The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-11/10/2015 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- LMCO sermon resources now available by IMB staff Date: November 10, 2015 - Tuesday EDITOR'S NOTE: Nov. 29-Dec. 6 is this year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention with the theme "Because of Who He Is" from Psalm 96:3 (HCSB). The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions in tandem with Cooperative Program gifts from Southern Baptist churches support international workers in seeking to fulfill the Great Commission. Gifts to the Lottie Moon offering are received through local Southern Baptist churches or online at imb.org/offering, where there are resources to promote the offering. This year's goal is $175 million. RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- As churches plan their services and special events for the rest of the year, the International Mission Board has released sermon resources from IMB President David Platt free of charge to help church leaders promote the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions that, along with Cooperative Program giving, funds Southern Baptist missionaries to serve internationally. These sermon resources can be used from the pulpit or in small group gatherings to raise awareness for the spread of the Gospel through the offering. A full video sermon, "Why we pray, why we give, why we go," can be shown in 33-and-a-half minutes. The accompanying sermon outline can be used to speak about why every Christian is called to help fulfill the Great Commission to make Christ's name known among all the nations and peoples of the world. Platt gives four reasons based on Isaiah 6:1-13 why each and every person should surrender to God in every aspect of life and tell Him, "I will pray however You want me to pray, I will give whatever You want me to give, and I will go wherever and whenever You want me to go." Three video excerpts of the full sermon can be used to call a church to action in its support of international missionaries through the Lottie Moon offering. Each excerpt can be shown in two to four minutes. -– "Isaiah 53: Jesus took the full wrath of God upon Himself" Everyone stands before God, Platt says, "deserving His judgment in our sin ... and Jesus steps into our place and says, 'I will take that wrath for you upon Myself.'" –- "How could there be any other option?" In this video sermon excerpt, Platt says, "I implore you in your life and your family, no matter what age or stage you are, to rise before this God and say, 'Here I am, send me.'" -– "It will be costly ... it will be worth it" Platt says, "Unreached people are unreached for a reason: They're hard to reach, they're difficult to reach, they're dangerous to reach." To view or download these LMCO sermon resources, go to imb.org/plattsermonhelps. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 35 new IMB missionaries appointed by Tess Rivers Date: November 10, 2015 - Tuesday NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Joseph Somkhith* understands the plight of today's 60 million refugees. He once lived as one. Somkhith was 10 years old when he and his brother fled Laos after a communist takeover in the mid-1970s. The two boys crossed the Mekong River into Thailand, facing what Somkhith described as "insecurity and violence" along the way. Nearly a year later, Somkhith's family was reunited in a refugee camp in Thailand. "My family separated from each other for the sake of saving our lives," Somkhith recalled. "Living in the camp was comparable to a zoo, but soon we had the opportunity to go to America ... the land of liberty and freedom." Somkhith and his wife Rebecca* were two of 35 candidates appointed missionaries by International Mission Board trustees Nov. 8 during a service at First Baptist Church of New Orleans. The new missionaries join IMB workers around the world serving in global cities and hard places such as jungles, deserts and war-zones. Preaching from Revelation 5:1-14, IMB President David Platt challenged the congregation to be willing to go wherever and whenever God wants them to go because the sovereignty and grace of God demand it. "As a Christian, you have surrendered the right to determine the direction of your life," he said. "You can't be a disciple of Jesus if you don't renounce everything." While Platt acknowledged this level of commitment might cause some people to fear, he reminded the congregation, "Don't forget who you are saying this to. You're saying this to the God who loves you. He knows so much better than you what is best for your life. …It's a good thing to put your life in the hands of this God." Somkhith realized these truths as a young teen, shortly after he and his family resettled as refugees in the United States. "When I read the Bible story of Joseph, I felt God speak to my heart," Somkhith said. "Joseph's story related to mine.... I felt alone, frightened and abandoned (escaping Laos)." But he realized God, whom he hadn't known at the time, had protected him along the way. "I could have been killed on the road but somehow was saved," he said. "I could have been thrown into the Mekong River while on a canoe, but arrived at the camp safely. I could be one of those who was kidnapped and sold into slavery." This new understanding of God's sovereignty and grace led Somkhith to put his faith in Jesus and, years later, to commit to taking the Gospel to people living in hard places. The decision to "go" is the natural response for any believer -- like Somkhith -- who fully understands the glory of God, Platt said. "People who really believe God is glorious, will give their lives to make Him known," Platt said. "God's purpose is not just to save you. God's purpose is to send you." Because past missionaries also followed God's call to hard places, Rebecca Somkhith stood alongside her husband, a visible testimony to the power of God to change lives through generations. Rebecca's grandmother, a widow with five children, heard the Gospel in her village in Laos from American missionaries, turned from the animal sacrifices required by her religion and gave her life to Christ. She also led her children to faith in Jesus, who led their children, including Rebecca, to follow Him. "Because of this woman, every one of her descendants thus far is a child of God," Rebecca said. "I have never met a braver woman than my grandma." Her grandmother's bravery encouraged Rebecca to seek God for her own life. And now she plans to work among an unreached people and declare His glory among the nations. Platt said, "Unreached are people who have not yet been reached by the Gospel. Apart from Christ they have no hope. More than 2.8 billion people find themselves in that position." Yet, he added, "The purpose of God is radically gracious, global and glorious. We are followers of Christ because God has pursued us. The whole point of Revelation 5 is that He hasn't just purchased me or you but those from every tribe and people and nation. "(These new missionaries) are going because God has purchased people from all these places," Platt said. "... Not one person