The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-01/29/2015 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Deflate-gate' grips, faith lifts Patriots by Shawn Hendricks Date: January 29, 2015 - Thursday PHOENIX (BP) -- The New England Patriots looked all business as they stepped off the airplane in Phoenix for this weekend's Super Bowl. Sports commentators noted there weren't many smiles coming from a team dogged in recent days by allegations involving under-inflated footballs in their AFC title victory Jan. 18 against the Indianapolis Colts. Though the organization is known for its successes and "business-trip" approach to the big game, players on this season's team shared during Media Day (Jan. 27) how winning is better when kept in proper perspective. On a team from the Northeast, outside the Bible Belt, where there are few evangelical churches, there seems to be a solid group of Patriot players who don't shy away from sharing about their Christian faith. Special-teams star Matthew Slater is one of those players. To a crowd of reporters at the US Airways Center, Slater acknowledged the recent controversy and negative media attention was "unfortunate." But he noted his faith helps him keep a positive outlook. Slater said he feels blessed to have played in the NFL for the Patriots the last seven seasons. "Football is temporary," he said. "It's going to be over for all of us at some point. But I think when you look at a relationship with Jesus you understand you're living for eternity and if you can't get excited about that, I don't know what you can get excited about." The four-time Pro Bowler, known for his exceptional ability to chase down punt returners, said in the NFL there are a lot of positive stories and "a lot of good men that are living for eternity ... and [we're] just gonna keep fighting the good fight one step at a time, one day at a time." Patriot defensive lineman and 11-year veteran Vince Wilfork made headlines as a "Good Samaritan" Jan. 19 for helping rescue a 38-year-old woman who rolled her Jeep Wrangler in Foxboro. The accident happened only hours after Wilfork helped the Patriots win the AFC title, the Boston Herald reported. "You treat people the way you want to be treated," Wilfork told reporters on Media Day. "I don't think you should get rewarded for it. I was taught all along to treat people how you would want to be treated and everything would be good. My parents taught me well. In a separate press conference Jan. 28, Wilfork spoke about his faith and family by crediting both with helping him get to where he is today. "That's one of the things that I always lean on when things get rough, when things get tired," the five-time Pro Bowler said. "... My family and faith, I would take it over football any day. ... Without them, I wouldn't be who I am and I understand that and I cherish those moments with my family and my faith and my friends. I cherish all of that." Devin McCourty, the Patriot's starting free safety, said striving to be "rooted" in God's Word and his Christian faith gives him a "great foundation" to lean on daily. Playing in the NFL or in a Super Bowl shouldn't define a person, he said. McCourty has played for the Patriots the last five seasons and was named to the 2011 Pro Bowl team. This season he's made 68 tackles and intercepted two passes. "I don't really think anything in this game we do defines who we are as people," he said. "It's a blessing.... It's a great opportunity ... [to] take advantage of the opportunity but still know who you are as a person." McCourty spoke fondly of the team's new chaplain, Jack Easterby, and said he counsels players to live in a way where people can see "God all over you." Duron Harmon, a defensive back for the past two seasons with the Patriots, referred to Christ as his "everything" and his "rock." "A lot of people get [their priorities] mixed up, they try to put football first," Harmon told reporters. "But you gotta remember that football is nothing more than a game. It's a game that God blesses us with to use ... for His glory and His work." Kickoff for the Super Bowl, Sunday, Feb. 1, is slated for 6:30 p.m. Eastern from the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The game will be telecast on NBC. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE SEMINARIES: MBTS hosts Dockery; SEBTS, Derek Hicks; SWBTS, R. Albert Mohler Jr. by Staff Date: January 29, 2015 - Thursday EDITOR'S NOTE: "From the Seminaries" includes news releases of interest from Southern Baptist seminaries. Dockery, at MBTS, examines the state of evangelicalism By T. Patrick Hudson KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MBTS) -- Christian university leader David Dockery spoke on "Evangelicalism: Past, Present, and Future" at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in a mid-January address. Dockery, president of Trinity International University in Deerfield, Ill., is the former president of Baptist-affiliated Union University in Jackson, Tenn. Midwestern President Jason Allen underscored Dockery's standing to address the topic. "At Midwestern Seminary, our goal is to train pastors and ministry