The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-06/03/2014 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 taking church 'outside of its box' to reach world for Christ by Karen L. Willoughby Date: June 03, 2014 - Tuesday GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (BP) -- The Cooperative Program extends worldwide the reach of the 150 or so Sunday worshippers at Monument Baptist Church in Grand Junction, Colo., who lead an assortment of diverse ministries within and outside the church. While Monument Baptist Grand Junction has been missions-minded and outward-focused since its start in 1971, pastor Ray Shirley has led it to expand its reach while also ministering within the church family. The church sends 10 percent of its undesignated offerings to missions through the Cooperative Program, the way Southern Baptists work together to fund missions and ministries in state conventions, North America and worldwide. "The Cooperative Program helps link us [all Southern Baptist churches] together so we can be on mission together," Shirley said. "We believe part of the commitment we make as Southern Baptists is to support the Cooperative Program. We believe it is our privilege to be part of that and to support missions locally, nationally and internationally. It really is a togetherness, and I like that." "We're the body of Christ, the family of God, and the Cooperative Program is a good representation of that," he said. "We're all going in the same direction, using our gifts differently." The church donates a total of 22 percent of its operating budget to a variety of missions causes, supporting two Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ International) missionaries, an aviation ministry, Creation Puppeteers, the Alpha and Omega Institute, the International Mission Board and local pregnancy and homeless ministries. "The hardest part of ministry is to be a healthy internal church and healthy outgoing church," Shirley said. "It's a hard battle because in mainline Christianity and even among mainline Southern Baptists, we're really good at addressing the felt needs we're comfortable with. "At our church, we face those same struggles and bridging that gap to actually being a missional person who is evangelizing and striving to take the church outside of itself, outside of its box, that has been a struggle." In addition to starting two other churches, Monument Baptist Grand Junction has developed onsite softball and soccer fields available without cost to any team that wants to use them. The fields are in use at least five nights a week. Its youth have gone on World Changers construction mission trips seven times in the last 12 years. Adults have gone on a dozen or more mission trips since 2000, when Shirley was called as pastor. A Care Team helps facilitate the church's ministerial reach. "As a church what we did to help meet the internal issue was to develop a Care Team," said Shirley, who is vice president of the Colorado Baptist General Convention and active in Grand Valley Baptist Association and the community. "I can't do all the hospital visits, for example, but we have five couples –- who minister as couples –- to meet those needs I am unable to meet." Shirley and his wife Dianna joined the local community theater group when their son, then a third-grader, showed an interest in acting. This has led to the church's unique ministry to the theater community, which Shirley said has little Gospel presence. "We discovered a half-dozen more people in the church who enjoyed performing, and more since," Shirley said. "It's developed into a safe place to learn about the arts. … The hardest part of this theatre ministry is to be genuine and real; we're all sinners. "We're trying to build a bridge to the lost," he said. "If God reveals a pocket of lostness and we're not willing to go there, then shame on us. The theatre community is a people group that has little or no Christian witness. The Holy Spirit is going to do the work; we're the instruments He uses. "We have gotten to know several people who are homosexuals," Shirley said. "The Lord has shown us you can love the sinner and not the sin." One of the church's members developed a burden for people who are deaf nine years ago after a Sunday guest speaker addressed the need. Understanding this to be a calling from God, Robin Stepanek went to school to study deaf ministry. Today, Stepanek is Monument Baptist Grand Junction's deaf coordinator, leading a ministry that reaches statewide with the church's three trained interpreters. "We host deaf conferences and deaf retreats and host a deaf conference in the fall that is attended by up to 100 from all over Colorado," Shirley said. "For the last four years we've conducted classes in three levels of sign language interpretation that up to 200 students were involved in." The church's interpreters translate for the deaf community in a variety of venues, including the local college, the university, medical and legal appointments throughout the Colorado Western Slope and sometimes as far as Denver. "With being the church comes a heavy responsibility," Shirley said. "Ministry is to be part of all our lives." One of his challenges is in helping all members of the Monument Baptist Grand Junction congregation find their ministry, and giving members opportunities to serve and learn at the same time, he said. "Grand Junction is so wide open," Shirley said. "We have so many people who don't go to church or who are disgruntled. Basically you've got to know your story; you've got to take your story into the community so they see Christ in us. "Our goal is to take the health of the church into the community," Shirley said. "As we put our feet in motion, Christ can heal from within." --30-- Karen L. Willoughby is a national correspondent for Baptist Press. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- MOVIES: Cinematic culture critically ill by Phil Boatwright Date: June 03, 2014 - Tuesday KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- Spanish philosopher George Santayana famously said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Arrogance, misuse of power, and an acceptance of all things hedonistic have caused one world-changing nation after another to sink from glory to mediocrity. Is it America's turn? Study America's cinematic history and you'll discover that moviemakers have mapped a secular destiny for America that doesn't bode well for its citizens. Studios were once regulated by a motion picture code established in the 1930s to protect the values and moral concepts society considered the standard for living. Violent acts had to be filmed in a way that would not jolt the viewer. Actors could not utter "God" or "Jesus" in a profane manner. (Imagine that!) And nudity and perversity could not be shown. A lot has changed since the demise of the code in the late 1960s. Unfortunately, not all change is progress. Throughout the decades since the demise of the code, films have abandoned a respect for biblical principles and begun embracing concepts that too often debase the culture. Here are examples featuring films on several subjects. Crime Then: "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950). This heist caper gone wrong is as much a character study as