through a new training emphasis – “calling out the called.” Reverse the ongoing decline in reaching, baptizing and discipling 12- to 17-year-olds. Increase annual giving through the Cooperative Program to surpass $500 million by 2025. “We must begin to take this vision everywhere and listen to pastors, churches, associational mission strategists, state convention leaders and national entities about how each one of us can own this vision personally and in ministry collectively,” he said. “We must do this because this is our greater cause. Together, we can do this to the glory of God.” Vision 2025 received its initial launch at the February 2020 Executive Committee meeting, just prior to the coronavirus shutdown. The initiative’s relaunch will be aided by a $5 million pledge by the North American Mission Board over the next four years to support student evangelism nationwide. Johnny Hunt, NAMB vice president of evangelism and leadership, made the announcement during Floyd’s address. “This $5 million is on top of and separate from the $4.5 million in evangelism that already is being used in funds distributed by NAMB to non-South state conventions starting Oct. 1, 2021,” Hunt said. “So that’s nearly $1.2 million more than the funds available to non-South states this year.” EC Chairman Rolland Slade led fellow members, their spouses and guests in signing a large pledge board to pray for and promote Vision 2025. Executive Committee members began their Tuesday (Feb. 23) plenary session in executive session to discuss the Credentials Committee’s report and four churches it determined to be out of alignment with Southern Baptist polity. EC members voted to disfellowship the following churches: St. Matthews Baptist Church of Louisville, Ky., due to “adopted membership and leadership standards affirm[ing] homosexual behavior.” Antioch Baptist Church in Sevierville, Tenn., due to knowingly employing a pastor convicted of statutory rape. Towne View Baptist Church in Kennesaw, Ga., due to its membership and leadership adopting standards affirming homosexual behavior. West Side Baptist Church in Sharpsville, Pa., due to knowingly employing a pastor who is a registered sex offender. Slade announced the EC’s decision after emerging from executive session, before other business matters were considered. In other business, EC members voted Pastor Ron Edwards of First Baptist Church in Hamilton, Wash., to fill the Northwest vacancy for the Committee on Nominations. The most recent Annual Church Profile report shows that First Baptist contributes 12 percent of its budget through the Cooperative Program. EC members also voted for Don Currence to replace Kathy Litton as SBC Registration secretary. Litton resigned last month after her husband Ed announced his willingness to be nominated for SBC president. Another vacancy on the Credentials Committee was tabled until the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting in June. No vote was required for the ERLC Task Force report received by the Executive Committee. During a question-and-answer period, EC member Richard Wilburn read into the record a letter by Stephen Stallard, lead pastor of Mosaic Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., in support of the ERLC and calling for a repudiation of the report. EC member Rod Martin noted what he described as positive accomplishments of the ERLC, but asked whether the entity might no longer be useful to Southern Baptists, considering the divisiveness of the subject matters it regularly deals with. On Tuesday afternoon, EC members also voted to forward to messengers at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting a motion put forward by the Committee on Convention Missions and Ministry to amend the mission and ministry statement of Lifeway Christian Resources. If the new guidelines are approved by messengers, Lifeway will move away from collegiate ministry responsibilities to an emphasis on next generation ministry, particularly Vacation Bible School and camps. Expansions of ministry include publication of books and Bibles as well as statistical and research materials for churches. The amendments stipulate that Lifeway would no longer be responsible for operation of conference centers, Lifeway Christian stores, assistance to Christian schools or homeschool ministries, church architecture consultation and services or assistance in capital fundraising. Lifeway trustees approved the amendments last month. “These ministry assignment amendments reflect a renewed focus for Lifeway on serving the local church and its leaders,” Lifeway President Ben Mandrell said. “We believe by serving the local church with laser focus, we will continue the reputation of being a trustworthy source for life-changing resources to assist believers as they take the Gospel to all people and make disciples.” The Committee on Missions and Ministry announced the formation of a task force to be named by Chairman Rob Showers at a later date to study polity issues that arose when the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustee board suspended two of its members who were being investigated by the SWBTS board for misconduct. In a report to EC members, Showers said the SWBTS trustee situation “revealed a need for clarity for all of our entities and institutions to deal with trustee misconduct.” “… We need a clear path for our entities that will best serve the sole membership interests of the Southern Baptist Convention and the important needs of our valued entities and institutions in such a situation,” he said. The next Executive Committee meeting is slated for June 14 in Nashville preceding the SBC annual meeting. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott Barkley is national correspondent for Baptist Press. #MARCH21

by Trennis Henderson KNOXVILLE, TN – How can the crisis of an Iraqi refugee family’s house fire help churches engage young women in missions involvement amid their busy 21st century lives? Several congregations in the Knoxville area are discovering the answer through hands-on interaction with such ministry groups as Love World, Welcome House Knoxville and Knoxville Internationals Network. Kimberly Poore is a member of the Love World team at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville. The missions group, which launched in 2019, is geared toward young women ages 25 to 40. She said the leadership team seeks “to educate and also provide mission opportunities for other Wallace women within our church.” Love World’s missions focus includes ministering alongside Welcome House Knoxville, a nonprofit ministry that provides temporary housing for immigrant and refugee families in the Knoxville area. The ministry’s primary aim is “building long-term relationships through short-term housing,” according to welcomehouseknoxville.org. Providing “safe and loving space for individuals and families in transition to