The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-02/03/2015 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- CP 3.25% ahead of projection by Staff Date: February 03, 2015 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist Convention national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee are 3.25 percent above the year-to-date budgeted projection, and are 4.97 percent above contributions received during the same time frame last year, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and Chief Executive Officer Frank S. Page. The total includes receipts from state conventions and fellowships, churches and individuals for distribution according to the 2014-15 SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. As of January 31, gifts received by the Executive Committee for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget totaled $64,702,035.77, or 103.25 percent of the $62,666,666.67 year-to-date budgeted amount to support Southern Baptist Convention ministries globally and across North America. The total is $3,066,250.90 more than the $61,635,784.87 received through the end of January 2014. The Convention-adopted budget is distributed 50.41 percent to international missions through IMB, 22.79 percent to North American missions through NAMB, 22.16 percent to theological education, 2.99 percent to the SBC operating budget, and 1.65 percent to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. In accordance with their Convention-assigned ministry responsibilities, IMB reported supporting more than 4,800 fully-funded overseas missionaries who, in conjunction with their work with national partners, reported nearly 6,200 new churches and more than 114,000 baptisms; NAMB reported more than 2,600 fully-funded, jointly-funded and student missionaries and 936 new churches planted; the seminary presidents reported more than 19,000 students enrolled for ministerial training through the Convention’s six seminaries; and ERLC actively engaged hundreds of pastors, churches, elected officials and the courts and more than 1,200 “strategic media contacts” on numerous issues of biblical ethics, public policy and religious liberty, according to the 2014 SBC Book of Reports. According to the budget adopted by the SBC at its June 2014 annual meeting in Baltimore, if the Convention exceeds its annual budget goal of $188 million dollars, IMB’s share will go to 51 percent of any overage in Cooperative Program allocation budget receipts. Other ministry entities of the SBC will receive their adopted percentage amounts and the SBC operating budget’s portion will be reduced to 2.4 percent of any overage. Designated giving of $39,448,889.72 for the same year-to-date period is 6.31 percent, or $2,343,218.34, above gifts of $37,105,671.38 received at this point last year. This total includes only those gifts received and distributed by the Executive Committee and does not reflect designated gifts contributed directly to SBC entities. The Cooperative Program is a program of giving through which a local church is able to contribute to the various ministries of its state convention and to the various missions and ministries of the Southern Baptist Convention with a single contribution. January's CP allocation receipts for SBC work totaled $19,508,055.06. Designated gifts received last month, meanwhile, amounted to $27,967,681.81. State and regional Baptist conventions serve as collecting entities for Cooperative Program contributions. They retain a portion of church contributions to the Cooperative Program to support work in their respective areas and forward a percentage to Southern Baptist Convention national and international causes. The percentage of distribution from the states is at the discretion of the messengers of each state convention through the adoption of the state convention's annual budget. CP allocation budget receipts received by the Executive Committee are reported monthly to the executives of the entities of the convention, to the state offices, to the denominational papers and are posted online at www.cpmissions.net/CPReports. The end-of-month total represents money received by the Executive Committee by the close of the last business day of each month. Month-to-month swings reflect a number of factors, including the number of Sundays in a given month, the day of the month churches forward their CP contributions to their state conventions and the timing of when state conventions forward the national portion of their CP contributions to the Executive Committee. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Pastor finds 'strength in numbers' through CP by Karen L. Willoughby Date: February 03, 2015 - Tuesday EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of a cutline showing Lenard Tavernelli and his family misidentified him. It has been corrected. KENOSHA, Wisc. (BP) –- It was all there in the church constitution, Lenard Tavernelli realized when he became pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Kenosha, Wisc., in October, 2013. He didn't have to start something new, but just lead the congregation to regain and fulfill its purpose and mission. Detailed in its constitution are five components of Christian health: celebrating, community, character-building, caring and communicating. "When I first came up from Chicago … to meet with the church, I could feel God's love among the people," Tavernelli said of the church on the southwest shore of Lake Michigan. "You could sense the heart among them to be the church, really grow in the way God would have them to, and a genuine desire to serve their community." Members also had a heart to reach out to the ends of the earth, Tavernelli said. "In Philippians 1:5 the Apostle Paul tells the Philippians how thankful he is 'for your partnership in the Gospel,'" he said. "The Church has always been partnering together for the sake of the Gospel. We think the Cooperative Program is perhaps the best way going for that cooperation." Fellowship Baptist Church attracts about 100 people for worship on Sundays. For many years it has given 11 percent of its undesignated offerings to missions through the Cooperative Program, the way Southern Baptist churches support the missions and ministries of state conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention. "There's strength in numbers and there's also a God-glorifying unity that the church is called to," he said. "We're not just called to it; we have it. We just need to maintain the unity of the Spirit." Tavernelli said he wasn't even a Southern Baptist when he first went to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2004. But the first day of orientation, the entire incoming class sat in the seminary chapel for eight hours, learning about the history, purpose and effectiveness of the Cooperative Program. Shortly thereafter, he found a Southern Baptist church home. "Jesus calls us in Matthew 28 to go into all the world and make disciples," Tavernelli said. "We as the church –- one of three Southern Baptist churches in Kenosha city limits -– can't do