The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-01/13/2015 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Top images of 2014 released by IMB by Staff Date: January 13, 2015 - Tuesday RICHMOND (BP) -- For many reflecting back on key moments of 2014, there are certain images that are not easily forgotten: -- Syrian refugees who escaped death with nothing but the clothes on their backs. -- "Faithful," an Iraqi Christian woman who was asked by her now deceased daughter to forgive her murderers. -- Former International Mission Board President Tom Elliff passing the torch to incoming President David Platt, the youngest man to hold the position. These images are among the top photographs selected from thousands taken by International Mission Board photographers last year. The world experienced untold suffering during the year. Evil, hatred and lostness spread darkness in many places. But IMB workers and their partners were there, easing pain, bringing light and hope, lifting the name of Jesus and extending His love to the nations. These images show people being touched by the light -- and others who still need touching. To read comments and hear audio from the photographers who captured these images, please click here. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 things mission-minded people do differently by Susie Rain Date: January 13, 2015 - Tuesday SOUTHEAST ASIA (BP) -- Who are mission-minded people? How do they see the world? While they could be found in your church, place of work or coaching Little League, what do mission-minded people do differently? International Mission Board missionaries from around the world helped compile a list of 13 things that make up a mission-minded person: 1. They want to meet someone who does not follow Jesus Christ. Mission-minded people follow Jesus' plan in Luke 10 to go work "His harvest." They actively seek out non-believers for conversations and friendship. 2. They continually look for creative ways to share the Gospel. Mission-minded people find intentional ways to share so that people understand. It is not a "canned presentation" but relative to that person/group. They do the abnormal, irrational, counter-intuitive, and take risks all in an effort to share Christ. 3. They have a different worldview. They think more about the world, culture and languages than they do about the tiny place where they live. They understand that the Gospel is not just for them but for all people. They are committed to getting it to the rest of the world. 4. They hear the voice of God and are obedient. Mission-minded people hear the voice of God and obey when He tells them to go across the street, to another town, state or country to share about His redeeming love. 5. They pray a lot! Praying is a direct link to God. They believe that God will do greater things than we can ever imagine; and they pray for it to happen. 6. They make disciples. They constantly ask themselves if what they are doing will result in disciples. If the strategy is only for people to hear, then the Gospel will not spread. Mission-minded people know the importance of discipleship. 7. They meet human needs while sharing the Gospel. Mission-minded people believe it doesn't matter how many wells a person digs or how many orphans they feed if they are not following Christ's mandate to take the Gospel to those who have not heard. They contend that if a person is not sharing Jesus, they are wasting time and money. 8. They believe that being mission-minded is not a "task." It's a lifestyle. They live out missions in their everyday life. From the moment they wake up until they go to bed, they impact the world around them. 9. They are relational. They are willing to leave their own "bubble" to make relationships with those considered the "least of these." They have an awareness of the people around them and look for ways to build a relationship that will lead to sharing Christ and discipleship. 10. They go! It doesn't matter where God tells them to go -- Timbuktu or Kalamazoo -- they grow where God plants them. And, they are willing to move on when He says, "Go!" 11. They see people with a future. When they look at an unreached people group, they see potential "brothers and sisters" in Christ. They see that eternity and joy are available for everyone and are excited to share it. 12. They send! They know that we are responsible for ALL people groups hearing the Gospel. They follow the example from the book of Acts to "send" out other mission-minded people. They support them in any way possible. 13. They understand "the task" is not done. Mission-minded people know that once they have reached their family and friends with Christ, they are not done. There are still billions in the world that have not proclaimed Jesus' name. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Child use of medical marijuana ahead in Ill. by Staff/WORLD News Service Date: January 13, 2015 - Tuesday SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (BP) -- Children in Illinois will be eligible for medical marijuana prescriptions, according to rules announced by state health officials in late December. The rules by the Illinois Department of Public Health amend the medical marijuana pilot program approved by lawmakers in June. A handful of parents subsequently spearheaded a campaign to open the program to children under age 18, especially those who suffer from epileptic seizures. Medical marijuana products are not yet available in Illinois. The state is still in the process of approving applications for cultivation centers and dispensaries. Industry experts anticipate medical marijuana products will be available by late spring or early summer. Under the new rules, which went into effect on New Year's Day, children diagnosed with a qualifying debilitating condition will be able to obtain marijuana-infused products but not raw marijuana for smoking. To obtain the treatment, children need a signature from their own physician, an additional doctor's review and authorization and parental permission. Since 1996, 23 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws creating medical marijuana programs. An additional 11 states have legalized the limited use of low THC, high CDB treatment for adults and minors with specific conditions. Supporters see the Illinois action as a step toward allowing children the potential benefits of medicinal marijuana. A hybrid marijuana strain called Charlotte's Web has a growing following of parents who believe it's an effective treatment for children suffering from severe seizures. The strain was developed by a Colorado company to be low in THC, the psychoactive ingredient that causes people to get high, and heavy in CBD, a compound in the marijuana plant with supposed medicinal qualities. Two U.S. drug companies have launched studies into the effects of CBD on childhood seizures but results will not be available for years. In the meantime, skeptics question whether the treatment is truly helpful. "There is good evidence of long-term harm of chronic marijuana use on the developing brain under 18 years of age," said Leslie Mendoza Temple, a Chicago doctor who lectures on medical marijuana for the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians. The treatment is so experimental it should only "be considered when all other therapies have been exhausted and failed, and if the child is quite debilitated," Temple said. Others say Illinois doctors may be hesitant to put their name behind authorization for a child to take an experimental treatment. "I know there are a lot of parents who feel desperate, and my heart certainly goes out to them," said Joel E. Frader, a bioethicist and pediatrician at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. "In Illinois, there has been pressure put on the state legislature and the regulatory process to increase the scope of use for medical marijuana by families who look at this as their last hope." -------------------------------------------------------------------- WORLDVIEW: First things first by Erich Bridges Date: January 13, 2015 - Tuesday RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- The new year had barely begun when the usual round of bad news resumed: terror attacks, atrocities, massacres, war. Some folks respond to the ugliness of world events by ignoring them, trying to create their own safe little world. Sooner or later, however, reality intrudes. Bills. Unexpected illness. Family problems. Job struggles. Life. Even life's pleasures become burdens if we depend on them for happiness. We can't control our lives, but we never stop trying. It's human nature, a manifestation of our need for security -- and our endless temptation to usurp God's role in decision-making. Christians can be as guilty as anyone of playing God. We dream up brilliant ministry plans and ask God to bless them. Then we consult our goals and action plans more often than we seek direction in Scripture. Doing something, anything, is easier than praying and waiting for God's voice. Our tendency, IMB President David Platt observes, "is to miss Christ in the middle of mission, to get so consumed in what we are doing for Him that we miss out on intimacy with Him." There's a better way. As his first full year of IMB leadership gears up, Platt is asking missionaries and staff -- and anyone else interested in making the most of each brief, precious day of 2015 -- to renew their commitment to seeking God's direction. "Life in this world doesn't last very long," Platt says. "When we realize this, it changes the way we live. It's in this light that I want to implore you in the beginning of this year to stop and think: What does it mean to trust in God when I'm not guaranteed tomorrow?" (Listen to Platt's podcast on the topic here. Subscribe to his ongoing podcast through iTunes here or download audio files here.) The apostle James addressed the issue when he rebuked early believers for making their own plans: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.' But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:13-17 NASB). Platt draws two basic truths from James' words when it comes to setting priorities: Faith is humbly submissive to the sovereignty of God. "We can become so consumed with the material realm, so consumed thinking about our plans and our strategies, [that] we become blind to spiritual realities," Platt says. "The problem is not planning in and of itself. The problem is planning in such a way that God has no place in the plans." James by no means counsels "passive fatalism" or sitting back and doing nothing until God acts, Platt emphasizes. The book of James is all about action: Its 108 verses contain more than 50 imperative commands. "James is talking about activity and action the whole book," Platt says. "But he's talking about activity and action that are humbly submissive to the sovereign God of the universe, knowing that every accomplishment, every activity, literally every breath occurs only by the sovereign grace of God. ... The key is a mindset that says, 'I