permanent housing” allows volunteers “to share the love of Jesus through the ministries of hospitality and friendship.” Cindy Hood, the founder and director of Welcome House, noted that long-term housing often is difficult to find for many refugees, especially for larger families and single women with children. After visiting a similar refugee ministry model while on a family vacation in North Carolina, Hood said she returned home with a burden to partner with Bridge Refugee Services, Knoxville’s local refugee resettlement agency. Following discussion with leaders at Central Baptist Church of Bearden and Knoxville Internationals Network (KIN), she began working to establish Welcome House Knoxville as a nonprofit ministry. Renting an unused missionary guest house from a local church, Welcome House officially opened in 2019 to provide short-term housing for refugees or other internationals. The ministry also recruited Sunny Ikojoh, who came to the U.S. as an international student, to serve as the minister of hospitality for guest families. Meeting needs in times of crisis Since opening Welcome House’s doors, “we've had several single moms, mostly from Africa, with toddlers,” Hood said. Most recently, they hosted the refugee family of seven from Iraq whose rental home was destroyed last summer in a house fire. Volunteers from Welcome House, Love World and KIN all came together to help meet that family’s urgent need in the midst of crisis. “At supper time, they were cooking. The mom stepped out of the kitchen and when she came back in the kitchen was on fire,” Hood recounted. “It was too much for them to put out themselves and so they just really escaped with what they were wearing. They had a few trash bags of just some things they grabbed, but most things they lost in the fire.” After the family spent a sleepless night in a local business where the father works, KIN’s director put them in contact with Welcome House and “they were able to spend their second night at Welcome House,” Hood said. “We put out on our Facebook page what their story was and we had churches, individuals give through our website and we were able to give them gift cards. A volunteer took them shopping to buy clothing, shoes, personal necessities.” The Iraqi father “asked me several times, ‘Is this safe? Will this be safe for my family?’” she recalled. “I assured him that yes, it was going to be very safe and that Sunny would be taking care of them – and he has. “We are a ministry that wants to show the love of Jesus through Christian hospitality,” Hood emphasized. “However, we don't require that someone is a Christian to live in the house. But we also are very willing to tell them why we're helping them. … I feel like the best I can do is be the hands and feet of Christ in a very practical way. “When I got the call about the Iraqi family, they needed to move in the next day,” Hood said. “So I got in contact with Kimberly Poore and she made a couple of phone calls and she and another woman were able to meet me and my family – my husband and daughter – and Sunny at the house and we just went through and cleaned the house super quick.” When refugees or other international guests move into Welcome House, “I want it to feel like you're at a friend's house and you can relax,” Hood said. “There's food in the refrigerator, there's clean towels, clean sheets. You don't have to really think about taking care of yourself for a few hours or a few days. You can just exhale.” Equipping and educating volunteers Jani Whaley, executive director of Knoxville Internationals Network, said her group’s goal “is to reach the internationals through the churches by equipping and educating church members and small groups so that relationships can be built and the gospel message can be given.” With a database of 300 volunteers, she said KIN often helps “find volunteers for the Welcome House as far as cleaning and getting supplies.” Recalling the night of the house fire, Whaley said the Iraqi family had been living “just down the street from where I live personally. I saw the fire trucks; I saw the fire and I didn't even realize that there was a refugee family that lived in that house. It was just a few hours later I got a call stating a refugee’s house just burned down and there's five children involved.” As a former short-term missionary to the Middle East, Whaley said, “I have a heart for all internationals, but there's something special about those Middle Eastern people that just really tugs at my heartstrings.” After connecting with the family’s teenage daughter who speaks English, “I went over there within the hour and met the family and talked to the father and met all the children and developed a friendship right then and there,” Whaley said. The next day, “I went over to their house personally and loaded them up in my car and just picked through the rubble of their house. We took them to the Welcome House and got them situated.” Doing life alongside refugee families In his role as minister of hospitality, Ikojoh stepped in to assist the displaced family with day-to-day adjustments. “When that incident happened, we saw the love of Christ,” he recalled. “We don't get to choose where we shine the light. The light is meant for everywhere, taking away all darkness all around.” Ikojoh, who grew up in Nigeria, came to the United States in 2015 to attend seminary. After working with refugee families during a volunteer mission trip, “I fell in love with that. I felt a deep sense that God was calling me into this ministry. “I cannot fully understand what a refugee experiences. I can't even fully understand what it means to be a refugee,” he acknowledged. “But being an international student, I can identify that truly they do go through a cultural shock.” “When we intentionally engage our international neighbors and make them feel at home, then we have been the light of Christ,” Ikojoh affirmed. “We just listen and pay attention and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we respond to these needs. I think the goal is to do life alongside these people.” In her leadership role with Love World, Poore helps coordinate the group’s quarterly gatherings in members’ homes. Activities range from hosting missionary speakers to providing a monthly fellowship brunch for international moms. When Cindy Hood shared about Welcome House at one of the gatherings, “I felt the Lord really just putting that on my heart to be involved,” Poore said. While she and other Love World volunteers have served the Iraqi family and other refugees by helping clean Welcome House and provide other needed resources, Poore said she hasn’t personally met the house’s international guests. But that doesn’t diminish her enthusiasm for her behind-the-scenes ministry opportunities. “We know their story,” she pointed out, “so we feel connected to them in that way. “Being a part of this is important to me because God calls us to be disciples, make disciples of all nations,” Poore added. “He also calls us to unite together, to bear one another's burdens.” That powerful truth is making a practical impact for refugee families who call Welcome House Knoxville their temporary home. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Trennis Henderson is the national correspondent for WMU (Woman’s Missionary Union). A Baptist journalist for more than 35 years, Henderson is a former editor of the Western Recorder of the Kentucky Baptist Convention and the Arkansas Baptist News state convention newsjournal. #MARCH21

