The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-11/11/2009 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ERLC lays out 15 principles needed for health care reform by Staff Date: November 11, 2009 - Wednesday WASHINGTON (BP)--Fifteen principles -- including the honoring of all human life -- must be implemented in order for health care reform to be satisfactory, according to a new document issued by the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. The paper, "Fifteen Principles for Successful Health Care Reform," outlines criteria it says are needed "to achieve the desired result of affordable, high quality, universal health care." The document was produced by the Research Institute of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). The Research Institute is an evangelical Christian think tank of 25 fellows, including seminary presidents and ethicists. The principles, available at www.erlc.com, were released as the health-care debate in Congress moves from the House of Representatives to the Senate. The Senate is expected to begin debate on health-care legislation Nov. 17, according to The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper. On Nov. 7, the House voted 220-215 for a health-care bill that includes a government-managed option. The representatives did so only after approving in a 240-194 vote a pro-life amendment barring federal funds from paying for abortions in the public option and from subsidizing private plans that cover abortions. Exceptions are made for abortions in the cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. The ERLC document rejects government-run health care as an option, with the Research Institute fellows saying reform of the private health-care system is the best alternative. "The goal of this reform should be to reduce the cost of health care and health care insurance while maintaining the highest possible standard of health care for all, thus increasing the quality of health care for more and more Americans," they say. "While a perfect system is not attainable, there is much room for improvement," the document says. Regarding their first principle, the fellows say about the sanctity of human life, "Every stage of life, every type of disability must be treated with utmost reverence for every life. Abortion must not be mandated in health insurance plans.... Every treatment must meet a rigorous pro-life standard that refuses to value or respect one life more than another life. Covered treatments must not be denied by insurance companies due to unrelated issues in a person's medical history. The right of conscience of health care providers and pharmacists must be guaranteed." Among the other principles offered: -- Tort reform that limits monetary awards in lawsuits. "Laws should be enacted to discourage frivolous lawsuits," the paper says. -- Competition in which there is a "free-market approach that rewards those who offer the best product at the best price and frees companies to reward healthy lifestyle choices with substantially lower costs." -- Accountability for patients and doctors. "Responsible behavior should be incentivized. Health lifestyle choices should be rewarded with lower insurance premiums, and certain unhealthy choices should result in higher insurance premiums." -- Accessibility in which everyone is able "to obtain some minimal, acceptable level of health insurance." -- Careful government regulation that still assures doctors will make treatment decisions in consultation with patients, not government authorities. -- Affordability in which low-income Americans "have subsidies in order to help them afford coverage on a sliding fee scale." -- Portability that enables coverage to continue for a person when he loses his job. -- Protection from discrimination on the basis of disability or age. "Pre-existing conditions must be treated realistically, not a cause for denial of coverage." After the House's passage of health care reform, ERLC President Richard Land applauded the pro-life amendment but said the overall bill "brings us one step closer to government-subsidized and eventually government-run health care in America." He said, "We need health care reform, but this isn't it." As the issue moves to the Senate, Land said the ERLC "will continue to press for health care more in keeping with the 15 principles laid out" in its document. --30-- Compiled by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. The ERLC paper can be read online at http://erlc.com/documents/pdf/20091110-fifteen-principles-final.pdf -------------------------------------------------------------------- AMA reconsiders medical marijuana by Erin Roach Date: November 11, 2009 - Wednesday HOUSTON (BP)--The American Medical Association is calling for a federal review of marijuana's classification as a dangerous drug with no accepted medical use, approving a revised policy Nov. 10 that won praise from marijuana supporters. The physicians group said its intention is to open avenues for clinical research toward the development of cannabis-based medicines and alternative ways of delivering the drug. A Southern Baptist public policy expert, however, noted that declassification is not needed for conducting marijuana-related research. The AMA, at its interim policymaking meeting in Houston, rejected a proposal to outright urge the rescheduling of marijuana, which now is considered a Schedule I controlled substance, the most restrictive category. Schedule I, which also includes heroin and LSD, is the only classification of controlled substances that cannot be prescribed by a physician. The group also rejected an amendment that said "smoking is an inherently unsafe delivery method for any therapeutic agent, and therefore smoked marijuana should not be recommended for medical use." The AMA claims 250,000 members, but that figure often is questioned by various estimates that it represents only 25 to 40 percent of U.S. doctors. As part of the new policy, the AMA said it was not signaling approval of the 13 states that have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. "This should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product," the AMA said. In response to the AMA's revised policy, the Drug Enforcement Administration said, "At this point, it's still a Schedule I drug, and we're going to treat it as such," and the Food and Drug Administration, which in the past has rejected the use of marijuana for medical purposes, declined to comment, The Los Angeles Times said. The Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington-based marijuana advocacy group, called the AMA's policy change "big news" and said it "falls in line with what is quickly becoming a universal understanding in American medicine: Marijuana has undeniable medical uses and federal law should reflect that reality." "The AMA's previous position was often cited by medical marijuana opponents as evidence that the drug's medical efficacy was in question," the MPP's blog said. "This new policy will go a long way to convincing politicians and policy makers that the compassionate use of medical marijuana should not be blocked by outdated marijuana laws." Barrett Duke, vice president for public policy and research at the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said the devastating effects marijuana use has on millions of people causes him to remain opposed to any changes in policy that diminish public perception of marijuana or that enable easier access to its recreational use. "I recognize, however, that the drug may have some beneficial medicinal benefits," Duke told Baptist Press. "For example, it's possible that it may