that alone. We can't even disciple all of America, let alone the entire world, where nearly 5,000 IMB missionaries are serving. "We're called to fulfill the Great Commission, in the spirit of the Great Commandment. The Cooperative Program helps us do that." To bring missions through the Cooperative Program to life among the congregation, Tavernelli hosts Sunday morning Skype video calls to various IMB personnel serving in restricted geographical areas. "The church from what I hear has always had a heart for international missions," he said. "They've told me how much they enjoyed talking with the missionaries, and some of the missionaries have sent prayer cards." The Kenosha church's missions involvement starts locally. Members prepare a hot evening meal for up to 200 people three to five times a month, and take it to the Shalom community ministry center. The church is well known in the community for the 200 Thanksgiving food baskets it gives to those in need. Every other Saturday during the school year, church members serve breakfast at a local school as part of the Frank Neighborhood Project's Christian-based "Breakfast and [basketball] Hoops." The church fulfills its constitutional components of a healthy church through worship, Bible study, discipleship, benevolence, evangelism and missions. Much of Tavernelli's time is spent discipling others, he said. He saw the benefit of discipleship while serving as a Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) leader in college. Those he discipled grew in faith and began discipling others. "When I look for someone to disciple I look for three things: someone faithful, available and teachable," Tavenelli said. Currently with the help of his wife Angela, he's discipling four men and three women. "I'm working now with seven people: two groups of two men each, because I want them to have each other to lean on, not just me," he said. "My goal is to see everyone growing in godliness and living to glorify God. The mission of the church is to know Jesus, serve Jesus and share Jesus." He wants the congregation "grounded in the Word of God and good doctrine, and seeing that translated into changed, fruitful lives," Tavernelli said. "It's all about making Jesus Christ known, and loving Him and treasuring Him. That is where my heart is for the church and throughout the world." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Crosse brings 'award-winning' skills to Ark. church by Lynn Kutter/Arkansas Baptist News Date: February 03, 2015 - Tuesday BENTONVILLE, Ark. (BP) -- Few churches in Arkansas -- and in the entire Southern Baptist Convention for that matter -- gather for worship led by an award-winning Christian music artist. But it happens every week at First Baptist Church in Bentonville. Christian musician Clay Crosse, 47, is a four-time Dove Award winner (including Best New Artist of the Year in 1995) with nine No. 1 songs and is an author of three books. He has been serving for more than a year as full-time worship pastor at First Baptist, Bentonville, which is located near Bentonville's downtown square. "It's pretty cool how God has opened different doors for me," Crosse said. Crosse's last full-time job before becoming a Christian music sensation was with Federal Express more than 20 years ago. He sang on the weekends, waiting to get his first break. When it finally happened, Crosse left Federal Express at age 20 to go on the road with Twila Paris. At first, he sang and that's all he wanted to do. Over time, he became comfortable playing guitar and leading others in worship. He began to speak around the country, and his wife Renee joined him in marriage enrichment seminars. Crosse's ministry in marriage enrichment came as the result of a confession he made to his wife in 1998. He confessed that pornography had been an issue in his life, and he did not want it in his life anymore. "I asked her to forgive me and she has been gracious and very loving and very patient to walk with me, and we've seen victory and we've seen amazing things come out of our lives because of that moment of confession," Crosse said. The couple has been married for 24 years, and through their struggles and victories, they started Holy Homes ministry. Crosse came to First Baptist, Bentonville, from Faith Baptist Church in Arlington, Tenn., where he served as part-time music minister. "I had led in other churches before that, but these were basically part-time positions," he said. "I continued to travel on the road. My full-time job was out on the road, singing and leading marriage enrichment events." In Bentonville, his full-time job is with the church, but he's still allowed a certain number of weekends to give concerts or lead marriage enrichment workshops. Jenny Sorey, who sings in First Baptist's adult choir and band, said she was not apprehensive but had questions when Clay Crosse first started visiting the church. "I'm at an age where I know Clay Crosse as Clay Crosse," she said, admitting she wondered how someone like him could come out of the spotlight and into a full-time position at a church. But having him as worship pastor has been wonderful, she said. "He truly loves the Lord and in a real sense," she said. "As far as his heart, it's so genuine." She noted, "He's also very good at what he does, and he wants excellence." Crosse said one thing he enjoys about full-time church ministry is the opportunity to develop relationships. During his years of traveling, he would go into a city, perform a concert and leave immediately. "I never really got to engage with people with much of a relationship experience," he said. "Serving in a local church is the opposite. I'm basically living with these people as far as I see them every week and we are truly friends." Randy Cameron, pastor of church growth at First Baptist, said the church has been blessed to have Crosse and his family in Bentonville. "First and foremost, he is a man who walks intimately with the Lord," Cameron said. "God has blessed him with certain talents, and he feels called to use those talents at FBC, and that's been great." Cameron describes Crosse as a "humble guy," noting people from outside First Baptist may see him as Clay Crosse the performer, but to those in the church, "he's just a guy who loves the Lord and this is a different part of his journey." Worship in church has changed tremendously during the past 20 years, and Crosse said he enjoys modern music but also enjoys harkening back to older songs, using both in the context of a worship service at First Baptist. It's not easy, he admits, because people are used to years of doing church music a certain way and find it hard to even imagine doing it a different way. He believes, though, it is going in a great direction. Music can draw people to Christ, Crosse said. "It's incredible and powerful!" he exclaimed. -------------------------------------------------------------------- SBC DIGEST: New D.C. convention exec; Ouachita VP to lead Ark. higher ed; Children's Ministry Day by Staff Date: February 03, 2015 - Tuesday Robert Cochran to lead DCBC