need the grace of God, and I am dependent on the will of God in every facet of my life.' "This is a radically different way to live in the world -- particularly in the busyness and the business of our lives," Platt notes. "[S]pend your life humbly submissive to the sovereignty of God, and ultimately live for the glory of God," he counsels. "Make your life -- this mist that comprises who you are for the short time you are here -- count. Be finished with self-sufficiency. Live your life in radical God-dependency." Humble submission to God's sovereignty leads to wholehearted submission to God's will. Sin isn't just lying, coveting and other evil acts on a long list of don'ts. We sin when we fail to do what God has clearly told us to do: Live holy lives, love others as ourselves and make disciples in our circle of personal relationships and among all nations. Platt: "Holiness includes what we do in this world, how we obey in this world, so we've got to think, 'What has God said to do today? He has given me today. He's given me breath. He's given me life. He's given me sustenance. What has He told me to do with it?' That's a good question with which to approach today and this next year. If the Lord wills to give you an entire year in 2015, make the most of that mist which is here today and will be gone before you know it." That's the approach Platt is taking this year -- not only in his own life but in planning and strategizing with Southern Baptist missionaries and mission leaders in their global Gospel enterprise. Rather than recycling a stale set of New Year's resolutions, why not consider it for your own life? -------------------------------------------------------------------- Muslims count cost of following Christ by Elaine Gaston Date: January 13, 2015 - Tuesday EDITOR'S NOTE: Ivory Coast was the country of focus for the 2014 International Mission Study by Woman's Missionary Union. Find resources to support the study at wmu.com/IMS and imb.org/ims. ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (BP) -- Mike McAfee weaves the truck through traffic until it finally rolls to a standstill. It looks like bedlam, but it's just a typical morning in Abidjan. The roads are wet from recent rains with standing water in many places. Along the roadside are street sellers hawking goods from tables piled high with mangoes, avocados, bananas and small pineapples. Other vendors wave goods outside the truck windows. At a newsstand, several men read the headlines of newspapers tacked up on a wooden board. McAfee eases through impossibly narrow spaces between vehicles and finally turns onto a less congested street. After a few more lane changes and turns, he pulls into Koumassi, an area east of where he and his family live. The International Mission Board missionary comes to this industrial area at least once a week to visit with Seidou (SAY-doo), a Muslim man who moved to Abidjan from Burkina Faso in 2001. McAfee parks the truck and steps through an entrance leading to a long, narrow way -- almost like an alley but called a foyer. Doors on each side lead into rooms where families live. Seidou is Bissa, an ethnic group that can be found in northeast Ghana, where he was born, and Burkina Faso, where he grew up. He, like many other West Africans, came to Abidjan for work and has been employed as a security guard, but jobs are difficult to find, he said. As he and McAfee start to visit, speaking in French, Seidou talks about work. He hasn't been paid in two months, he said. He and McAfee sit in a small entry room. Three doors open out from this room: one for Seidou's family's living quarters, another for his brother Issaka's family and the third for Issaka's second wife. As the men visit, five or six children, curious about the foreign visitors, wander in and out of the room. It's summer and school is on break. McAfee's daughter, Karis, joined him on this visit, hoping to play with Seidou's niece Sadia. But Karis discovers that Sadia is now in training in a tailor's shop so she's at work today. Sadia won't be returning to school when her brothers start back in the fall. She started working in the tailor's shop -- leaving her school education behind -- when she was 11 years old. It's all about trying to make a living to support the extended family. When wages don't come, it impacts the entire family -- not just wife and children but sometimes adult brothers and sisters, cousins, aging parents and others. Learning the stories On this visit, Seidou brings out a DVD he recently purchased on the street: "Les Dix Commandements," a French version of the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille epic film starring Charlton Heston as Moses. Seidou knows McAfee will be interested because usually it's McAfee who shares Bible stories with him. Seidou speaks fluent French, but McAfee was able to find "The Jesus Film" in Bissa, his heart language, and show it to him on another visit. Today McAfee uses the film on the television as a jumping off point to discuss biblical truths. He also has worked through the Bible with Seidou, sharing many key stories. "The way we do evangelism in Africa is we tell stories," McAfee said. "The Bible is one big story and so we break that down. We tell what we call a 'resume' of the Bible called Creation to Christ or Creation to Return. That is our evangelism strategy as we go into these communities that don't have ... a Christian presence." When McAfee tells a story, he asks the listener three key questions afterward: -- What lesson have you