leaders on a number of topics that will benefit them well into their ministries," Allen said. "The topic of the state of evangelicalism is one such critical issue in America, and I can think of no one I would respect more to address it. Dr. Dockery brings a wealth of knowledge and experience about the topic, and he is one of the most respected men in theological education -- both within the Southern Baptist Convention and broader evangelical world." In the address, Dockery said the best way to understand evangelicalism is as a large "umbrella group" that includes many sub-movements and thousands of para-church organizations. Among denominations, Dockery said, citing Princeton sociologist of religion Robert Wuthnow as a source, "A major shift in the structure of American religion had taken place by the end of the 20th century; a shift now best understood in terms of the commonality held across the historic denominational lines rather than within traditional denominational structures. Every major denomination now has its own renewal evangelical movements." From the perspective of Southern Baptists, Dockery noted it is best to think of them as "denominational evangelicals." Dockery further defined evangelicalism, from a historical and biblical standpoint, as having basic beliefs centered in and grounded in Jesus Christ. Evangelicals see the core of the Christian faith in such doctrines as the Trinitarian God; salvation by grace through faith; the need for personal conversion; and truths made known in a fully truthful and authoritative Bible. "Evangelicals believe that salvation is by God's grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ," Dockery said. "By grace believers are saved, kept and empowered to live a life of service. It is the affirmation of and genuine commitment to the central beliefs of historic orthodox Christianity, as these beliefs have been courageously retained in various eras and contexts...." In the 21st century, evangelicalism is anything but a unified, flourishing movement in North America, Dockery said. At the same time, he said, "It must be noted that evangelicalism is not necessarily dying in America. It is alive and well, but alive and well in an intercultural context." Expounding further, Dockery said evangelicalism is rapidly growing in ethnic minority churches, yet declining in traditionally white congregations. He said it is important to take heart in recognizing the rapidly changing demographic patterns in America, coupled with Christianity's expanding global context. "Evangelicalism today has recaptured the importance of local churches, but often more so across denominations and within cooperating networks, rather than within the denominations themselves," Dockery said. "Evangelicals and evangelical denominations that thrive must remain connected to their heritage and tradition, while exploring and working together in rapidly changing demographic settings as well as a new global context -- working cooperatively in a renewed way with these various networks and special purpose groups." He said such groups include Youth for Christ, World Vision, Campus Crusade, the Navigators, Prison Fellowship, Christianity Today, InterVarsity, Wycliffe Bible Translators and others. Several challenges facing evangelicalism, Dockery said, include recognizing that the actual number of evangelicals in America is less than previously thought. Thus, the unity of evangelicals is extremely important, he said. "Being aware that our unity, or perceived unity, is threatened by politics, key doctrinal differences, a variety of approaches to church and worship, methods of ministry, and diverse opinions on ethical and social issues is essential for our own self-awareness, not to mention for efforts related to missional and ministry collaboration." Other challenges noted by Dockery are the rise of secularization; a growing interest in a vast and amorphous spirituality, a new atheism and the rise of the "nones," all of which were shaped by and within a postmodern culture. Additionally, key leaders of the past generation who shaped evangelicalism have passed away or are retiring from ministry. These issues, whether as a result or coincidentally, have led evangelicals to be seemingly adrift, Dockery said. Of these challenges, Dockery suggested, "What is needed now is a recognition that North American and European evangelicalism has been weakened in large sectors of the church and is under assault in our secular culture, experiencing what John Dickerson has called 'the great evangelical recession.'" Looking to the future of evangelicalism, Dockery stated, "We must realize our struggles are not with or against fellow Christ-followers, but against the expansion of unbelief in our secularized culture. At stake is the unity and mission of the Christian movement as well as the bedrock issues of the Christian faith. "What is needed is biblical orthodoxy, a historic Christianity, a faithful intercultural, intergenerational, transcontinental, transdenominational evangelicalism, which stands or falls on first-order issues like the Holy Trinity, the deity and humanity of Christ, the uniqueness