a suspense adventure. Intense with realistic situations and dialogue, it contains absolutely no obscenity, and the criminals pay a price. Now: "American Hustle." The acting is so good in this tale of a con artist drafted into a sting operation by the FBI, many tend to overlook its crude and deleterious abuses. Seventy uses of the f-word alone pepper the players' speech patterns, along with 10 profane uses of God's name. Viewing it, I could find no moral compass worth the cacophony of verbal and visual abuses I witnessed. Can you name a crime film from the current decade that doesn't contain the same abusive content? Family life Then: "Father of the Bride" (1950). Spencer Tracy starred in this sensitive and often hilarious look at a father dealing with his daughter's upcoming nuptials. The comedy stemmed from human behavior, not the more common bathroom humor of today. Now: Oscar contenders "August Osage County" and "Nebraska" both concern the kind of dysfunctional families one might find inhabiting a Tennessee Williams play, only amped with enough invective exclamation to cause a sailor's ears to bleed. Both 2014 films revolved around Midwestern families, but featured them as completely devoid of any spiritual awareness. Sure, we can learn from the mistakes and foibles of those in movies who don't seek to develop the spiritual side of their nature; but whatever the positive message found in these dramatic comedies, it's eclipsed by noxious excesses. If a filmmaker wants to catch the true flavor of the Midwest, it seems a bit myopic to exclude any example of a committed churchgoer. Violence Like sexuality, violence has always been a cinematic component. "Bonnie & Clyde" (1967), though stylish, was a trend-setting gangster melodrama containing two things that are now synonymous with hoodlum biopics. First, it portrayed a sympathetic side to outlaws who in reality were cruel and deviant. Second, it was grisly in its depictions of slow-motion killings. When it was released, the graphic orchestrations of its bloody violence were considered controversial and received a great deal of negative response from critics and audiences. The volume and gore were unprecedented. Now, deafening sound effects and carnage are commonplace in action films. Am I saying movies were better before the loss of the code? Many were. But my analysis is not meant as a critical evaluation of today's films, so much as an examination of what our society now accepts as, well, acceptable. Hollywood will always gear its products toward our baser instincts. But there is a price to pay for a constant satisfying of hedonistic desires. Each decade newcomers to the entertainment community push the envelope when it comes to decency, responsibility and a redefining of moral standards. Moviemakers keep dumbing down and crudding up the culture, taking baby steps with each production that distance us farther from class or social decorum. True, moviemakers are attempting to influence the culture; but they are also reflecting what culture already freely embraces. Cinematic class is as dead as Cary Grant, and morality in movies is critically ill. --30-- In addition to writing for Baptist Press, Phil Boatwright reviews films for www.previewonline.org and is a regular contributor to "The World and Everything In It," a weekly radio program from WORLD News Group. Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention's news service, reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Moviegoers want more faith-based films by Bob Smietana Date: June 03, 2014 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Hollywood's "year of the Bible movie" continues to drive sales at the box office in 2014, according to a study by LifeWay Research. Four faith-based films have already earned more than $50 million each in ticket sales, according to Boxofficemojo.com. Those films -- "Noah," "Heaven is for Real," "Son of God," and "God's Not Dead" -- are among the top 20 grossing films of 2014. And movie audiences may want more, a survey of 1,054 Americans from Nashville-based LifeWay Research revealed. Researchers found that half of Americans (56 percent) say they wish there were more movies with Christian values. "Faith-based movies are no longer a niche," Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research, said. "It's smart economics -- if you make a film that appeals to that audience, they will show up." Movies with an explicitly Christian message -- like "God's Not Dead" -- have done especially well. The independent film was made for $2 million and has earned more than $59 million at the box office. That's more than high-budget projects like "Muppets Most Wanted" or the critically acclaimed "The Grand Budapest Hotel." Kris Fuhr, founder of Moviegal Marketing, said Christian movie fans want films with a clear presentation of faith. That's been true in the past for films like "Fireproof" and "Courageous," as well as more recent movies like "Son of God." "When you have a movie where the title is almost a doctrinal statement -- the audience will come out," she said. "People want their faith to be affirmed." Films with a more subtle faith message may not do as well, Fuhr said. In the survey, LifeWay Research asked Americans to respond to the statement: "I wish there were more movies that reflected Christian values." Those who go to church weekly are most likely to agree (91 percent). Those who never go to church (18 percent) are least likely to agree. Self-identified born-again, evangelical, or fundamentalist Christians are more likely to agree (84 percent) than other Americans (45 percent.) Americans who live in the Midwest (62 percent) and South (63 percent) are also more interested in more Christian films than those in the Northeast (48 percent) or the West (44 percent). Two-thirds of middle-aged and older Americans agree, including those 45 to 54 (63 percent), 55 to 64 (66 percent), and 65 and older (65 percent). Americans under 30 (43 percent) are least interested in more films with Christian values. Two other major films with Christian themes, "Left Behind" and "Exodus: Gods and Kings" are due out later this year. Methodology: The online survey of adult Americans was conducted March 25, 2013. A sample of an online panel representing the adult population of the United States was invited to participate. Responses were weighted by region, age, ethnicity, gender and income to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,054 online surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error from this panel does not exceed +3.1 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. --30-- Bob Smietana is senior writer for LifeWay Christian Resources' Facts and Trends magazine. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- NFL draftee's gay kiss stirs commentators by Tim Ellsworth Date: June 03, 2014 - Tuesday JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.