by Timothy Cockes NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – Saying the global pandemic didn’t cause the crisis in the Southern Baptist Convention, but revealed “a deeper, more insidious crisis,” SBC President J.D. Greear challenged members of the SBC Executive Committee to “repudiate” a pharisaical spirit and unite for the sake of the Gospel. “The last year has revealed areas of weakness in our beloved convention of churches,” Greear said Monday (Feb. 22), during the president’s address to the EC at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. “Fissures and failures and fleshly idolatries. COVID didn’t produce these crises. It only exposed them.” Greear, senior pastor of The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area, continued as SBC president for a third year because of the cancellation of the 2020 SBC Annual Meeting. He said his desire as president was never to change the SBC’s doctrine or mission. “The change we needed was cultural,” Greear said. “Gospel doctrine and Gospel mission without Gospel culture is sterile, weak and even, according to Scripture, deadly.” But he decried division, which he said comes from a small but vocal minority, because it hinders the SBC’s cooperative mission of getting the Gospel to the nations. He described false accusations as “demonic.” Greear said the Pharisees possessed correct doctrinal beliefs, but resisted the ministry of Jesus more than any other group because “they were more concerned with preserving the purity of the nation than they were bringing in the outsider.” Noting the convention’s success, during the Conservative Resurgence, of repudiating “the leaven of the liberals,” he asked: “Are we now going to repudiate the leaven of the Pharisees?” “Do we … need reform? Absolutely,” Greear said. “Is doctrine important? Of course. These are not idle words; this is our life. Is eternal vigilance the price of doctrinal integrity? Of course. Should we ever forget the painful battles won on our behalf in the 1980s and 1990s? Oh, may it never be. “The problem is that many of our divisions are based on 90 percent misunderstandings, distortions and often outright lies. And it has grieved me more than you can imagine.” Greear cited charges hurled against him and other SBC leaders of drifting leftward, either theologically or politically, as examples. He said the controversy over Critical Race Theory has become a significant obstacle to cooperation. The issue has been a lightning rod since the adoption of Resolution 9 at the 2019 SBC Annual Meeting, with heated debate playing out largely on social media. Last November, the Council of Seminary Presidents issued a statement declaring Critical Race theory and any other form of Critical Theory as “incompatible” with the Baptist Faith and Message. Greear affirmed the seminary presidents’ statement, which drew a response from various ethnic groups and leaders, but said he understands how the issue has contributed to heightened racial tensions within the SBC. “Let me state clearly,” Greear said. “CRT is an important discussion, and I’m all for robust theological discussion about it. For something as important as ‘what biblical justice looks like,’ we need careful, robust, Bibles-open-on-our-knees discussion. But we should mourn when closet racists and neo-Confederates feel more at home in our churches than do many of our people of color.” In calling for unity, Greear said he would not water down doctrine. “I’m not talking about communicating ambiguity on things the Scriptures speak clearly on – the sanctity of life and marriage, the sinfulness of homosexuality – these are things that faithful Christians cannot disagree on and our consciences are captive in these to the Word of God.” But he asked: “Do we want to be a Gospel people or a Southern culture people? Which is the more important part of our name, Southern or Baptist? Are the Scriptures sufficient in laying out for us the non-negotiables for fellowship? If so, why do we have a set of secondary criteria, a hedge about the law, that we use to determine who is in and who is out?” Heading into the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting, scheduled for June 15-16 in Nashville, Greear asked Baptists to consider committing to being a Great Commission Baptist, committing to being a “Gospel Above All” leader and committing to being people of truth and integrity. He said the convention’s ultimate goal is becoming a Gospel people with churches that engage people of all different backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. Citing Acts 15, when the early church was divided over whether Gentile believers should adopt Jewish religious practices including circumcision, Greear noted James’ judgment that Gentiles should avoid sexual immorality and to avoid food polluted by idols and the meat of animals that had died by strangulation. He quoted James’ reasoning from Acts 15:19: “We ought not make it hard for Gentiles who are coming to God.” “Brothers and sisters, I wish I could write some version of that statement over the door of every Southern Baptist church in America,” Greear said. “We ought not make it hard for Democrats to come to Jesus. We shouldn’t make it hard for Republicans to come to Jesus. Or Blacks. Or Latinos. Or northerners. Or southerners. “At the end of the day, if we’re a people who puts the Gospel above all … our Gospel is too precious and our mission is too urgent to let anything stand in our way.” #MARCH21

