
The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-09/02/2015

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Dying church revitalized, called 'a Lazarus story'
by Karen l. Willoughby
Date: September 02, 2015 - Wednesday

EASLEY, S.C. (BP) -- When its copier was repossessed, Powdersville First Baptist Church believed the end was near.

The remaining members drew up papers turning the church's property over to the next-door neighbors. Former members heard the news and started returning, praying for God's direction. That was nine years ago.

"It's a Lazarus story," Pastor Brad Atkins told Baptist Press. "The Cooperative Program had a lot to do with it."

As the once-vibrant church that started in 1983 withered by January 2006 in the wake of a church scandal, its missions giving shriveled to zero in order to keep the lights on and mortgage paid. Atkins, 16 years in fulltime ministry and leading a worship center overflow class at a large church, accepted a call to the troubled congregation in Easley, S.C. It's his first senior pastor role.

"The first thing I told them was that we had to start investing in the Kingdom," Atkins said. "We started off with 5 percent to missions through the Cooperative Program and 5 percent to Piedmont Baptist Association, because the director of missions had supply-preached and his wife played the piano to help keep the church afloat.

"In the years following, we started increasing and today we're giving 10 percent to missions through CP, 3 percent to the association, and 3.5 percent to the church's four church plants and other ministries."

Church attendance has rebounded to an average of 350 in Sunday worship services today, from an average low of 30 in January 2006. The Cooperative Program gives the church a global impact, Atkins tells his congregation.

"We can't send out 5,000 international missionaries ourselves, but through the Cooperative Program, we're part of that," the pastor continued. "The Cooperative Program allows our church to be globally minded. We're having an impact for the Kingdom!"

Powdersville First Baptist Church has draped the walls of its worship center with flags from all the states and nations the church has ministered in on mission trips over the last nine years.

"It's just a visual reminder that when you put your offering in the plate, it doesn't stay in Easley," Atkins said.  "It goes all over the world."

Church plants, local ministries and national and international mission trips illustrate the church's commitment to actively participate in missions while giving financially. One of its church plants is five minutes away in Easley. Others are in Xenia, Ill., Baltimore, Md., and one is ministering to cowboys in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Next year, Powdersville First Baptist plans to plant a church in Chesnee, S.C., an hour away.

In addition to its home state of South Carolina, the church has taken mission trips to Florida, New Mexico, Utah and Virginia, and has ministered abroad in Haiti, Israel and Romania.

A mission trip to Anchorage, Alaska, is planned for 2016, as well as a "mystery mission trip" with a destination unknown to those who sign up.

"If the Lord is calling, it doesn't matter where it is," Atkins said. "We wanted to show our members that it's not about the destination, it's about the calling."

Each October, church members complete a spiritual gifts survey in advance of the church's annual missions fair in November. Members select ministries that interest them and turn in the assessment known as "My Personal Ministry Booklet for ACTS."

It's part of the church's new ACTS -- Amazing Church That Serves -- structural model that resulted last year in about 70 percent of the congregation becoming involved in one or more ministries. ACTS utilizes the church's five deacons to facilitate the ministries and update the pastor on ministry progress at monthly deacon meetings.

"It's one of my favorite times of the month," Atkins said of the deacon meetings. "It allows me to know the pulse of the church. This way our members can keep their focus. They can say, 'I am promoting the Kingdom. I'm a part of this, from faithful giving to faithful service.'"

By taking the onus off a nominating committee that might not know the new members, ACTS gets new members involved right away, even between ministry fairs.

"Unless everyone in the church is using all the gifts, talents and abilities God has given them, the church will not be what God intended it to be," Atkins said.

Powdersville First Baptist has more than 40 ministries, including Awana, Good News Club, and special community events such as the First Fest annual homecoming which drew more 600 people. There's a free community supper once a month, a van ministry that includes Sunday morning breakfast, and other outreaches.

The first ministry fair in 2014 more than doubled the number of people involved in ministry at the church. Evangelism is at the core of each outreach.

"I remind our people regularly that the same Gospel that changed their life has the power to change lives all around the world," Atkins said. "God is blessing the church and we are seeing God give the increase.

"I believe that greater things are ahead of us, as long as we're preaching the Word and loving the people," he said. "There's no limit to what God <i>can</i> do if we don't limit what He <i>will</i> do."

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FIRST-PERSON: Clique. Un-clique. 
by  Diana Davis
Date: September 02, 2015 - Wednesday

PENSACOLA, Fla. (BP) -- "We're a friendly church!" It's a phrase heard regularly in most churches. Often, the more true statement is, "We're really friendly with one another." Is it possible that newcomers to your small group or your church perceive your sweet fellowship as cliquish?

Answer this question: Do you function more as a social club or an army of God? If your small group/Sunday School class is comfortably stagnant, or your church is plateaued or declining in attendance, perhaps it's time to un-clique. 