in this room will fail when preaching the Gospel." Rebecca noted, "I know this is the right time." "We are called to leave the comfort of our country to go to the land of the lost," she said, "just as our brother and sister missionaries brought the good news to us long ago." *Names changed. -------------------------------------------------------------------- N.E. Baptists unanimous for 'Embracing the Future' by Baptist Convention of New England & Baptist Press Staff Date: November 10, 2015 - Tuesday WESTBOROUGH, Mass. (BP) -- Terry Dorsett, the new executive director/treasurer of the Baptist Convention of New England, set forth an "Embracing the Future" strategy in his inaugural address to the six-state convention. Foundational to the strategy and its key initiatives is the elimination of a debt of nearly $250,000 during the coming year. Dorsett called for New England Baptists to "use the money to tell people in New England about Jesus" rather than continuing paying interest to a lender elsewhere in the country. The 165 messengers at the Nov. 6-7 convention unanimously approved the Embracing the Future strategy and, with 123 guests, gave an inaugural offering of just over $20,000 and made another $30,000 in pledges to be given over the next year. Key challenges facing New England Baptists, according to a description of Embracing the Future provided at the convention, include responding to God's call to: "1. have an army of prayer warriors praying for revival. "2. train and encourage individual Christians to share their faith regularly through personal evangelism. "3. impact the next generation with the Gospel. "4. revitalize existing churches, as well as continue to start new ones." The convention's churches, while retiring the 15-year debt, will be encouraged to embrace funding for one of five key initiatives: 1. The BCNE Staff Fund to support "salary and benefits of staff positions that have been eliminated or reduced by the reorganization of our national partners and include ministry positions such as: church revitalization, leadership development, pastoral development and youth ministry." 2. The Collegiate Ministry Endowment at the Baptist Foundation of New England to provide "ongoing funding for reaching college students." 3. The Church Health Endowment at the Baptist Foundation of New England to provide "ongoing funding to help existing churches grow in healthy ways." 4. The Hoover Institute to provide "training opportunities for both pastors and lay leaders appropriate for our New England context." 5. The James Currin Loan Fund to loan funds to churches for capital expenses. To retire the debt and move forward with Embracing the Future, the strategy states: "We are prayerfully seeking 246 churches, individuals or organizations to make a special $1,200 commitment to the Baptist Convention of New England," whether in a single gift or a $100 monthly pledge during the coming year. For each $1,200 gift, $1,000 will be applied toward paying off the BCNE debt while the other $200 will be applied to one of five initiatives. Dorsett was met with applause when he was introduced by BCNE President Neal Davidson, pastor of Hope Chapel in Sterling, Mass. Using Proverbs 16:3 as his text, Dorsett urged the messengers to be thankful for the past but to embrace the future by committing themselves fully to God's plans for the convention. Dorsett assumed office April 1 after being unanimously elected by the BCNE board of directors March 12, succeeding Jim Wideman, who retired last December after 13 years as executive director. Dorsett worked for the BCNE as a NAMB church planting catalyst based in Hartford, Conn., from 2012-15 and previously was director of missions for the Green Mountain Baptist Association in Barre, Vt., for 12 years. He holds a doctor of ministry degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, a master of religious education degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and a bachelor of science from Liberty University. Davidson, in his president's address during the BCNE's 33rd annual meeting in Westborough, Mass., drew from Ephesians 4:15 to urge New England Baptists to address cultural issues by speaking bold biblical truth in great love. Mark Smith, pastor of North Park Baptist Church in Bridgeport, Conn., preached the annual sermon. "If you moved to New England to become a Christian rock star, you moved to the wrong place," Smith said in a message from Philippians 2:17. He encouraged pastors to remain faithful even if their ministry does not turn out as they thought it would. Ken Weathersby, vice president for convention advancement with the SBC Executive Committee, preached on the Prodigal Son from Luke 15, emphasizing the love of the father who waited for the son to return. Messengers approved a budget of $2.2 million, which is slightly lower than last year. It includes $791,000 in anticipated Cooperative Program missions and ministry giving by the convention's 337 churches with just over 28,000 members. The new budget increases the Cooperative Program funds to be forwarded to Southern Baptist Convention national and international causes by 0.4 percent, moving to 15 percent, without any shared ministry items. Gary Rowe, a layman from Island Pond Baptist Church in Hampstead, N.H., was elected as the convention's new president after serving as BCNE vice president. Greg Torres, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Hartford, Conn., was elected vice president, the first Hispanic to hold a convention-level office. Torres, who recently retired as a church planting catalyst from the North American Mission Board, also received the BCNE Robert Brindle Church Planting Award for helping to start 39 churches across New England during his ministry. A full slate of candidates was elected to the board of directors, the first time all the slots have been filled at the meeting in a number of years. Messengers approved an official partnership between the Tennessee, Ohio and New England conventions called the Three Strand Partnership. The Baptist Foundation of New England awarded two grants to the convention, both for $4,500, one for collegiate ministry and the other for leadership development. Messengers adopted three resolutions without opposition. One resolution expressed appreciation to Jesse Smith for his 40 years of bivocational ministry at First Baptist Church in Rochester, N.H. Smith is also the BCNE accountant. A second resolution reaffirmed the convention's support of the Cooperative Program as their primary means of supporting missions, while the third resolution affirmed the definition of biblical marriage as between one man and one woman and called on New England Baptists to stand firm on the biblical message of marriage regardless of what the broader culture may say. Next year's BCNE annual meeting will be Nov. 4-5 in central Massachusetts. David Um, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Cambridge, Mass., will deliver the annual sermon. -------------------------------------------------------------------- WORLDVIEW: Human hearts abhor a vacuum by Erich Bridges Date: November 10, 2015 - Tuesday RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- The pace of change in all spheres of modern life is accelerating so quickly that no person, group or institution can keep up with it. Pick a topic: politics and government, science and technology, education, marriage and the family, morality, faith. Any national consensus that once existed about the purpose and direction of these social building blocks seems to be gone. Factions scream at each other from the margins and try to persuade -- or compel -- the wider culture to submit to their agendas. We sometimes think this is a recent thing, but it isn't. The disintegration of unifying social principles has been underway for a long time. And it's not just national; it's global. Trend analyst William Van Dusen Wishard made that point in his 2000 book, "Between Two Ages: The 21st Century and the Crisis of Meaning." "[Y]ou and I are living in the midst of perhaps the most uncertain period America has ever known -- more difficult than World War II, the Depression or even the Civil War," Wishard wrote. "With these earlier crises, an immediately identifiable, focused emergency existed, an emergency people could see and mobilize to combat," he noted. "But the crisis today is of a different character and order. For America is at the vortex of a global cyclone of change so vast and deep that it is uprooting established institutions, altering centuries-old relationships, changing underlying mores and attitudes, and now, so the experts tell us, even threatening the continued existence of the human species. It is not simply change at the margins; it is change at the very core of life. Culture-smashing change. Identity-shattering change. Soul-crushing change.... "Until a new order of perception, value and meaning is achieved, we shall be between two expressions of social organization, cultural definition and spiritual experience -- between two ages," Wishard wrote. The passing of the old age saw the decline of Christianity as the "inner dynamic of Western culture," Wishard observed. It was replaced first by materialism and the exaltation of the individual as modernism took hold, followed by postmodernism. Now, cultural elites attack any notion of absolute truth, the existence of God or transcendent meaning. So we are left with meaninglessness. Or are we? Human hearts abhor a vacuum. Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker, an admirer of Wishard, thinks the time is ripe for a new sense of meaning. "For now, things aren't looking so good," Parker writes. "From the decline of Western civilization to the rise of fanaticism, to the greatest religious metamorphosis in history, to a rapidly expanding information environment that confuses as much as it informs, Wishard says we're in the midst of a global crisis of identity, meaning and spiritual displacement." The immediate challenge, Parker continued, "is to recognize and address the reality that the West has lost its collective myth or story to live by.... Who are we? Do we have the courage to lead? Do we let the future happen, or do we help shape it? ... What we need is a great, big, beautiful story, told by someone with the vision, imagination and wisdom to get the great big picture." What we need, I would suggest, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only in the West but everywhere else. The fact that "Christianity" as a social and cultural tradition has been torn from its historical moorings in the West -- first in Europe and increasingly in America -- isn't entirely a bad thing. Cultural Christianity is not the Gospel. Religion tied to a political program is not the Gospel. And a Christian faith too culturally connected to the West can't be a truly global faith. The Gospel transcends any one culture; it is ultimate truth for all cultures. The world needs a collective truth, not myth, to live by -- a true story told with vision and imagination. The world is hungry for truth in an age of meaninglessness. That's why people in unreached cultures believe the Gospel and follow Christ when they have the opportunity to hear and understand it. We must go to them. We also must re-evangelize the West, including America, in our generation. Meaninglessness is a hollow faith. People want more. -------------------------------------------------------------------- In Nepal, fuel crisis hinders quake recovery by Caroline Anderson Date: November 10, 2015 - Tuesday KATHMANDU, Nepal (BP) -- A new, man-made disaster is complicating efforts to help Nepalis recover from the devastating earthquake that struck the country in April. Ongoing protests over Nepal's new constitution have shut down the main road between India and Nepal since Sept. 24. The road is the main supply line for fuel and food into Nepal. Nepal claims that India instituted a blockade along the border. News reports say dozens of fuel trucks are stranded at the border. Nepal is heavily dependent on imports from India because it is landlocked by some of the world's tallest mountains. The fuel stoppage has crippled Nepal and stalled all kinds of activities -- including earthquake recovery efforts, said workers involved in the Baptist Global Response disaster relief effort in Nepal. The initial BGR response in Nepal focused on survival needs like food, water, emergency shelter, health care and hygiene kits. Disaster relief teams from Southern Baptist churches in California and Texas have played a key role in house deconstruction and rebuilding in two districts of the country. BGR's primary focus now is providing sheets of tin that families can use to shelter from the elements while rebuilding their homes. Long lines of motorcycles, trucks, buses and cars extend down the streets of Kathmandu, said BGR partner Carl Russell*. Many drivers sit with their vehicles late into the night, hoping for an allotment of fuel. Personal vehicles are limited to four gallons at a time. A Nepali ministry partner recently paid the equivalent of $32 a gallon for fuel. Taxi and public transportation costs have tripled or quadrupled. Rising fuel costs have driven up prices for all supplies. The crisis threatens the recovery effort, Russell said. "We have slowed down our work in the last few days considerably," Russell said. "We have a plan to start rebuilding some homes, but the cost has grown considerably, so we are putting the process on hold for now." Several volunteer teams have canceled or postponed their trips, Russell noted. Long-distance international flights have been affected because of the difficulty in refueling. Hundreds of restaurants -- including one that provides livelihood to Nepali believers -- have closed due to the unavailability of cooking fuel. On Oct. 28, Nepal signed a fuel deal with China. The main road that connects those two nations, however, can only handle a certain number of large vehicles at a time and the area is prone to landslides, according to a BGR report. The fuel crisis is taking an additional toll on workers already tired from the non-stop relief work. "Weary does not begin to describe these days," said Marcia Neely*, who is assisting with the effort. "I recently arranged to pay nearly $20 a gallon for a little bit of gas from someone who promises it is 'good.' I rode my bicycle to 7 different pharmacies to try to get a prescription filled -- and then only found half of what I need." In Kathmandu, luggage has been replaced by passengers on the roofs of buses, which now lean heavily to one side, threatening to topple over. As winter approaches, the prospect of no fuel for household heat weighs heavily on many. So far, relief workers have been able to find transportation into hard-hit areas for those who are still coming. But it's come at a heavy cost financially. Prayer for the effort in Nepal is greatly needed, said Jeff Palmer, BGR's executive director. "Please join us in prayer for a quick and peaceful resolution to this crisis," Palmer said. "Pray for roads to open and for any blockades to be removed. Pray the Lord would pave the way for a smooth flow of fuel between both India and China. Pray that Nepali people would soon be able to have fuel for their vehicles, homes and businesses." *Name changed. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE STATES: Ga., N.C., Ariz. evangelism/missions news; '... I began to see them with my heart' by Staff Date: November 10, 2015 - Tuesday Today's From the States features items from: The Christian Index (Georgia) Biblical Recorder (North Carolina) Portraits (Arizona) ********** Ga. church members provide real help for city's homeless By J. Gerald Harris DAHLONEGA, Ga. (The Christian Index) -- Homelessness in America has been described as a "revolving door" crisis. Many people exit homelessness quickly, but many more individuals and families become homeless every day. It is estimated that on any given day that there are 800,000 people who are homeless in the United States. Other statistics indicate that at least 2.3 million people experience homelessness at some time during an average year. Dahlonega is not a large city, but not without its homeless citizens. The school system in Lumpkin County has reported there are 67 children in the county who are considered homeless -- some may be sleeping in the homes of relatives or friends, but they have no place they can cite as "their" home. Jimmy Faulkner, a layman at Dahlonega Baptist Church, explained, "There is another way of reporting the number of homeless people in the county. By our best accounting measures we have determined that in the first quarter of 2015 there are 46 families or individuals we encountered who can be considered unduplicated homeless units. "The condition of the homeless in Dahlonega began to be a matter of concern for some of the men in the community. Some said there were no homeless and I agreed until I began to see them with my heart. "For more than three decades the Cooper-Green Prayer Group had been meeting to pray for the community, but in November 2013 there were ten men in that prayer group who felt God was leading them to put their faith to work. From that group the North Georgia Interfaith Ministries, Inc. was organized." Becoming aware The primary concern the group decided to address was the homelessness in the community. Starting in early 2014 the newly-organized group began having community-wide meetings to make the people aware of the need they intended to address. On Thanksgiving Eve Faulkner had a call from a couple who had been attending the meetings. They felt God was leading them to commit a matching gift of $25,000 to the ministry. For every dollar donated they promised to give another dollar up to $25,000. The University of North Georgia donated four duplexes that had been used by faculty to assist in meeting the objective. One of Dahlonega's benevolent citizens agreed to donate $60,000 to pay for the duplexes to be moved to some acreage outside the city that had also been given to the ministry. Hearing, answering Faulkner reported, "About the same time the Leadership Lumpkin Class of 2015 chose to support our ministry and sponsored a spaghetti supper that raised another $20,000. "In February 2015 I approached the Branch Bank and Trust Company Foundation, where I serve as a corporate director of BB&T Financial Cooperation, and requested a donation of $100,000, which we received in April. To date the ministry has received gifts of $270,000 and the duplexes are ready to be occupied." Faulkner added, "The first group of ten men who heard the initial calling of God are all members of Dahlonega Baptist Church. Four of the current members of the Board of Directors are members of Dahlonega Baptist Church and one of the original board members, who served as the original treasurer, was the spouse of a retired Baptist pastor." The duplexes were structurally sound, but in need of refurbishing and repair, so a sufficient amount of work has been done to get the dwellings suitable for occupancy. The renovation has been accomplished through a joint effort of people from eight Baptist churches, one Methodist church, one Lutheran church, and one Catholic church. RefrigiWear, a Dahlonega company that manufactures insulated industrial work wear, closed down its company of 120 employees for one day and sent their workforce all over the city to assist non-profit ministries in various service projects -- 35 were sent to paint the eight duplexes. Bill Hutcheson, pastor of Dahlonega Baptist Church, remarked, "Our town and county is incredibly open to churches, businesses, schools, and civic organizations working together." Hutcheson urges his congregation to each give a dollar a week to benevolent causes and generally receives $40,000 to $50,000 a year to assist those in need. Faulkner commented, "We decided that we didn't want to provide some kind of band aid solution or give the homeless families a quick fix, so we set a comprehensive plan in place. "We will screen potential residents by requiring criminal background checks and drug tests. Those selected to become residents of these transitional homes will live there for 90 days with free rent, utilities, and food, much of which is being donated by the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association through Chestatee Ford and one of the local church's food bank." During those 90 days the families will be receiving counseling, guidance, and help in securing jobs with the requirement that they save 30 percent of their income so they can save enough money to move into traditional housing after that first year. Carl Gibson, his wife Penny, and daughter Angel, members of Dahlonega Baptist Church, will become residents of one of the duplexes to counsel and mentor the other seven families. Gibson, a deacon and leader in the Summit Youth Ministry at DBC, stated, "I had problems with drugs and alcohol in my younger adult life, but God saved me and I am seeking to walk with Him. I want the people who live in these duplexes to know they are not alone; and they need to know that somebody cares. "I intend to start a small Bible study group in the complex," Gibson stated. "I have also asked the pastor if I can drive the church van to the complex on Saturday night in order to drive the residents to the church of their choice on Sunday morning. If they don't have a strong