be useful for people suffering from glaucoma and for those who need an appetite stimulant. "If responsible, rigorous research by qualified scientists can demonstrate that the active ingredient in marijuana has useful medical benefits that cannot be achieved through other less dangerous sources, then I would not be opposed to its application in those situations, so long as they are administered under close medical supervision," Duke said. "However, I am opposed to any effort to declassify marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance in order to make this determination. Schedule I classification does not prevent research on marijuana's potential medicinal benefits. Until the drug is proven to have real, unique medicinal value, it must remain classified as the dangerous drug that it is," he said. In its report to the House of Delegates in Houston, the AMA's Council on Science and Public Health wrote, "Results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis. "However, the patchwork of state-based systems that have been established for 'medical marijuana' is woefully inadequate in establishing even rudimentary safeguards that normally would be applied to the appropriate clinical use of psychoactive substances. "The future of cannabinoid-based medicine lies in the rapidly evolving field of botanical drug substance development, as well as the design of molecules that target various aspects of the endocannabinoid system. To the extent that rescheduling marijuana out of Schedule I will benefit this effort, such a move can be supported," the report said. The AMA took a stance on two other controversial issues, passing a resolution opposing the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy and another resolution arguing that bans on "gay marriage" negatively impact the health of homosexual partners. The resolution on the military policy says it violates the confidentiality of military doctors and patients, the Houston Chronicle reported. The "gay marriage" resolution said bans reduce the likelihood that same-sex partners will have health insurance. Some critics of the AMA's actions said the problems cited could be fixed without reversing military policy or overturning marriage laws. --30-- Erin Roach is a staff writer for Baptist Press. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VETERANS DAY:
WWII POW recounts the faith that sustained him by Joni B. Hannigan Date: November 11, 2009 - Wednesday EDITOR'S NOTE: Excerpts from Joseph William Plappert's personal account of the Battle of the Bulge, "The Long Journey," which was handwritten by his wife Lois, appear throughout this story. Each citation will begin with the words The Long Journey excerpt. MONTICELLO, Fla. (BP)--"Is this it?" Joseph Plappert remembers thinking. He and another soldier had received word that morning the Germans were coming and they would need to fortify their position in the Ardennes forest in central Belgium. The 22-year-old soldier dug furiously into the frozen ground, throwing aside clumps of snow and ice to create a foxhole while another soldier watched the road with a bazooka. "Run, run, the Germans are right behind me and they're coming down," another soldier yelled, jumping out of his jeep before diving behind a nearby tree with the guy holding the bazooka. Plappert watched as a shell exploded the jeep. He dropped his shovel, glanced at the foxhole, realizing as he did that it wasn't going to hold him, and then dove for a nearby hedge. It was Dec. 17, 1944, and thousands of American soldiers were fighting off Germans in one of World War II's bloodiest battles, the Battle of the Bulge. It was the day Plappert believes his life was spared for a reason. It was the day about 90 American prisoners of war were murdered by their German captors in the Malmedy massacre. The Long Journey excerpt: "I lay quietly in the winter snow.... I was watching intently as German Colonel Peiper's armored Panzer tanks rolled down the adjoining road. The guns swung side-to-side seeking enemy targets and firing non-stop into the surrounding fields as the vehicles moved forward." "When I was lying there, they fired with a machine gun," Plattert recounted in an interview with Florida Baptist Witness. "Fortunately, because of the Lord's desire, they were about three feet to the right of me. I could see their tracers. I thought, phew, that was close." Plappert, now 85, said a lot of things went though his mind that morning, but as he watched the soldier behind the tree nearby lose a thumb and his false teeth after reeling from the concussion of a shell, he thought he should stay put in the cold snow rather than chance being caught by a stray bullet, shell or German soldier. "I had my 45 in my hand, thinking, if two guys come, do I shoot one or do I give up?" Plappert said. "I thought if I give up, they are just going to shoot me, so I said, 'OK, at least you can get one.' But, thank you Lord, nobody came." Hours later Plappert said he was startled and ready to shoot when he felt a hand grabbing for his foot. To his relief, it was a wounded buddy crawling around for help. By that time, Plappert said American artillery was returning fire and he knew he needed to retreat and find help for his wounded friend. "We have to make a run for the house," Plappert told his friend, referencing a nearby farmhouse. "I know you're gonna have trouble. We'll stand up, you'll grab ahold of me and you hang on and I'm gonna run to the house." At the farmhouse, they learned three others had sheltered in the food-laden cellar. During the night the men realized someone else was in the house, shooting a rifle through a window. They could hear the exchange of fire, but didn't know whether Americans or Germans were upstairs. "So we didn't make a sound, we didn't know what the situation was," Plappert said. The Long Journey excerpt: "We talked about trying to make an escape in the morning and actually had devised a plan, but the owner of the house returned and opened the door to the cellar. Lieutenant Varner grabbed him and pulled him down with us. Since Varner spoke French, he talked to the farmer who promised not to reveal our location." "The old man was calling his wife. The Germans had come through and he couldn't find his wife," Plappert said. "He begged us to let him go.... So we let him go." The Long Journey excerpt: "We could identify the sound of General Motor trucks moving outside, but we couldn't be sure if they were driven by Americans or Germans because the enemy was using everything they captured. The Nazis were losing the war and were unable to supply or replace their men without any reliable equipment. As a result of our lack of information, we spent another long, dark, cold night in the farmer's cellar." It wasn't the farmer who opened the door next, however. After hearing footsteps across the floor, the men heard German voices and the door to the cellar flew open. "Of course, that was it," Plappert sighed. "So they made us come out and these two guys took us out in front of the house on the porch and left four guards." The guards -- two teens and two old men -- likely were all the Germans had left, since the Germans by that time had taken thousands of Americans and allied forces as prisoners of war. The teens, Plappert said, were trigger happy. "Those kids wanted to shoot us; they wanted to shoot us in the worst way," Plappert remembered. "And these old men said, 'No you can't do that.' That was the only thing that saved us was those old men." The Long Journey excerpt: "We were ordered to line up out in front of the farmhouse. Two of the soldiers were very young teens and very eager to 'shoot the