of the Gospel message, the divine inspiration and authority of God's written Word, and salvation by faith alone...." Dockery added that evangelicals must, once again, take seriously the biblical call to unity portrayed in John 17 and Ephesians 4. He cautioned, however, that evangelicalism must not move, even unintentionally, in the direction of an unhealthy inclusivism or heterodoxical universalism. There is a need for evangelicals to "hold together the priority of evangelism and the need for social justice, a vision for global missions and intercultural and missional service," Dockery said. "We need to understand who we are as evangelicals to recognize afresh the movements that have shaped us.... We need a new spirit of mutual respect and humility to serve together with those whom we have differences of conviction and opinion…," Dockery said. "Let us ask God to grant us a renewed commitment to the Gospel, to the church, to the truthfulness of Holy Scripture and transformed living that will help to extend the gospel around the globe while bringing renewal to the church of Jesus Christ for the glory of our great and majestic God." Following the Jan. 14 address, Dockery joined Allen, Jason Duesing, Midwestern's provost, and John Mark Yeats, the seminary's undergraduate dean, for further dialogue on the topic of evangelicalism. To view the panel discussion in full, visit http://jasonkallen.com/2015/01/video-dr-dockery-luncheon. To view Dockery's address in full, visit http://www.mbts.edu/video-speaker/dr-david-dockery. SEBTS lecturer examines North American Christianity WAKE FOREST, N.C. (SEBTS) -- Derek Hicks, assistant professor of religion and culture at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., was the 2014 Page Lecture guest speaker at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary last fall. Hicks, who researches and teaches in the area of African American religion, is the author of "Reclaiming Spirit in the Black Faith Tradition" and a contributor to several other works. The Page Lectures bring key theologians to campus to deliver two lectures on a subject of concern to the Christian community. Hicks' first lecture was titled "A Reclaiming Past: Considering the Historical 'Others' in the North American Christian Tradition." He presented two statements from others that were influential on his Christian faith: "My faith is stronger today in the loss of my first son than it ever has been" and "You seem smart, why are you a Christian?" "My faith perspective was a bit deeper than I had initially given it credit," Hicks said. "It was more complex and messier than what I had initially thought. This ultimately caused me to ask several questions of my own." He explored the reality of why so many African Americans chose to convert to Christianity throughout a history of hardship. The faith that Hicks' forefathers possessed impacted his life. He was raised in the church and baptized at the age of 7. Oral traditions passed down by his grandmother were especially influential. "She knew firsthand how faith in God would overcome anything," Hicks said. "African Americans have articulated ... a reclaiming spirit, a spirit that governs the nature of their Christian expression for those who have had to endure this world as others." He believes that African Americans had an ability to seek something good out of the bad. They "sanitized a soiled form of Christianity so they might be transformed, so they might be seen [as] new creatures not simply in terms of sin nature but also as whole people in God's sight," he said. Hicks pointed out that "by cleaning up Christianity, they were able to draw upon its cleansing properties to present their lives anew." "Cleansed, healed and empowered by the blood," he emphasized. "The resulting nature of this faith tradition gives hope to the others and is articulated in the words of Jesus Himself, the one who is most worthy to be emulated in African American tradition. "Black faith has traditionally been an active expression, a liberating posture, one that takes this Christ-event and makes it live, alive in these experiences through what I call reclamation," Hicks said. In the following lecture, titled "The Gumbo Pot: Theological Education as a Complex Brew," Hicks focused on how these topics relate to academics. The two questions he highlighted were "why study African American Christianity?" and "but were they saved?" Using the metaphor of a "melting pot" and gumbo stew, Hicks said there is one "folk" represented in a melting pot. "I am more of a gumbo man," Hicks said. "This is not a neat or tidy dish, thus it is not a melting pot. Gumbo is a complex brew of flavors oddly coming together to form an exquisite experience of taste. Gumbo is cultural to be sure. ... It exhibits colorful expressions of a given community. Gumbo binds a community and it is tied to a general posture of fellowship and cooperation." A lack of contact and fellowship in a community will lead to fear and hatred among people, Hicks said, voicing a view of Christ that calls Christians to have a moral responsibility to embrace inclusion and selflessness. Hicks called for theological