Hello, Campers! We have so many things to be thankful for in 2021! There are crimes happening every day, political unrest continues to rock our cities, and several areas of our lives are disrupted with COVID issues. However, we are reminded that God is still on the throne and in control. He knew ahead of time how these days would be and He promised He would be here for us. We encourage you to look on the bright side of life and keep your faith in Him. MI COM is determined to continue finding ways to evangelize and serve our churches and camps, all for the honor of our Lord. Our activities may be fewer than would be if the state was opened up more, but there is still plenty for us to do! We encourage you to keep updated with our Facebook page and Website. These electronic communications keep you regularly informed and our costs down. We understand that some are not “computer savvy”, so let us know if we can help you access these sources. Also, you can post on Facebook to keep us updated on what you are doing for Campers on Mission. If you aren’t sure how to do that, tell us and we will post it for you. We are encouraged to see when you are on task and how God is blessing you as you share His message and your efforts to help others. “Sharing Christ as we go!” God bless you, Rick and Cindy ACCOMPLISHMENTS LAST MONTH Faith Fellowship Baptist Church Work Project MI COM went to Lansing to work on the housing project with Pastor Stan Parker. This project is taking more time than Pastor Stan had thought, and yet progress is being made. You may recall they have a veteran and a single mother waiting to have a home once this is completed. Others volunteer to work on the home and was able to get the windows installed. Rick and William, a friend of Faith Fellowship, worked in January. They were able to frame in a door and sidewall. Rick says in February the next step is building another window header and finish framing, Once building, plumbing and electrical inspections are completed and approved, insulation would be on the list. COM attended Men’s Winter Retreat A few MI COM members attended the SBC Men’s Winter Retreat at Bambi Lake Baptist Camp in January. Bambi Lake Camp is beautiful all 4 seasons that Michigan offers. The winter is no exception. The men went sledding on the “Monster Hill”, enjoying good meals, and praising God together. The theme was “Grace Wins”, encouraging the men to have a better understanding of God’s grace. Grace works for us (salvation), works in us (spiritual growth), and works through us (reaching others). What a wonderful message for COMers! MI COM UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES Faith Fellowship Baptist Church Work Project Thursdays of each week, January 21-March 25th MI COM is committing Thursday of each week, beginning January 21st , to working on the Faith Fellowship Baptist Church Housing Project in Lansing. The workday will be 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The church ladies provide lunch at 1:00 and dinner at 5:00. The work team will head home by 6:00 pm. Friday will be the backup day if the weather is bad on Thursday. If you can go on Thursday to work, contact Rick Truesdail by noon the Wednesday before to schedule travel and meals. Pastor Stan Parker is excited as MI COM plan to continue work on the housing project, which is an extension of their ministry in that neighborhood. MI COM and other volunteers want to see this duplex home finished and providing a warm, comfortable home for a veteran and single mom. God bless you as you join in the work to see this accomplished. MI COM Ladies’ Sewing Event Saturday, February 20th, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm At Heritage Baptist Church, 5199 E. Hill Rd., Grand Blanc, MI 48439 Bring your sewing machine, cotton materials, threads, etc. If you can bring bath and hand towel sets that will be good. We will also have some supplies available. Our projects will be making the teddy bears, hooded towels, and non-sew throws for the foster and refugee children at Bethany Christian Services in Grand Rapids. Lunch provided. Bambi Lake Baptist Camp Work Week and Spring Rally May 20-26th Join us at Bambi Lake Baptist Camp, Roscommon, MI, Thursday, May 20, thru Wednesday, May 26, to work and get the camp ready to open for the summer and Memorial Day Weekend. Bambi provides MI COM members with campsite/lodge and meals. We will have a meeting and rally service Wednesday evening. If you wish to stay through the holiday weekend, just let us know when you make your reservation with us. You will be responsible on those days to pay for campsite/lodging and provide your own food. NATIONAL UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES The Great Passion Play, Eureka Springs, Arkansas April 5-9, 2021 All COM members are invited to volunteer at our 9th Annual National COM Work Week. Come for one week or more to work at this amazing place. All skills of every kind needed for construction, painting, repairs, planting trees, pothole repair, sewing, etc. To make your reservation, contact our National COM Coordinators, Jerry and Renee McGovern, at (479) 253-5879 or email nationalcoordinator@campersonmission.net Earliest reservations will get the top sites and hookups. Please DO NOT call The Great Passion Play directly, contact our National COM Coordinators. To learn more about The Great Passion Play, check their website: www.greatpassionplay.org COM National Rally 2021, Duquoin, Illinois June 8-11, 2021 Registration will be available online soon. Get signed up for the COM National Rally 2021 now! COM members bring their RV’s together, some stay in nearby hotels, and we all gather to share what COM is doing and get new ideas and motivation from each other. Here’s just a taste of what is offered at the COM National Rally: Classes & Seminars can include topics such as: Basic Electrical Basic Plumbing, Drywalling: Hanging & Finishing, Fire Safety for RVs, RV Maintenance, Senior Heart Issues, Staying Connected Electronically on the go, Witnessing. Entertainment such as a Christian Comedian and singers will be scheduled, as well as special Guest Speakers from various ministries such as missions, church planting, and camp directors. Be sure to visit our National COM website for more information: www.campersonmission.net CHAPLAIN'S CORNER What would you be without Jesus in your life? Who would you be apart from the grace and mercy of God that has been showed to you? How would you live this life without the Holy Spirit’s guidance and sanctifying work in your life? Why would you want to live even another minute without knowing and experiencing the love of God in your life? If we would take just a few moments each day and think through these very personal questions, it would probably make a difference in the way we think and act as we go through the day. I know what I was like over 46 years ago as a young 20 year old agnostic before receiving Christ into my life. I remember the emptiness and purposelessness and wretchedness I tried so hard to hide, or at least numb, by participating in the passing pleasures of sin. So, take a few minutes to thank the Lord and dedicate your life once again ... To the Praise of His Glory, Chaplain Chip BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES Birthdays Keith McKnight – 2/3 Chip Collins – 2/15 Jeannie Peck – 2/20 Anniversaries Skip & Debra Maxson – 2/3 PRAYER REQUEST & PRAISE REPORT Prayer Request Pray for our COM National Coordinators, Jerry and Renee McGovern. Jerry suffered another stroke the last week in January, and that has been quite serious since the prior stroke about 3 years ago. We praise God that this was mild and he is gaining strength back, able to speak, walk, etc. They