enemy' as we stood silently in the snow. Hitler had ordered that any prisoners captured during this offensive battle were to be shot. We were all very aware of this possibility because word had spread among the Allied soldiers of a massacre at Malmedy two days earlier.... In all there were 30 GI's rounded up that day. We all stood there silently in line, facing enemy guns, not knowing what would happen next. To our relief, we were loaded into trucks and driven a short distance to a nearby town, Bullingen." In Bullingen, soldiers were put in a German-occupied ammunition depot that was once a dance hall. In the midst of stacks of cannons, ammunition, rifles, Plappert said he could hear Americans shooting cannons. The Long Journey excerpt: "That night as we tried to sleep, the U.S. Air Force heavily bombed the area. With the force of the concussions, the windows rattled and vibrated, shattering and spewing shrapnel. I'm sure the Germans would not have been disappointed if the building had been destroyed by 'friendly fire.'" "'Lord, don't let a shell come through and hit this ammunition,'" Plappert recalled praying. Though he left his gunbelt, his 45 and a knife his father had given him in the farmhouse cellar, lest he be shot with his own weapon, Plappert said he and the others were made to give up coats and boots -- despite the bitter cold of one of the most severe winters in history -- and anything else of value. German soldiers, however, either failed to notice or weren't concerned with one of Plappert's most precious possessions -- a Gideons New Testament tucked under the flap of the chest pocket on his uniform. The Long Journey excerpt: "I have no idea why it was not confiscated at that time. Some of the other POWs in our barn began to join us. Eventually the group numbered up to ten. Initially, the guard would not allow us to form groups because they didn't want us to have opportunities to make plans for a possible escape or to cause problems. Eventually the guards conceded and allowed us to meet." In the months to follow, the young man who grew up in Detroit and trusted the Lord when he was 16 looked for ways to encourage others by taking time for Bible study and prayer. Only a short time before, as a new recruit, as he sat on his bunk reading his Bible just before lights out, other soldiers threw shoes at him and teased him. Not so in battle or after he was captured. "They all wanted to dig their foxhole around mine," Plappert smiled. "They knew the Lord wouldn't let a bomb hit big Joe." THE LONG MARCH INTO GERMANY After being interrogated at Bullingen, Plappert said he began the "long march" into Germany which initially lasted about two weeks. At one point, he said his fellow brothers-in-arms picked him up under his arms and carried him so he wouldn't be shot and left by the side of the road. The Long Journey excerpt: "We marched across 'no man's land.' There were dead bodies everywhere because the Germans suffered tragic loses and they had neither time nor the resources to bury their massive numbers of fallen soldiers. Their futile efforts were apparent in the orderly stacks of stiff, lifeless corpses everywhere. We marched every day, all day." Sleeping outside at night on the frozen ground was a challenge. "One night I had to brush the snow away to lie down," Plappert said, "and this sounds crazy, but I couldn't put my head down on the ground because it was so cold." Reaching down and taking off his shoe, Plappert said he used it for a pillow. "It wasn't a very good pillow," he laughed, "but it worked." And even when he found himself in the most dire of circumstances, Plappert said he believes God was watching over him. One night at a snow-covered field adjacent to a farmhouse, Plappert said he moved away from the group to find some privacy. As he edged around in the dark, he slipped and fell and broke through the ice into the farmer's cesspool all the way up to his armpits. Convulsing and shaking, Plappert said he doesn't remember how he climbed out but that he couldn't even tell the men what happened afterward. The Long Journey excerpt: "The stench on my clothes was all they needed to figure out what had happened. Of course, there were no blankets, heat or fire in the barn, so the men circled around me and began to massage me, rubbing my arms and legs to restore circulation." Plappert is in awe still today that he survived the ordeal. His body temperature was dangerously low, he said, and he never had a change of clothing or a bath until he was liberated. Afterward, however, Plappert said he remembers reaching into his pocket and pulling out his trusty New Testament. He said it had a permanent watermark on it -- a reminder of how his life was spared -- again. The story is an example he said, of "how good the Lord is." A tin can he turned into a cup is a reminder of the hope one Christmas brought the young Plappert. Holding the cup from which now perches a small American flag, he patted it and smiled while telling the story of how he found it tossed at the side of railroad tracks on Christmas Day in 1944. The Long Journey excerpt: "This was a Christmas to remember. We knew it was Christmas because our guards were talking about it. We had been marching for days. No food, no water, and little or no shelter. Sleeping in open fields with snow as a cover.... That [can] was Christmas dinner. To us it was a priceless gift." "I can't remember when we had anything last," Plappert recalled of that night. "And I saw this engine on another track off a little bit, hot water dripping down off of that engine and I walked over and on my way over, I found a can, an empty can, lying along the railroad tracks and so I picked that up and I held it under that dripping hot water. I filled it up and I went back to my circle and handed it to the guy next to me and he took a sip, he handed it to the guy next to him and he took a sip and handed it to the guy next to him and he took a sip. When it got empty I went back and filled it up again. I don't know how many times I did that." When the POWs finally were interred in various prison camps, Plappert said they were sometimes given thin broth to eat or "terrible" soup with beans and black flecks they later learned were bugs. Once, he remembers tipping over a discarded barrel to climb into it and search the bottom for potato scraps he piled in a small bowl to share with his group of starving men. THE END OF THE LONG MARCH Suffering from diarrhea and other illnesses during his captivity, Plappert said he weighed less than 100 pounds by the time he marched deeper into Germany at the prison camp at Mooseburg. It had been nearly six months since he was captured in the Ardennes forest. The Long Journey excerpt: "I was in this camp in Mooseburg when U.S. troops came through and liberated us. You would think that I would remember this momentous time, but we had lost all track of actual dates. We didn't even know what day it was. It was sometime in late June of 1945 and ironically, among the liberating forces was our own unit -- the 99th infantry division -- that was memorable." Plappert enlisted in the military after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and America entered the war. He had graduated from high school in Detroit and went to work for Chrysler, following in his father's footsteps. After the war, he returned to Chrysler for a brief time before enrolling at Bob Jones University where he majored in education. As a veteran, the military would take care of his education and his medical needs, but they couldn't make it any warmer up north to help decrease the chill every winter when arthritis would make his body