education to promote deliberate dialogue concerning diversity and to recruit and retain diverse faculty, students and staff. Theological education also should alter structures to help those from underrepresented backgrounds and to strengthen preparation in the classroom for global citizenship. Underscoring the value of diversity to the audience, he said a melting pot "is not inherently a bad thing. I just prefer the flavors, the distinctiveness and the complexity that comes with the gumbo pot. If not for the gumbo pot I would not have some enduring friendships both on the right and left that catapulted me to where I am today." To watch the Nov. 4-5 lectures online, please click here. http://multimedia.sebts.edu// To view photos from chapel, please click here. https://www.flickr.com/photos/southeastern/sets/72157646288323930/ Mohler, at SWBTS, reflects on "If the world hates you" FORT WORTH, Texas (SWBTS) -- R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., underscored the words, "If the world hates you" in a chapel message from John 15:18-27 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. In today's world, Mohler said, "We read the text in a different way than we have before. "When I was a boy reading the text, 'If the world hates you,' I was reminded of the fact that there were places in the world where people hated Christians. Awful things have been done to Christians. Christians have been martyred for their faith," Mohler said. "But as I am now looking at the world ... with honest eyes looking ahead, I recognize that this text is not just for some Christians in some places, and it should have never been read that way. This is Jesus talking to His disciples about the permanent condition of confessing conventional Christianity." Mohler warned that the collision between American culture and the Gospel is not just something that will happen in the future but is already here. Unless there is an overwhelming turning in the culture, he said the reality is: "The rest of your lives, the rest of your ministries are going to be spent in a context in which John 15 is going to be very clearly on your mind. Not because you're going to remember merely your morning devotionals, but because you're going to be reminded of them by the world that faces you 24/7." In a secular culture where many consider Christians to be immoral, and there is nothing to be learned from their faith, Christians will learn whether they can be faithful to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "This is where we come to John 15 and we say, we are not up to this. And I want to look at you and tell you -- you guys look great, but you're not up to this. You're in the right, wonderful, God-given place to study, but this seminary is not going to make you up to this. My seminary cannot make its students up to this. Your Sunday School teacher can't, your preacher can't, no one can." Mohler concluded his Nov. 13 message with a reminder of the Great Commission, saying, "Jesus did not say the world is going to hate you, so hide." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ala. judges may issue gay marriage licenses by Staff Date: January 29, 2015 - Thursday MOBILE, Ala. (BP) -- A key judicial organization in Alabama said Wednesday (Jan. 28) that it believes a federal judge's ruling striking down the state's gay marriage ban could soon require probate judges to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Following U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade's Jan. 23 ruling that the "Sanctity of Marriage Amendment" to Alabama's constitution violates the federal constitution, the Alabama Probate Judges Association issued a statement claiming the ruling only applied to "parties in the case" and did not require its members to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. But a clarification issued by Granade Jan. 28 led the judges' organization to change its mind. President Greg Norris said in a statement that the association now believes its members could be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples Feb. 9, when a stay of Granade's ruling to allow time for an appeal expires. "It is the opinion of the association, on the advice of legal counsel, that until the stay is lifted, probate judges cannot issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples," Norris, probate judge in Monroe County between Montgomery and Mobile, said. "However, on the occasion that the stay is lifted, same-sex couples may apply for marriage licenses." Granade's clarification recounted the Alabama Probate Judges Association's initial denial that judges would be required to sanction homosexual marriages and then noted, "Because the court has entered a stay of the Judgment in this case, neither the named Defendant [Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange], nor the Probate Courts in Alabama are currently required to follow or uphold the Judgment. "However, if the stay is lifted, the Judgment in this case makes it clear that the Sanctity of Marriage Amendment and the Alabama Marriage Protection Act "are unconstitutional because they violate