(BP) -- While many journalists and celebrities praised Michael Sam when he was selected in last month's NFL draft and subsequently kissed his boyfriend on national television, several Southern Baptists commentators took exception to the display. Sam, who became the first openly gay player to be selected by an NFL team, is a defensive end who played at the University of Missouri and publicly identified himself as a homosexual in February. The St. Louis Rams selected Sam in the seventh round of the draft with the 249th overall pick. "Michael Sam is a football player who should be given every opportunity to earn a position with the St. Louis Rams," said Don Hinkle, director of public policy for the Missouri Baptist Convention. "But in the process, ESPN and the National Football League decided to highlight his sexual life rather than his talent on the gridiron." After the Rams announced Sam's selection, he kissed his boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, with ESPN televising and replaying the display. Hinkle said the network's decision to do that was intended to get the country more comfortable with same-sex relationships. "This obviously orchestrated event was also intended to undermine the authority of parents, whose innocent children were expecting to see sports highlights but were instead subjected to a partisan, highly charged political statement as much as it was unbiblical behavior," Hinkle said. Sam garnered wide accolades for his actions. First Lady Michelle Obama tweeted, "You're an inspiration to all of us, @MikeSamFootball. We couldn't be prouder of your courage both on and off the field." Ellen DeGeneres tweeted, "So proud of the @STLouisRams for showing there's nothing to be afraid of." But Adam Groza, vice president of enrollment and student services at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in California, said Sam's actions with his boyfriend demonstrated selfishness and disregard for others. Many evangelicals don't oppose the kiss because they think it should be illegal, Groza wrote, but "because it reflects a growing incivility among gay activists whereby 'what can be done' is mistaken for 'what should be done.'" Groza said the display was objectionable and unsportsmanlike because winners should be considerate of losers and avoid excessive celebration, and because Sam is putting his sexuality ahead of his talent on the field. "Civil and reasoned discourse requires that each side avoid taunting and other forms of poor sportsmanship in the arena of civil discourse," Groza wrote. Sam's status as the first openly homosexual to be selected in the NFL draft has earned him comparisons to Jackie Robinson. But David Prince, pastor of preaching and vision at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky., said that aside from skin color and media buzz, those comparisons fall short. "Robinson was an unquestionable talent who was named rookie of the year in his first major league baseball season," Prince, who also teaches at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote in a commentary published by the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "The only thing that had kept [Robinson] out of the major leagues was his skin color and institutional racism. Sam's future in the NFL will be decided by whether he is talented enough and not an off-field distraction. Robinson endured hatred and persecution because of his skin color whereas Sam's homosexuality is a self-identification." Bruno Molina, evangelism associate for language and interfaith evangelism for the Southern Baptists of Texas convention, described the Sam incident as further evidence of the hostility some homosexual advocates have for Christians. For Christians asking how they can have peace with those who are often so hateful to their opponents, Molina said they must never repay evil for evil. "Rather than complain about non-Christians behaving as non-Christians, we would do better to worry about our own holiness and seek to do 'what is right in the sight of all men,' ensuring that our behavior is worthy of being associated with the God whom we represent," Molina wrote. Some of the Baptist commentators emphasized that in a day when homosexuality is becoming more widely accepted, the Gospel remains the only solution. "Even while Mr. Sam's public display of sin was flaunted," Hinkle said, "it does not overcome the truth of God's Word and the provision He has made for all who will repent and call upon the name of the Lord and be saved." Prince likewise used Robinson as an example. Robinson's Christian faith is what led him to oppose the evil of white supremacy, Prince said, and also the black supremacy of Malcolm X. "He knew that his opponent was not his enemy but rather his mission," Price said of Robinson. "The church would do well to follow his example in responding to the gay sexual revolution. After all, victory for us is not the defeat of our cultural opponents but their rescue." --30-- Tim Ellsworth is editor of BP Sports, the sports website of Baptist Press. Ellsworth teaches journalism at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd VIEW: Sojourn: Missions is 'who we are' locally & internationally by Laura Fielding Date: June 03, 2014 - Tuesday EDITOR'S NOTE: 2nd VIEW is a key Baptist Press story that has been posted within the past several days. For a listing of additional key stories in Baptist Press in recent days, always take a look at the daily RECENT NEWS listing. Originally posted May 30, 2014 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- The majestic brick church with stained glass windows towers above a dilapidated neighborhood. This is a seedy section of Louisville where drug deals go down daily, prostitutes line the streets and murders are routine. Boarded-up houses, broken glass and graffiti dot the streets in every direction.
But Sojourn Community Church is a beacon of hope for the neighborhood. Sojourn, which began as a church plant 13 years ago, decided to make a permanent home in an area where many fear to tread. Not only is the church a part of the neighborhood but the pastor and many of the members live here as well. Colin and Anna Freeman* moved to Louisville in 2008 to attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to prepare for international missionary work. However, Colin says they became so focused on what was ahead "that we really forgot to be [missional] about where we currently were." The Freemans soon connected with Sojourn, which emphasizes that believers should not "dichotomize" their lives -- separating who they are at church from who they are during the week. "God calls us to Himself and out of that call comes a new identity as servants," Sojourn lead pastor Daniel Montgomery says, "and so, service just isn't something we do, it's who we are." Planting roots The Freemans put down roots. They joined Sojourn, bought a house in the surrounding neighborhood, graduated from seminary and got jobs in the city, waiting on God's timing for overseas service. Nathan Garth*, pastor of global missions, describes Sojourn as a "sending church" that encourages its members to "live sent." "The concept is as Christ's followers, the commission He gave to us is that all believers are to go out to proclaim the Gospel, to disciple new believers and to see multiplication happen," Garth says. "And that's what we want to see -- our church here, every member to take ownership that they live sent." "If we're not moving outward," Montgomery adds, "something is fundamentally wrong with our spirituality and our understanding of Jesus." That particularly resonated with Colin and Anna, who had wrestled