convention WASHINGTON (BP) -- Robert Cochran, a 20-year staff member of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention, has been elected as the new executive director/minister of the 155-church convention aligned with American Baptist Churches USA, the Progressive National Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention. Cochran, 60, the DCBC's associate executive director, will succeed Ricky Creech, who led the convention from 2011-14. Cochran was elected by the DCBC board of directors during a special called meeting Jan. 15 and will begin his new duties in mid-February. Cochran joined the DCBC staff under appointment by the SBC's former Home Mission Board (now North American Mission Board) as director of missions/evangelism. The Cochrans previously served as missionaries in Europe under the former Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board). He served as a theological education coordinator and general evangelist/pastor based in Belgium. A native of Baytown, Texas, Cochran holds Ph.D. and M.Div. degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and an undergraduate degree from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas. Search committee chairman James Tiefel, pastor of First Baptist Church of Camp Springs, Md., said in a DCBC news release Jan. 28, "Following an extensive nationwide search, God ultimately led us to one of our own. Having worked with this convention for 20 years, Dr. Cochran brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of our churches and our challenges. We are looking forward to what God has in store for DCBC through Dr. Cochran's leadership." According to the DCBC news release, Cochran's work over the years, in addition to the convention's churches and leaders, has involved denominational partners, church revitalization and church planting, immigrant congregations, mentoring for former prisoners, disaster relief, community groups and mission projects in Haiti and elsewhere. Cochran has served on various Baptist World Alliance committees and currently is the treasurer of the BWA's North American Baptist Fellowship. Creech, the former DCBC exec who previously was a director of missions in Birmingham, Ala., became president of Buckhorn Children & Family Services in Buckhorn, Ky., in November. Ouachita VP to lead Ark. Dept. of Higher Education By Trennis Henderson ARKADELPHIA, Ark. (BP) -- Brett Powell, Ouachita Baptist University's vice president for administrative services, has been named director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education effective Feb. 9. Powell, 47, was selected for the statewide post Jan. 30 by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board. As a member of the governor's cabinet, he will serve as an advocate for higher education. He succeeds Shane Broadway who has accepted a position as vice president for government relations for Arkansas State University. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a press release, "I'm pleased with the choice and I'm pleased with the way the board conducted the selection process. I have no doubt that Dr. Powell will do a great job leading a department so crucial to the future of Arkansas." Powell, who has served at Ouachita since 2006, previously was associate vice chancellor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and director of financial services at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Ouachita President Rex Horne said Powell was his first administrative hire. "He came to us at a crucial time," Horne said. "I could not be more grateful for Brett's years of service and dedication to Ouachita. He has had input in so many vital areas of importance in all things Ouachita. He will be missed, but we all can be proud of his contributions that will continue." Powell said, "What a privilege it has been to serve at Ouachita and to play a small part in a number of positive changes that have occurred in recent years. "While I am tremendously excited about this new opportunity, I know it means leaving behind an institution and, more importantly, the faculty, staff and students who make the institution special, that I will truly miss," Powell said. "I will always treasure my time at Ouachita, both for the rewarding work completed and for the lasting friendships gained." As Ouachita's vice president for administrative services, Powell has directed the Arkadelphia campus' accounting, budgeting, investment management, payroll, human resource services, facilities planning and management, purchasing, information technology, risk management, student financial services and auxiliary services. He supervised such major campus construction projects as the Student Village residence halls completed in 2009 and Cliff Harris Stadium dedicated in 2014. In addition to his work at Ouachita, Powell chairs the Benchmarking Committee of the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers and is the past president of the Arkansas Association of College and University Administrators. Powell holds a doctorate in higher education administration and a master of business administration degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and an undergraduate business degree from the University of Louisiana, Monroe. He also holds an Arkansas license as a certified public accountant. Powell and his wife Stacey have one daughter, Chandler, who is a junior at Ouachita. Children's Ministry Day slated Feb. 14 By Julie Walters BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- On Feb. 14, thousands of children across the country will participate in the eighth annual Children's Ministry Day in a concerted effort to reach out to their communities and share the love of Christ through hands-on missions projects. "This year's theme, 'All for You,' can help girls and boys recognize that everything they do … can be done in a way that proclaims the love of Jesus," said Heather Keller, children's ministry consultant for national WMU, sponsor of Children's Ministry Day. The outreach is "the perfect opportunity for children's leaders and parents to help children realize they can make a difference in their community, association, or across the state as they actively minister and share God's love," Keller said. In 2014, children's groups were encouraged to find ways to reach across generational lines and minister to and with members of different generations under the theme 'GenerationReach.' Keller said nearly 1,500 children and more than 600 leaders and parents ministered to approximately 5,700 people on Children's Ministry Day last year. Churches leaders reported some of the creative ways children participated: -- "Our Children in Action collected gloves, socks, hats and personal care items for the Samaritan House Homeless Shelter. We took the items to the shelter on Saturday." -- Bethany Baptist Church, Bishopville, S.C. -- "Our Girls in Action and Mission Friends groups collected items for goodie bags for college students who attend the Baptist Campus Ministry at USF. We took the bags on Saturday then went out on campus and did an evangelism activity. It was awesome." -- Carrollwood Baptist Church, Tampa, Fla. -- "Our RAs and GAs prepared Valentine cards and treat bags for the residents of an assisted living residence. Our boys and girls sang several favorite hymns, read Scriptures, prayed and visited with the residents. They were asking when we would be back." -- West Jackson Baptist Church, Jackson, Tenn. Since its inception in 2008, tens of thousands of children and their leaders have ministered through Children's Ministry Day, which coincides with Focus on WMU week each February. Resources for Children's Ministry Day include a promotional pack that features a general outline, ideas and resources for promotion, two pages of project ideas, learning activities. To order, go to www.wmustore.com or call WMU Customer Service at 1-888-422-7032. T-shirts for Children's Ministry Day 2015 are available from Lifeway Specialty Imprints. Visit www.lifeway.com/specialtyimprints or call 1-800-443-8032 to order. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Caner's departure addressed, trustee resigns by Joe Westbury/The Christian Index Date: February 03, 2015 - Tuesday EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated since being posted earlier this afternoon (Feb. 3). MOUNT VERNON, Ga. (BP) -- Brewton-Parker College trustee chairman Gary Campbell is the third high-profile figure to leave the college's leadership team in the past two weeks. Campbell tendered his resignation on Feb. 2 shortly before introducing Interim President Charles "Charlie" Bass to faculty and staff at the South Georgia college. But before departing, Campbell discussed the unexpected resignation of President Ergun Caner on Jan. 20 and, barely a week later, the termination of Vice President C.B. Scott. On Jan. 29 Campbell told Vidalia-based Southeast Georgia Today news outlet that he could not comment on Scott's departure due to it being a personnel matter. Scott was one of the first administrative appointments made by Caner, calling him "the perfect man for the job" of overseeing the college's alumni and college relations programs. Scott, who was already serving in various capacities at the college, according to the original press release announcing his appointment, was elevated to the cabinet-level position in January 2014. Before announcing his own resignation, Campbell took several minutes to "set the record straight concerning speculation regarding recent leadership changes at Brewton-Parker College." Campbell then detailed a timeline of events that led to both departures. Events began to unfold when four claims were received, three of which were mailed to most of the trustees while the second came directly to Campbell and one other trustee. The Executive Committee investigated the claims and met on multiple occasions to discuss them. The Executive Committee worked to "respect all people involved and to use good business judgment in handling claims of this nature," according to a BPC press release. The four claims concerned: 1. allegations that the former president made racially vulgar comments; 2. an allegation of a racial comment regarding a staff member; 3. an allegation regarding derogatory remarks about two staff members; and 4. an allegation of inappropriate behavior. Campbell then addressed each of the allegations. -- The Executive Committee was unable to either "refute or authenticate" the first charge since it came down to one person's claim versus another's denial. -- The committee authenticated the second allegation of a racial comment concerning a staff member, although Caner insisted he did not mean it in a negative or derogatory manner. -- The third allegation concerned derogatory comments Caner allegedly made about two staff members in the privacy of Caner's home. According to Campbell, "while there was some credible evidence of these comments, we were not able to validate this conclusively." -- When the fourth allegation was raised while questioning Caner, Campbell said the former president stated that he "no longer had the will or energy to fight" and "had made the decision to resign as president." Caner then "asked permission to make his resignation official at our upcoming Board meeting which was the next day." At that point the investigation was discontinued and Caner resigned the next day. Campbell reported that in the resignation, Caner stated, "Brewton-Parker College cannot become a healthy, growing and stable college under the leadership of a man who is broken. And I am stating that I am broken." The board chairman indicated that in considering the resignation, the trustees took into consideration the tremendous grief the former president and his family had experienced due to the tragic death of his son Braxton six months earlier. "We did not ask Dr. Caner to resign. That was his decision. There has been no attempt by the Board of Trustees to cover up anything and there were no other claims about which I am aware that were made to the trustees," Campbell said in the press release. Campbell then turned his comments to deal with speculation concerning Vice-President C.B. Scott. "I made the decision to terminate Dr. Scott's contract in my sole position as the person responsible for the duties of the President, according to our bylaws. While I did seek counsel from Executive Committee members, it was not a Board decision." Attending the announcement were not only faculty and staff but also community leaders who Campbell invited. Scott also received an invitation but did not attend. "Some believe this decision to terminate Dr. Scott's contract was made to get back at him in some way for what happened to Dr. Caner. That is not accurate. My decision was based singularly on an infraction of a very important business policy of how grievance information is distributed within the chain of command." While Campbell acknowledged that it could be argued that the situation "could have been handled in a different manner," he maintained that based on an infraction of this nature, it was a "justifiable decision." The chairman applauded Scott's veracity, character and integrity while offering his sincere appreciation for the former vice-president's service to the college. "We should all be reminded of why we are here, but more so, we must remind ourselves of the most important person on campus. We are not here for Ergun Caner. We are not here for C.B. Scott. Neither are we here for the faculty nor trustees. And we certainly are not here for Gary Campbell. "Next to our Lord, the student is the most important person on this campus." Campbell then tendered his resignation, saying he believed the decision "is in the best interest of the school and myself personally." Where they are now -- Campbell was serving his final year of a second five-year term. He served two years as chairman in his first term and two years as chairman in his second term. -- Caner, 50, returned to Texas to be with his family at the end of January after a grueling 13 months at the helm of the college. His most important contribution was working with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to restore the college's accreditation. The effort resulted in a reversal by the agency in the revocation of the accreditation status in June 2014. On Dec. 9 SACS reaffirmed BPC's accreditation status without any blemish on its record, ending a five-year crisis for the college. -- Scott, a highly regarded administrator, has not announced his future employment opportunities. He had previously served churches in Kentucky, Mississippi, Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama. -- Bass, former vice president and head of student services at BPC, has returned to the college as interim president. Since he left Brewton-Parker in August 2013 he has been serving as headmaster at a private school in Franklin, N.C. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP). -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: The singles multitude by Diana Davis Date: February 03, 2015 - Tuesday PENSACOLA, Fla. (BP) -- A stunning fact you may not know: According to U. S. Census data, more than one-fourth of all adults have never been married (27 percent). Another 6 percent are widowed and 12 percent divorced or separated. Most churches minister well to adults who are married. But, do we also acknowledge the great value and importance of that "invisible" multitude of unmarried adults? In interviewing several unmarried Christian friends, I discovered 10 tips for loving and ministering to single adults who are members or guests at church. 1) See each single adult as a valued individual, ready to meet God and serve Him, with or without a boyfriend or girlfriend, fiancé, spouse or three kids in tow. 2) Train greeters at church. Comments such as "Are you here alone?" or "Is it just you?" may give the implication that he or she is incomplete. 3) Acknowledge single adults as full-fledged members, not just as sideline people. Plug them into leadership and ministry roles to fit their spiritual gifts. Encourage them to serve on important church committees, projects and men or women's ministry teams. 4) Involve singles in small groups. Many singles enjoy a small group with similar marital status and life stage. Most singles I interviewed, however, are involved in a small group of both married and unmarried. Offer choices. 5) Encourage them to make the most of their singleness. Recognize the extra gifts they may bring to the church, such as more freedom to serve and travel, and sometimes more financial freedom, etc. 6) Unless he or she personally requests it, don't set them up with your cousin or recommend online dating services. Avoid communicating, "It's God's will that you find a mate." That's not necessarily true. In 1 Corinthians 7, the apostle Paul taught that singleness is a gift. Most singles aren't coming to church to find a mate. They're here to worship, to serve, to support. 7) Intentionally encourage single adults to participate in church events and ministries, such as Vacation Bible School and church dinners. Include them in your church traditions. For example, invite singles to light an advent candle. 8) A church may provide some quality, uniquely single events targeted to specific life circumstances. Examples: a single parents Bible study, singles mission trip, young singles retreat, single adult outreach event, mature singles' Christmas project. 9) Connect with single adults personally as a friend. Encourage them. Invite them to dinner or dessert. True fellowship often happens across the dinner table. 10) Be constantly aware of single adults all around you at work, in the grocery line, at the ball game, in your neighborhood. Invite them to your church. As an individual member and as a church, how are you doing at reaching and including adults who are unmarried? See them. Pray for them. Love them wholeheartedly. God does. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE STATES: Okla., Tenn., Ariz. evangelism/missions news; 'The Lord gave us a way to breathe new life into His church' by Staff Date: February 03, 2015 - Tuesday Today's From the States features items from: The Baptist Messenger (Oklahoma) Baptist & Reflector (Tennessee) Portraits (Arizona) Okla. church reaches children; then parents through wedding ministry By Bob Nigh CHICKASHA, Okla. (The Baptist Messenger) -- Jeffrey Willoughby and his wife Amy drove by "them" one Sunday morning, and God revealed an open door of ministry they would soon walk through. "Them" were many neighborhood children who had no church home; weren't attending Sunday School; weren't learning about Jesus; and weren't having the opportunity to change their lives for eternity. Willoughby, lay/bivocational music minister at Michigan Avenue Baptist in Chickasha, Okla., recently reflected on that experience of three years ago. "It was a Sunday, a beautiful fall morning, and we noticed as we were driving to church, all the children playing in the yards along the street," he said. "These kids were playing outside like kids used to do. Maybe it was because they didn't have a video game or maybe there were other reasons, but so many of them were outside on a Sunday morning! "Amy commented to me, 'These kids need to be in Sunday School.'" Willoughby said his spirit thought it was a great idea, but his human nature made him skeptical. "The Lord always gives her great ideas, but the practical side of me usually says 'good luck with that,'" he admitted. However, his compassionate self was burdened with Luke 18:16: "But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the Kingdom of God." (KJV). "It took three years, but we have had nine decisions for Christ and nine baptisms since summer camp last year!" Willoughby exclaimed. "That's what I say to anyone who will listen to me about what is going on at Michigan Avenue Church. That's great, but ... it's not really about the numbers. "The church called me to be its bi-vocational music minister, but the Lord has placed children on our hearts. And, He was ready to give me another job. I don't mean a job for income, but a job for Him, or as I like to say, 'whatever job He puts in front of me.' "Michigan Avenue is an old church -- one which most people considered dying -- in a poor area of town, with a small congregation. The Lord gave us a vision and a way to breathe new life into His church. We started a Wednesday night children's ministry where we feed them and give a short lesson, usually about morality -- the Ten Commandments or the 'Be attitudes.' "With this approach, we know we are meeting their needs. It is not quick or easy. The kids are unruly, with most mistrusting authority, and not understanding the need for God. It took us more than two years, but after the second year of (taking them to) Bertram Bobb Bible Camp, a low cost Choctaw Indian camp in Ringold where we have been volunteering for years, we finally got to use a baptistery that had not been used in years!" And, even as the children's ministry blossomed, God had more in store for Michigan Avenue. "The funny thing about God is, if you're paying attention, when you've had some success, He'll give you another