the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment," Granade wrote. In related news, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore sent a letter to Gov. Robert Bentley Jan. 27 stating that Moore would "continue to recognize the Alabama Constitution and the will of the people overwhelmingly expressed in the Sanctity of Marriage Amendment." Moore added that "nothing in the United States Constitution grants the federal government the authority to redefine the institution of marriage," according to a report on al.com. Moore noted at the end of his letter to Bentley, "I ask you to continue to uphold and support the Alabama Constitution with respect to marriage, both for the welfare of this state and for our posterity. Be advised that I stand with you to stop judicial tyranny and any unlawful opinions issued without constitutional authority." Bentley issued a statement expressing his support of the marriage amendment. "The people of Alabama voted in a constitutional amendment to define marriage as being between man and woman," Bentley said. "As governor, I must uphold the Constitution. I am disappointed in Friday's ruling, and I will continue to oppose this ruling. The Federal government must not infringe on the rights of states." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bible Study: February 1, 2015 by Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: January 29, 2015 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from The Gospel Project curriculum. Bible Passage: 2 Timothy 1:8-14 Discussion Questions: How would you describe your calling through the Gospel to service and mission? How do you think God has gifted you to give glory to Him in your service to others? Food for Thought: The Gospel that saves us is the Gospel that leads us to mission. How would you describe the essence of the Christian life? If you look at a wide swath of churches, you might assume it is all about worship music, sermons, big buildings, writing books, staying away from sin, caring for the poor, blogging, or wearing goofy Christian-themed t-shirts (not that there is anything wrong with that). But how does the Bible describe the essence of Christianity? Paul would likely say that the essence of the Christian life is mission. Everyone who is saved by Jesus Christ is called to be on mission with Jesus Christ and for Jesus Christ. Though Paul was referring to his own specific calling in 2 Timothy 1:11, the calling of every believer is essentially the same -- first to salvation and also to service. The majority of Christians are not called to be preachers in the sense of vocationally pastoring a church, but all Christians are called to be people who proclaim the Good News of the King. Our identity in Christ is a missionary identity. God doesn't save us so we can simply sit and watch the Sunday show while calling it church. God saves us from something (sin), to someone (God), and for something (mission). God saves us from sin and for mission based on our new identity as a child of God; therefore, we take on the nature of our missionary God. Mission is who we are, and it is also what we do. As heirs of God, we are deployed as part of the family business just as the Father sent the Son on His mission (John 17:14-18; 20:21). The Gospel Project The Gospel Project is a Christ-centered curriculum that examines the grand narrative of Scripture and how the Gospel transforms the lives of those it touches. Through a three-year study plan, participants are immersed in the Gospel through stories, theological concepts, and calls to missions from Genesis to Revelation. Separate study plans for kids and students/adults ensure the proper focus and depth. The Gospel Project is designed to unify an entire church under a single Christ-centered curriculum. More information, free samples, and The Gospel Project blog can be found at gospelproject.com. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Pop Up Church' aims to reach millennials by Shawn Hendricks Date: January 29, 2015 - Thursday PHOENIX (BP) -- At Fair Trade Cafe in downtown Phoenix, where Super Bowl excitement continues to build, the big game seemed to be the last thing on Jim Helman's mind. Customers sipped their espressos and chatted at the popular coffee shop earlier this week while Helman and a few fellow Christians had something else brewing just outside in the open courtyard. At a glance, one might think the band warming up was preparing to merely entertain customers. But a closer look and listen revealed a Sunday evening church service was about to, as Helman would say, "pop up." Helman, pastor of Downtown Phoenix Church (also called DTPHX Church), says instead of waiting for people to come to them, "Pop Up Church" helps believers take the Gospel to the community. But Helman described the unconventional method as anything but spontaneous. "I get real nervous," he said. "I come down here two hours before we start largely because I want to make sure everything is gonna work right because of technology." Since April 2014, Helman has led the church with a focus on reaching the city's millennial crowd -- those born in the '80s and '90s -- and others he refers