for several years about committing to serve overseas until God began to give them a new perspective on living missionally through Sojourn. "You're not going to be effective missionally cross-culturally if you're not effective across the street, and that is evident in the way they [Sojourn] preach," Colin says. "… In order for you to be effective, you have to be present, you have to be in people's lives, you have to be living life with others in the way that draws you closer to the Father through Gospel community. "And so to be missional doesn't mean it has to be glamorous or big. It just means it has to be intentional." That has been Sojourn's philosophy from the beginning. More than a decade ago, founding members asked themselves tough questions, Montgomery says, such as, "Is church more than just an activity once a week and is mission more than just sending missionaries overseas?" They found that many of the people they interacted with daily in Louisville were "interested in our spirituality," the pastor says, "and who we were and the way of life that we're about, but they had no interest whatsoever in the church. "And so we wanted a place where people could really explore authentic biblical Christianity." Continuous support Part of "moving outward" at Sojourn means sending workers overseas, and the church's relationship with its missionaries is comprehensive, providing pastoral care, financial support, encouragement, accountability, networking and strategy support. "We want to send and never let go," Garth, the missions pastor, says. "That 'never letting go' piece is not a negative thing -- the idea is continually holding on to relationship." Once Sojourn's missionaries are on the field, three "adoptive community groups" stay connected by sending care packages and communicating regularly through email or Skype. An advocate team of about 10 of the missionaries' closest friends meets regularly to pray for them, is their first contact if they need something and also may travel to visit the missionaries overseas. These influences "encouraged [me]," Anna says, reminding her of what it means to affirm that "'Yes, we want to support you and enable you and prepare you to go.'" Preparation to go The Freemans will take overseas the lessons they learned while immersing themselves at Sojourn. "One of the key things about being a Sojourner is to live in community," Garth says. "So we gather on Sundays and then we scatter to community groups, to small groups, throughout the week." Sojourn has more than 100 community groups of about 10-15 people who meet once a week in someone's home. Colin says they focus on being part of the community in which they live and making those relationships work. That mindset extends to each of the four locations where Sojourn now is active -- two urban churches (which includes the main campus), a suburban church and a rural one. Encouraging people to live missionally is not like starting a program, Garth say. It's more difficult. It's changing people's worldview to the idea that "we are all on mission, we are all to be Christ's disciples to the nations -- and our neighbors are included in that." Colin and Anna started out as community group leaders for three years and then transitioned to coaches to mentor several community group leaders. "That, I think, just as much as anything prepared us for cross-cultural living and understanding how people work and understanding how sin relates to people's lives on a regular basis," Colin says. Sojourn's "School of Missions," a yearlong development program focusing on international missions, also was key in preparing Colin and Anna. Participants "get the ins and outs about what does it mean to cross a culture, how do we communicate the Gospel in a contextual way, all the things you can imagine that go along with being an international missionary both across the waters and here in our own city," Garth says, noting that Louisville is home to about 80,000 internationals. The Freemans were sent out by Sojourn as missionaries to the Horn of Africa in early 2014. Sojourn currently has 20 missionary units (singles or families) serving in several strategic locations overseas and many more in the church's assessment and development process. "This is not because we're anything special; it's the opposite actually," Garth says. "We've made a lot of mistakes ... but by God's grace, He's doing something through our people." --30-- *Names changed. Laura Fielding is a writer for the International Mission Board. View a related video at imb.org/sending. Use the hashtag #sendingchurch on Twitter to join the conversation about how you and your church can "live sent." -------------------------------------------------------------------- CP receipts top $125 million by Staff Date: June 03, 2014 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee exceeded $125 million dollars through the two-thirds mark of the SBC's fiscal year, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and Chief Executive Officer Frank S. Page. The $125,918,507.10 received by the Executive Committee for the first eight months of the fiscal year, October 1 through May 31, for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget represents 98.63 percent of the $127,666,666.67 year-to-date budgeted amount to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America. The year-to-date total represents money received by the Executive Committee by the close of the last business day of May and includes receipts from state conventions, churches and individuals for distribution, according to the 2013-14 SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. The total is $883,585.72 or 0.70 percent less than the $126,802,092.82 received through the end of May 2013, and is 1.37 percent less than the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget goal for the current year. Designated giving of $148,094,674.59 for the same year-to-date period is 7.34 percent, or $11,732,971.45, below the $159,827,646.04 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. Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions, Southern Baptist Global Hunger Relief (formerly the World Hunger Fund) and other special gifts. May's CP allocation receipts for SBC work totaled $16,788,260.12. Designated gifts received last month amounted to $17,349,519.01. The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists' channel of giving through which a local church is able to contribute to the ministries of its state convention and to the missions and ministries of the Southern Baptist Convention with a single contribution to its state convention. State conventions retain a portion of church contributions to the Cooperative Program to support work in their respective states and forward a percentage to Southern Baptist 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. The SBC allocation budget goal for 2013-2014 is $191,500,000, an increase of 1.86 percent over the $188,000,000 budgeted goal for the previous year, and is distributed as follows: 50.41 percent to support more than 4,800 overseas personnel with the IMB, 22.79 percent to help fuel North American evangelism and church planting through NAMB, 22.16 percent to help underwrite low-cost ministerial preparation and theological education through six SBC seminaries, 2.99 percent to the SBC operating budget and 1.65 percent to promote biblical morality and religious freedom through the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. 