The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-07/14/2015 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Survey: American evangelicals stand behind Israel by Bob Smietana Date: July 14, 2015 - Tuesday EDITOR'S NOTE: To read about varying theological views among evangelicals toward the state of Israel, click here for Baptist Press story July 9 titled "Evangelicals support Israel, disagree on why." NASHVILLE (BP) -- American evangelicals remain among the strongest supporters of the nation of Israel. Among pastors, 80 percent say Christians need to support Israel. Those are among the findings of a study of American attitudes toward Israel and the Bible released by Nashville-based LifeWay Research July 14. Researchers conducted two separate surveys of 1,000 Americans as part of the study last fall, along with a survey of 1,000 senior pastors of Protestant churches. "No piece of literature has had more impact on American culture than the Bible," said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research. "No country is more intertwined with the ancient biblical narrative than Israel, and evangelical Americans see a contemporary connection with the nation." Researchers found evangelicals see a close tie between God and Israel. About 7 in 10 (69 percent) say the modern nation of Israel was formed as result of biblical prophecy. A similar number (70 percent) say God has a special relationship with the modern nation of Israel. And nearly three-fourths of evangelicals (73 percent) say events in Israel are part of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation. While evangelicals remain convinced about a tie between Israel and God's plans, Americans generally are less certain. Less than half (46 percent) believe the formation of modern Israel is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. More than a third (36 percent) disagree, while 17 percent aren't sure. Americans are split over whether Jews are God's chosen people as referenced in the Bible, with just under half (46 percent) saying they agree. A similar number (44 percent) disagree, while 10 percent are not sure. And some Americans think God was closer to ancient Israel than to the modern-day nation. About two-thirds (64 percent) of Americans say God had a "special relationship with ancient Israel." About 1 in 4 (27 percent) disagrees, while 9 percent are not sure. In contrast, only 48 percent of Americans say God has a special relationship with modern Israel -- fewer than the 53 percent of Americans who believe God has a special relationship with the United States, according to previously released LifeWay research. About 4 in 10 (39 percent) disagree that God has a special relationship with modern Israel, while 13 percent are not sure. Evangelicals (70 percent) are much more likely to agree than Americans who don't identify as evangelicals (38 percent). Overall, nearly half (47 percent) of Americans believe events in Israel are tied to the Book of Revelation. Forty percent disagree, and 13 percent are unsure. Younger Americans, those age 18-24, are less likely (36 percent) to see a tie between Israel and the Book of Revelation than those 45 and older (52 percent). Women (52 percent) are more likely to agree than men (42 percent). Those with graduate degrees (24 percent) are much less likely to agree events in Israel are part of the prophecies in Revelation than those with a high school degree or less (55 percent). Support for Israel When Americans are asked whether they support Israel's statehood, 42 percent agree, while 35 percent disagree. One in four (23 percent) is not sure. Their view of Israel is affected both by their schooling and by their view of the Bible and prophecy. Higher levels of education correlate to higher levels of support for Israeli statehood. Those with a graduate degree are most likely to be supporters at 61 percent, followed by those with a bachelor's degree (56 percent), those with some college (43 percent) and those with a high school diploma or less (31 percent). Slightly more than half of American men (51 percent) say they support Israeli statehood, compared to a third (33 percent) of women. Support is also significantly higher among evangelicals (50 percent) than others (39 percent). Supporters are split on the reasons they back Israel. Sixteen percent say the Bible tells them to, while 9 percent say it's because Israel is important for biblical prophecy. Some (13 percent) say they support Israel primarily because Israel is America's best friend in the Middle East. Others say it's because Jews needed a refuge after the Holocaust (11 percent) or because Israel is the one and only Jewish homeland (15 percent). Though the term Zionist is synonymous with believing that Jews should have their own state, only 8 percent of Americans claim this label. A third (32 percent) of Americans are not sure whether they are Zionist. Among the most ardent of Israel's supporters are senior pastors of Protestant churches. Most (80 percent) agree "Christians should support Israel." About 1 in 7 (14 percent) disagrees. Even though they support Israel, some pastors have their doubts about Israel's military actions. About 4 in 10 (41 percent) agree with the statement, "It is hard to defend Israel's military tactics." Fifty percent disagree, while 9 percent are not sure. Methodology: The first phone survey of Americans was conducted Sept. 19-28, 2014. The second phone survey of Americans was conducted Sept. 26-Oct. 5, 2014. The calling utilized Random Digit Dialing. Sixty percent of completes were among landlines and 40 percent among cell phones. Maximum quotas and slight weights were used for gender, region, age, ethnicity and education to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.5 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Those labeled evangelicals consider themselves "a born again, evangelical or fundamentalist Christian." The phone survey of Protestant pastors was conducted Sept. 11-18, 2014. The calling list was a stratified random sample drawn from a list of all Protestant churches. Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister or priest of the church called. Responses were weighted by region to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.1 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. LifeWay Research is a Nashville-based evangelical research firm that specializes in surveys about faith in culture and matters that affect the church. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Finding a new perspective by John Yeats Date: July 14, 2015 - Tuesday JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (BP) -- I was born with a special condition shared by many men (like 1 out of 100). It is technically called green-red dichromatic vision, or color blindness. My parents were somewhat familiar with the condition because of my mom's brothers. However, very early in my preschool days, I would bring home from church my own crayon landscape pictures that celebrated God's creation. I was so proud of my artistic abilities and mom would affirm my accomplishments by displaying them in the kitchen. Only problem is, my grasses would be red instead of green and my oceans could be violet as often as they were colored blue. Later I learned to mask most of my condition by reading the labels on the crayons. It helps to read the labels but I did think it strange that so many colors existed beyond my primary color capabilities. In honor of my latest birthday (a major landmark accomplished by the grace of God), my three sons did some research and found a new patented approach to assist color blind people. They presented to me my very own EnChroma glasses, which have given me a new perspective on the world of color. When I put the glasses on, I began to describe to Sharon the different shades of springtime green. I saw for the first time the differences between green and browns, blues and purples, orange versus yellow, and Sharon began to weep because it was such a new perspective for me (I love this wife of mine). The new challenge is that along with my younger grandkids, I'm learning my colors. Now I know most of the adult world already has that down, but it is a new perspective for me. Perspective is a huge opportunity for every person. Learning about a godly perspective of life and decision-making is part of the journey of faith that every believer must experience. What does God say about this behavior or a particular attitude? What has God already said through His Word about an experience or decision I am facing? How would the Holy Spirit within me lead me to respond to a person who has wounded me with their words? Is it possible for me, a sinner transformed by God's grace, to gain God's perspective about all things pertaining to life? Yes! Absolutely! Consider the following passage: "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire" (2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV). This passage is not an empowerment for self-actualization. It is not a gospel "selfie" to post on our latest page so we can say, "Look what's happening now to me." How shallow to think such a low thought of our Lord's work in and through a believer's life. We must think much higher and/or deeper. Here is one aspect of this great passage: No authentic believer is exempted from the journey of faith where the Lord is at work in us to change our perspective from a life captivated by the allure of worldliness to a heart that is passionate for what is important to Him. From His perspective (not my perspective about what I think is His perspective), what is so important to God? Take a look at the 2 Peter passage again. See the phrase "... you may become partakers of the divine nature ..." The Lord's perspective on life is that through the precious promises of the Word of God, a believer "partakes" or "gains" of the divine perspective. This doesn't mean we understand everything there is to know about life and its valleys and opportunities. But it does mean that character has a higher value than a high five from our peers; that faithfulness means more than what satisfies my flesh; that holy devotion to my relationship to Him is foundational to a purposeful life. This time of year is a grand opportunity to step back and reflect on God's goodness. Take the circumstances of life that are squeezing you on every side and by faith take a look at the challenges through a new set of lenses. Ask, from a "what does God desire to do in and through me" perspective, "Lord, is there something I am not seeing about what I am struggling with" or "Lord, do You have something new for me to learn through Your Word about my choices, about my attitudes toward those who are closest to me, or about the sphere of influence where You have planted me for the purpose of revealing Your glory." -------------------------------------------------------------------- LifeWay selects partners for new headquarters by Staff Date: July 14, 2015 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- LifeWay Christian Resources announced Tuesday (July 14) it has hired design and construction-related partners in its efforts to relocate the organization's corporate headquarters to a new location nearby in downtown Nashville. LifeWay has contracted with Gresham, Smith and Partners to design its new 216,000-square-foot office building, according to a news release from the Southern Baptist entity. Bell & Associates Construction in Brentwood, Tenn., will manage construction of the new building. Compass Partners, LLC, in Brentwood, Tenn., will help LifeWay manage the process of the new project, serving as the owner's representative. "We are blessed to have gathered such a renowned team that will be instrumental in the success of this project," said Thom S. Rainer, president of LifeWay. "These three partners are responsible for much of the transformation of Nashville's skyline over the past 20 years. We are excited about the development of a timeless, long-lasting building in the heart of downtown Nashville that is representative of our values and will serve our ministries for the next 100 years." LifeWay anticipates finalizing the sale of its 14.5-acre downtown property in the next few weeks to Uptown Nashville, LLC, a consortium of local and national developers formed specifically to develop the property. The entity began a preliminary feasibility study last August into selling its campus to relocate to facilities better suited to the ministry's future. Some of LifeWay's downtown buildings date from the early 20th century and weren't designed for modern technology or collaborative work, Rainer has said. LifeWay has moved printing, assembly and shipping elsewhere, leaving two-thirds of the current property unused. Its complex includes more than 1 million square feet of office, warehouse and parking space. About 1,100 of LifeWay's employees are scattered through nine downtown buildings. The organization also oversees 186 stores and 4,300 employees in 29 states. "We cannot waste time, money and other resources on