learned from this story? -- What are the characteristics of God? -- Is there something that you need to obey? These questions help McAfee discover what the listener has heard and give him opportunities to reinforce biblical truths. Storying is a powerful tool in Africa, McAfee says. "In the States, you tell someone, 'I want to tell you a story,' and nobody wants to hear. Here you say that and everyone gathers around," he noted. McAfee said Seidou knows the stories and has heard clear gospel presentations. It just comes down to a decision. On this day as they talk, Seidou repeats what he has told McAfee in the past. "Seidou says he's conflicted because the Koran says that God doesn't have a child and the Bible says that Jesus is God's Son," McAfee said. "He says, 'I'm watching all these things to try to figure it out.' "I [told him] it's a very important decision because if what Jesus says is true, then the only way to have eternal life is through Him." Along with the French version of "The Ten Commandments," the pirated DVD Seidou purchased includes two other films: "In the Beginning," a 2000 American made-for-television film telling stories from the books of Genesis and Exodus, and "The Message," a 1977 film made by a Syrian-American director that tells the story of Islam's origins. Praying In Jesus' Name Seidou has not only heard and discussed New Testament Bible stories but also seen Jesus' healing power in his home, McAfee said. One day, Issaka was there as McAfee was sharing with Seidou. Issaka told McAfee that he hadn't been able to work much for the past 12 years because of back problems. McAfee agreed to pray for healing for Issaka's back, if he could pray in Jesus' name. Since Issaka's back had hurt for 12 years, McAfee started by telling him the story of the woman who bled for 12 years and visited doctors and mystics but found no one who could heal her until she touched Jesus. "I told him that story, and I told him that what Jesus said to her is very important," McAfee said. "He said, 'Your faith has healed you.' And I said, 'Issaka, it's going to come down to your faith and who Jesus Christ is.' "And so Issaka agreed to allow me to pray for him in Jesus' name. We prayed, and he didn't get healed immediately." But when McAfee came back the next week, Issaka saw him from a distance. "He came running and he said, 'Pastor, Pastor, you've got to pray for me again.'" McAfee asked him why and Issaka told him that he was "half healed." "So I said, 'Well let's go in the house and we'll talk about it,'" McAfee recalled. "So we go in the house and we start talking about having faith in Jesus Christ ... and I prayed for him again that he would have faith in Christ and that Christ would heal him. Well again, nothing immediately happened. I went home that day, and I came back the next week. Issaka came running and he said, 'Pastor! Pastor! Thank you! Thank you! I'm healed!' and I looked at him and I said, 'Issaka, you've got to remember what I told you two weeks ago that if you were healed that you have to give the glory to Jesus Christ because it would be Jesus Christ that healed you.' He said, 'I'll give the glory to Christ, I'll give the glory to Christ. I'll tell everybody it was Jesus that healed me.' "I would love to tell everybody that Issaka accepted Christ and that Seidou accepted Christ and that the family which was a Muslim family has now all accepted Christ and they're all going to church, but that's just not the case," McAfee said. "In Africa, it's so hard for a Muslim to accept Christ. He has to count the cost," he said. "If Seidou accepts Christ, if Issaka accepts Christ, what is the cost? They might lose their jobs; they might lose their means of support. So he has to count the cost. I know that Seidou is probably counting the cost, and what he decides to do will be after he decides [whether] it's worth it to follow Christ." See additional stories on Mike and Heather McAfee by clicking here, here and here. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE STATES: Ga., Okla., Mich. evangelism/missions news; GA women engage human trafficking victims by Staff Date: January 13, 2015 - Tuesday Today's From the States features items from: The Christian Index (Georgia) The Baptist Messenger (Oklahoma) Baptist Beacon (Michigan) Engage Weekend puts focus on human trafficking By Joe Westbury WARNER ROBINS, Ga. (The Christian Index) -- Late one November night two vans full of Baptist women are driving along dimly lit stretches of highways in search of ministry opportunities. But this night those opportunities are unlike any ever experienced by the women. They are looking for children and women entangled in the web of human trafficking and who might just be looking for a way out. As the van slows in an area known for prostitution, some of the women slip out carrying red roses. A rose, a prayer, a listening ear When the opportunity presents itself the volunteers introduce themselves, give the woman they meet a rose, offer a listening ear, pray, and when possible offer the Out of Darkness rescue hotline number. When the night is over the two teams -- part of Georgia Baptist WMU and Women's Enrichment Ministry's first Engage Weekend -- have learned ministry skills to take back to their own communities. And, their eyes have been opened to the world of human trafficking among children as well as teen and adult women that is most likely occurring even in their small towns. On this night they visited areas in Macon and Warner Robins where prostitution is common. The