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, the percentage of CP contributions forwarded to the SBC by the state conventions after shared ministry expenses are deducted and the timing of when the state conventions forward the national portion of Cooperative Program contributions to the Executive Committee. CP allocation budget receipts received by the Executive Committee are reported monthly to the executives of the entities of the convention, to the state convention offices, to the state Baptist papers and are posted online at www.cpmissions.net/CPReports. --30-- Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- CP, baptisms for SBC nominees' churches by Staff Date: June 03, 2014 - Tuesday BALTIMORE (BP) -- The churches of three nominees for SBC president reflect much of the uniqueness of the Southern Baptist Convention, including their giving through the Cooperative Program, baptisms and other facets of church life. One is a multi-campus church in a robust part of Arkansas led by a pastor who has held numerous SBC leadership positions for two decades. Another is an ethnic congregation in the Washington, D.C., area, whose pastor has been a leader in the SBC's Korean fellowship. The third is a rural Kentucky church led by a Ph.D. seminary student currently serving as the SBC's second vice president. Baptist Press, prior to the election of a new SBC president, traditionally has reported on various measures of church life in the lead-up to the SBC annual meeting. This year's sessions are next Tuesday and Wednesday in Baltimore. In addition to information relayed by a church regarding its CP giving and baptisms, it should be noted that no single measure -- such as the Annual Church Profile or the records of a church's state convention -- provides a full picture of each church's commitment to missions-oriented stewardship. The Annual Church Profile (ACP) is a largely self-reported database collected by the state conventions and compiled by LifeWay Research. Among various complicating factors: -- Different fiscal years often are used by a church or state convention compared to the ACP's fiscal year of Oct. 1-Sept. 30. The CP giving and baptisms a church may report for a calendar year, for example, may be recorded quite differently by the ACP or a state convention in a different fiscal year. Also, some state conventions adjust their ACP reports of a church's gifts to the convention's fiscal year while other conventions do not make such adjustments. -- An ethnic church may send some of its giving through the missions initiatives of its ethnic fellowship within the SBC. Such gifts are not recorded as Cooperative Program gifts. Such a possibility is particularly true within the Korean Council of Southern Baptist Churches in America which has its own international and North American mission boards. -- Volunteer treasurers who keep financial records of some churches may not be fully aware of what constitutes Cooperative Program giving compared to other gifts that are received for other purposes, which typically are recorded as "designated gifts." -- Church gifts sent to the SBC Executive Committee for dispersal according to the CP Allocation Budget distribution formula are considered designated gifts since the Cooperative Program is a cooperative agreement between the state conventions and the SBC. Following are Baptist Press reports, then, on Cooperative Program giving, baptisms and other facets of church life using information relayed by the three pastors to be nominated for SBC president as well as data from the ACP and their state conventions. Ronnie Floyd Cross Church in northwest Arkansas, where Ronnie Floyd is pastor, is the top Cooperative Program giving church in the Arkansas Baptist State Convention among more than 1,400 congregations. The five-campus church increased its CP giving from .26 percent of undesignated receipts in 2005 to 4.1 percent in 2013. In terms of dollar amount, Cross Church went from giving $32,000 through the Cooperative Program in 2005 to $700,000 in 2013, the church told Baptist Press, reflecting an increase of just over 2,000 percent. In both 2005 and 2006, the church's giving included $189,000 to the SBC Executive Committee for dispersal as designated giving according to the CP Allocation Budget distribution formula. "In the journey of leading the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, God changed my life and ministry," Floyd told BP. "Confronted with the reality of lostness, I was convicted to give the rest of my life to influencing and investing in others to win the world to Christ. ... Projected to top $750,000 this year, our [CP] giving increased significantly even during our nation's great recession. We made sacrifices to give more through CP -- like eliminating our national television ministry." The effect of different fiscal years is seen in records relating to Cross Church: The ACP and the Arkansas convention in 2009 both indicated approximately $250,000 in CP giving by the church, while the church reported about $350,000 to BP for 2009. The following year ACP and the ABSC both reported about $500,000 in CP giving, compared with the church's report to BP of $400,000. Over the two-year period, the CP reports by the church, the ACP and ABSC matched at $750,000. In its information to BP, Cross Church noted that its Great Commission Giving has grown from $677,988 in 2005 to $1.2 million in 2013, a 77 percent increase. For 2014, the church has reported $181,000 in gifts to the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions and $61,000 to the Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions. In 2013, the church saw 346 members participate in 17 mission trips in six countries and seven states. Cross Church, averaging 8,500 in worship each week, reported 1,175 baptisms in 2013 through its five campuses, according to ACP, with 1,102 baptisms in 2012 and 1,082 in 2011. Among the ministries Cross Church uses to reach people with the Gospel are a Compassion Center that provides food, clothing, English classes and life skills training; age-graded ministries such as Bible studies, Vacation Bible Schools and camps; and special events on holidays. Cross Church has helped plant 101 churches since 2000, including 56 in the past three years, according to the information it provided to BP. The congregation is investing in 27 church plants in 2014 -- 15 of which are in cities that are part of the Send North America church planting strategy of the North American Mission Board. The Cross Church Circle Prayer Ministry, meanwhile, involves 3,200 people praying in 30-minute blocks weekly. Dennis Manpoong Kim Global Mission Church of Greater Washington in Silver Spring, Md., where Dennis Manpoong Kim is pastor, is among the top five CP giving churches in the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware among more than 500 congregations. The church gave 4.4 percent of its undesignated receipts through CP in 2013. "I believe in the power of collaboration," Kim said. "That is the reason why I have always led the Global Mission Church