ache, so Plappert decided to head south. At church in Detroit, Plappert met a young schoolteacher, Lois, and asked her to marry him. For their honeymoon, they traveled to Miami where she had secured a teaching contract and he was accepted at the University of Miami where he pursued teaching credentials. "It's so amazing the way the Lord has worked in my life," he said. The Plapperts are members of Faith Baptist Church in Tallahassee. They are the founders of Miami Christian School where they taught and served in various capacities until they left the Miami area five years ago to settle in Monticello, Fla., where their two daughters, Pamela and Patty, and their families live. A son, William, lives in West Palm Beach with his family and Robert and his family live in Houston, Texas. The Plapperts have seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Remembering the war, Plappert said, brings to mind a word he won't use, but he doesn't think it's a coincidence his life was spared. The Long Journey excerpt: "Ultimately, we were flown to Normandy, France. It was my first glimpse of the D-Day beaches and the whole area was completely demolished from the intensity of the battles that had overrun the entire expanse of the beaches." "I remember it as a separated portion of my life. It was an interruption of my early adulthood," Plappert said of the war. "It made me appreciate life because I could have lost it at any time, especially when the Germans were told, Don't take any more prisoners." And if he had a chance to do it all over again, would he have taken an assignment Chrysler offered him to work at a different factory in order to avoid the war? "I wouldn't change anything," Plappert said. "To me it was a privilege to know that I can help protect my country. If there was a danger today and they were enlisting people 80 years old, I would enlist because to me it's a privilege; it's an opportunity to demonstrate your concern not only for the people of the country but for the nation itself." The Long Journey excerpt: "From France we embarked on a transport ship destined for Camp Lucky Strike in New York City. As we passed into the harbor, I saw the Statue of Liberty. I will always remember that sight. Seeing her, I finally realized that I was actually home, away from the death and destruction of battle, free from the fear of hostile captors, home and safe in the U.S., and eternally grateful to be arriving alive and whole." "I knew what it meant when it said, 'In God we trust,' because at that point this nation was trusting in God," Plappert said. "That was our only hope." --30-- Joni B. Hannigan is managing editor of the Florida Baptist Witness, online at www.gofbw.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VETERANS DAY:
Veteran escaped death at Battle of the Bulge by Carolyn Nichols Date: November 11, 2009 - Wednesday JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--After D.J. (Dean) Abernathy was injured during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, he says at least two angels saved him from death. The angels, an Army medic and a surgeon, stepped in to save the young infantryman who had been pronounced a hopeless case by an aid station doctor. Abernathy is a retired pastor and Florida Baptist Convention lobbyist. When a German shell created a "tree burst" over Abernathy's head in Europe's Ardennes forests, shrapnel rained down on the soldier. His steel helmet prevented a brain injury, but the lip of the helmet left his nose and mouth unprotected. "But for the helmet, it would have finished me off," he told the Florida Baptist Witness newspaper. Quickly losing blood from a "split-open" nose and lip, the 25-year-old soldier crawled in snow under a barbed wire fence and waved down a passing tank, praying it was an American vehicle. "I was really talking to the Lord, and when I heard, 'Hey, he's down here in the ditch,' I knew they were Americans," Abernathy recounted. In the aid station, a doctor told the medics who had brought Abernathy in that he had "bled white" and was going to die because the station was out of plasma. After the doctor turned to another patient, the medic -- regretfully nameless to Abernathy -- checked his dog tag to see his blood type and said to another medic, "He and I are the same type." The men rigged up an intravenous tube directly from the medic's arm to Abernathy's. Within five minutes the young soldier regained consciousness, and a truck pulled into the station with a load of plasma. After only six months with the 2nd Armored Division fighting in France, Holland, Luxembourg and Germany, the wounded soldier was shipped to Kennedy General Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., the nearest hospital to Abernathy's family hometown of Hannibal, Mo. Abernathy said he encountered a second angel at the Memphis hospital. The doctor preparing to do surgery on his nose and lip was from Tampa, and he told Abernathy he would write to his mother there , where the Abernathy family had recently moved, and ask her to call Abernathy's mother to let her know that her son would survive his injuries. The surgeon took skin from the inside of Abernathy's arm to patch his face. While recovering, Abernathy received 30 days leave to visit Tampa, his first time to the city. In his uniform at Riverside Baptist Church, he met Jimmie Morris, his sister's friend. The two began writing letters, falling in love through the mail. She was at his house when he returned to Tampa in late October 1945. Abernathy worked as a butcher at Margaret Ann Supermarket in Tampa and saved money to marry Jimmie and study music at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. The couple married on June 6, 1946, and moved north to Greenville. A year later the first of their three children was born. While studying music at Furman and working as a night watchman and paid choir section leader, Abernathy began rethinking his planned career in music. "The Lord was working on me to preach the Gospel, so I went to Southwestern Seminary with a new ambition," he recounted. After graduation from the Baptist seminary in Texas, Abernathy served Jackson Heights Baptist Church in Tampa for five years. He subsequently served Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C., and returned to Florida to lead North Park Baptist Church in Orlando, where he served 13 years. He preached the convention sermon at the annual meeting of the Florida Baptist Convention in 1975, following in the footsteps of his father who also preached the convention sermon years before, and the younger Abernathy was elected second vice president of the state convention. While pastoring in Florida, Abernathy became involved in the activities of United Christian Action, an interdenominational political organization established under the leadership of then-Florida Baptist Convention Executive Director John Maquire. In 1978, Maquire asked Abernathy to lead the organization, and the Florida pastor headed the organization until it disbanded in 1990. As a lobbyist in the Florida legislature, Abernathy worked to influence legislators on bills "in the area of righteousness," he said. He also wrote articles frequently on legislative issues for the Florida Baptist Witness. "It was a tough job, and it was not all good news, but it was helpful news," he said. When the UCA ended, then-editor Jack Brymer of the Witness asked Abernathy to join the staff as a circulation promoter. He traveled the state "talking with pastors about putting the Witness in their church budgets." He also told about his family mailing the Witness to him when he was a young soldier fighting in Europe. "A little bit of my heart will always be with the Florida Baptist Witness," Abernathy said. After retiring from his work with the convention and with the Witness, D.J. and Jimmie Abernathy moved to their mountain cabin in Ridgecrest, N.C., where they lived several years until health problems forced them to move to an assisted living facility in Franklin, Tenn., near their children. Abernathy said he depends on the Lord now just as he did in battle in 1944. "We're coming along," Abernathy said. "This side of life is pulling on us, but the Lord is helping us." --30-- Carolyn Nichols is a newswriter for the Florida Baptist Witness, online at gofbw.