As the fall semester kicks off, try these simple ideas to un-clique your class:

* Stop and refocus. Teach members to pay attention. When a guest arrives, members immediately change their focus from chatting with one another to warmly welcome the guest.

* Every member's a greeter. Train members to see every guest through God's loving eyes, and connect personally. Learn their name. Listen well and introduce guests to others. Learn their name. Sit nearby guests. Have real conversation with them. Learn their name. Tell them about church events and ministries they might enjoy. Invite a guest to join you for lunch. Get to know them and share your own Jesus story. Don't forget to learn their name.

* Add chairs, and move over. Anticipate guests. Provide plenty of seating so a guest never has to search awkwardly. Members can make guest seating less intimidating when they avoid "saving" seats in worship. Give up your end-of-pew seat rather than forcing newcomers to climb over you. For a Sunday School class, rearrange classroom seating often. Change from rows to a circle, or face a different direction.

* Avoid exclusive phrases. "Most of us are related." "We've all been friends for years." "We all grew up in this church." Phrases like these inform guests that they'll never be accepted. Show love for one another, but never at the expense of excluding others. 

* Invite. Challenge class members to invite their unchurched acquaintances weekly. Print business-card-style invitations for members to carry with them. Teach members to be alert for guests in worship services and invite them to their class.

* Provide frequent entry points. Guests are always welcome, but intentionally plan special days to encourage members to bring newcomers. Use any excuse. A new Bible class or sermon series is set to begin. We're going out for lunch after church together. Bring your neighbor early next week for coffee and tea. Keep members thinking of the lost people they know.

* Connect digitally. Guests feel welcomed when individuals send an email to invite them back next Sunday. Add guests' names to your class or church email list immediately. "Friend" them on Facebook. 

* State the goal often. Remind the group that we are organized to reach those who don't yet know Jesus. Strive for second-time guests and new members. Small groups can set numeric goals for growth. Ask every guest if they'd like to join the class. They don't have to be a Christian yet to join a Bible class. Church not a closed group.

* Un-clique leadership. Involve more people in large and small leadership roles. Many responsibilities are appropriate for newcomers, so offer a place of service as soon as possible. 

* Plan for explosive growth. When members bring their lost friends, and the church warmly envelops guests with God's love, growth will happen. Get ready for them. Mentor potential teachers and leaders. Intentionally create new breakout groups, or multiply your class. No one can accuse a growing group of being cliquish!

The Great Commission is too vast -- and eternity is far too important -- for us to sit in a huddle. Make a commitment today: Un-clique.

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National CP YTD 1.13% over projection 
by BP Staff
Date: September 02, 2015 - Wednesday

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee are $174,276,734.99, or 1.13 percent above the year-to-date budgeted goal, and are 1.42 percent ahead of contributions received during the same time frame last year, a news release from SBC Executive Committee President Frank S. Page reported. The total includes receipts from state conventions and fellowships, churches and individuals for distribution, according to the 2014-15 SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. 

As of August 31, gifts received by the Executive Committee for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget represent 101.13 percent of the $172,333,333.33 year-to-date budgeted amount to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America. The total is $2,434,843.37 more than the $171,841,891.62 received through the end of August 2014.

The convention-adopted budget is distributed 50.41 percent to international missions through the IMB, 22.79 percent to North American missions through NAMB, 22.16 percent to theological education, 2.99 percent to the SBC operating budget, and 1.65 percent to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. If the convention exceeds its annual budget goal of $188 million dollars, IMB’s share will go to 51 percent of any overage in Cooperative Program allocation budget receipts. Other ministry entities of the SBC will receive their adopted percentage amounts and the SBC operating budget’s portion will be reduced to 2.4 percent of any overage.

Designated year-to-date giving of $191,161,942.22 is 0.40 percent, or $752,910.23, above the $190,409,031.99 received at this point last year. This total includes only those gifts received and distributed by the EC through close of business on Aug. 31 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 and other special gifts. 

August CP allocation receipts for SBC work totaled $15,417,216.61. Designated gifts received during August amounted to $5,551,127.74.

The totals include money received by the EC from 42 cooperating state Baptist conventions as well as contributions from churches and individuals through the last business day of August.

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 SBC with a single contribution to its state convention. 

State conventions retain a portion of church contributions to CP 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.

Month-to-month receipts often reflect significant swings based on a number of factors, including the percentage of CP contributions forwarded to the SBC by the state conventions after shared ministry expenses are deducted, the timing of when cooperating state conventions forward the national portion of CP contributions to the Executive Committee, the day of the month churches forward their CP contributions to their state conventions, and the number of Sundays in a given month.

CP allocation budget receipts received by the EC 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.