inefficient facilities," Rainer told messengers at their annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, June 16-17. Read story on Rainer's report. "We must be the best stewards of the resources Southern Baptists have entrusted to our care." LifeWay, founded in 1891 as the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, expects to acquire new property later this summer with plans to break ground this year on a new facility that is slated for completion by late 2017. -------------------------------------------------------------------- PPFA accused of selling aborted fetal parts by Diana Chandler Date: July 14, 2015 - Tuesday EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated since being posted earlier Tuesday afternoon (July 14). NASHVILLE (BP) -- A woman identified as a Planned Parenthood executive is shown in an undercover video released today (July 14) negotiating the sale of baby parts gained through partial birth abortions performed at Planned Parenthood facilities. The nonprofit medical watchdog group Center for Medical Progress (CMP) released the video showing a woman identified as Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood Federation of America senior director of medical services, discussing the PPFA fetal parts business with an undercover investigator posing as a potential buyer at a July 25, 2014, lunch meeting. After the video surfaced, Planned Parenthood defended the action of donating such body parts, but said no monetary benefits are gained, other than the reimbursement of costs incurred in the delivery of the body parts. “In health care, patients sometimes want to donate tissue to scientific research that can help lead to medical breakthroughs, such as treatments and cures for serious diseases. Women at Planned Parenthood who have abortions are no different,” Eric Ferrero, Planned Parenthood’s vice president of communications, said in a press release posted on the PPFA website. “At several of our health centers, we help patients who want to donate tissue for scientific research, and we do this just like every other high-quality health care provider does -- with full, appropriate consent from patients and under the highest ethical and legal standards. “There is no financial benefit for tissue donation for either the patient or for Planned Parenthood,” he said. “In some instances, actual costs, such as the cost to transport tissue to leading research centers, are reimbursed, which is standard across the medical field.” In the video, Nucatola explains Planned Parenthood's supposed baby parts business and discusses in detail the care Planned Parenthood locations take to ensure the delivery of intact body parts of aborted babies. "We've been very good at getting heart, lung, liver," she said in the transcript posted on the CMP website, "... so I'm not gonna crush that part. I gonna basically crush below, I'm gonna crush above, and I'm gonna see if I can get it all intact." Nucatola noted, "I'd say a lot of people want liver. And for that reason, most providers will do this case under ultrasound guidance, so they know where they're putting their forceps." Selling or buying human fetal tissue is a federal felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000, according to Title 42 of the U.S. Code. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, noted the video appears to be credible, based on his inquiries among "respected figures in the pro-life community ... who confirmed the accuracy of the video," he blogged at Moore to the Point. "If this does not shock the conscience, what will? It is not only that infants, in their mother's wombs, are deprived of their lives, but also that their corpses are desecrated for profit," Moore blogged. "This is not only murderous; it is murderous in the most ghoulish way imaginable." Moore, among many who have fought to stop the funding of abortions with taxpayer dollars, called Planned Parenthood "pirates and grave-robbers of those who have no graves." He called on the church to recommit itself to protecting the most vulnerable among us. "The church of Jesus Christ should recommit ourselves to speaking out for human dignity. What we see in this instance is what has always been true of Planned Parenthood: Mammon worship in collision with the image of God, and the image is sacrificed on the altar of profiteering," Moore wrote. "This does not go unnoticed to God. He has said, 'Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey' (Isaiah 10:1-2)." Nucatola, who has served in her Planned Parenthood position since 2009, maintains an office in Los Angeles. Planned Parenthood's media office in New York did not return Baptist Press' message requesting a comment. The CMP video was obtained through its Human Capital project, a 30-month journalistic investigation documenting Planned Parenthood's fetal parts business. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Iran deal: persecuted church 'left behind' by David Roach Date: July 14, 2015 - Tuesday VIENNA (BP) -- The nuclear deal struck by Iran and six world powers led by the United States has drawn criticism from evangelicals for its potential ill effects on Israel and persecuted Christians in the Persian nation. The American Center for Law and Justice lamented that the deal, which was announced today (July 14) in Vienna following 20 months of negotiations, apparently does not include the release of American pastor Saeed Abedini from an Iranian prison. Johnny Hunt, a former Southern Baptist Convention president who has led First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., to do extensive mission work in Iran, said the Obama administration's willingness to negotiate with Iranian leaders likely encourages the regime to continue persecuting Christians and threatening Israel. "I fear for Israel and other Middle Eastern countries in light of Iran's hatred of Israel along with their many threats," Hunt told Baptist Press in written comments. "I find it so difficult for us as a nation to trust nations that are publicly known for their religious persecution. The lack of accountability of Iran in light of all their inconsistencies with the United Nations leads me to believe that [America's diplomatic engagement with Iran poses] an even greater risk to Iran's growing Christian Underground Church." Hunt added, "Every concerned citizen should be asking, 'What has changed in Iran's behavior that has led us to believe they can be trusted in a nuclear deal?'" According to The New York Times, the deal requires Iran