to be faithful in its participation in the Cooperative Program." In terms of dollar amount, Global Mission Church went from giving $86,200 through CP in 2012 to $97,600 in 2013, the BCMD reported, an increase of 13.2 percent. Global Mission Church's report to BP of $93,600 given through CP in 2013 varied slightly from the state convention's report, a deviation possibly stemming from different definitions of the fiscal year. In 2013, Global Mission Church told BP it gave $13,601 to the Lottie Moon Offering, $11,396 to the Annie Armstrong Offering and $16,900 to its local Montgomery Baptist Association. In 2012, the church reported $21,523 for Lottie Moon, according to ACP. In 2013 total missions expenditures for Global Mission Church, a predominantly Korean congregation, amounted to $321,026 or 14.6 percent of its undesignated receipts. A portion of that amount included gifts to the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches, a network of Korean Southern Baptist congregations that partner in joint missions and ministry efforts; the Korean North American Mission Board, an organization of Korean churches that support church planting in the U.S. and Canada; and the Korean International Mission Board, an organization of Korean churches that support institutions and churches across the world. "With a steadfast commitment to world missions, our church is training and sending more than 10 short-term mission teams every year and it has produced more than 50 career missionaries working for the International Mission Board," Kim said. "The Global Mission Church has also planted five churches in various locations: Baltimore (Md.), Fairfax (Va.), Seattle (Wash.), Cary (N.C.) and Bun-dang (South Korea)." In 2013, Global Mission Church, averaging 1,580 in Sunday worship each week, reported 25 baptisms, according to ACP. It reported 71 in 2012 and 78 in 2011. The church generally holds baptism services on Christmas and Easter as well as once in late summer or early fall if needed, Kim told BP. Between May 2013 and March of this year, Global Mission Church members presented the Gospel to 3,125 people through personal evangelism using a witnessing technique devised by Kim. Through that effort 1,078 individuals professed faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. Jared Moore New Salem Baptist Church in Hustonville, Ky., where Jared Moore is pastor, told BP that it contributed 16 percent of its undesignated receipts through CP in 2013. That puts New Salem 10.5 percentage points above the convention average of 5.5 percent. In terms of dollar amount, New Salem gave $12,412 through CP from $77,587 in undesignated receipts, the church told BP. In each of the previous four years, the congregation gave between $11,000 and $12,000 through CP, according to ACP. "New Salem Baptist Church believes in the Cooperative Program," Moore said. "We give 16 percent of our undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program. … Giving through the Cooperative Program is still the best way to fulfill the Great Commission." In some instances, New Salem's giving report to BP varies from ACP data and information reported by the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Moore said the variation is largely due to two factors. First, some giving was reported as undesignated when in reality it was designated. Second, the church treasurer does not send CP gifts to the KBC each month, but often sends several months of contributions at a time. The effect of placing designated funds with CP gifts, for example, resulted in an ACP record of $119,941 in undesignated receipts for 2013 and a resultant CP giving percentage of 10.6. In sending CP gifts less frequently than monthly to the state convention resulted in a KBC report for New Salem of just $7,477 in CP for 2013. Last year the church gave $417 to the Lottie Moon Offering and $532 to the Annie Armstrong Offering, according to ACP. The church reported to BP an additional $322 to Kentucky's state missions offering and $2,151 to the local Lincoln County Baptist Association (2.8 percent of the congregation's undesignated receipts). New Salem's Great Commission giving for 2013 totaled $21,383, the church reported. New Salem, averaging 55 in Sunday worship each week, reported two baptisms in 2013, according to ACP. It baptized none in 2012 but four in 2011. Moore estimated that at least a quarter of the church's members engage in personal evangelism weekly. For the second year in a row, a group from New Salem plans to take a mission trip to Oklahoma to conduct a day camp for children where the Gospel is presented. Among New Salem's local evangelistic ministries are an annual Vacation Bible School; two annual revivals; a church van picks up children each Sunday morning; a booth at the local flea market at which church members talk to people about the Gospel; and a "free sale" where the congregation gives away items typically found at yard sales and talks with shoppers about Jesus. Earlier Baptist Press reports about the nominees: Ronnie Floyd: nomination announced; question and answer Dennis Manpoong Kim: nomination announced; question and answer Jared Moore: nomination announced; question and answer --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press chief national correspondent David Roach and BP editor Art Toalston. Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention's news service, reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE STATES: Texas, Ala., Ark. evangelism/missions news; 'The people are so religious, so devout. But for what?' by Staff Date: June 03, 2014 - Tuesday Today's From the States features items from: Southern Baptist Texan The Alabama Baptist Arkansas Baptist News Trip to India convinces SBTC team: More support needed to enhance gospel work among largely unengaged region By Bonnie Pritchett GRAPEVINE, Texas (Southern Baptist Texan) -- Regardless of age, gender, race or stage of life, the impact of an overseas mission experience can be jarring, heartbreaking and life changing. Jim Richards, 61-year-old executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, and Ryann Mathews, a 22-year-old student and daughter of an SBTC pastor, were part of an SBTC group that traveled in March to India to labor alongside Southern Baptist workers and local pastors in witnessing and preaching among Hindus and Muslims. A veteran of more than a dozen mission trips around the world, Richards' experiences far exceed those of Mathews, who was traveling abroad for the first time. Despite the disparity, the Holy Spirit similarly moved them as the team grieved for the desperate physical and spiritual poverty of the Indian people and reflected on widespread shallowness in churches back home. "It was absolutely heartbreaking to see the people blinded. It makes the pages of the Old Testament just leap to life," Richards said. More must be done to reach the lost with the gospel, Richards and Mathews agreed, and to rouse American churches from indifference. That goal may seem insurmountable in places like India, where the government forbids evangelism, Christian converts are ostracized by their families and Christians make up less than 2 percent of the population in a nation of 1.2 billion people. The dark spiritual condition was