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VETERANS DAY: Prof to serve God, country by Keith Collier Date: November 11, 2009 - Wednesday FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Seminary professor John Laing is joining 3,600 citizen-soldiers in the 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team as part of the largest Texas Army National Guard deployment since World War II. Lt. Col. Laing, an assistant professor of systematic theology and philosophy at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Houston campus, will serve as the senior chaplain for the brigade during the year-long mission. The unit is scheduled to deploy this fall for nine months overseas, most likely in Iraq, although the troops may be redirected to Afghanistan. With Iraqis preparing for national elections in early 2010, the 72nd likely will aid the country during the change to self-governance. "Our current mission involves managing the transition of authority to the Iraqi government and security forces," Laing said. Their headquarters will be the commanding control for the Green Zone, where troops will handle detainee operations and convoy security. Laing, whose military career spans 23 years and two previous deployments, will provide guidance and supervision for the chaplains within the brigade and serve as an expert on religious issues. Stephen Missick, one of the chaplains under Laing's supervision, graduated from Southwestern in May and was commissioned in a ceremony following the commencement. Laing has known Missick both as a student in the classroom and a chaplain's assistant within the Texas Army National Guard. "My primary responsibility is to provide the spiritual care for the soldiers assigned to the brigade," Laing said. "Beyond that, I'm also an adviser on ethical, moral and spiritual issues to the brigade commander." During previous deployments, he was a liaison between commanding officers and local religious leaders such as Muslim imams and other clerics. Laing's journey to faith started shortly after he enlisted in the Army at the age of 17. During basic training, he began attending chapel through the encouragement of some of his fellow soldiers. "Basic training breaks down the pride, so that contributes to one's receptivity of the Gospel," Laing said. When he returned home from basic training, he began visiting churches of various denominations. He also began reading the Bible and found himself at a point where he wanted to believe its message but felt he could not. "So, I prayed to a God I wasn't sure existed and asked Him to help me believe," Laing said. "And as I continued to read the Bible and pray and go to different churches to worship over the course of three months or so, I went from not believing to believing. "When people ask me how I got saved, I say that I honestly believe it was through the work of the Holy Spirit through the reading of God's Word that faith came," he said. "I became receptive to God's work in my life through basic training and that time period in my life, but I'd say I got saved through just reading God's Word and the Holy Spirit convincing me of its truth." Soon after his conversion, Laing began sharing his newfound faith with fellow soldiers. As reconnaissance scouts, his unit rarely saw chaplains. Eventually, he began leading worship services for his platoon, and over a two-year span, about 90 percent of his 30-man unit became Christians. Sensing God's call to ministry, he served for a year as a chaplain's assistant. Since that time, he has served as a chaplain in the National Guard in North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas and Texas. With experience as a soldier as well as a chaplain on two previous deployments, Laing believes God has uniquely prepared him for his current responsibilities. Laing served overseas in Kosovo during Operation Joint Guardian and at home during Operation Noble Eagle as part of post-9/11 duties for the Department of Homeland Security. Laing said he expects the stress of a legitimate combat environment in Iraq to create more situations where counseling would be necessary. He initially was surprised by the tremendous need for counseling that soldiers experience during deployments, but now he realizes many of them are coping with personal issues back home. Marriage difficulties have proven to be the most prevalent issue. "The greatest need for prayer, apart from the salvation of our soldiers, is for their marriages," Laing said. "Deployment is very difficult on marriages. Even combat issues notwithstanding, when we were in Kosovo, I would say a fair estimate would be that roughly 40 percent of the people who were married had some kind of marriage difficulties over the course of the year that we were overseas. And that's a pretty significant number. "So I do a lot of marriage counseling, and, of course, in doing counseling, I can bring my faith in and share with them how faith in Christ can transform the marriage relationship, and, of course, consequently, their own life -- they can receive salvation and forgiveness," he said. "The chapel service is certainly a very important part of my ministry, but I've come to realize that counseling is another way of being able to share my faith with soldiers who will not come to chapel but, when they're desperate, will come talk to a chaplain. When someone does want counseling, they feel more comfortable talking to a chaplain than a psychiatrist or a psychologist.... Even a secular person, an atheist or a Wiccan may come to me for counseling, which gives me the opportunity to counsel them according to my faith." Laing is writing a book about the theological concerns that evangelical chaplains encounter, such as praying in Jesus' name, evangelism, legal issues and the growth of liberal theology and religious pluralism in chaplaincy. The basic question he seeks to answer is, "Can evangelicals continue to serve as chaplains without compromising their commitments?" He believes they can but also notes there are some legitimate areas of concern that must be addressed. Laing said he appreciates prayers for him and his family as he is deployed, and he trusts in God's sovereignty as he is away from his wife and three children for several months. --30-- Keith Collier is director of news and information at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas (www.swbts.edu/campusnews). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Obama cites troops' defense of freedom by Art Toalston Date: November 11, 2009 - Wednesday KILLEEN, Texas (BP)--At a memorial service at Fort Hood, President Obama placed the slaying of 12 servicemen and one civilian in the context of America's defense of freedom at home and abroad. Obama also noted that one of the slain soldiers was an expectant mother. Obama and his wife Michelle traveled to Fort Hood, the nation's largest military base in Killeen, Texas, for the Nov. 10 memorial service. Obama spoke from a podium behind a row of memorials for the victims -- each with a picture of the deceased, a pair of combat boots and a rifle topped with a helmet. The alleged gunman, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist and a Muslim, remains hospitalized at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio with several abdominal wounds that halted his Nov. 5 rampage at Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Center. In addition to the dead, 29 were wounded, more than a dozen of whom remain hospitalized. Obama, in his remarks, though not mentioning Hasan by name, stated that "no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor. For what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice -- in this world, and the next." "These are trying times for our country," the president continued, according a transcript of his 2,000-word address posted at the White House's website. "In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the same extremists who killed nearly 3,000 Americans continue to endanger America, our allies, and innocent Afghans and Pakistanis. In Iraq, we're working to bring a war to a successful end, as there are still those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that Americans and Iraqis have sacrificed so much for. "As we face these challenges, the stories of those [who were killed] at Fort Hood reaffirm the core values that we are fighting for, and the strength that we must draw upon. Theirs are the tales of American men and women answering an extraordinary call -- the call to serve their comrades, their communities, and their country. In an age of selfishness, they embody responsibility. In an era of division, they call upon us to come together. In a time of cynicism, they remind us of who we are as Americans.... "This generation of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen have volunteered in the time of certain danger," Obama said. "They are part of the finest fighting force that the world has ever known. They have served tour after tour of duty in distant, different and difficult places. They have stood watch in blinding deserts and on snowy mountains. They have extended the opportunity of self-government to peoples that have suffered tyranny and war. They are man and woman; white, black, and brown; of all faiths and all stations -- all Americans, serving together to protect our people, while giving others half a world away the chance to lead a better life. "In today's wars, there's not always a simple ceremony that signals our troops' success -- no surrender papers to be signed, or capital to be claimed. But the measure of the impact of these young men and women is no less great -- in a world of threats that know no borders, their legacy will be marked in the safety of our cities and towns, and the security and opportunity that's extended abroad. It will serve as testimony to the character of those who served, and the example that all of you in uniform set for America and for the world." In speaking a few words about each of the deceased, Obama said Pvt. Francheska Velez, daughter of a father from Colombia and a Puerto Rican mother, "had recently served in Korea and in Iraq, and was pursuing a career in the Army. When she was killed she was pregnant with her first child and was excited about becoming a mother." President and Mrs. Obama, during their four-hour visit to Fort Hood, visited with families of those who were killed and with those who were wounded and still hospitalized at Fort Hood's medical center and others who had been released. In addition to Velez, a ceremonial "roll call" of the dead honored Maj. Libardo Eduardo Caraveo; Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow; Capt. John Gaffaney; Spc. Frederick Greene; Spc. Jason Hunt; Sgt. Amy Krueger; Pfc. Aaron Nemelka; Pfc. Michael Pearson; Capt. Russell Seager; Lt. Col. Juanita Warman; Spc. Kham Xiong; and civilian Michael Cahill, a former National Guardsman. --30-- Art Toalston is editor of Baptist Press. -------------------------------------------------------------------- BP journalism contest draws 20 schools by Erin Roach Date: November 11, 2009 - Wednesday NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In its ninth year, the Baptist Press Collegiate Journalism Conference drew contest entries from 20 colleges and universities as nearly 100 awards were distributed, including the President's Award for Excellence in Student Journalism. The awards presentation, streamed online for the first time from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., Oct. 29, recognized students mostly from Baptist-affiliated schools after more than 500 of their entries were judged by nearly 20 professional journalists. Before the presentation, students and faculty members from more than a dozen schools interacted with two featured speakers by submitting questions via Twitter. Jennifer Rash, managing editor of The Alabama Baptist, told students that Christian journalists should excel at their work and give non-believers reason to consider the Gospel, and Gary Fong, founder of the Genesis Photo Agency, encouraged students to be prayerful in all things, because "sometimes God will have things happen before you." In years past, Baptist Press has hosted the conference in Nashville, Tenn. In a different format this year, Union hosted the conference in its television studio and broadcast the speakers and the awards presentation online. "Students could log on for a few hours to listen to a few top-notch professionals speak about journalism, hear and see questions by other students and faculty members, and finally, listen to and watch a presentation of nearly 100 awards of excellence," Joni Hannigan, managing editor of the Florida Baptist Witness newspaper and coordinator of the awards competition, said. Students vied for awards in seven categories encompassing newspapers, yearbooks, photojournalism and broadcasting. "As with each year, in this ninth year of competition, I am very thankful for the outstanding judges who give of their time to evaluate our student entries," Hannigan said. "I have seen vast improvements I know are directly linked to the valuable feedback given our entrants." Hannah Beers, a student at Taylor University in Indiana, received the president's award this year, an honor reserved for a student who has shown sustained excellence in scholastic journalism. Unlike the individual entries that comprise the rest of the awards competition, the president's award is based on a portfolio of work as well as academic performance, leadership and service in a school's journalism program. The award is presented by Morris H. Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, and his selection follows a screening by a panel of five judges. "There were several strong candidates this year, but Hannah's entry was conspicuously special," Will Hall, executive editor of Baptist Press, said. "The scope and depth of her work was impressive, her technical execution was superb and her writing was compelling. On top of that, her essay was one of the best I have read in the nine years that we have given this award." The two-page, single-spaced essay asks the candidate to share about career goals, why he or she should receive the award and how faith plays a role in the candidate's journalism pursuits. In her essay, Beers noted that journalism, like most professions, is flawed because it suffers from a lack of Christian influence. She referred to the Apostle Paul's confession in 1 Corinthians 2 that his message and preaching "were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." "These words, I believe, are the answers to journalism's problems," Beers wrote. "Indeed, these words are the answers to humanity's problems. As Christians and as writers, it is our responsibility to recognize the glorious gift we've been given through Christ. "Like a great journalist uncovers corruption and indicates a need for change, a Christian thinks, speaks, writes, and lives as someone sent into the world to advocate truth," she wrote. Upon receiving the award, Beers said the entry process was "a huge affirmation for me as I decide what it is I want to do" after graduation. She thanked one of her professors, Donna Downs, for encouraging her to seek the president's award, as well as her newspaper staff, friends and faculty who have been "a huge part of me growing as a writer." Winners in the awards competition, by category, follow. INDIVIDUAL YEARBOOK -- Graphics/Infographics 1st place, Rachel Moorman, Baylor, Moonlight Reel -- Art Illustration 1st place, Kelsey Shields, Corban College, Student Life Division -- Best Overall Coverage 1st place, Kenton Jacobsen, California Baptist University, Danny Francis 2nd place, Taylor, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Homecoming 3rd place, Andrew Hochradel/Candice Ybarra, Drawn to Art -- Club/Portrait/Academic Copy 1st place, Hannah Crites, Central Baptist College, Mission Department 2nd place, Hannah Crites, Central Baptist College, Carillon 3rd place, Jenna DeWitt/Shanna Taylor, Baylor University, Graduate School -- Portrait Spread Design 1st place, Andrew Hochradel, California Baptist University, International Vagabond 2nd place, Aaron Kim, California Baptist University, Midnight Madness 3rd place, Andrew Hochradel, California Baptist University, Music page -- Sports Copy 1st place, Tanner Froese, Corban College, Cross Country 2nd place, Jacob Breems, California Baptist University, Golf 3rd place, Rachel Waymire, Central Baptist College, Intramurals -- Sports/Club Design 1st place, Andrew Hochradel, California Baptist University, Swim & Dive 2nd place, Tanner Froese, Corban College, Golf 3rd place, Rachel Moorman, Baylor University, Team Traditions -- Student Life Copy 1st place, Rachel Waymire, Central Baptist College, Talent show 2nd place, Tanner Froese, Corban College, Men's dorms 3rd place, Taylor Davis/Janie Wayland, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Loving the Lost PHOTOJOURNALISM Black & white -- News photo 1st place, Kristin McMurray, Union University, Union crowned NAIA champions 2nd place, Kate Schell, Corban College, Poetry is their thing -- Feature Photo 1st place, Chris Mabes, Liberty University, Liberty, etc. -- Individual Sports Action 1st place, Christina Kruse, Baylor University, Midair Catch 2nd place, Michael Ring, California Baptist University, Basketball UCLS -- Portrait/Personality 1st place, Kristi McMurry, Union University, 3-D art transforms Union Campus -- Pictorial Photo 1st place, Jonathan Amadio, Houston Baptist University, Jeremiah Joseph sings -- Feature Picture Story 1st place, Angela Abbbamonte, Union University, May Day Color -- News Photo 1st place, Alex Towers, Liberty University, History starts now 2nd place, Katelyn Dean, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, President George W. 3rd place, Evan Duncan, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Left: Conservative Texans -- Feature Photo 1st place, Kristi McMurry, Union University, Fashion blooms this spring 2nd place, Alex Song, Baylor University, Sweet silhouette 3rd place, Beth Spain, Union University, Baseball wins Transouth title -- Individual Sports Action 1st place, Alex Towers, Liberty University, Split Decision 2nd place, Alex Towers, Liberty University, Flames Conquer Crusaders 3rd place, Jonathan Amadio, Houston Baptist University, Jeffers tees off -- Portrait/Personality 1st place, Kelsey Heng, Biola University, The Significance of solitude: Stress 2nd place, Lindsey Minerva, Biola University, Contract 3rd place, Sarah Sunderman, Biola University, Boy meets wild -- Pictorial Photo 1st place, Christina Shantz, Biola University, More than dreams 2nd place, Christina Kruse, Baylor University, Stained-glass Jesus 3rd place, Sarah Sunderman, Biola University, Boy meets wild -- Feature Picture Story 1st place, Shanna Taylor/David Poe, Baylor University, Heart of Texas Fair 2nd place, Kristi McMurry/Beth Spain, Union University, Rain welcomes freshmen -- News Picture Story 1st place, Jordan Wilson, Baylor University, Obama inauguration NEWSPAPER DIVISION -- Cartoon/Art/Infographics 1st place, Alex Towers, Liberty University, Together, yes, we can 2nd place, Claire Taylor, Baylor University, Internet is coming 3rd place, Claire Taylor, Baylor University, Political babes -- Center Spread Design 1st place, Kristen Crawley, Houston Baptist University, Dearest Catherine 2nd place, Katie McIntosh, Biola University, Lens 3rd place, Rachel Brown, Corban College, Bound up in words -- Front Page Design 1st place, Alex Towers, Liberty University, Growing Forward: Special edition 2nd place, Joseph Huntley, North Greenville University, Tigerville James 3rd place, Ashley Marchand, Houston Baptist University, Volume 43: Issue 2 -- Feature Story 1st place, Michelle Rindels, Biola University, Changing evangelicalism 1st place, Kennan Neuman, University of Mary Hardin Baylor, Making America Home 2nd place, Randy Kizer, Taylor University, Shooter to salvation 2nd place, Noelle Marchand, Houston Baptist University, Sleep deprived 3rd place, Crystal Donahue, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Student entrepreneurs 3rd place, Kyle Gilbertson/ Michelle Rindele, Biola University, Blessed assurance -- In-depth/Series Writing 1st place, Keenan Noonan/Crystal Donahue/Stacy Fannin, University of Mary Hardin Baylor, Battle for the Border 2nd place, Desiree Grimes, Houston Baptist University, Religious diversity on campus 3rd place, Lariat Staff, Baylor University, Obama inauguration -- News Story 1st place, Andrew Neel/Hannah Beers, Taylor University, Closing chapters: Opening doors 1st place, Liz Forman/Ashley Killough, Baylor University, $300 SAT incentive 2nd place, Kathryn Watson, Biola University, Alumni giving growing, still low 2nd place, Evelyn Ticona, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Fertility clinic ads 3rd place, Ashley Killough, Baylor University, Baylor admits 'goof' 3rd place, Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Website reports 225 sexual offenders -- Regular Column 1st place, Ashley Killough, Baylor University, Grammar, like, so hard 1st place, Sherry Hammack, Corban College, My greatest shortcoming 2nd place, Amanda Johnson, Campbell University, My take on election '08 2nd place, Sommer Ingram, Baylor University, SAT and minorities 3rd place, Michelle Rindels, Biola University, Untimely end for Spanish 3rd place, Drew Menard, Liberty University, A Trojan horse of a different color -- Sports Writing 1st place, Carrie Bragg, Taylor University, Bedon siblings 2nd place, Alex Brown, Union University, Union explores move to NCCAA 3rd place, Matthew Miahl, Campbell University, Tennis teams showcase OVERALL NEWSPAPER DIVISION I 1st place, Houston Baptist University, The Collegian 2nd place, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, The Bells 3rd place tie, Oklahoma Baptist University, The Bison 3rd place tie, Union University, Cardinal & Cream OVERALL NEWSPAPER DIVISION II 1st place, Baylor University, Baylor Lariat 2nd place, Liberty University, The Liberty Champion 3rd place tie, Biola University, The Chimes 3rd place tie, California Baptist University, The Banner OVERALL YEARBOOK 1st place, Biola University 2nd place, California Baptist University 3rd place, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor OVERALL BROADCAST 1st place, North Greenville University, Vision 48 News, CTTV-19, Patriot Talk OVERALL WORLDWIDE WEB 1st place, Biola University, The Chimes online 2nd place, Houston Baptist University, The Collegian Online 3rd place, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, The Bells online --30-- Erin Roach is a staff writer for Baptist Press. With reporting by Kim Allen, coordinator of the Baptist Press Collegiate Journalism Conference. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Christ, at work in the military by Adam Cole Date: November 11, 2009 - Wednesday NORFOLK, Va. (BP)--The commitment to service in the armed forces is one of the most binding commitments on earth. Besides the willingness to die for country, it is a commitment to go wherever and do whatever is required to meet the needs of our nation's defense and diplomatic needs. I took that oath for the first time Sept. 17, 2004 when I joined the U.S. Navy and then swore it again in a different form when I was commissioned as a naval officer Feb. 22, 2008. The meaning of that oath has meant different things at different points in my military journey, depending on place, depending on job, and depending on the connections I leave behind when I leave shore. And yet it has always meant the same thing: thinking of the greater good above oneself. In the same way that I raised my hand for country, I gave my heart to Jesus Christ within a year and half after joining the Navy. From the get-go, I pursued the church with a curiosity and an openness to letting the Lord guide and shape me. He put key people on my path, a handful of chaplains and a couple of individuals who took the time to disciple me, spending late nights in one of the ship's common spaces going over key parts of the Bible. I was baptized at a Japanese house church outside on a cold December night. No matter the place, no matter the time, no matter the reality of the moment, a walk with Jesus is a walk in faith. It is a continual process of counting on Him, of seeking His essence to be your essence, to allow Him to step into the moments of help and to provide hope. In the environment of military operations, in the environment that seems to never let up on its intensity or tenseness to achieve mission accomplishment, faith is the only fuel you really have. My ship and its crew, a Norfolk-based cruiser, are months away from deployment, from setting sail to several different regions around the globe. We found out about our departure in early 2008, a little before I checked on board, and have been marching to that point ever since. The military, by nature, is about readiness, about having the capacity to respond and react to any contingency anywhere. The last 20-plus months for us have been a strenuous process of training and maintaining the ship; it all creates a routine that calls for long days in port and a significant amount of time out to sea. While the multi-month season of training can be long, God is not absent, always displaying Himself in the moments of mutual encouragement/fellowship when manning a watch station with others; the picturesque sunsets and sunrises; and the moments -- however brief they may be -- that get set aside for God, even within operations, that seem to be specially reserved so that nothing else matters but Him and His glory. To be candid, I have often found myself in a dark place on this sojourn aboard the cruiser as it heads toward deployment. Often felt that the weight of everything was just too much. Often felt that I was out of God's will in the job/profession that I had chosen. And many times, as well, felt that the distance and obligations would break my marriage. But in the moment of darkness, Christ always -- and forever -- brings light. He is the glue, not only to our souls but also to our relationships, particularly that of marriage. God seems to inject Himself in what can only be described as God-inspired moments. Like on the flight deck, when awaiting to launch a helicopter, in the stillness there, as blades turn, as the sounds of those blades ricochets into the open air, as the ship gently sways underneath you, you are put in touch with Him, His peace. One of my favorite occurrences is Sunday worship, where individuals from across the life spectrum gather together, detached from their homes and home churches, but joined together by a faith in Christ. Lifting up our hearts with those believers and letting God reciprocate back down is an overwhelmingly refreshing period. I am not sure what to expect when we depart on deployment, as we continue to ramp up to it, as I have to say goodbye to my wife on the pier knowing I won't see her for months, as we go to distant and perhaps dangerous places. Indeed, there's a lot of uncertainty, but the Lord seems to be saying, "Calm your heart, follow Me and I will lead." He has revealed to me that the true plan for mission accomplishment is to trust Him. --30-- Adam Cole is a naval officer stationed in Norfolk, Va., where he lives with his wife Rebekah. He is a member of First Baptist Church of Norfolk. Cole is the creator and founder of Join the Journey (JointheJourney.cc), the Christ-focused webzine dedicated to showing how God is moving in people to uplift the world and spotlighting areas that need prayer. He can be reached at adam@jointhejourney.cc. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Missions and class Christmas parties by David Francis Date: November 11, 2009 - Wednesday NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--What in the world (pun intended) do Sunday School class Christmas parties and international missions have in common? Generally, not much. But you can change that if you start planning right away. Here are a few ideas to get you started: -- Raise money for Lottie. The most memorable Christmas party I ever attended was with a 40-somethings department that conducted an auction to benefit the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board (IMB). Each of the men brought a homemade tree ornament, which was auctioned off. It was great fun. We still hang the glittery 3.5" floppy disk on our tree ... it was worth the money. -- Tell Lottie's story. In the party mentioned above, the auctioneer, Rick, prompted higher bids by exhorting, "It's for Lottie!" After the auction, one of the attendees with a non-SBC background asked, "That was fun, but who is this Lottie?" Why not use your party to tell the inspirational story of Lottie Moon's sacrificial life of missions in China? -- Identify with a UPG. Use the Christmas party as the kickoff for the class to adopt an Unreached People Group (UPG). Go to www.imb.org and click under the heading "Lead your church" to adopt a group. For the party, consider using what you learn about your UPG to inspire ideas for decorations, food, activities and, of course, prayer. -- Emphasize missions in North Africa. Here's an alternate idea to adopting a UPG. The emphasis for this year's International Missions Study is missions in North Africa, specifically missions to the Berber people. Study materials, promotional materials, inspirational DVDs, etc., are available through the International Mission Board (www.imb.org) and the Woman's Missionary Union (www.wmu.org). -- Don't forget to invite your own missionaries. Be sure to include your associate members, the folks you've released and blessed from your class to serve in preschool, children, and student classes. They're not serving in a foreign land, but sometimes they feel like it. Celebrate their service teaching kids about Jesus. --30-- David Francis is director of Sunday School at LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.