to maintain a 98-percent reduced stockpile of low enriched uranium for the next 15 years, reduce by two-thirds the number of centrifuges spinning at the nation's primary enrichment center and continue to limit its acquisition of conventional weapons among other provisions. In exchange, the U.S. and the international community will lift oil and financial sanctions on Iran -- a move expected to generate between $300 to $400 billion for Iran's economy, according to the Heritage Foundation, a think tank that promotes traditional values. President Obama celebrated the deal in a White House address, saying without the accord Iran and its neighbors would be more likely to pursue a nuclear arms race. "This deal is not built on trust. It is built on verification," Obama said according to a transcript of his remarks published by the Associated Press. "Inspectors will have 24/7 access to Iran's nuclear facilities. [They] will have access to Iran's entire nuclear supply chain, its uranium mines and mills, its conversion facility and its centrifuge manufacturing and storage facilities. "This ensures that Iran will not be able to divert materials from known facilities to covert ones," Obama said. "Some of these transparency measures will be in place for 25 years." Republicans in Congress expressed skepticism regarding the deal as did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Congress will have 60 days to review the deal and either approve or disapprove of it. Obama said he will veto "any legislation that prevents the successful implementation of this deal." The Times said "Obama's chances of ultimately prevailing are considered high." Sen. Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he questions "whether the deal actually meets the goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon." Sen. James Lankford, a Southern Baptist and Oklahoma Republican, said Iran remains "the world's largest state-sponsor of terrorism." Iran's leadership, he said, "is a threat to its neighbors and the world, therefore we should closely analyze and debate this deal before any sanctions relief occurs." Netanyahu called the deal a "historic mistake," according to the Jerusalem Post. The agreement will result in "hundreds of billions of dollars" pouring into Iran that can be used to fund terrorism and aggression toward neighboring states, Netanyahu said. "It is impossible to prevent an agreement when the negotiators are willing to make more and more concessions to those who chant 'Death to America' even during the negotiations," Netanyahu said in an apparent reference to U.S. negotiators. Leaders in Iran and Syria both welcomed news of the deal. Iranian President Hassan Rohani said, "Thank God, I have fulfilled my election promise to try and solve the nuclear crisis. We are a few steps away from the peak.... Even if the process stops now, we have performed our duty," the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad suggested he expects more support from Iran in his war against insurgents following the nuclear deal announcement. "We are confident that the Islamic Republic of Iran will support, with greater drive, just causes of nations and work for peace and stability in the region and the world," Assad said according to Haaretz. He said in a separate statement, "The coming days will see momentum in the constructive role played by the Islamic Republic of Iran in supporting for [sic] the rights of people and the laying of the foundation stones for amiable relations between nations for the good of humanity." Bryant Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., and a former SBC president, said the deal is alarming because it appears to endanger Israel and do nothing to help Iran's persecuted Christians. Johnson Ferry heard testimonies at its MOVE Conference earlier this year from two Iranian believers who were imprisoned for distributing Bibles. "History shows that when you try to appease evil, it often winds up creating more problems rather than bringing about good," Wright told BP. He added that Netanyahu's objections to the deal are "of great concern" because "the world is becoming so much more anti-Semitic, so much more hostile to Israel." Wright is concerned for Iranian Christians in the wake of the deal announcement because "so far, nothing I've heard indicates there will be a greater freedom and a greater sense of justice for those who are suffering unjustly there in Iran for their faith." Jay Sekulow, chief counsel at the American Center for Law and Justice, said it is egregious that Abedini, who has been imprisoned since 2012 for his Christian faith, has been "left behind" by U.S. negotiators. "It is unconscionable that the Obama Administration would sign a deal with Iran without securing the freedom of Pastor Saeed who has been imprisoned for nearly three years simply because of his Christian faith," Sekulow said in an ACLJ news release. "President Obama told the Abedini family face-to-face that he considered the release of Pastor Saeed a 'top priority.' How could that be a 'top priority' when a deal is reached and Pastor Saeed is left behind? What happened today makes a bad deal even worse. We will now focus our attention on convincing Congress to reject this deal." Abedini's wife Naghmeh also asked Congress to reject the deal and insist that Iran release her husband along with other imprisoned American citizens. "I plead with each member of Congress to review the deal with our family at the forefront of their thoughts," Naghmeh Abedini said according to the ACLJ release. "Congress holds the key to bringing my husband home, to returning the father to my children. My children have desperately missed the loving embrace of their father for the last three years of their lives. They have grown up almost half of their lives without their father. Please help us ensure the remainder of their childhood includes both a mother and a father." Naghmeh Abedini tweeted that the "State Department has not provided any assurance of Saeed's release. The Lord has been preparing me for this." SBC President Ronnie Floyd echoed the call for Saeed Abedini's release in written comments to BP. "While still learning more about this deal made with Iran, I stand appalled that we would make any kind of deal that would not demand the immediate release of the four Americans held hostage, including Pastor Saeed Abedini," said Floyd, pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas. "Additionally, I am concerned for the safety of the people of Israel, America's