profoundly evident in the deplorable living conditions of India's street people and their veneration of carved images in a Hindu temple ceremony. The SBTC team sadly watched as worshipers presented offerings to a lifeless statue while their fellow Hindus, living in squalor, begged in the streets for daily needs. "The people are so religious, so devout. But for what?" Mathews asked. "It broke my heart. They have a god for everything. Jehovah God has everything!" Yet amid the darkness shine small points of light -- namely, several International Mission Board workers and about 50 native church planting pastors. Answering the call by IMB President Tom Elliff to adopt Unreached and Unengaged People Groups (UUPGs), the SBTC joined hands with the missionary in southern India, partly due to the convention's relationship with a North Texas church plant reaching Indian immigrants. This was the convention's second trip since adopting the IMB couple about four years ago. The team appraised the effectiveness of the partnership and provided resources in the form of preaching, mentoring and encouragement. "A people group is unreached when the number of evangelical Christians is less than 2 percent of its population. It is further called unengaged when there is no church planting strategy consistent with evangelical faith and practice under way," according to the IMB website. Richards said it is imperative that Texas churches and associations join the effort in engaging and reaching the lost overseas. While the IMB pays salaries and some ministry expenses, there are few financial reserves to fund specific projects the missionaries undertake. The SBTC has helped fund projects through the India Baptist Society—including the construction of a multi-purpose facility used by the missionary and the pastors—and facilitated an ongoing connection with national workers. Richards spent two days in one region teaching pastors. Some traveled 8-10 hours and slept on the meeting room floor just for the opportunity of training and fellowship. Mathews spent her week "just genuinely loving on" street children and their parents. Witnessing the nature of their existence was physically, emotionally and spiritually overwhelming, she said. Fascinated with India since high school, Mathews said she believes her mission opportunity was divinely orchestrated. Her father, Tony Mathews, pastor of North Garland Baptist Fellowship and a seasoned mission-team volunteer, did not try to soften the reality his daughter would experience. "Whatever preconceived ideas you have about missions, throw them out," Ryann Mathews said. "I was broken. Totally." Richards said: "Observing people who have never been on a mission trip is like watching a light being turned on. A person's entire countenance changes when they see the lostness and needs of others in some very difficult places." The team returned to the states with a renewed burden for the lost abroad and at home. Having fellowshipped with Christians whose lives and livelihoods are threatened if they heed the Great Commission, Richards said, "I see the shallowness of the church in America. It grieves my heart that we take Jesus flippantly." Mathews said she has no shame or guilt for her material possessions as some do after witnessing dire poverty. Instead, she realized she had taken for granted something less tangible yet far more valuable—her freedom. During her visit, Mathews had frequent opportunities to engage a young Muslim mother who made saris for the women on the SBTC team. "I would tell her 'Jesus loves you' and 'He died for you,'" Mathews recounted. At the end of the week the woman gave each team member a handmade bookmark on which she had written, in Arabic, "Jesus is Lord." Mathews said she believes the woman wanted to profess Christ but was afraid of the repercussions. The consequences of conversion, for Muslims and Hindus, can mean being ostracized from their families, losing their jobs, even death. Hindus, who believe in millions of manifestations of their one god Krishna, must fully process the concept of one God for all people before placing their trust in Christ. When they do, Richards said, "They are repenting of all other gods and that Jesus Christ is the one and only true and living God." Each trip supports Christians in the mission field, emboldens the volunteers' witness at home and sparks in them the desire to return to the field. Mathews said she knows she will go back but not when. On their last day of ministry in the streets, the mother of a toddler to whom Mathews grew especially attached asked Mathews when she would come back. "I'll try in a year" was all Mathews could think to say. Crestfallen, the mother replied, "That's too long." --30-- This article appeared in the Southern Baptist TEXAN (www.texanonline.net), newsjournal of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. Bonnie Pritchett is a correspondent for the TEXAN. ********** Ukrainians glad to see Ala. missions team By Brian Harris DNIPROPETROVSK, Ukraine (The Alabama Baptist) -- Ukraine's current political unrest may leave its people concerned about their future, but glimpses of God's love and provision are keeping many of them encouraged. "We have had times of worries here, but we don't get depressed because we know the Lord is not going to leave us or forsake us," said Lydia Davienko, a member of the Church at Amur in Dnipropetrovsk, who helped with a recent medical missions clinic hosted by Alabama Baptists. "I'm so happy to see our friends who come from abroad, who come here to support us physically and spiritually," she said. "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart that you paid attention to us."  Medical missions to Dnipropetrovsk An eight-member medical missions team out of Vaughn Forest Baptist Church, Montgomery, spent a week in Dnipropetrovsk, the nation's fourth largest city, in early May. The group consisted of a doctor, nurse, pharmacist and five others, including the congregation's immediate former pastor, Lawrence Phipps, now the leader of It's Life Ministry.  "It's been amazing to talk to the people (in Ukraine) who absolutely can't believe we came," Phipps said. "They know that their country is in turmoil. They're doubly appreciative that we came in a time of crisis." Working with Ukraine's IMB church planters The team worked alongside International Mission Board (IMB) church planters as well as Linda and Mike Ray, the IMB team strategy leader for east central Ukraine.  "One of the greatest things about doing a medical clinic is that it's an immediate touch into people's lives," Linda Ray said. "I think so much about how Jesus healed, touched and did what He could as He would go. It's really an exciting project to be a part of." One of the medical clinics was conducted in a former Soviet-era apartment building that will house Love of Christ Baptist Church, a new congregation being planted by Dnipropetrovsk's Central Baptist Church. The clinic offered free checkups and reading glasses for those who needed them. 