preference I will happily take them to my church. "A lot of good things will come out of this. I am privileged to be able to serve," Gibson added. --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. ********** N.C. team hatches plan to care for Kenyan orphans By Seth Brown CARY, N.C. (Biblical Recorder) -- "If you give a man a fish," says the well-worn proverb, "you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime." But what happens when you train a Kenyan village to manage a fish hatchery? The answer to that question is what a group of Southern Baptists hope to discover. On Oct. 1 a team of five people set out to take a hybrid form of agriculture called aquaponics to western Kenya. The system is designed to grow fish and plants together in an integrated system; it also happens to be a great way for under-resourced orphan and widow care ministries in Africa to provide food for the needy and financially sustain their outreach efforts at the same time. Drew Raynor, pastor of Harvest Church in Cary, N.C. (formerly North Cary Baptist Church), said the idea for the project was the result of many prayers and a heavy dose of God's providence. A providential connection The story began with Jeremy Wixson, a former fish hatcheries project manager for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Wixson has a master's degree in fisheries management and worked in the field for more than a decade. Yet, he had a persistent feeling that his skills could be used in other ways for God's Kingdom. He sat down with his Sunday School teacher at Arbor Baptist Church in Fitzgerald, Ga., to express his longing. The teacher, Tim Raynor -- who is Drew's father -- agreed to pray for Wixson and help him determine how he could serve God with his skills. While visiting his son in Cary, Tim mentioned the longstanding desire Wixson had to use fish farming as a ministry that he had been praying about. The comment gave Raynor an idea. He knew someone who might know of opportunities to use such a specific skill set. So, he sent a message to Sara Beth Fentress, founder of 127 Worldwide, a non-profit orphan and widow care ministry based in Raleigh, N.C., that helps churches tangibly live out James 1:27. Fentress immediately sent back a "laser-focused, God-orchestrated response," said Raynor. She told him about a prayer request from Rose Bugusu, a children's home director near Malava, Kenya. Bugusu had seen a fish hatchery on a recent trip to the U.S., and she wanted someone to teach her how to do the same. She saw great potential for feeding orphans while also providing a sustainable source of income for the children's home and schools in her village. Fentress said 127 Worldwide's job is to play matchmaker, connecting local churches in the U.S. with ministries around the world, helping American Christians use their various skills and interests to serve orphans and widows internationally. The Raynors, Wixson and Fentress were all ecstatic. A few weeks later, accompanied by Shannon Meadors, children's minister at First Baptist Nashville, Tenn., the team was on its way to Kenya. Fish farming and more The aquaponics project wasn't the only item on the travel itinerary. The group spent two days in Nairobi before heading northwest to Malava and Siaya, home to a local church, medical clinic and school. The team made home visits into slums and distributed shoes to needy children. Raynor and Meadors also taught sessions for Kenyan pastors on expository preaching and children's ministry. Once they arrived in Siaya, they began gathering supplies from local hardware stores, including large barrels, heavy-duty hoses, liners and fittings. The goal was to build a prototype aquaponics system to test for viability while at the same time training local ministry leaders how to set up and maintain similar projects. "The people are very hungry for this technology and this information," said Wixson. The integrated system has three components: a gravel-bed garden, a clean water tank and a fish tank. A small pump and natural siphoning keeps the water system circulating on its own. Water containing fish waste is drained from the tank and fed into the vegetable garden as fertilizer; waste-water then goes through a natural filtering process as it seeps through the gravel bed before it circulates into the clean water tank; then clean water is pumped back into the fish tank for the process to begin again. Minimal ongoing maintenance is needed to keep fish tank water levels regulated and healthy plants growing. The team was able to build their first prototype system in about a day, while locals and ministry leaders took pictures and notes. The next day they did it all over again in nearby Malava. Spawning future plans Each of the initial systems uses a 250-liter tank (approximately 66 gallons) for the fish, sustaining a harvest of about 50 fish per month and supporting a small garden. If the prototypes are successful, the team plans to return in the summer of 2016 to install much larger aquaponics systems able to produce up to 500 fish per month. Fish sells at a premium in the marketplace, and several hundred fish per month would allow the ministries to provide food for themselves plus sell up to 80 percent of the product, creating a sustainable financial situation for ongoing -- and possibly expanded -- ministry. "The options are just so endless in terms of what God could do with it," said Drew. "At that point, you're not just talking about supporting a child for a month. You're talking about, 'Let's change a whole village.' … It almost can't be overstated the tangible and spiritual ramifications for what God could do through [the aquaponics system] being implemented there." Fentress wants to see other churches begin to think creatively about how they can use their skills to care for international orphans and widows. She recently led a similar trip where N.C. Baptists trained pig farmers in Kenya. "There are different avenues for ministry. If you are passionate about medical, or passionate about teaching children; if you're passionate about construction … Whatever God has gifted you to do there are opportunities for you to partner with local leaders." Visit 127worldwide.org to learn more about how churches can connect to international orphan and widow care ministries. --30-- This article appeared in the Biblical Recorder (brnow.org), newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Seth Brown is content editor for the Biblical Recorder. ********** Ariz. VBS goes global By Irene Harkleroad SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Portraits) -- Smiles, laughs and hugs were in abundance when members of Arizona Southern Baptists' VBS team ministered in Maputo, Mozambique, in July. The mission trip forever affected the lives of hundreds in Mozambique and nine Vacation Bible School leaders in the United States. The goal: introduce VBS and train local church leaders in the importance of sharing the Gospel with children and discipling them. But there were unexpected blessings on the trip. At the request of the International Mission Board (IMB), Cheri Dempsay, state VBS team leader, led the