great ally. All of this calls the church to rise up and pray for the peace of Jerusalem, as well as recommit ourselves to the evangelization of the world." Phillip Bethancourt, executive vice president of Southern Baptists' Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, tweeted that he is "praying for @NaghmehAbedini and her children this morning after the #IranDeal announcement." The Heritage Foundation tweeted what it views as problems with the deal. Among them, "We gave Iran a better deal than we give our allies" and "Nuclear inspectors can only inspect with Iran's permission." -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE STATES: Ala., Ga., S.C. evangelism/missions news; Church's discipleship program gets 'unbelievable' results by Staff Date: July 14, 2015 - Tuesday Today's From the States features items from: The Alabama Baptist The Christian Index (Georgia) The Courier (South Carolina) ********** Ala. church creates discipleship lifestyle By Grace Thornton TRUSSVILLE, Ala. (The Alabama Baptist) -- What do you think is keeping the people in your church from being disciples who make disciples? What's keeping you from doing it? Is it because you feel you're not a Billy Graham or a Beth Moore? Is it because you feel you just don't know how? Whatever the reason, Bill Wilks says you can do it -- it's simpler than you think. He said he knows this because he's seen nearly his entire church turn into active disciple makers in the past two years. What's their secret? They're reading the Bible every day and they're meeting up every week to talk about what they're reading. That's pretty much it, he said. They call it D-Life. "It's not a program; it's a lifestyle," said Wilks, pastor of NorthPark Baptist Church, Trussville. "And it's so simple it's profound. The simplicity is what's making it work. People are running with it." D-Life started at NorthPark two years ago when Wilks began meeting with five other staff members each week to talk about what they were reading in the Bible each day. Their goal: to get through the entire New Testament together in a year and then to split into separate groups, add in more people and do it all over again. Feeling confident "It was birthed out of a desire to see more people really living out the Great Commission," Wilks said. "For many people in our churches, the concept of discipleship is to become more educated. It's more 'when's the next class I can go to?' than it is 'how can I be a disciple who makes disciples?'" Most people in the pews are plenty educated, Wilks said, but few feel confident enough to teach someone else how to follow Christ. But Jesus gave His followers a "really simple model," Wilks said. "They had intimate fellowship, and He taught them in a very simple way and then sent them out to tell others." D-Life is based on that model, he said. Through an app, D-Life offers a year-long reading plan that has participants reading one chapter of the Bible each day on their own, then coming together once a week in small groups to discuss it. When they meet, one person facilitates. Another leads a prayer. A third retells the story that's assigned for the week, a story they will have all read in their personal time in the Word. A fourth person will read it from the Bible to see if anything was left out. Each group chooses its own time and place for meeting up. "It can be anytime, anywhere, any day of the week, and it can be in restaurants, coffee shops, homes or parks," Wilks said. 'Out in culture' The only stipulation? "We just like for them to be out in culture, not in the church." That setup makes a difference, Wilks said. "The multiplication of it out in culture is just powerful," he said. "For example, there's a group of senior adult ladies who meet at Arby's every week, and a woman approached them one week because she saw them reading their Bibles together. They eventually led her to Christ. A few months later, the same thing happened again to the same group of ladies." That's one way the groups are multiplying, he said. And that's the whole point. "We are discipling each other to do evangelism, read, multiply," Wilks said. Meeting outside the church invites encounters with strangers, but it also provides a neutral place to which people can invite their friends. Sometimes they come. Often they stay. They meet Jesus. And the groups grow. "When it gets to eight or so, it's time for them to multiply and form two groups," he said. "It keeps us growing by multiplication rather than addition. And it gives us a natural place to connect people who visit the church and want to learn about following Christ." The natural growth and movement of multiplication also keeps groups from getting stagnant, he said. "I know I'm not the only pastor who has struggled for years trying to get Sunday School classes to multiply," Wilks said. "They don't want us to mess their class up. It's like pulling teeth." With D-Life, NorthPark is seeing multiplication happen, though it's not about numbers, Wilks is quick to add. "The first priority is training people to make disciples, period," he said. "If people leave the church and move somewhere else, they should be doing D-Life wherever they go, because it's a lifestyle. It's what we're supposed to be about. And it's a lifelong habit we're trying to cultivate." 'Unbelievable' results The results have been "unbelievable," he said. "We've got more people reading their Bible than ever before," Wilks said. "We've got groups sitting around discussing the Bible like never before." They've grown from that first D-Life group of staff members to 52 groups meeting weekly. The groups range from the senior adult ladies at Arby's to a group of sixth grade girls that meet one morning a week at Chick-Fil-A -- that group has already grown from four girls to nine this year. Whole families are involved in some groups, joining other families and letting the children be the ones to retell the story. Other families are splitting up, with husbands, wives and teenage children all leading separate groups. Each group grows together and then they go out and serve the community together. Then they multiply and do it all over again. The whole church has noticed the impact. Ray Walker, a NorthPark member, says D-Life has been "transformational." "My group has been meeting for a little over a year now and the impact on the men's lives has been incredible," he said. "Men in my group are excited about reading the Bible, sharing the stories and leading our time of discussion. It's been a great joy for