job," Willoughby marveled. "Amy, in looking for a venue for our engaged daughter to be married, discovered it was expensive! With this realization, the Lord laid another idea on her heart. We had done 'no cost to you' marriages for couples who could not afford it, and it was obvious that a ministry in this area was needed. "What a great opportunity! We simply ask the parents of the kids we are ministering to, or others we might show benevolence to, 'Is there a reason why you're not married?' "The most frequent response given is, 'we can't afford it.' Talk about an open door! Not only are they admitting they need to be married, but they're also understanding what is the 'right thing' to do. Then, by making them responsible for the cost of the marriage ceremony -- $50 for non-counseled couples, and $5 for counseled couples -- our pastor, Will Fitzwater, has a chance to present the Gospel!" Since the new Michigan Avenue wedding ministry began six months ago, the pastor has performed about a half-dozen weddings, and one person has accepted Christ, Willoughby said. "In these times of political correctness and maligning of our Christian faith, our churches, and we as Christians, may feel that everything and Satan is against us, but I'm here to tell you Jesus Christ is still at the right hand of the Father," he exclaimed. "I'm sure there are a lot of other churches across Oklahoma and the nation just like Michigan Avenue where people need to know if the doors are still open, the Lord has 'another job' to bless you, your church and your community by spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "My question to my fellow Christians, pastors and lay people is, how often do you get the chance to really present the Gospel? My answer is, weekly -- what a blessing!" --30-- This article appeared in The Baptist Messenger (baptistmessenger.com), newsjournal of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Bob Nigh is managing editor of The Baptist Messenger. ********** Tenn. pastor called 'home' to Colorado By Lonnie Wilkey ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (Baptist & Reflector) -- Members of Oak Street Baptist Church are excited to see their pastor and his wife leave — sort of. Members are sad they are leaving Elizabethton, Tenn., but excited about why they are heading west to Colorado. Bruce Hendrich and his wife Lisa have been appointed by the North American Mission Board as church planters in Hendrich's native state. The couple will serve as church planters in Mead as part of NAMB's SEND Denver Initiative. The Tennessee Baptist Convention began a partnership with the SEND Denver Initiative this month. The Hendrichs are not leaving Oak Street entirely. The church will continue to have ties with the couple. Members recently voted to give 5 percent of their undesignated receipts to help support the Hendrichs in their church planting ministry. Hendrich is sad to leave the only pastorate he has had for 18 years but is excited about planting a church where the need is so great. Hendrich said there is no Southern Baptist work in Mead, a town located about 30 miles north of Denver. What's more there are only two churches in the town (a Catholic church and a Methodist congregation). "That's what drew us there," Hendrich recalled. "There are 11,000 people within a five-mile radius and only two churches in town." Whereas he is leaving Tennessee for familiar territory, wife Lisa is leaving the only place she has ever lived but she is equally excited. "It's been a faith marathon," Lisa Hendrich said of the process of becoming church planters. "Everything I clear out of the closet is a memory," she said. But, like her husband, she felt drawn to Mead because there is no Southern Baptist church there. "We wanted to find that place where we were needed and where there was a great need for a church," she said. Mead fit the bill perfectly, the couple agreed. For Hendrich, the move also draws him closer to his original call to be a missionary. "I never envisioned being a pastor. I always wanted to be a missionary." Hendrich, in fact, trained to be a missionary pilot. After two years of Bible and missions training at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, he moved to Elizabethton in 1976 where Moody Aviation was then located. But instead of becoming a missionary pilot after graduation, he stayed with Moody Aviation as a flight instructor for 14 years. During that time he served churches in a part-time role, primarily in music positions. In 1992, Hendrich left Moody Aviation and joined Oak Street as minister of music and education, a role he held until he was called as pastor four years later. About two years ago Hendrich returned to Colorado for a high school reunion. While talking with former high school classmates, he discovered they had a spiritual hunger that they did not have as teenagers. "They wanted to talk to me about spiritual matters," he said. Afterwards, while attending a church planting conference held at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Hendrich visited with Don Pierson, a friend and former Tennessee Baptist Convention staff member who is now pastor of Stewarts Chapel Baptist Church, Flintville. Pierson told Hendrich about SEND Denver and suggested he look into the possibility of church planting out there. Hendrich had attended the conference because Oak Street was exploring the possibility of planting an Indian church in Elizabethton. Hendrich contacted Dave Howeth, leader of the SEND Denver Initiative and the couple began the process of becoming church planters. He noted caution "flags" would rise throughout the application process. One hurdle was their age. Both in their 50s, church planters normally are much younger, he said. Hendrich called the process "stressful and even painful" but noted that every time it appeared the door might close on the process, it never did. "What it (the process) did was strengthen our calling, not weaken it," he said. "Everyone wanted to make sure it was God calling us." During the process they visited the Denver area to visit potential church planting sites. The couple visited "community after community" but never felt led to a site until they visited Mead. While in Mead they visited the town hall and asked a lady in the office if the community needed a church. "She asked us to please come," Hendrich said. They learned that she was a believer but was not attending any church. "We felt that was our Macedonian call," he said. That call was later confirmed when they contacted a realtor in town about housing. When she learned what they planned to do, she told them, "We need a church in Mead so bad." The Hendrichs have since developed a friendship with their realtor and have been in her home several times during visits to Mead. "We see how the Lord has been preparing the way," Hendrichs said, noting they have had several "divine appointments" with people since then who have expressed interest in attending Bible studies and eventually the church that will be established in Mead. At the advice of missions leaders in Colorado, the