lasting impression is that human trafficking is not limited to large cities but exists in smaller towns where they and their churches serve. Georgia WMU/WEM partnered with Out Of Darkness-Middle Georgia for Engage Weekend, introducing young women to the problem of human trafficking and how they can be involved in their own communities. The weekend also focused on educating the participants about the work of WMU & WEM and how they can be involved in their home churches. WMU also partnered with Collegiate Ministries of the GBC, with up to a third of the 58 women enrolled through BCM groups. "On this weekend we wanted to educate the women about human exploitation and challenge them to ways God can use them in their own communities," said GBC state missionary Beverly Skinner. "We believe this is a wonderful way to build visibility among Georgia Baptist churches for similar outreach ministries." Event reaching those ages 18-35 Skinner, who serves as young women's consultant with Georgia WMU/WEM, said the Engage Weekend was the first such event to cater to women ages 18 to 35. The event could be the pilot project for related weekends of different themes. Samatha Gentry, a member of CrossPointe Church in Valdosta who is active in Valdosta State University's Baptist Collegiate Ministry, saw the weekend as "a unique mission opportunity that doesn't always arise among college students. I've learned so much about human trafficking and our roll as believers to reach out in the name of Christ." Kayla Millikan, a member of Salem Baptist Church in McDonough, said she wanted to attend the special weekend "to see lives restored" and to play a role in the spiritual healing of any women they encountered. Unique missions opportunity While it was important for the women to experience a unique missions opportunity, the idea of taking the concept back to their congregations was an added benefit. Fran Boynton, spouse of Pastor Brad Boynton of Pineora Baptist Church near Savannah, saw the value of the two-prong approach. She and Catherine Bingham minister as leaders in their church's WMU group. "We wanted to learn more about Engage since it's a new concept. We've been involved in feeding the homeless in our community but have not been involved in anything this varied. Catherine and I are getting some good ideas that we can use back home." Cynthia Smith, a member of GA WMU's Executive Committee, said the event was designed to expand the options beyond what many experience in their WMU groups. "Many times women in this 18-35 age group do not receive this kind of experience which connects them directly with needs in the community. This generation is very involved in social issues like human trafficking and they are learning that they don't have to go very far from home to be involved. "We want to use Engage to give young women and their leaders an idea of what they can do back home," said the member of Roddy Baptist Church in Cochran. Smith is also a member of the Middle Georgia Chapter of Out of Darkness, which provided the instruction and Princess Night experience. Becky Peeples agreed with Smith's comments. "It's not fair for children to have their lives snatched away from them and to be forced into human trafficking. We knew this was going on but had no idea how massive the problem is. If you don't know, you can't do anything about it." --30-- This article appeared in The Christian Index (christianindex.org), newsjournal of the Georgia Baptist Convention. Joe Westbury is managing editor of The Christian Index. ********** From simple start, Vietnamese church 'vibrant' after 20 years By Chris Doyle OKLAHOMA CITY (The Baptist Messenger) -- In 1994, a group of eight Vietnamese people, led by David and Judy Vu, approached Anthony Jordan, then pastor of Northwest Baptist in Oklahoma City, about Jordan's church providing leadership support and a place to worship. Now the executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO), Jordan recalls that time they met with him. "When this group came to see me, they said to me, 'We are going to fast and pray until God gives you an answer.' I looked at these sweet Vietnamese people and noticed they looked quite thin and decided we need to respond quickly," said Jordan, laughing as he recalled the meeting. Twenty years later, Vietnamese Baptist in Oklahoma City is led by Pastor An Nguyen and draws an average of 160 people each Sunday for worship. Nguyen has been with the church for more than 19 years and has a special story about how he came to serve in Oklahoma City. When the new church called him to serve as pastor in 1995, he was serving at a church in Portland, Ore., leading a strong Vietnamese youth fellowship. He told them he would pray, but he admits he was reluctant initially in praying about moving to Oklahoma. Through a series of events, the church remained on Nguyen's mind, and even his wife would have recurring thoughts about the church in Oklahoma City. What strongly convinced them to move to Oklahoma City was the bombing of the Murrah Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. "I turned on the TV and saw the whole story in front of my eyes," said Nguyen, recalling his first learning of the tragic event. "In my heart, I have a strong calling that God needs me there. I called my wife at work. She softened her heart and said to me 'I think God needs us there.'" The church has been successful in reaching out to the Vietnamese community and encouraging members to be involved in serving. The church has strong Sunday School small