me to see God work in the lives of these men and see how they have matured in Christ." It's been a joy for Wilks to watch too — a joy he's now passing on to other pastors. Several churches across the Southeast, including First Baptist Church, Arley, and First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Georgia, have brought Wilks in to train them in how to do D-Life in their churches. At First, Arley, it's already going strong, according to Pastor Zach Reno. "Our people are so excited about D-Life," he said. "In my experience, it has been hard for many people within the church to engage in discipleship for many reasons, with the most common being that they have never seen it modeled or been given a model that works. The approach, process and overall simplicity in D-Life makes it possible for any Christian to become a disciple maker." Churches wanting to do D-Life can download training guides and reading plans and even personalize the D-Life app to their own church, Wilks said. Wilks said he's available to lead one-day boot-camp trainings at interested churches, or they can participate in quarterly trainings offered at NorthPark -- or they can just download the materials from the D-Life website (http://www.livingthedlife.com/) and start. "I'd be happy to talk with anyone who is interested in doing this at their church," he said. "It's changed the conversation of our church. It's just contagious. And we want to pass it on." --30-- This article appeared in The Alabama Baptist (thealabamabaptist.org), newsjournal of the Alabama Baptist Convention. Grace Thornton is assistant editor of The Alabama Baptist. ********** God's hand upon Ga. church's Celebrate Recovery ministry By J. Gerald Harris DALTON, Ga. (The Christian Index) -- Chris McDaniel is the worship pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Dalton and the ministry leader for their Celebrate Recovery ministry. He was formerly with the award-winning, multi-platinum-selling country group Confederate Railroad. He spent 16 years with the group until 2000, where he found himself in the middle of a $70,000 a year cocaine addiction. McDaniel went into rehab, admitted he had a problem, and realized his need for a Higher Power. He got out of rehab and found himself in a Baptist church where he heard a message of hope and redemption and surrendered his life to Christ. He testified, "I thought God was through with me. I had to literally peel my face off of the carpet from a drug binge. I have been to the top of what the world calls fame and success. [I had] money, women, and even a Grammy award, yet it left me empty, because I was trying to fill a hole that can only be filled by God. "God placed me in a small church that allowed me to play the piano and God just led me from there on. There are Celebrate Recoveries all over the world; and God is doing something in this one that I've never seen done anywhere else." Celebrate Recovery is a Bible-based ministry that offers people struggling with a variety of issues the atmosphere and opportunity to heal and overcome their personal conflicts in life. CR is a Christ-based approach to recovery that was a response to twelve step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. It was founded in 1990 by pastors John Baker and Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, who felt that AA was too vague in referring to God as a "higher power." They wanted a Christ-based program aimed at all hurts, habits, and hang-ups that people encounter in the struggles of life. 'A ministry for everyone' Many churches in Georgia offer Celebrate Recovery to those in their community who need a special touch of love and grace. At Dalton's Liberty Baptist Church this ministry has been a blessing to those who need a healing touch, but the ministry has blessed Liberty and other churches with new life and new believers. Pastor Brian Branham explains, "Celebrate Recovery has created a vital connection between our church and the community. It is an unmistakable front door that welcomes the hurting. "The biggest surprise about Celebrate Recovery is that it is not a ministry for certain ones, but it has become a ministry for everyone. The more the church is exposed to the eight principles and twelve steps of CR, the more we all realize that in some way we are all in recovery. There is recovery for everyone who makes Christ a priority. "The unique thing about CR is that we have seen it grow every congregation that has been a part of the program. Liberty is the host site, but there have been churches from East Brainerd to Benton, from Fort Oglethorpe to Chickamauga who have been impacted by what God is doing through CR. We are thankful to be a part." Jeff Lewis, who provides leadership for CR, declares, "What makes the Celebrate Recovery special at Liberty is the lives that are being changed throughout it. The Lord is allowing a group of us to come together as one team to use it to build a discipleship pipeline straight into the church. "People are getting real and taking their masks off, so much so that the CR ministry has already influenced the overall church culture at Liberty. In the course of a year we have doubled in size from 35-40 on a Thursday night to 125-175 on just about any given Thursday night. God is using it in a powerful way to reach many people's lives. It has become a highly effective side door for church growth for Liberty as well." Walking with others Some of the struggles that Celebrate Recovery seeks to address are: chemical dependency, alcohol, anger, codependency, eating disorders, marriage issues, pornography, sexual addiction, self-discipline, depression, living with a serious or life-threatening illness, etc. At Liberty these issues are addressed in a "safe, loving, and festive environment." The church asserts, "You will not get any judgment here. We do not try to 'fix' people; we come alongside you through your life and your hurts. We incorporate praise, worship, food, lessons, testimonials, fellowship and most importantly, the Lord Jesus Christ." Brent Coffee had been on a methamphetamine binge for quite some time and was in the process of losing his wife Amanda, his family, job, house, and likely everything in his life when he saw the lights on at the church one night. In desperation he stopped by the church to see if the pastor would pray for him. What he encountered was a Celebrate Recovery gathering, which was the beginning of a genuine spiritual renewal. The group provided support and accountability. Amanda started attending the