to as the "nones" and "dones" (those who don't claim any particular faith or have quit going to church). Helman and his wife Colleen, who live in an apartment downtown, both have a heart for the people in the area. Prior to planting the church, Helman had served as a worship pastor at North Phoenix Baptist Church for more than 30 years. Though the "empty nesters" initially considered international mission work a few years ago, Helman said they saw God opening doors for ministry in their home city. In an increasingly post-Christian culture, Helman said, church buildings and typical approaches to worship are not attracting many young adults in the downtown Phoenix area. "They don't think about going to church on Sunday morning any more than you and I think about going to bingo on Friday nights," Helman said. "It's just not on the radar, so rather than trying to be separate from all of that, we try to be a part of that. But ... if you come in with some kind of agenda, they'll be able to tell right away." The church tries to keep it simple, he said, with a focus on building relationships within one square mile of the downtown area. Then through those relationships, the church utilizes spaces that are already being used in the community. Pop Up Church typically meets every other week, usually the second and fourth weekends, and then uses the other two weekends to serve in the area. One week the church might meet at a coffee shop, park or even a jazz club. The next week the church could be handing out sandwiches to those in need. The church also is heavily involved with ministering to students at Arizona State University's downtown campus. Those who attend regularly can follow the church through its website and app. "We don't have a building, we have an app," Helman joked. But he was only half-joking. Building real friendships is critical to Pop Up Church, he said. It's about "coming alongside [locals] and supporting a lot of the great things they do ... especially in a thriving area like the downtown area and then just being a part of their lives first." The partnership with Fair Trade Cafe started through simple conversations and acts of service. Helman helped the owner repair her chairs and offered suggestions on improving the cafe's lighting. But relationships and ministry take time to develop, he said. "Then you earn the right to say something about your faith," he said. "You earn the right to have a conversation about their faith and take it from there." Rob Payne, the full-time worship leader at North Phoenix Baptist Church, helps lead worship for DTPHX Church and worked with Helman for 16 years when he was at North Phoenix. Payne said the church's approach stirs conversations about faith among those who typically wouldn't want to talk about religion. "It's an artsy ... philosophical conversation that they're looking to have, much deeper conversation," he said. "They're not so interested in the Super Bowl. They're more interested in what's the new art-house film coming out." Curiosity often draws people to listen in on an evening service, Helman said. An average service can attract 20 or more people, depending on how many are already at that particular venue. A service can consist of praise music, a panel or guest speaker or a video. And Helman seems to enjoy pointing out that the service's music lyrics can be accessed through the church app. And lives are being impacted. Since its start, the church has baptized three people in a pool on the roof of Helman's downtown apartment complex. But taking the church to the people has its logistical challenges or "messy church" moments, Helman said. One example includes the praise team being asked on occasion to turn down the volume. But utilizing occupied spaces is far more affordable, he said, than the cost that comes with renting and maintaining a building. And all of the church's equipment fits easily in the back of his pick-up truck. Helman also is thankful for his wife Colleen's support and the help she and other area friends and partners who attend and help make the church's ministry possible. DTPHX Church draws financial support from the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board and a group of partnering churches that include its sponsoring church, First Southern Baptist Church of Phoenix, and North Phoenix Baptist Church. Payne's wife Monna, who helps lead worship with her husband Rob, said the beauty of DTPHX Church is that it helps her do the everyday ministry she believes all Christians are called to do. "This is not just this little meeting that we have," she said. "As members of this community we're all really tasked with ... wherever you are, you are a minister for Christ and you are sharing God's love in the heart of your city, whether it's at your coffee shop ... or it's ministering down at ASU and making sure you are there for students.... "That's our job." Helman hopes other "empty nesters" will get involved in similar types of church planting. "Colleen and I are having the time of our lives," he said. "We really are. I couldn't have done it when I was a younger man because I wouldn't have had the patience." For more information about DTPHX Church, go to http://www.dtphxchurch.com/. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Harp's 'angel music' reaches autistic youth by Erin Roach Date: January 29, 2015 - Thursday JONESBORO, Ark. (BP) -- Vivian Hardin, an 18-year-old with autism, was sitting in the balcony at First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Ark., when church member Pat Qualls played the harp during a worship service. Hardin, in awe, whispered to her mother, "angel music." After the service, Hardin's mother introduced her to Qualls and let her look at the harp. The girl indicated she would love to learn to play. God impressed on Qualls' heart in the weeks to follow that she needed to teach Hardin to play the harp, and she shared the thought with the girl's mother, Teresa Hardin. "Tears started rolling down [Teresa Hardin's] face," Qualls told SBC LIFE, and the mother said she had been praying for something special to interest her daughter. "She is nonverbal," Qualls said of Vivian Hardin, "so I had to be real creative, mostly show and tell." After a year of lessons, the autistic teen showed remarkable progress. "She has an identity in the community. She plays all around town," Qualls said. "She has a goal in life now. Before she started playing the harp, when company would come [to her home] she would retreat to the library. After she learned to play the harp, when people would come in, she would say, 'Hi. I'm Vivian. Who are you? I can play the harp. Would you like to hear me play the harp?' It has increased her social and verbal skills." Hardin's success inspired Qualls, a retired high school choir director and piano teacher, to start an annual musical presentation featuring special needs students. She began five years ago with four students, and this past spring more than 80 special needs musicians showcased their talent in a performance hall on the campus of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. Some of the presenters are autistic or blind; have cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or multiple sclerosis; or struggle with various emotional or mental illnesses or disorders. Qualls considers the program a Special Olympics for the arts. Most of the presenters are part of the Overcomers choir, a ministry of Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro. The church has had a vibrant special needs ministry for about 30 years, and a few years ago Qualls visited their Sunday morning gathering. "I sat in that service all emotional because I was so moved by them and what they were doing," Qualls said, recounting that the group sang choruses and heard a sermon. In addition to inviting the group to sing in her annual music program, Qualls volunteered to start the Overcomers choir at the church. About 30 special needs singers took her up on the offer right away, so Qualls enlisted the help of former student Lynn Williams. The two now co-direct the choir of about 50 members. "It's incredible what that choir has done," Qualls said. "They've traveled all over Arkansas, and they've probably done 20 or 30 performances, and they have been a role model and encouragement for other churches to start a special needs ministry." Success stories from the choir abound. One autistic girl named Sharon had multiple strokes when she was born, leaving her with a muscle disorder, Qualls said. "This is what music can do and how it can draw you in: When we first started, Sharon would always sit at the back of the room and never interacted," Qualls said. Slowly, Sharon began to talk with other choir members, and now she sits at the front of the room. "She's a lot more social," Qualls said. Sharon recently returned from a trip to Kansas where she and some others from Central Baptist attended a conference to learn how to advocate on behalf of people with special needs. Another choir member, Carol, has an exceptional singing voice, Qualls said. The Overcomers choir gives its members an opportunity to win scholarships sponsored by individuals and organizations in the community, and Qualls urged Carol to apply for a vocal scholarship. "She got a scholarship, and I can't tell you what that's done for her self-esteem and for her self-confidence," Qualls said. "She's doing really well." Carol told Qualls she enjoys the Overcomers choir because she feels like she is giving something back to people who have invested in her. About 20 percent of Americans struggle with some type of mental, emotional or physical special need, Qualls said, so any church in any community could start a similar ministry by identifying people with special needs and nurturing their talent. "Music can produce positive effects in the life of a special needs person that medicine cannot," Qualls said, adding that even for those who are not musically inclined, music is soothing. Teresa Hardin said the music program increases awareness of the worth of all human beings. "We believe every person leaves the [annual music] program with a better knowledge of how creative and wonderful each of us are, disability or not," she said. "No one should be taken for granted. We all have something to offer."