Hendrichs do not yet have a name for their future church or a specific meeting place. More than likely, they will hold Bible studies in local homes until the need for a larger space becomes necessary. "Church is not about a meeting place, it's about a gathering of God's people," he said. Their immediate concern is to build relationships and "make disciples who will make disciples." The couple knows they are just beginning a process that will take at least a year before they actually start a church, but they are excited because "there is an amazing missions field there." The couple is grateful for the support given to them throughout the process by members of Oak Street and for the fact they are their "sending church." "They are not losing us completely. We will still be members here but will be representing them in Colorado, planting a church there that is an offshoot of Oak Street," Hendrich said. "When they think of that, they get excited that their ministry is expanding even though they are losing their pastor," he added. Ron Berry, a deacon at Oak Street, acknowledged the church is sad about losing the Hendrichs but noted "we are excited to see what God will do in Colorado." There is a need there and God has led Bruce and Lisa to fill that need, Berry continued. "Oak Street sees that as a missions opportunity for us," he added. Church member Tom Stetler noted that Hendrich's heart "is in missions work." He, too, noted the church will miss the couple. "We are sorry and sad to see them leave us, but we pray blessings on them as they go to do God's work," Stetler said. Berry added that the members are excited that they are able to support the Hendrichs financially. "Everyone who contributes here will contribute to their ministry. That's cool," he said. Hendrich also noted the church will be supporting their ministry through their gifts through the Cooperative Program as well. Oak Street currently gives 8 percent of its undesignated gifts through the Cooperative Program, the pastor said. Hendrich's last Sunday at Oak Street was Jan. 11 and they hope to be on their new field by the end of February. They continue to look for more prayer and financial "partners' in their ministry as well as a handful of "supporting churches." For more information about their new ministry, visit www.makelovegrowco.com. --30-- This article appeared in the Baptist & Reflector (tnbaptist.org/BRNews.asp), newsjournal of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Lonnie Wilkey is editor of the Baptist & Reflector. ********** N.C., Ariz. churches work together to plant churches By Irene A. Harkleroad PHOENIX (Portraits) -- In July, 88 people from Parkwood Baptist Church in Gastonia, N.C., descended on Phoenix, swept over the Valley of the Sun and impacted the lives of hundreds. During the "Plant Phoenix" effort, relationships were forged. People who had been praying for each other became faces, then friends. Led by Parkwood missions pastor Kem Lindsay, members come three times a year to serve however needed by their four partner churches. VBS, Bible clubs, kids and sports camps, construction and evangelism are all on the table. "Several years ago, I met Dennis Conner (then pastor of CrossPointe Church in Buckeye, Ariz.) at our mission conference," Lindsay says. "We were looking for pastors new to planting and churches we would match up well with." In 2007, Lindsay spent a week with Conner in Arizona, learned about the community and met Arizona Southern Baptist Convention staff members "CrossPointe became our first partner in Arizona," Lindsay says. "We have added three more, and two of those have sponsored new churches." Mike Bailey is now pastor of CrossPointe Church. "Parkwood brings our families to Gastonia for their biannual Mission Impact Celebration to share what God is doing through their support and to build us up," Bailey says. "They continually pray for us and keep reinforcing that what we do matters. This is so encouraging to our church and specifically to my family and me." CrossPointe members have planted a church in Birmingham, Ala. "Even though in many ways we are still a mission and can't underwrite a church plant, we can partner with others to help," Bailey says. "We try to create a culture — we need to be about planting — to be in the habit. Our goal is to be givers — not just recipients." Parkwood is also working together with The Way Fellowship Church in Peoria. "Parkwood came on board with us in year three," says Scott Gourley, pastor of The Way. "Although we were supported by other Arizona churches, Parkwood gave us boots on the ground. Together, we prayerwalked, passed out fliers and held two massive block parties. This past summer, one of the teams rebuilt our bathrooms, painted the exterior of our building and completed roof repairs. They've helped us do things we couldn't have done ourselves." The Way Fellowship now sponsors ClaireVista Church in Peoria. "Most of our support in the early years came from First Baptist of Weddington, N.C., where I pastored for eight-and-a-half years," says Joel Collette, pastor of ClaireVista. "But Parkwood sent a team to us the first month we were here. Now their teams come at least twice a year and do whatever is needed. Our congregation is amazed. They don't personally know the people back home, but they do know they are part of a family. It builds their faith and leads them forward." For Collette, partners both far and near have been crucial. "If it weren't for the support of North Carolina Baptists, we wouldn't be here," he says. "But I probably wouldn't have stayed if it weren't for the Arizona Baptists. The types of support we receive from partner churches make the difference." Keeping missionary families connected to their sponsors is a big deal. "We bring six church planters and their families from Phoenix to North Carolina for our Mission Impact Celebration," Lindsay says. Planters stay in the homes of Parkwood members — sharing meals, fellowship and stories of God's faithfulness. GracePointe, Goodyear, is the fourth partner, known as an enfolding, authentic sanctuary to those 55 and older. "We help [Pastor] Tom Holland financially, as well as with some necessary equipment and projects," Lindsay says. "Parkwood is invested in our churches," says Gourley. "Money is fine (and necessary) — but it means so much more to know that we have people praying for us and we have actual people who come out and work with us." --30-- This article appeared in Portraits, newsmagazine of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention (http://www.azsobaptist.org/). Irene A. Harkleroad is a freelance writer in Carefree, Ariz. ********** 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Huckabee tests GOP's social conservatism by David Roach Date: February 03, 2015 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Despite backlash against former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee's recent criticisms of "gratuitous profanity" and sexual immorality in America, GOP politicians and Baptist leaders agree that social conservatives