'Real medicine' Dr. Lee Franklin, a Montgomery-area oncologist, said the IMB representatives have learned that medical clinics "are a great way to reach adults. They come for medical care, but on the way they get real medicine. They get to hear about Jesus." As Dnipropetrovsk residents came to the clinic, Ukrainian church members gathered contact and medical information and engaged in conversation, including sharing the gospel. The team shared the gospel with more than 700 people and some among the group made salvation decisions. Igor, the lead church planter for Love of Christ Baptist, said the team's visit and medical clinics helped the church become more familiar with its community. "We are really glad that God made this possible," Igor said. "Many of the people have never heard about Christ. It was very beautiful for us to see how their eyes were opened and ready to accept this good news." Other locales for medical clinics included church buildings, an office building and the abandoned second floor of a town hall. --30-- This article appeared in The Alabama Baptist (thealabamabaptist.org), newsjournal of the Alabama Baptist Convention. Brian Harris is a correspondent for The Alabama Baptist. ********** Thousands respond during Master'Singers tour By Jessica Vanderpool WESTERN UKRAINE (Arkansas Baptist News) -- More than 4,400 people made decisions to "become serious followers of Christ" during the Arkansas Master'Singers choir tour in western Ukraine, April 21-May 2. "I've been in ministry since I was 18 years old, and this is by far the most powerful thing I've ever gotten to be a part of," said Larry Grayson, Arkansas Baptist State Convention evangelism and church health team member.  Grayson, who serves as Master'Singers director, noted that "the intensity, the excitement, the feelings ... cannot be recreated with words." The choir performed in eight evangelistic concerts, where the choir sang and international evangelist Michael Gott preached. In addition, Master'Singers members sang as part of three local church worship services. More than 9,000 people attended the various events. Venues were so full that people often had to stand, Grayson said. He said some church members would invite people to the concerts, but they themselves would go to their churches to pray for audience members, which allowed them to leave more seats available for others to attend. One lady personally invited more than 200 people. Gott also noted the turnout.  "We looked out to see crowded aisles and people standing in stairwells and along the walls, and we prayed for three things: that God would keep out the devil and the fire marshal! But, of course, we prayed that the Lord would be among us to empower our witness," Gott said. Each word sung was translated and displayed on a large screen so audience members would understand the songs' messages. Grayson said local Ukrainian pastors estimate that 50-60 percent of those in attendance were nonbelievers. Local pastors are following up with people who made decisions. "I never asked them to become a Christian -- to them that means little more than continuing to be religious. I asked them to come to realize that Jesus Christ was their only hope and for their relationship with Christ to be personal. I invited them to become a serious follower of Christ for life," said Gott.  "There's no way to know how many of those (decisions) were first-time salvations, but there's great confidence in many being that," said Grayson. "I'm confident that there will be thousands who are going to be in heaven with us now because of this." "I have never before been a part of such a powerful movement of God's Spirit in the hearts of so many people," said Doug Moore, instrumental director for the Master'Singers and worship pastor at First Baptist Church, Jacksonville. "I am humbled that God would allow me to be used in this mission endeavor. I pray that I will never get over this experience." Plans for the trip underwent a shift in March when pastors from eastern Ukraine notified Grayson that, due to the political situation, it would be best for the group not to come to that part of the country. Just a few days later, pastors from western Ukraine invited the group to tour in their area instead. The entire trip was re-planned in about six weeks and went "flawlessly," Grayson said.  "It was as though that's where we had been planning to go all along, which bottom line is it's exactly where God wanted us – there is no doubt," he said. He noted that the Ukrainian people thanked them for bringing encouragement and bringing God to Ukraine and for "risking" coming at this time in the nation's history. "In my mind, I thought, 'We … did not risk anything. We have not felt any risk in what we've done,'" said Grayson, noting they never felt any danger or threat the whole time they were in Ukraine. But it was not just the Ukrainian people who were affected by the trip. "I love it that worship leaders here in the state will never be the same, and I believe that to be true," Grayson said, noting team members' responses regarding the trip. "Since my return to the U.S., I have been overwhelmed by what we just experienced," wrote Tim Gunter, pastor of worship and discipleship at First Baptist Church, Camden, in an email to Grayson. "Several times during each day, tears will flood my eyes with the joy of the Lord, as they are now as I type. I think I have shed more tears in the past two-plus weeks than in all my life combined. My quiet times have been much more powerful. Our Sunday (morning) service was much more meaningful and worshipful, at least for me. I find myself running out of words to describe recent events. 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow!'" Other team members shared their reflections as well.  Carleen Powers – whose husband, Phil Powers, serves as associate pastor of worship and education at Marshall Road Baptist Church, Jacksonville – served in a nonmusical role. She described how her life was touched through her experience as part of the prayer team.  "Night after night we cried out to God for the lost people of Ukraine. On one of the nights, someone had written 'mother and father' needed the Lord. When I read that, I sobbed and my heart broke for these families," wrote Powers. She said God burdened her to "pray for the people of Ukraine." "I would find myself praying as we drove from place to place, as I walked through the halls and churches, when I was awake and when I was asleep. The Lord would wake me up praying for the people. I now know what it means to 'pray without ceasing,'" she wrote. "For me, some of the most remarkable worship took place in the prayer room. … God has given me a greater desire to pray for the lost people around me." Clay Doss, worship pastor at Cullendale First Baptist Church, Camden, shared his thoughts as well. "God has used us to get the message of the gospel to the hearts of the Ukrainians," he wrote. "I praise God for using us and allowing us to be a small part of reaching Ukraine for Christ. I pray that God will take the changed lives and the seeds that have been planted in hearts and multiply them over and over again." He concluded by quoting the lyrics to "Praise His Holy Name," the final song sung at each concert: "To God be the glory, now and forever, praise His holy name!" --30-- This article appeared in the Arkansas Baptist News (arkansasbaptistnews.squarespace.com/), newsjournal of the Arkansas Baptist Convention. Jessica Vanderpool is assistant editor of the Arkansas Baptist News.