have great responsibilities and need our continual prayers. Pray for a Florida COM member we met when working at Lake Swan Camp, Don Shannon. His precious wife of 45 years, Connie, passed away. He is saddened but has the assurance she is with the Lord. We have several missionaries on the road full time now: Tim and Gayle Jones have been ministering in southern states for a few months now Jon and Brandi Dyke family headed south the end of January to begin their missionary journey Jerry Pipher is at Bambi on mission for the winter instead of going south. Praise God for these MI COM members who are willing to go out like this. Let’s keep them in our prayers. Praise Report Note from Renee McGovern 1/30/21 regarding Jerry's stroke: God is good all the time!! Thank you all for the very needed prayers for Jerry. We made it home last night... God is in every detail working things out! He had a very good night of rest. Appetite is good. Doctor said everything should return to normal. He passed all the tests for physical therapy, speech therapy; Jerry showed off a little. lol ... God still has a plan for Jerry. We love and treasure each one of you. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 If you have a prayer request or a praise report, please share it with us and we will post it on the website and include it in our monthly newsletters. MI COM TEES & HATS For Sale We have fun things and essentials for you to let others know you are a MI COMer!!! We encourage you to wear the tees whenever you are working or on a COM event. Patches are iron-on or easy to sew onto your shirts or jackets. Lapel Pins are easily attached to a suit jacket or coat. Pens and Stickers accent your writing and notebooks. Contact Cindy for your purchase. MI COM OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE BOARD Presidents/Project Coordinator: Rick & Cindy Truesdail Vice-President/Project: Tony Morningstar Coordinator Chaplain: Pastor Chip Collins Hospitality/Food Coordinator: Kim Norrington Sewing Project Coordinator: Suzie Collins Secretary: (Vacant) Treasurer: Gary Hannuksela Historian: (Vacant) Hospitality/Food Assistant: Maria Hannuksela Sewing Project Assistant: Janice McKnight NETWORKING CENTER Tim and Gayle Jones are traveling to reach people for Christ. Tune into their Facebook for their 1002 Show at 10:00 am; “Praise on the Porch” evenings at 8:00 pm; Thursday Night Bible Study at 6:30 pm. You will be blessed by Gayle’s singing and Tim’s words from the Bible. Facebook: Chasing the Joneses Cindy Truesdail enjoys machine embroidery. She like the challenge of sewing customized embroidery designs and your personalization is available on most items. Profits from sales goes to support them as they travel and work with MI COM. Facebook: Cindy’s Stitch Art Sharon Hessling knows how to bake and uses her talent to support their mission journeys to Africa. Profits from the sale of her homemade pies, cookies, and bake goods go to their missionary fund. She offers fresh and delicious fruit pies made to order. Facebook: Sahara Pies Plus Keep checking at our online Website and Facebook for announcements! Website: www.michigancampersonmission.org Facebook: Michigan Campers on Mission For more information, contact: Rick & Cindy Truesdail Phone: (810) 869-4716 Email: michigancampersonmission@gmail.com #FEBRUARY21

by Tony Lynn PLYMOUTH, MI – Marcus, Metz, and Bristol have impressively replanted three older congregations within Michigan. They are offering themselves as sounding-boards to pastors and church leaders who want to bring renewed strength to their churches. They welcome invitations into conversations with no obligations and no cost to the churches. You can arrange a conversation below. Rick Marcus replanted City Church, 218 South Mill Street, Clio. The small town has a population of 2,400 residents and is 13 miles north of Flint. The larger county is home to 406,000 residents. Clio is like so many small towns scattered over the Great Lakes State where grain silos, sports fields and quick roadways to larger cities filled with employment are a brief commute away. Clio is like an island of neighbors and families surrounded by farmland. Rick has maximized his love for community, sports, and volunteering in his childhood hometown for the growth of the church. Tom Metz replanted The Valley Church, 3770 North Center Road, Saginaw. The city has a population of 49,000 people and the entire county hosts 191,000 residents. Saginaw is 25 miles southwest of the shorelines of Saginaw Bay but it isn’t known as a resort location. Saginaw is known for manufacturing and production. The 8-lane, 125-foot tall Zilwaukee Bridge, spanning the Saginaw River which enters Saginaw Bay, is an undeniable monument to Saginaw’s hardworking reputation. Barges and boats used to repeatedly stall traffic when the former drawbridge was raised as raw materials were brought into the city then once again shipped out as car parts and food supplies for the world. Tom uses his good humor, his entrepreneurial drive, and his big heart to pick-up on practical ways the church can express its love for others outside in the community. Rick Bristol replanted True North Community Church, 3003 East Mitchell Road, Petoskey. This coastal resort community has a population of 5,700 people with the county providing homes to 33,000 people. With Little Traverse Bay a mere 2-miles away, the Petoskey of the 1900’s cut tall timber and shipped limestone out of the bay to the world including supplies for the California Gold Rush. Today’s Petoskey and quaint Little Traverse Bay are filled with pleasure boats, million dollar yachts, and sailboats where teenagers learn to maneuver the winds. Millions of Michiganders vacation in the region playing golf course, sipping wine at vineyards, and strolling through small town streets. Standing in the backyard of the church one can see the bay to the west. Rick familiar with having worn four different military uniforms as a chaplain in the armed forces throughout the world, capitalizes on his talent at meeting strangers and converting them to friends. His latest venture is using a “scouting-like” club for boys and girls and drawing complete families into the church. Is your church struggling to embrace a changing culture and new community? Is your membership dwindling because of frustration, confusion, and exhaustion? You are not alone. There is hope. Would you let us help? State Director of Missions, Tony Lynn can facilitate a conversation with one church or a group of churches. Please, take the next step now. Click here if you would like to set-up a conversation with Tony or one of these proven replanters: Replant or Revitalize? Let’s Talk Click here if you would like to look at more information and more resources before starting a discussion: Let Me Look Around Before Talking to Someone ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tony Lynn is the State Director of Missions for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before coming on staff at the BSCM, Tony served as lead pastor for more than six years at Crosspoint Church in Monroe, Michigan. He and his wife, Jamie, also served with the International Mission Board in Africa and in Europe. #FEBRUARY21