CR meetings with Brent. Their relationship was restored and God gave him back his family, his house, and even a better job. Brent and Amanda were remarried during a Celebrate Recovery Thursday night at Liberty. They are now both leaders in the ministry. Brent exclaimed, "CR has impacted my life by God restoring everything that I had let Satan destroy – my mind, family, health, heart, home, and marriage. Joel 2:25 says, 'I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.' To God be the glory!" Lewis, who also serves as a counselor/ministry coordinator for Providence Ministries in Dalton, added, "I am seeing God do things in this church that I have never seen before. Walls are coming down, masks are coming off, and families are being put back together. This ministry has become a well-oiled and streamlined disciple-making machine." --30-- This article appeared in The Christian Index (christianindex.org), newsjournal of the Georgia Baptist Convention. J. Gerald Harris is editor of the Christian Index. ********** S.C. men become 'band of brothers' By Staff COLUMBIA, S.C. (The Courier) -- To Shakespeare's characters in "Henry V," the term "band of brothers" carries a message of comradery, loyalty, and friendship born from struggles. Some 400 years later, South Carolina's Band of Brothers are living out that message. Three years ago, 18 ministers agreed to become kingdom allies and be known as a Band of Brothers. They met for a weekend retreat to get to know each other then continued meeting regularly in cluster groups to share struggles, triumphs, and ministry experiences. Monty Hale, director of pastoral ministries at the South Carolina Baptist Convention, said Band of Brothers is a movement, not an event. "It is about building up the pastor where he is. The experience is proactive instead of reactive," Hale said. Three Band of Brothers retreats are held each year at White Oak Conference Center in Winnsboro and serve as a springboard for participants to join a local cluster group. Retreats are held in January, April, and September and last from Monday night until lunchtime on Wednesday. Ministers, that are new to the retreat, experience basic training provided by a military chaplain and begin building trust alongside other ministers. During the retreat, these new ministers are also able to immediately connect with a group that is local to them. In addition to participating in their cluster group, Hale said most Band of Brothers ministers attend a few retreats a year. Meetings emphasize vulnerability and trust and focus on the individual person, not their role as a pastor. Currently, about 125 ministers participate in roughly 25 Band of Brothers cluster groups throughout the state. John Lee, pastor of Brown's Creek Church in Union, and his cluster group are featured in a video testimonial on the South Carolina Baptist Convention Web site. During his time in pastoral ministry, Lee described having 'Elijah moments' of feeling alone in the desert. Band of Brothers has provided personal support for him while enhancing his ability to minister. "For the first time in 15 years of being a pastor, I feel like I belong to a Band of Brothers in Christ that know what I've gone through, what I face, and what I experience. For the first time in my life as a minister, I feel like I'm not in competition with the church down the street. I am in partnership with them and celebrate their successes," Lee said. Band of Brothers cluster groups have taken on a life of their own. Hale reported that groups have gone on mission trips together, done pulpit exchange, and held a joint revival with shared preaching responsibilities among them. "Leaders are becoming healthier and are making allies among themselves. They are breaking down church walls to partner together to better reach their areas," Hale said. The next Band of Brothers retreat will be held September 14-16. For more online information, visit www.scbaptist.org/band-of-brothers, or contact Hale by phone at (803)227.6194. -30- --30-- This article appeared in The Courier (baptistcourier.com), newsjournal of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. ********** 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- All-Star Pujols anchored by faith by Daniel Woodman Date: July 14, 2015 - Tuesday CINCINNATI (BP) -- He grew up playing catch just like any kid, except he used limes instead of a baseball and a milk cartoon instead of a glove. He often watched his dad play softball and carried him home when he got drunk after the games. Life in the Dominican Republic wasn't easy for Albert Pujols, but now the 10-time All-Star has come to realize that God had a plan for him all along. "God has given me the ability to succeed in the game of baseball," Pujols wrote in a testimony posted on his foundation's website. "But baseball is not the end; baseball is the means by which my wife ... and I glorify God. Baseball is simply my platform to elevate Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior." Pujols' early life, as told by Joe Posnanski in Sports Illustrated in 2009, was typical for a Dominican youth. As many as 50 percent of children in the nation live in poverty, according to a 2013 study released by the United Nations Children's Fund. Pujols and his family moved to New York in 1996 to pursue a better future, but the family's view of America took a dent when Pujols witnessed a shooting at a grocery store, prompting the family to move to Independence, Mo. Following a short stint at Maple Woods Community College in the Kansas City area, Pujols declared for the 1999 Major League Baseball amateur draft. He wasn't on many teams' radars heading into the draft, according to Red Sox scout Ernie Jacobs. "People weren't sure how old the guy was. You assumed what he told you was true, but he wasn't a great body, and his swing was a little long ... There were a couple of scouts who liked him, who thought he could go high, but there were a lot that didn't," Jacobs said in a Boston Globe article in 2006. Amid the doubts surrounding Pujols heading into the draft, he was able to answer some doubts of his own. In November 1998, he trusted Jesus as his Lord and Savior just months before the draft. Pujols' future wife played a large role in his conversion. "In the spring of 1998, my soon to be wife, Deidre, began sharing with me the love of Jesus. My most exciting moment came when I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life. If it weren't for Jesus, I would not be where I am today and my life would be without