team of eight women and one man to assist Steve and Karla Jackson, IMB missionaries in Maputo. They settled in and took their traveling VBS to churches in Marracuene, Hulene and Boane -- three districts of Maputo. Of the 1.2 million people in Maputo, a large percentage are under the age of 18. Most of the Baptist churches in the Maputo area do not have VBS programs for children. The team wanted to change that. "Those kids were so hungry for a touch," Dempsay says. "They loved being hugged and told 'Jesus loves you.'" In Mozambican culture, children are often overlooked by adults, which made the love shown by the team even more meaningful. "One of the goals of the team was to help moms and church leaders see that God has a plan for each of those children that were so easily disregarded -- those same children who were so hungry for everything we shared with them," Dempsay says. "Which of them would be the next ... young leaders in their churches?" In seven days, the team ministered to more than 250 children plus adults through simple songs, Scripture memory verses, crafts and games. "In Hulene, we had 80 kids the first day and 140 the next day," says Jackie Flood, from Blue Ridge Community Church in Happy Jack. "It was total chaos but exciting and fun." Little fingers made Gospel bracelets. British Bulldog became the new favorite game. Running back and forth without getting tagged has a strange appeal to children. They loved spoon and rock relays and human wheelbarrow races. "We couldn't stop them," says K.J. Kennell, minister to students at First Southern Baptist Church at Sahuaro Ranch, Glendale. "We had to let them run until they were done." Worship at First Baptist Church in Boane proved to be a highlight of the trip. "This was my first experience of dancing, praising, singing and preaching in the same service," Kennell says. "It was neat to see a group of men free to dance and pray together. It was exciting to be a part of it." "They worship the Lord with all their heart, their soul, their might," Dempsay says. "It was intentional worship. Talk about worshipping God with everything you've got! Everything they did, they did as worship." And unexpectedly, the VBS team members found themselves on the receiving end. "We believe, as Americans, we are equipped to help these precious people, but they ended up helping us. Their children play with old tires and pieces of glass, yet they gave us their very best. Do we do that?" --30-- This article appeared in Portraits, newsmagazine of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention (http://www.azsbc.org/). Irene A. Harkleroad is a freelance writer in Carefree, Ariz. ********** EDITOR'S NOTE: From the States, published each Tuesday by Baptist Press, relays news and feature stories from state Baptist papers and other publications on initiatives by Baptist churches, associations and state conventions in evangelism, church planting and Great Commission outreach, including partnership missions. Reports about churches, associations and state conventions responding to the International Mission Board's call to embrace the world's 3,800 unengaged, unreached people groups also are included in From the States, along with reports about church, associational and state convention initiatives in conjunction with the North American Mission Board's call to Southern Baptist churches to broaden their efforts in starting new churches and satellite campuses. The items appear in Baptist Press as originally published. -------------------------------------------------------------------- American Girl, Starbucks prompt 'boycott' news by Diana Chandler Date: November 10, 2015 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- As retailers open the Christmas shopping season, One Million Moms is calling for a boycott of American Girl products and the parent company Mattel, because American Girl Magazine's November/December cover features a gay couple and its four adoptive children. The morality watchdog group's call comes even as various media outlets report that some Christians are opposed to the new Starbucks holiday cup, although no Christian group has been specifically identified as calling for a Starbucks boycott. Instead, Christians have decried news of a boycott of the coffee chain. The American Girl controversy arose after the magazine featured a story about an 11-year-old girl and her two adoptive dads, whom she refers to as "Daddy" and "Dada." The magazine could have spotlighted adoption with a family that promotes biblical values, One Million Moms said. "American Girl is attempting to desensitize our youth by featuring a family with two dads. If your child has not seen this yet, then be careful she is not exposed and can avoid a premature conversation she is far too young to understand," One Million Moms said in its press release urging the boycott. "We must remain diligent and stand up for biblical values and truth," said One Million Moms, which mobilizes mothers to encourage morality in media. "Scripture says multiple times that homosexuality is wrong, and God will not tolerate this sinful nature. American Girl doesn't highlight other sins in their magazine." American Girl is one of Mattel's top toy brands, according to the Mattel website, and includes the best-selling toy lines Truly Me, Girl of the Year, Bitty Baby and BeForever. Mattel describes the American Girl's line of toys as existing "to fuel belonging and connection among girls, a goal that has already earned the loyalty of millions and the praise and trust of their parents and educators." Starbucks cup Starbucks debuts a red cup each Christmas, but this year the cup is decorated with the green Starbucks logo, instead of a winter snowflakes scene, as in 2014. A Nov. 4 Facebook post from a certain Joshua Feuerstein in Mountain Hill, Ariz., complaining about the 2015 cup went viral, and led to perhaps erroneous media reports that many Christians were boycotting the brand. Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research, urged Christians not to buy into the hoopla in a Nov. 9 post on his blog, The Exchange. "Folks, we really need to calm down. If you've posted an outraged Facebook update, take it down," Stetzer wrote. "Starbucks cups are red because of the Christmas season. Starbucks is not persecuting you. Starbucks may be attempting to respect those who don't celebrate Christmas -- and that's OK. That's their choice. They're a business that exists to serve all customers without preference, regardless of what winter holidays they do or do not celebrate. If they choose to do that by means of a plain, red cup, that's their call." Jonathan Merritt wrote in the Washington Post today, Nov. 10, that "most Christians don't care about Starbucks." "I've read dozens of stories on this from as many news outlets and I can't find a single Christian organization or leader of import that is backing a boycott in any story," the Washington Post article reads. “Instead, many Christians responded to the backlash with backlash, saying that a boycott was pointless and a bit ridiculous." Starbucks explained the cup's design in a press release posted on its