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New book showcases Baptist history
by Aaron Earls
Date: September 02, 2015 - Wednesday

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Three Baptist history scholars were not completely satisfied with the textbook options in their field, so they decided to write their own.

In "The Baptist Story," Michael Haykin, Nathan Finn and Anthony Chute sought to produce a more narrative story that spans four centuries of Baptist history of this diverse group, but is approachable for students and laypeople.

"It seems most Baptist history books are written primarily for the professor instead of the student," said Chute, professor of church history at California Baptist University. "Our book communicates to the student the material they need to know in a way that is informative and interesting."

Finn, dean of the School of Theology and Missions at Union University, noted the idea for a new Baptist history book emerged several years ago. Nothing came of it until B&H Academic asked Finn, Chute, and Haykin, professor of church history at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, to tri-author the book.

"There has not been a true Baptist history textbook written by Southern Baptists with a primarily, though not exclusively, Southern Baptist readership in mind for nearly 30 years," Finn said. "While several fine textbooks have been published, most are not written from a convictionally evangelical perspective, or they only cover Baptists in a particular region."

Both Finn and Chute said the research and work on the international Baptists and often neglected minority communities within Baptist life was the most interesting for them. "My tendency has been to focus on Baptists in America," Chute said, "so the global perspective to which we were committed provided an opportunity for me to explore areas that broadened my appreciation for global Baptist work."

While the work, released last month by B&H Academic, is primarily written as a textbook to be taught in an academic setting, the authors believe churches, pastors and laypeople could benefit from The Baptist Story. 

Chute noted readers could gain an appreciation for the diversity among Baptists, but also the core beliefs that unite. "We also hope pastors and church members will gain an appreciation for the sacrifices Baptists have made over the years to establish religious liberty, build mission organizations and more," he said.

Since the book was written to engage students, Finn would like to see pastors and interested lay people read it to develop a better grasp of Baptist history. "We hope every reader would walk away knowing Baptists have evolved from a tiny sect in England to a global movement mostly characterized by a high view of Scripture, a commitment to following the New Testament in ecclesiological matters, and a passion for evangelism and missions."

For more information on The Baptist Story or other books from B&H Academic, visit bhacademic.com.

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100-plus turn to Christ at college Bible conference
by Ryan Bower
Date: September 02, 2015 - Wednesday

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (BP) -- More than 100 students made professions of faith in Christ during Cedarville University's annual Fall Bible Conference. Another 90-plus students responded to a call to full-time ministry.

"We praise God that each of these students responded in faith, moving forward toward what they felt God wanted them to do," said Thomas White, president of Cedarville in southwest Ohio. "It was an amazing week, and we are praying that it is only the beginning of even more spiritual awakening."

This year's speaker, Clayton King, founder of Clayton King Ministries and teaching pastor at NewSpring Church in Anderson, S.C., spoke to 3,400-plus students, faculty and staff during the Aug. 17-20 conference.

King shared the story of loss in his own life, including the deaths of his mother and father. He spoke about weakness and brokenness and how God uses those times as a way to worship Him and as a way to heal.

"Hard times don't make us happy," King said early in the week. "They keep us humble and make us holy."

Those words -- and others sown by King in his series of messages -- fell on fertile ground at Cedarville, which has been endorsed by the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio since 2002.

After the student body was dismissed Tuesday evening, residents of Lawlor Hall formed their traditional ring around their parking lot to sing songs of praise and pray for those who had made decisions during the service.

"While coming together in prayer and praise is something of a longstanding tradition, this year felt so different," said Scott Stephens, Lawlor's resident director. "We were able to celebrate what the Holy Spirit had done just moments before. There was a great energy."

Among those touched by the Spirit of God: freshman Megan Orr, a new student from Crystal Lake, Ill.

Orr spent the summer preparing herself for a new chapter in life -- new friends, new challenges and the beginning of her studies as a psychology major. She came to Cedarville from a Christian home with faithful church attendance. But, she recounted, something was missing in her life.

"I'd always been really plugged in with my church," Orr said. "I always thought I'm doing great, I'm doing 'the God thing' but I never really understood it. I'd go to church camp or a youth retreat and be on fire for God, but it didn't last." Eventually, her church attendance became sporadic and she wasn't inclined to consider a Christian university when the time came to choose a college.

"I was struggling with a lot of guilt," Orr said. "I kept telling myself that I was a sinner and I didn't belong in church. I didn't even want to attend a Christian college, but my parents brought me for a visit and convinced me it would be good for me."

While sitting in the pew during King's Tuesday evening message, Orr couldn't help but feel that something was pulling her toward a decision about faith. "I could feel that something big was going to happen," she said. "As I listened to Clayton pray for us and ask us to pray along, I began to cry. I knew that I needed to trust in Jesus."

Orr returned to her room in Printy Hall after the service and began a frantic search through her Bible to find the exact words to pray.