groups and also has regular outreach connections with Vietnamese college students who are enrolled in area colleges. Nguyen shared how thankful the church is for the support they received from Oklahoma City, Northwest and the BGCO. "It's one of the healthiest local churches that I have seen," Jordan said. "They have vibrant worship and a trained laity that does the work of ministry. I couldn't be more proud of this church. They are an evangelistic, mission-minded, healthy New Testament church." Nguyen shared how the church annually, for the last seven years, sends members overseas to various parts of Asia, including Malaysia and Vietnam, to do evangelistic projects. One time they experienced 370 people accept Christ in one service event. "Pastor An is an Eph. 4:11-12 pastor," said Jordan. "If a church planter would follow his model, they will have a strong, healthy church." --30-- This article appeared in The Baptist Messenger (baptistmessenger.com), newsjournal of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Chris Doyle is associate editor of The Baptist Messenger. ********** Mich. YEC sees 46 students accept Christ By Jonathan Guenther FLUSHING, Mich. (Baptist Beacon) -- At the 2014 Youth Evangelism Conference, the words "Do Something" took on new meaning for the 275 students in attendance. The conference, held November 21-22 at Westside Church in Flushing, sought to show students how God "doing something" in their lives would encourage them to do the same for others. "I speak all over the country, but there's such a hunger for the Gospel here," said Wade Morris, the YEC speaker. Morris noted that students spoke with him after he shared with them, thanking him for sharing truth and letting him know they were saved, something he hadn't experienced elsewhere. On the first day of the conference, students were challenged to let God do something in them. As they were challenged to submit to Christ, 46 professed their faith for the first time. An adult chaperone also accepted Christ. The Matt Wagner Band also provided worship for the event. Wagner leads worship at conference organizer Ed Emmerling's church. "As an adult, it is unbelievably powerful to hear our young people singing," Emmerling said. "[Hearing them sing] 'I believe in the name of Jesus' together truly blew me away. That is powerful to me. It is my dream that this generation rises up in our nation and says, 'We believe.'" The words of Hillsong's "This I Believe" became more than a song for the students. The second day of the conference gave students a glimpse at life outside the spotlight and a chance to put these beliefs into action. Students went to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan for a service project. Instead of serving people directly, however, students did prep work for the Food Bank and did not have direct contact with those who would benefit from it. "Serving in God's Kingdom is not always on the front lines touching people," said Emmerling. "Sometimes it's preparing for it behind the scenes." Emmerling noted that service projects often provide an "ooey-gooey feeling" that comes from seeing the direct impact of their work. Instead, students were challenged that their work honored God even when they didn't see it. Students also experienced a time of fun and fellowship at the conference. Following Friday night's worship sessions, the group traveled to the Genysis Athletic Club in Grand Blanc, where they played tennis, racquetball, basketball, track and pool, as well as other activities. --30-- This article appeared in the Baptist Beacon, newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (bscm.org). Jonathan Guenther managing editor of the Baptist Beacon. ********** EDITOR'S NOTE: From the States, published each Tuesday by Baptist Press, relays news and feature stories from state Baptist papers and other publications on initiatives by Baptist churches, associations and state conventions in evangelism, church planting and Great Commission outreach, including partnership missions. Reports about churches, associations and state conventions responding to the International Mission Board's call to embrace the world's 3,800 unengaged, unreached people groups also are included in From the States, along with reports about church, associational and state convention initiatives in conjunction with the North American Mission Board's call to Southern Baptist churches to broaden their efforts in starting new churches and satellite campuses. The items appear in Baptist Press as originally published. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Court ponders sign law's effect on church by Tom Strode Date: January 13, 2015 - Tuesday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court considered Monday (Jan. 12) whether an Arizona town's sign ordinance infringes on a church's free speech and assembly rights. The justices heard oral arguments in an appeal by the pastor of a small Phoenix-area church of a lower-court decision in support of the law, which he contends discriminates against congregations while favoring political and ideological messages. The high court is expected to issue an opinion before it adjourns early this summer. Clyde Reed, pastor of Good News Community Church, challenged a Gilbert, Ariz., code that limits the size of directional signs -- like those for church meetings -- to six square feet and 12 hours for display while permitting far greater sizes and durations of exhibition for political, ideological and home owners' association