website. "In the past, we have told stories with our holiday cups designs," Jeffrey Fields, Starbucks vice president of Design and Content, said in the release. "This year we wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories. … Starbucks has become a place of sanctuary during the holidays. We're embracing the simplicity and the quietness of it. It's [a] more open way to usher in the holiday." Faith Driven Consumer is responding to the Starbucks news by calling for a Christmas buycott of products compatible with the Christian message. Promoting itself as representing 41 million consumers who spend $30 billion at Christmas, Faith Driven Consumer encourages Christians to support faith-friendly brands. "Starbucks is free to design cups and other materials as they see fit, and each consumer -- driven by their values and ideals -- will respond based on the relative appeal of these products," Faith Driven Consumer said in a press release today. "For those Faith Driven Consumers and others dissatisfied with Starbucks' new presentation of Christmas as 'a blank canvas,' the #ChristmasBUYcott offers a positive and viable path forward." Faith Driven Consumer rates more than 330 major brands on its Faith Equality Index of compatibility with the message of marketplace and workplace equality for people of faith. "To date, we have scored Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, and Krispy Kreme on the Faith Equality Index," the group said. "The latter two, while not perfect, offer more faith-compatible alternatives. Rather than being frustrated with a company that fails to acknowledge your values, simply choose a brand that better welcomes you as a Faith Driven Consumer." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Utah/Idaho to form regional church planting teams by Karen L. Willoughby Date: November 10, 2015 - Tuesday TWIN FALLS, Idaho (BP) -- Old way: State convention strategist oversees all church planting in the Utah/Idaho Southern Baptist Convention. New way: Regional church planting teams oversee church planting. Messengers to the UISBC annual meeting unanimously approved a Church Planting Network that sections the two states into five regions and provides a locally-led five-person team to support incoming church planters. "Just as local government knows its situation better than does the state, and state than federal, a locally-driven church planting strategy works better than does one generated by the state convention," Travis Kerns told messengers as he explained the concept. Kerns is the North American Mission Board missionary for its Send North America outreach in Salt Lake City. "If we do everything from a local level, we could be better stewards and more effective with the funds and resources we have," Kerns said. "We love stewardship and we love effectiveness." Mike Palmer, pastor of Salmon Valley Baptist Church in Salmon, Idaho, and Lemhi Cowboy Church in Tendoy, Idaho, and Kerns -- independent of each other -- came up with the same "what-if" thought about the same time Billy Edwards announced his retirement as the convention's staff member responsible for church planting oversight in the two states, Kerns explained. Each regional Church Planting Network consists of a local lead pastor who can galvanize the help of other churches in the region, a church planter already serving in the area, the church planting catalyst for the region, plus Palmer and Kerns. Budget, other business Despite significantly trimming the UISBC's budget for 2016, messengers to the two-state convention's Oct. 20-21 annual meeting at Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho, unanimously approved a 1 percentage point increase in Cooperative Program giving for SBC national and international missions and ministries, which also would receive half of any CP gifts above the budget. The anticipation is that CP giving is to increase 1 percentage point in each of next four years' budgets, so that Utah/Idaho Southern Baptists will be giving 30 percent of churches' CP giving to SBC causes outside the two Rocky Mountain states by 2020. "The last five years have been challenging but now is not the time to retreat but to move forward," Executive Director Rob Lee told the convention. "God is blessing." The 2016 budget of $1,729,732 is $276,432 less than the $2,006,164 budget for 2015. This includes $635,465 in anticipated Cooperative Giving from Utah and Idaho churches, $940,000 from NAMB, $60,000 from LifeWay Christian Resources and $94,267 from the York-Dillman State Missions Offering. Messengers also unanimously approved changes to the constitution and bylaws stemming from the Supreme Court embracing same-sex marriage and to tighten requirements for affiliation with the two-state convention. Churches affiliated with the UISBC, in order to be "cooperative in faith and practice," must show acceptance of "the most current Baptist Faith and Message"; must not knowingly take any action "which affirms, endorses, supports, or approves in any way homosexual conduct or same-sex marriages"; and must provide "an annual church statistical profile and information." One messenger asked if part of the intent of the constitutional change is to disaffiliate from churches that do not turn in an Annual Church Profile. "Yes, we're very serious," said Kerns, who gave the report by the convention's constitution and bylaws committee. "What we're saying to churches is, 'Are you in or not?'" Resolutions passed by the convention called for continued prayer for Saeed Abedini, imprisoned in Iran for his Christian faith, whose family waits in Idaho for him; for affirming biblical marriage; for the defunding by local, state and federal government of Planned Parenthood. Messengers also expressed appreciation, by a resolution, for pastor Paul Thompson and members of Eastside Baptist Church for their hospitality. The convention also expressed "deep appreciation" for the "incredible partnership" of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention at the conclusion of its five-year commitment to Utah and Idaho. According to a plaque of appreciation for the SBTC that was read to messengers, the Utah/Idaho convention "will continue to serve you through our prayers, praise, and partnership in providing Disaster Relief volunteers in your times of need, trainers to equip your churches about the ... Mormons, opportunities for mission service here, and to lift up your arms as you have need of fellow brothers and sisters to strengthen your ministries and ministers." A new slate of officers was elected, each unanimously: president, David Kite, pastor of four cowboy churches in Idaho; first vice president, Michael Waldrop, pastor of Desert Ridge Baptist Church in St. George, Utah; second vice president, Mike Pless, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Bountiful, Utah; recording secretary, Chauna Sidwell, a member at First Baptist Church in Pleasant Grove, Utah. The UISBC's "Consider Your Calling" theme based on 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 was reflected in three theme interpretations: on evangelism, Russ Robinson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Provo, Utah; discipleship, Clint Henry, pastor of Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho; and stewardship, Jim Panagoplos, pastor of First Baptist Church in Roy, Utah -- as well as the pastor's conference that preceded the annual meeting with guest speaker Richard Owen Roberts of Wheaton, Ill. Final attendance totals were 91 messengers -- 53 messengers from 20 churches in Idaho, and 38 messengers from 16 churches in Utah -- plus 27 registered guests. The UISBC includes 171 church-type congregations, four of which were accepted into fellowship during the annual meeting: Christ Fellowship and Redeeming Life Church, both in Salt Lake City; Crossroads Church in Sandy, Utah; and Redemption Church in Ogden, Utah. The 2016 annual meeting of the Utah/Idaho Southern Baptist Convention will be a one-day event to better serve bivocational pastors on Oct. 21 at First Baptist Church in West Valley City, Utah. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Drug threat draws renewed Christian response by David Roach Date: November 10, 2015 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- With drug overdose deaths surpassing automobile accident fatalities and firearm-related killings as the leading cause of injury death in the U.S., some Christians are taking a closer look at how they can help combat America's drug problem. The Drug Enforcement Administration's 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA) Summary reported 120 people in the U.S. die each day as a result of drug overdose. The 46,471 drug overdose deaths in 2013 -- the most recent year for which data is available -- exceeded motor vehicle crash fatalities by more than 11,000 and firearm deaths by nearly 13,000, according to a report by CNSNews. The NDTA, a comprehensive assessment of the U.S. drug threat released Nov. 4, called prescription drug abuse and heroin -- in that order -- "the most significant drug threats to the United States." Less than a week after the Drug Enforcement Administration's report was released, messengers to the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists adopted a resolution pledging to "dedicate [themselves] to active involvement in the effort to rid our country of drug abuse." The resolution was based on a 1997 Southern Baptist Convention resolution "on drug abuse." The West Virginia convention's resolutions committee chairman, Mike Kelly, told Baptist Press the growing drug problem in his state and elsewhere demands that Southern Baptists reemphasize this aspect of cultural engagement. Drug users "are trying to fill a need in their lives," said Kelly, pastor of Cameron (W. Va.) Baptist Church, "a need to fit in and feel accepted. They're finding that in these illicit drugs. We as a Christian community need to reach out and show them love and respect and honor, and we also need to teach them the godly principles they're walking away from." Adopted Nov. 6 during the WVCSB annual meeting at First Baptist Church in Ceredo, W.Va., the West Virginia convention's resolution notes that "every faithful Christian should bear a definite responsibility to achieve a successful solution" to the problem of drug abuse. Messengers pledged "total abstention" from alcohol and illegal drugs and promised never to abuse prescription medication. Kelly said prescription drug abuse is a significant part of the drug problem in West Virginia, which has the highest drug overdose mortality rate in America -- 28.9 people per 100,000 according to the resolution. Across all 50 states, the NDTA found "the number of individuals reporting current abuse of CPDs [controlled prescription drugs] is more than those reporting the use of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA [ecstasy] and phencyclidine (PCP) combined." Since 2002, prescription drug-related deaths have "outpaced" cocaine and heroin deaths combined, according to the report. Those factors contributed to the DEA's classification of prescription medication abuse as the top drug threat in America. Heroin is the second greatest drug threat in part because prescription drug abusers "begin using heroin as a cheaper alternative to the high price of illicit CPDs or when they are unable to obtain prescription drugs," according to the report. A separate study published Nov. 3 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that in 2011-12, 59 percent of Americans age 20 and older took at least one prescription drug, up from 51 percent 12 years previously, The Washington Post reported. Some 15 percent took five or more prescription drugs in 2011-12, an 8 percent increase from 1999-2000. Kim Jones, associate professor of pharmacy practice at Union University, told BP "prescription drug use has become so prevalent, in part, due to access to the medications." The narcotic Lortab, for example, is the "number one dispensed prescription medication in the state of Tennessee." Jones said in written comments, "There is also the false assumption that because prescription drugs are prescribed by a licensed provider and dispensed by a pharmacist, that they are always safe and free from potential adverse effects." Part of curbing the prescription drug abuse epidemic, Jones said, is handling prescription medication properly. "Awareness of the potential dangers of prescription medication use and storage is a critical piece needed to combat this threat," Jones said. "These drugs should not be shared, should not be used longer than required and should be stored away from children/adolescents. Once no longer needed, the drugs should be disposed of properly, potentially through one of the DEA's National Take-Back Days. Prescribers should also make an intentional effort to only prescribe these agents to patients who really need them and in appropriate quantities." Among the NDTA's other findings: -- "Marijuana is the most widely available and commonly used illicit drug in the United States." The legalization of recreational and so-called medical marijuana by some states and municipalities "poses a challenge for federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts given the different regulatory regimes at the state level," the NDTA stated. Increased marijuana production and use in areas where it is legal are "adversely affecting states in which marijuana remains an illegal substance." A footnote of the report stated, "Marijuana is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substance Act with no accepted medical use in the United States." -- Marijuana concentrates, which are more potent than leaf marijuana, "pose an issue of growing concern." -- The number of U.S. residents who reported using heroin in the past 30 days increased 51 percent between 2013 and 2014, according to one study. -- Cocaine use in the U.S. has shown "a steady decline" over the past decade. DEA acting administrator Chuck Rosenberg said in an administration press release, "Sadly this report confirms what we've known for some time: drug abuse is ending too many lives too soon and destroying families and communities. We must reach young people at an even earlier age and teach them about its many dangers and horrors."