That's when senior Anna Prosise came alongside and explained there is no ritualistic passage or process that Orr needed; she simply had to ask Jesus to save her from sin. For Orr, that moment was the culmination of something that had been building since she stepped foot on campus four days earlier, encountering faculty, staff and students who welcomed her and pointed her toward Christ.

"It can be easy to take for granted the privilege we have to live in a community like this," Prosise said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us at Cedarville. Never again will we have the opportunity to be around this many believers who will challenge you, grow with you and support you."

Not lost on how God moved during the Bible conference is the $17,764 offering from attendees for the Miami Valley Women's Center, a nonprofit organization in suburban Dayton that educates men and women with parenting skills, assists women who are considering an abortion, and provides regular Bible training for their clients.

"&#91;W&#93;e look forward to following up on each decision," White said, "as we use their 1,000 days on campus to intentionally guide them to a life that glorifies God."

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Declining church morphs into 4 new congregations
by Mike Creswell
Date: September 02, 2015 - Wednesday

HIGH POINT, N.C. (BP) -- Albertson Road Baptist Church was once a strong congregation, drawing members from around south High Point to its building, located not far off U.S. 29. But in more recent years, the church was ailing as local factories closed. Many white residents moved away and many Hispanics and Asians moved in.

 "We wanted to reach them but we didn't speak Spanish," recalled Debbie Ford, an member of the North Carolina church for about 30 years.

The church's first building on Blandwood Drive was built in 1948, and two others in the 1950s. One of these was a sturdy sanctuary able to seat several hundred.
By 2013 the church's situation was critical. Only a small number of mostly older members remained. One member was paying the church's bills the others could not cover.

Perhaps, the members thought, they should just sell the facilities and close Albertson Road Baptist for good. But David Phelps, then serving as interim pastor, suggested another way.
 
"I tried to help them understand it was time to do something different," he said. The members should indeed step aside, but not to sell out.

He proposed an idea: why not turn the property over to Piedmont Baptist Association to use in ministry?

Phelps talked to Larry Doyle, Piedmont's director of missions, about transferring the three buildings and land to the association. Discussions followed, and the transfer was complete by the end of 2014. About the same time, several new church groups were looking for places to meet.

The old Albertson Road sign was taken down. Now a sign announces this is a "Lugar de Reunión," a meeting place housing five ministries: a new Anglo congregation, new Hispanic congregation, new Burmese congregation, new African-American congregation and a ministry to High Point's homeless and poor.

The building is now used seven days a week. Along with multiple services, prayer meetings and the like, there are also fitness classes, food distributions and a gardening program. On Saturdays, they serve pancakes to local residents.
During months with five Sundays, all the groups come together for a joint, multi-cultural service. One former Albertson Road member told Piedmont Association staffer Jimmy Sowers that this gathering is how Heaven will be one day when all the people groups of our planet gather. Sowers oversees the use of the property for Piedmont Association.

Groups assembled again for the May 31 fifth-Sunday service, but with a different purpose: to honor the former Albertson Road members. Eleven of the members and former interim pastor Phelps came forward during the service to receive plaques of appreciation for their years of service and the legacy they were passing along to future Christians in the area.

Doyle told them a permanent marker will be installed in the building which will be a certificate of recognition from Piedmont Baptist Association, "awarded to members of Albertson Road Baptist Church, for running the race God set before you and for the legacy you left to future generations of Christ followers."

"We cannot tell you how such a legacy will be carried on," Doyle said, "but you will see in years to come lives changed as people come to Christ. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the legacy you left us."

Sowers noted, at least seven different ethnic groups now live in the surrounding community. "One day we hope to have a church for each group," he said.

In a message translated from English into Spanish and Burmese, Doyle referred to the race described in Hebrews 12 as a relay race in which a runner passes along a baton to another runner to carry it on. That, he said, is what the Albertson Road members have done in handing over their building for others to use.

Member Wayne Osborne told the groups he used to come home from school when he was a boy and go straight to work on the Albertson Road building. "I'm glad God still has this property," he said, "and not the devil. Thank you for taking our place."

Another member said he and his wife were married in the church many years ago. He pointed to the second pew on the right where he rededicated his life to Christ 30 years prior.

"I'm kinda sad we've lost our church, but I'm glad to see what's happening here and I think it is probably for the best, because the community has changed so much over the years. I think this will be a good thing. It's sad to see the changes, but they are good changes," said Debbie Ford.

"I feel pretty good about it. It's sad we had to leave like we did, but it looks like we're heading in the right direction," said Claud Clodfelter, a member for about 10 years.
Sowers noted during the service, "God directed this, God honored this, and God is blessing it." He likened the new multi-platform ministry to a community-based mission board, sending missionaries out to the assorted people groups in the area. "It will be fun to watch what's going on in the future," he said.