by Dr. Tony L Lynn PLYMOUTH, MI – During January, I relished a 90-minute online meeting with the Send Network team in Michigan. I asked each church planting catalysts to describe one person who is approaching church planting then select someone on the screen to pray for that candidate. It was worship time. For privacy, I will change the name of the candidates. Tim Shrader, sporting a red St. Louis Cardinal jersey said, “Let me tell you about Darrick. I’m excited about him because he has a great job in Detroit and believes God is calling him to continue his employment while creating a new church. He wants to continue his career while planting because he sees his work site as a mission field.” Eric Stewart, revealing the wintery scene of his yard through the window behind his chair, spoke about Lyle, from Flint. Eric said, “Lyle wants to put washing machines in the church building he creates in order to provide a safe place for people to spend time. Lyle is in a community filled with need and he wants the church to help restore to the people what God wants them to have.” Ken Nether, in his smooth, calm voice said, “I’m excited about Michael who has been a longtime friend. He helped us tremendously with the start of Crossover Church. He has been a great partner. He came to me one day and said that God was calling him to start a new church just as we did together with Crossover. We’ve been focusing on that ever since. I love the way God called Michael out to plant a new church in his hometown of Oak Park.” Matt Thompson, with his boyish looks leaned into the screen with a big smile and said, “God is up to something big with Harrison. He wants to start a church among his people living in the Grand Rapids area who migrated here from Myanmar (Burma). Harrison is burdened for the 2,000 Burmese living near him and he is equally troubled for the people of his homeland. Harrison is working on his Ph.D. so he can prepare people to return to Myanmar as missionaries, and to plant more churches throughout America for the Burmese people.” Barry Martin, intermittently rocking back and forth in his office-chair and adjusting his cap spoke of Rick with a concern in his voice. “We’re excited about Rick because he is the first planter to be called-out of our church plant even though we’ve partnered with others who came to us to join our residency program. Rick wants to create a new church in Wayne because it’s where he grew up. We believe Rick will have a big impact on his hometown. Rick needs your prayers now because, even though he is in his thirties, during this winter he is having health problems. Please, pray for his healing.” Darren Greer, with the video connection freezing his image in one place spoke in a strong voice over the audio connection when he said, “We’re excited about Matt. He has been part of one of our established churches here in northern Michigan. He took part in elder training and church leadership has seen continual evidence of Matt’s spiritual progress. During December, Matt preached his first sermon after learning how to prepare from the leader pastor. Matt has indicated to us that God may be calling him to pastor or plant a church. We’re early in the process, discerning God’s will, but we’re happy to watch what God is doing in Matt’s life.” Would you please, pause and pray for these candidates? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tony Lynn is the State Director of Missions for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before coming on staff at the BSCM, Tony served as lead pastor for more than six years at Crosspoint Church in Monroe, Michigan. He and his wife, Jamie, also served with the International Mission Board in Africa and in Europe. #FEBRUARY21

See what God has done in 2020 and how the new year in Detroit is getting started by His grace! What is Send Detroit? Send Detroit is church planting strategy that covers a region of 4.7 million in population and 5 counties (including Essex county across the Detroit River in Canada). Detroit is known as the Motor City by the world and continues to be a major influence in the automotive industry. Since 2013, we have seen God work in the planting of 39 new churches. We have continued to see God answer the prayer of Luke 10:2 to send out laborers into his harvest as He raises up leaders to answer His call. It is encouraging to recognize that 90% of these leaders are indigenous to Detroit. Click here to learn more. Commonwealth of Faith - "Rooted in Redford" The Commonwealth of Faith Church in Redford, Michigan has been a consistent model of compassion and care as they have ministered to their community throughout the pandemic. Pastor Torion Bridges leads the church who prepares up to 300 hot meals weekly and giving away thousands of pounds of produce, dairy products, meat and other groceries. Cars lined up each week from June through December. This new church was also able to host a free fair for the community and be a community site for drive-up COVID-19 testing. The church is engaging more servant-leaders and standing as a beacon of Christ’s love in Redford. Sending from within We continue to see new church planters answering the call and being equipped and sent into the harvest. In November, Ryan Cabildo was assessed and approved as a church planter apprentice out of Mile City Church (Plymouth, MI) with the aim of planting Lanterns Church in Wayne, MI. Though Mile City Church has launched 4 other church plants out of their new church, Ryan is the first planter who came to faith and has been discipled from the ministry of the church. Pray for Ryan in his journey! Send Network Orientation Also in November, the Baptist State Convention of Michigan hosted a watch-party style Send Network Orientation for Michigan and Ohio church planters. Included in that group were David Clark, Malcolm Griswold, Jon Hackett and Maki Umakoshi from the Send Detroit Network. Christmas care for church planters Over the Christmas holiday, we were able to care for church planting families by sending packages with Send Detroit hats, coffee mugs and coffee gift cards. As you see their smiling faces, select the link on their pictures and pray for these men, their families and their churches. Gathering struggles Pray also for many church plants in Send Detroit who continue to struggle to find places to meet in doors and in-person. Most of our schools and community centers have been closed due to locally mandated COVID-19 regulations. Among the affected are Treasuring Christ Church (Ann Arbor), Rhiza Church (Ann Arbor), The City Church (Ypsilanti), Transformation Church (Waterford), Life-Giver Church (Windsor). Trails Church launch - Sunday, Jan 10 Pray also for the Trails Community Church (Farmington Hills, MI) led by Phillip Box, who held online public launch of services on January 10. Phillip and his wife Kat prayerfully planned this launch along with team members that came with them out of their sending church, Mile City Church. Send Network Gathering Mile City Church, Plymouth, MI March 17, 2021 Join us for the Send Network Gathering that will encourage, inspire and equip you and your team to run into the harvest so together we can plant churches everywhere for everyone. We will have our own local church planters and pastors sharing with us! Schedule 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Check-in and Fellowship 10:00 - 11:15 a.m. Main Session #1 11:15 - 12:30 p.m. Lunch and Hangout 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Breakout #1 1:45 - 2:45 p.m. Breakout #2 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. Main Session #2 4:15 - 5:00 p.m. Wrap-Up Register at sendnetworkgathering.com #FEBRUARY21

by Brandon Elrod INDIANAPOLIS, IN (BP) – Mo Wildey was working as a consultant for an inner-city parachurch organization and became an elder at a nondenominational church with a strong focus on church planting. When some of the work the inner-city ministry was conducting resulted in a need for a new church, Wildey approached his own church for help. “The church told me, ‘We will be involved with the church plant if you’re leading the effort,’” Wildey recalled. So, about seven years ago, Wildey and his wife, Susan, moved into an inner-city apartment building. Two murders took place just before they moved in, and Wildey described the complex as a place where an individual could buy whatever he or she wanted, “substances as well as people.” From there, he started to develop a model for reaching broken people, people who may never enter a church building. “To reach the lost we have to be able to go where they are,” Wildey said. “We need to meet them where they are and build a relationship with them, which leads to an opportunity to talk about Jesus in their purview. Now you’re talking about really being able to reach the lost.” Wildey developed the plan to put together a community engagement hub that would provide a place to help those fighting substance abuse and addiction. As they did so, they would plant churches among those broken people. Wildey calls his church planting movement the Yeshua Society. Callen “Cal” Ealy, Yeshua Society’s chief operating officer, is one of the lives that was radically changed by the ministry. Ealy was an alcoholic who had lost his business, his kids and his wife because of his substance abuse. Wildey met him at a Salvation Army shelter after Ealy had come close to taking his own life. He wound up committing his life to Christ and getting baptized. As Ealy went through the Yeshua Society’s recovery program, he told Wildey that he was all in and that he would do whatever God wanted him to do with his life. He neared the end of the program and informed Wildey that he had been offered a high-paying marketing job. “I told him that I was happy for him and that I hoped he would stay in touch,” Wildey said. “He said to me, ‘Why are you saying that? It’s like you’re saying goodbye. I told you that I said I would do whatever God told me to do, and God wants me to be with you guys.’ Since going through the program, Ealy has remarried his wife and reconnected with his estranged kids. While Wildey was seeing God move, he was not connected to a larger network of churches, but in 2017 he and his wife took a vacation that would change that. They needed some time away, but they also wanted to be intentional with their break from ministry. So, they looked for a Christian conference to attend and discovered NAMB’s Send Conference in Long Beach, Calif. “We had no idea what it was, but it looked like there were some pretty good people speaking at the conference,” Wildey said. During the conference, Wildey learned about NAMB’s Send Network and its focus on church planting and multiplication of churches. “When I went to Long Beach, I didn’t know what Send Network was,” Wildey said, “but I’ve never run across an organization, a group of people, who have a greater desire to plant churches for the right reasons – building the Kingdom of God.” With Send Network’s help, Wildey has planted a church in San Diego that follows his model – finding and reaching those in need within a community, helping them and making disciples. There are opportunities to go international. “What we’re doing now, we could not do without Send Network,” Wildey said. Including Indianapolis and San Diego, there are 200 people plugged into the Yeshua Society in some way. Of those, 75 either attend in person or are going through discipleship training. They began with their current model in 2019. “I think it’s time for all of us to be open to new ways, if you will, as America is going through what it’s going through,” Wildey said. “If we are going to reach the lost, we need to be open to new ways. Of course, what we’re doing is not new. It’s the way that the church in Acts got started.” Wildey is one of 51 missionaries or chaplains featured in NAMB’s 2021 prayer calendar, which can be ordered at nambstore.com or by calling 866-407-6262. The calendar is also available in a downloadable version. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board. #FEBRUARY21

by Mike Durbin PLYMOUTH, MI – Our Convention finished 2020 much stronger than any of us imagined as the pandemic spread across our state, nation and world. Michigan Baptist churches demonstrated a resilience that testifies to our enduring dependence on the Lord. We are strategically positioned for Kingdom advance as we implement the 500 Churches by 2021 vision that Pastor Tim Patterson cast at our annual convention last November. Through this compelling vision, God is calling us to punch holes in the darkness! As we embark on this journey, we are organizing our strengthening and sending ministries to assist churches with tools to implement the Vision. Here is an overview of the themes and resources churches can consider using for the 500 Churches by 2025. Every Church Praying It is estimated that four out of every five people in Michigan do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. Many have never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel, and some have no one praying for them. Paul’s passion for those who need Jesus is our example as he cries out: "Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation!" (Romans 10:1). We are recommending two resources for focused prayer: Who’s Your One? challenges and equips believers to pray for and share the Gospel with one person in their lives who needs Jesus. WhosYourOne.com Bless Every Home is a tool churches can use to pray by