signs. The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) asserted in a friend-of-the-court brief filed by the Christian Legal Society (CLS) that Gilbert's law is based on a sign's content and therefore abridges the First Amendment's free speech clause. On the day of the arguments, ERLC President Russell Moore warned against government muting of a church's speech. "This case is vitally important," he said in a written statement for Baptist Press. "[It] should mobilize supporters of religious liberty and supporters of free speech to stand together for our First Amendment freedoms." The high court's decision could affect the SBC's church planting efforts, according to the ERLC. Temporary, directional signs often help church starts inform their communities of their presence. Good News Community Church depends on directional signs to inform people of its meetings in a public school. Reed said the signs have been "very, very effective" during the 10 years they have been used. The church averages between 25 to 30 adults and four to 10 children in weekly worship. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld a federal judge's ruling in support of Gilbert, which has a population of more than 200,000. The appeals court ruled the differences in Gilbert's code are neutral regarding content because "none draws distinctions based on the particular content of the sign." Some justices seemed to question the content neutrality of the town's ordinance in the Jan. 12 arguments. Philip Savrin, the lawyer for Gilbert, said the town's liberal provision for ideological signs is based on protection of the "First Amendment right to speak." That is "a content-based rationale," Associate Justice Elena Kagan replied, according to the court's transcript of the arguments. "It's viewpoint neutral, but, you know, it's content-based. ... [I]t is content-based to say what is ideology and what is not." In contrast to Gilbert's restrictions on directional signs for Good News Community Church and others, its code: -- Permits ideological signs to be 20 square feet in size and be exhibited indefinitely. -- Allows political signs to be 32 square feet and be displayed 60 days before an election. -- Authorizes home owners' association signs, which can include directions, to be 80 square feet and be posted 30 days before an event. After the oral arguments, Reed, 82, said he "never dreamed my small church signs would be a topic for the Supreme Court. All we wanted to do was use temporary signs to welcome and invite the community to our Sunday morning services. "This whole experience has been shocking to me -- our signs inviting people to church are very important yet are treated as second-class speech," he said at a news conference outside the court building, according to a transcript. "We aren't asking for special treatment; we just want our town to stop favoring the speech of others over ours. I pray that the Supreme Court will affirm our First Amendment freedoms and uphold our church's and others' free speech rights." David Cortman, who represented Reed before the justices, warned afterward, "No one's speech is safe if the government is allowed to pick free-speech winners and losers based on the types of speech government officials prefer." Cortman, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), expressed faith the Supreme Court's history of protecting free speech means the justices "will not allow the town of Gilbert to continue giving preferential treatment to certain messages while marginalizing others." Before the court, Cortman agreed his argument "does not turn on the fact that it's a church's sign," as Chief Justice John Roberts put it. "[T]he treatment that we're seeking is merely equal treatment under the First Amendment," Cortman told the justices. "[T]he problem we have is -- is should the government be deciding what speech is more valuable than others, because that is exactly what it did in this case," he said. "It has said that, in fact, your speech is not valuable and we can completely ban it." Addressing Cortman, Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy said of the signs, "[U]nder your view, 'Happy birthday, Uncle Fred' and 'Save your soul' and 'Birthplace of James Madison' can all be up for the same length of time, same size." Cortman responded, "I think it can, because otherwise I think we have a problem with content-based discrimination." Associate Justice Stephen Breyer asked Savrin what the argument in the case was about. "Can they put up a big sign, ideological, saying, 'Come to the next service next Tuesday, 4th and H streets, three blocks right and two blocks left?' All right? Or are you saying they can't say, 'Three blocks right and two blocks left?' That's what this argument is about?" Breyer asked. Savrin replied, "That's what it comes down to." Breyer responded, "Well my goodness. I mean, on that, it does sound as if the town is being a little unreasonable, doesn't it?" In addition to the ERLC, among others signing onto the CLS brief were the Anglican Church in North America, Association of Christian Schools International, Christian Medical Association, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Missouri Baptist Convention and its Christian Life Commission also filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case in support of the church. The brief -- authored by Southern Baptist, father-son lawyer team Michael and Jonathan Whitehead -- argues the sign code violates the First Amendment protections of freedom in speech, religion and assembly.