purpose," Pujols wrote in his testimony. They married in 2000 and together cared for Deidre's child from another relationship, Isabella, who was born with Down syndrome. Isabell became a symbol of hope for the Pujolses, who later created the Pujols Family Foundation to promote awareness of Down syndrome. Heading into the draft a born-again Christian, Pujols was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round as the 402nd overall pick. After nine All-Star appearances -- more than any of the 401 players drafted before him -- many analysts and fans believed Pujols would don Cardinal red for the rest of his playing days. But that's not what happened, and he left St. Louis in 2011 for the Los Angeles Angels. Many were critical of Pujols' decision, and some went a step further by suggesting that his talent wasn't all natural, including former Cardinal Jack Clark, who accused Pujols of using steroids. "I know for a fact he was [on steroids]. The trainer that worked with him, threw him batting practice, from Kansas City, that worked him out every day, basically told me that's what he did," Clark said in 2013 during a radio show. Pujols responded to Clark's accusations by asserting that his commitment to God would override any desire to take steroids. "Why would I do something like that to my family? Why would I do something like that to God? Why would I do something like that to my team?" Pujols asked at the time, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Clark later retracted his statement after the trainer he mentioned denied ever talking to Clark, the New York Daily News reported. Criticism of Pujols persisted as injuries plagued his early years with the Angels. Many media outlets lamented the superstar's decline, with Fox Sports calling his time in Los Angeles a "severe disappointment" and a "disaster." After all the criticism, Pujols finds himself in a familiar spot this week: the All-Star Game. The 15-year veteran currently is on pace to match the production he had during the prime of his career. Addressing the criticism that has long dogged him, Pujols still points to his faith. Pujols will start at first base in tonight's (July 14) All-Star Game at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Baptists not shocked by latest Scout vote by Tom Strode Date: July 14, 2015 - Tuesday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Boy Scouts Executive Committee's approval of gay and bisexual adult leaders disappointed but did not shock Southern Baptist spokesmen -- and prompted one to predict an even greater exodus by Baptist churches from the organization. The Boy Scouts of America announced Monday (July 13) the unanimous vote by its Executive Committee to rescind the across-the-board ban on gay and bisexual employees and unit leaders. The resolution approved July 10 by the committee protects the rights of religious organizations, however, to bar gays from serving as adult leaders. If the BSA's National Executive Board of about 70 members ratifies the resolution July 27, the change will become effective immediately. The Executive Committee's vote followed by two years the Boy Scouts' approval of lifting its prohibition on gay scouts. Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, described the latest decision as "a huge disappointment." "I am saddened that their decision will sacrifice the current and future influence of this organization," he told Baptist Press in written comments. Roger S. Oldham, the SBC Executive Committee's vice president for Convention Communications and Relations, said the BSA Executive Board "telegraphed its goal of changing the standards for membership and leadership 30 months ago, exchanging principled courage for cultural accommodation. While disappointed, we are not surprised by this next step toward that goal." Russell Moore, president of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, expressed skepticism the Boy Scouts will hold the line on protecting the rights of churches and other religious institutions. "At every point, the Scout leadership tells us that they will go this far and no farther, but here we are again -- so it's hard for me to believe, in the long term, that the Boy Scouts will allow religious groups to have the freedom to choose their own leaders," Moore said in comments for BP. "In recent years I have seen a definite cooling on the part of Baptist churches toward the Scouts. This will probably bring that cooling to a freeze. "It's important for our churches to be clear on this issue, even when our most cherished social institutions are not," he said. "Tragically, the Boy Scouts seem to be pursuing an ongoing evolution toward the moral priorities of the Sexual Revolution." Gay rights advocates welcomed the new resolution but still found fault with it. "[W]riting in an exemption for troops organized by religious organizations undermines the potentially historic nature of today's vote," said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. "As we have said countless times, half measures are unacceptable and discriminatory exemptions have no place in the Boy Scouts." If the new policy gains final passage, it will fulfill a prediction in a resolution approved by messengers to the SBC's 2013 meeting. Voting less than a month after the Boy Scouts' opened their membership to gay youth, messengers expressed opposition and said the BSA action was "merely the first step toward future approval of homosexual adult leaders." The BSA Executive Committee's July 10 vote followed by less than two months a call by the Scouts' president, Robert Gates, for the organization to end its ban on gay leaders. Speaking at the BSA's annual meeting in May, Gates, formerly CIA director and secretary of Defense, said he was not asking for immediate change. The BSA must voluntarily permit gay leaders before the judicial system requires it to do so, Gates said. The July 10 BSA resolution says no adult applicant to be an employee or volunteer may be rejected "on the basis of sexual orientation." The resolution makes eligible gay or bisexual adults who previously were removed as leaders. In a July 13 memo sent to scouting leaders, the BSA said it "will continue to legally defend -- or indemnify -- the rights of its religious chartered organizations to choose leaders whose beliefs are consistent with their own." It also said the BSA National Council "will take action" against a local council that refuses to charter a unit that abides by "the beliefs of its religious chartering organization."