name for the community that surrounds them. BlessEveryHome.com Every Church Thriving 500 Churches by 2025 is not just about more churches - it’s about healthy churches working together to magnify God and punch holes in the darkness! It starts with “Healthy leaders who strengthen and start churches to advance a Gospel movement.” We are partnering with “Be The Church” out of Chapel Pointe in Hudsonville to strengthen leaders. The heart of “Be The Church” is to see spiritual leaders raised up and sent out to witness regions of the world transformed by the Gospel. By equipping leaders to discover and expand their spiritual voice and influence, hurting churches can experience revitalization and healthy churches can be multiplied. That will fuel the transformation of life for Jesus in communities around the world. BeTheChurch.org Every Church Equipping Equipped disciples are critical to mission and ministry advance. We are partnering with Michigan Baptist churches to punch holes in the darkness by providing training to strengthen and start churches. The Multiplication Pipeline is a resource from the North American Mission board that helps churches train leaders and send their people on mission. It uses simple, proven survey tools and an online training system to identify and train missional leaders within the congregation. Multiply the ministry of your church in your community and beyond. namb.net/pipeline We will provide Strategic Conferences to equip believers to share the Gospel and make disciples resulting in existing churches being strengthened and new churches started. Every Church Engaging Through Evangelism Grants, we will partner with Michigan Baptist churches to saturate the communities around them with the Gospel. Servant Evangelism is a strategic ministry to serve local communities in the name of Christ and increase opportunities to share the Gospel. Jesus sets the example as a servant. He said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 Compassion Ministries focus on “Meeting Needs, Changing Lives.” Send Relief provides multiple ideas and opportunities for churches to minister in their communities and beyond. “There are people in your community and around the world who desperately need help. Send Relief provides a way for you to respond directly to these needs in lasting, meaningful ways while sharing the hope of the Gospel.” SendRelief.org Every Church Celebrating! Michigan Baptists are embracing a vision that will advance God’s Kingdom in our state and beyond. We desire to glorify God as we serve Him together. Our expectation is to celebrate God throughout the journey and especially in 2025 as we see an increase in believers, stronger churches, and 500 churches partnering through our network to advance God’s Kingdom. For more information on any of this tools just go to www.500churchesby2025.com, or contact me at mike@bscm.org. 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. #FEBRUARY21

by Michael Goforth PORT AUSTIN, MI – It was our biggest outreach event of the year...and it was canceled. At least that’s what we thought The Background We are a church plant in the tiny town of Port Austin, Michigan. If you hold out your handy map of the state and look at the tip of your left thumb, that’s where we are. A charming beach town on the shores of beautiful Lake Huron with a year-round population of 600. (And I’m convinced Hallmark should film their next Christmas movie here.) God has blessed our church plant with a beautiful little building, and we are very thankful. However, when I say it’s little, I mean it. In fact, the people of Port Austin literally call it, “...the little white church on the hill.” But every year on Christmas Eve, more than 100 people cram into that little church building, including many first-time visitors. Together, we celebrate the One who came to rescue us from sin, and reconcile us to God on that very first Christmas. Unfortunately, an event like this with no form of social distancing would be impossible in 2020. We couldn’t offer multiple services for a variety of reasons, so we simply decided to rent a larger building. But when December came around, COVID-19 cases in our area spiked and the building we had lined up became unavailable. After exhausting our options and coming up with a lot of bad ideas, I was pretty convinced we would have to cancel. Another Bad Idea It was at this point that I came up with another bad idea. What if we met outside? I mean, how charming would a Christmas Eve service be in 20 degree weather with 25 mph winds coming off of Lake Huron? With a lot of hesitancy and the attitude of, “anything is better than canceling,” we moved forward with the idea. I reached out to the wonderful folks at our village hall and they graciously let us host the service next to the town Christmas tree on the village green. This is the part of the story where our church members came in clutch. They took the initiative to line up fire pits, secure a portable sound system, help set up a makeshift stage, and so much more. It was awesome to see the people of God doing the work of the ministry. (Eph. 4:11-12) The Big Day The day came around and we eagerly anticipated 12 people would show up. I’m slightly exaggerating, but the weather didn’t seem conducive to many more. That’s when God stepped in and completely exceeded our expectations. (He has a knack for that sort of thing. Eph. 3:20) I was amazed as the village green of our little town filled with people. It was the most well- attended Christmas Eve service we have ever had. People who happened to be walking by decided to join us and others pulled up in their cars to listen. On that cold December night, I had the incredible privilege of proclaiming the good news of great joy over a loudspeaker in the heart of downtown Port Austin. Jesus was lifted high, and people who may have never set foot in a church building heard the gospel that night. The Takeaway This experience was added to a large and ever-growing list of mine labeled: “God’s plans are always better.” I don’t know what 2021 is going to look like for your ministry, but I’ll echo what many have already said this year, “Don’t put your hope in 2021.” It may just be that in the sovereign plan of God, this year will be another difficult one. We may have to set aside plans, make adjustments, or even cancel some things. But we know that our Father is always working, even in the mess. (John 5:17) We would be wise to look for God’s activity, enter in, and trust that no matter what happens: His plans are always better. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Goforth is the lead pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Port Austin, Michigan. He led a group to plant this church in November of 2016 with a vision to spread a passion for the glory of Jesus in Port Austin and beyond. He and his wife, Shannon, have been married for six years. #FEBRUARY21