still play a prominent role in the Republican Party. "There has been a huge push for fiscal conservatives to step out and lead in Republican policy issues and decision-making," U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Baptist Press. "But the vast majority of Republicans are social conservatives. They're also fiscal conservatives, but they're social conservatives first. While some people would say, 'Be quieter on those issues,' that's who we are." Huckabee, a Republican who is considering a run for the White House in 2016, said during a Feb. 1 interview on CNN that same-sex marriage "is not just a political issue. It is a biblical issue. And as a biblical issue, unless I get a new version of the Scriptures, it's really not my place to say, OK, I'm just going to evolve." In the same interview, Huckabee lamented the loss of religious liberty among business owners who choose not to provide goods or services in support of gay weddings. Huckabee's comments drew criticism on Twitter and in various media outlets. Previously he lamented the widespread cursing he has encountered in New York City. Huckabee finished second in 2008 to Sen. John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination to face then-Sen. Barack Obama. He is a former pastor of Southern Baptist churches in Pine Bluff and Texarkana, Ark., and a former president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention; a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia; and a former student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas. Since ending his Fox News TV show Jan. 3 in view of a possible presidential bid, Huckabee has also drawn criticism for saying rap artist Jay-Z is "exploiting" his wife Beyoncé by permitting her to dance as a "sex object." In addition to criticism from liberals, some conservatives have taken issue with Huckabee's emphasis on morality in the public square. "Here on the right, we often complain that the political, media, and entertainment classes regard most of the country as rather irrelevant, and that, in consequence, they openly condescend to people who live in Alabama or who go to church or who have NRA stickers on their cars," Charles C.W. Cooke wrote Jan. 28 in the conservative publication National Review Online. "There is much to this gripe. And yet one will not solve that problem by presenting as a countervailing force a person who sneers right back -- especially when that person is seeking an extraordinary amount of power over his fellow citizens. Whatever cultural renaissance Mike Huckabee might believe is necessary in the United States, it will be up to civil society and not to the political classes to bring it about," Cooke wrote. "Vote our values" Lankford disagrees. Although he believes families and churches play the most important role in transforming a nation's morals, he said Christians have a duty to bring their spiritual beliefs to bear on the political process of their country -- which includes participating in the party system for Americans. "God created government. God created family. God created the church," Lankford, a Southern Baptist, said. "These are all institutions that He originated and that He is very passionate about." Lankford acknowledged that the Republican Party includes a coalition with diverse views on social issues like gay marriage and abortion, but he said evangelicals and other social conservatives should "vote our values" and ask political candidates about their stands on moral issues. "Almost all of the books in the Old Testament were either written by a political leader, to a political leader or about a political leader," Lankford said. "You go through page after page, and it's God speaking to government. ... God is very concerned, and He repeats over and over again throughout Scripture His concern about government." Mark Harris, a North Carolina pastor who finished third in his state's Republican primary for the U.S. Senate last year, attributed the GOP's success in North Carolina and elsewhere last year in part to its stands on marriage and abortion -- despite pronouncements by media elites that social conservatism repels voters. "The only polls that really count, that are really hard empirical evidence are the ballot box polls," Harris, pastor of First Baptist Church in Charlotte, told BP. "And at the ballot boxes, 31 states out of 31 states that were given the right to vote on the marriage issue ... voted in favor of traditional marriage and said it was so important, they wanted it to be part of their state constitutions." Pew polling indicates that 30 percent of Republicans support same-sex marriage today, up from 19 percent in 2008, CNN reported. Still, social conservatives in the GOP should not believe the false claim that pro-life and pro-marriage candidates represent the radical fringe of American politics, Harris said. He urged social conservatives to get involved at "all levels" of the party's organization and give money early in an election cycle to candidates who reflect their values. Choosing a candidate All the major candidates in the 2016 GOP presidential primary likely will take positions defending unborn human life and heterosexual marriage, Harris said. The difference between candidates is the passion with which they approach social issues, he said, citing Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum as passionate about life and marriage. In the end, Republicans need a candidate who can explain that fiscal and social conservatism are intertwined, Harris said, noting that family breakdown is a major cause of poverty. Keeping families intact by curbing sexual immorality would decrease poverty, he said, and in turn reduce the money spent on government entitlement programs. Poverty "is driven so many times by those that are caught in single-parent homes, those that are caught in situations and circumstances where their family fell apart," Harris said. Douglas Reed, professor of political science at Ouachita, told BP that social conservatives will be most successful politically when they realize they are just one part of the Republican coalition and work within the party to advance components of their agenda. "In a political party in the United States which is made up of a coalition of different individuals and different groups, no one group is ever going to be the end-all," Reed said. "But they can have significant influence. They can have guidance for the party." Pragmatically, social conservatives should support candidates in primary elections who they believe can win in general elections -- even when the candidates most likely to be elected do not align precisely with socially conservative views, Reed said. "Whether we like it or not, you have to have individuals elected who are at least sympathetic, who are willing to lend you an ear rather than simply shut the door on you," Reed said. At present, the GOP platform states that marriage as "the union of one man and one woman must be upheld as the national standard" and opposes abortion as well as research that results in the destruction of embryos.