The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-12/31/2013 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- BP's most-read stories of 2013 by Staff Date: December 31, 2013 - Tuesday NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- In a year filled with headlines about healthcare, national debt, same-sex marriage and a slew of international challenges, a story about a hip-hop artist was the most-read article of 2013 on Baptist Press' website. Google Analytics, which tracks web traffic, also showed a story posted in March about Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty and his Christian faith, and another article on the controversy that followed Exodus International's decision to close its doors after decades of helping people overcome homosexual behavior, made the Top 10. The following Top 10 list for 2013 includes a brief description with each headline. BP most read stories 1. "Lecrae speaks of hip-hop's relevance." In July, Baptist Press posted a story about an interview involving Lecrae Moore, hip-hop artist, ministry leader, producer and actor, that was led by Eric Geiger, LifeWay's vice president of church resources. During the discussion, presented on The Exchange webcast of LifeWay, LeCrae described hip hop as "the new pop music," and the artists as "modern-day philosophers." LeCrae lives in Atlanta with his wife and their three children. He has released three studio albums and two remix albums as the leader of the rap group 116 Clique. He has received a Grammy Award and two Dove Awards. He also won 2010 Best Hip-hop Music Video from the GMC Music Video Awards. He also has appeared as an artist at Passion conferences led by Louie Giglio. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=40684 2. "THE GIGLIO IMBROGLIO -- The public inauguration of a new Moral McCarthyism." Baptist Press reposted a column in January that was written by R. Albert Mohler Jr., and originally posted on his website, about Louie Giglio withdrawing from giving the benediction during President Obama's second inaugural ceremony. Giglio withdrew after statements that he made regarding homosexuality being a sin nearly 20 years ago surfaced in the mainstream media. Among his comments, Giglio said the "only way out of a homosexual lifestyle ... is through the healing power of Jesus." In his article, Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, called the situation "revealing." He noted during the Joseph McCarthy hearings in 1954 witnesses were asked, "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?" Mohler wrote, "We now see the new Moral McCarthyism in its undisguised and unvarnished reality.... There is nowhere to hide." http://www.bpnews.net/BPne ws.asp?ID=39504 3. "Max Lucado transcends Church of Christ beliefs." Baptist Press ran a story in May that featured an interview with Max Lucado, author of more than 50 books and pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. During the interview, Lucado addressed his church's heritage and decision to change its name from Oak Hills Church of Christ to simply Oak Hills Church. He explained his views on baptism and what he learned about salvation as a missionary in Brazil. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=20752 4. "Duck Dynasty's' commander talks faith." Months before Phil Robertson's biblical views on homosexuality stirred up a media circus, Baptist Press posted a story about the family patriarch's faith in March. Robertson discussed his book "Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander." He also shared how he went from a "sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle" in his late 20s to become a follower of Christ and eventually a television star. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=39882 5. "Syria Christians face 'ethno-religious cleansing.'" In June, Baptist Press ran a story on Syrian Christians being caught in the conflict between President Bashar-Assad's forces and rebel fighters. The United Nations reported more than 93,000 people had died and 1.6 million Syrians had fled the country. More Christians have fled Syria than any other religious or ethnic group, according to a report by Open Doors International, an organization that supports the persecuted church. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=40647 6. "Andy Stanley's stance on homosexuality questioned." In May, Baptist Press posted a story on megachurch pastor Andy Stanley and the controversy around an April 15 sermon illustration he gave that involved a husband who left his wife to pursue a homosexual relationship. Stanley labeled the man's new relationship as adultery, but he stopped short of calling homosexuality sin. The story became a hot topic in the blogosphere weeks later after Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. wrote about Stanley's sermon being problematic because it seemed to suggest adultery is sin but that homosexuality is biblically acceptable. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37742 7. "Calvinism committee issues report, urges SBC to 'stand together' for Great Commission." A 19-member advisory committee on Calvinism issued its report in May to Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Frank Page. The report acknowledged tension and disagreement within the denomination on the issue of Calvinism while urging Southern Baptists to "grant one another liberty" and "stand together" for the Great Commission. The advisory team -- not an official committee of the convention -- was assembled by Page in August 2012 to advise him on developing "a strategy whereby people of various theological persuasions can purposely work together in missions and evangelism." http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=40419 8. "Henry Blackaby to undergo heart surgery." Southern Baptist Bible teacher Henry Blackaby underwent successful heart bypass surgery in September after suffering a heart attack while driving in Atlanta and became confused. He traveled for 29 hours before police found him Sept. 20 in Tifton, Ga., about 150 miles southeast of his home. Blackaby was on his way to pick up his wife Marilynn from an appointment when he suffered the heart attack, according to the statement posted on the Blackaby Ministries International website. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=41139 9. "Attorney: Church bylaws should define marriage." In February, with the U.S. Supreme Court set to take up gay marriage that summer, an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom encouraged churches that host wedding ceremonies or other events for traditional couples to examine their bylaws and shield themselves from the impact of possible litigation. In June, the Supreme Court went on to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal law defining marriage as only between a man and a woman, and allowed to stand a federal judge's invalidation of a California amendment that limited marriage to heterosexual couples. While the rulings stopped short of legalizing gay marriage nationwide, same-sex marriage is now legal in a third of the country. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=39695 10. "Exodus Int'l closes after Chambers' apology." In June, Exodus International, a decades-old ministry that has helped people overcome homosexual behavior, announced it was closing down. This announcement came the same day its president, Alan Chambers, issued a public apology to people who have been hurt by the organization. Chambers alluded to the development of a new ministry to "reduce fear." Russell D. Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said the folding of Exodus International "doesn't mean the folding of an evangelical sexual ethic, though it does mean a move away from a therapeutic model of sexual sanctification." Moore added, "Evangelical Christianity increasingly addresses sexual issues more in line with the older Christian tradition of sin and temptation and triumph than with the language of therapy. We can't have a utopian view of overcoming temptation of any sort." http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=40574 Other widely reported events in 2013 revolved around the issue of mental health. In April, well-known SBC pastor and author Rick Warren lost his son Matthew to suicide. Then in June, SBC Executive Committee President Frank Page released a book titled "Melissa: A Father's Lessons from a Daughter's Suicide" about his own daughter's death in 2009. The two events sparked a national conversation among Christians regarding the best ways to minister to those struggling with mental illness and their loved ones. In June, SBC messengers adopted a resolution calling on Southern Baptists to fight the "stigmatization and prejudice" of those with mental health concerns and to "love and minister to" them. --30-- Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Moore roots ERLC in 'convictional kindness' by Staff Date: December 31, 2013 - Tuesday WASHINGTON (BP) -- "Convictional kindness" became the new catch phrase for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission in 2013. The term entered the entity's lexicon when Russell D. Moore was elected its president in March -- the first time trustees had needed to select a new head for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) in nearly a quarter of a century. Moore quickly offered a vision of cultural engagement marked by faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus and Scripture as well as by grace toward those whom Christians disagree with on the issues. "We will stand with conviction, and we'll contend, as the prophets and apostles did in the public square, against injustice, but we'll do so with a tone shaped by the Gospel, with a convictional kindness that recognizes that our enemies are not persons of flesh and blood," Moore said in giving his first report to the annual SBC meeting last June in Houston. "Our enemies are invisible principalities and powers the Scriptures say are in the air around us. We oppose demons; we don't demonize opponents." Moore -- whom the website Real Clear Religion named Dec. 27 as one of 2013's top 14 religious newsmakers -- and the ERLC had plenty of chances to demonstrate "convictional kindness" throughout the remainder of the year. This was especially true when espousing a biblical perspective in the face of the effort to redefine marriage and of threats to unborn children from the Obama administration's abortion/contraception mandate. TEN OF THE ERLC'S KEY NEWS AND FEATURE STORIES FOR 2013 -- Moore elected and inaugurated as ERLC president ERLC trustees ushered in a new generation of leadership March 26 by electing Moore, then 41, as the eighth president in the ERLC's history. He took office June 1. At his Sept. 10 inauguration in Washington, D.C., Moore said, "We will stand as good American citizens, and we will fight for justice, and we will fight for liberty, and we will fight with our forefathers for all of those things that have been [guaranteed to us] by the Constitution as Americans, but we will also remember that we are not Americans first. We belong to another kingdom." He came to the ERLC after nine years as dean of the school of theology and senior vice president for academic administration at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=39953, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41065 -- Richard Land retires after 25 years as ERLC president Richard Land concluded a quarter-century of service as head of the ERLC and was named president emeritus upon his retirement. At a June 8 dinner honoring Land, SBC leaders commended him for his courageous leadership in directing the commission to become a stalwart advocate for the sanctity of human life and religious freedom while it maintained its biblical stances on such issues as racial reconciliation and marriage. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40482 -- U.S. Supreme Court embraces same-sex marriage The Supreme Court struck down the section of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that had defined marriage as a heterosexual union for purposes of such matters as federal benefits and had barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. The ERLC responded with a fact sheet to help churches understand the effect of the high court's action. While the justices' opinion did not legalize gay marriage nationwide, a series of advances at the federal and state levels followed for the movement. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40628, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40645 -- ERLC continues opposition to abortion/contraception mandate The ERLC bolstered its call for the Obama administration to overturn the religious coercion in its abortion/contraception mandate, a rule implementing the 2010 health care law that requires employers to carry insurance for workers covering drugs defined by the federal government as contraceptives, even if they can cause chemical abortions. The entity is co-leading with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops a diverse coalition opposed to the mandate. In addition, the ERLC signed onto friend-of-the-court briefs in support of several legal challenges, including ones by Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties that will be considered by the Supreme Court in 2014. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40672, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41376, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41579 -- ERLC works with NAMB to support military chaplains The ERLC joined the North American Mission Board (NAMB) in support of Southern Baptist military chaplains as they deal with the U.S. Armed Forces' recognition of same-sex marriage. In late August, NAMB issued new guidelines for chaplains that reinforced Southern Baptist beliefs on the issue. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40895, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40991 -- Federal judge invalidates clergy housing allowance A federal judge in Wisconsin struck down Nov. 22 the part of a 1954 law that allows ministers to exclude for federal income tax purposes a portion or all of their gross income as a housing allowance. The ERLC and GuideStone Financial Resources, the SBC's health and financial benefits entity, opposed the ruling and said they would work to protect the allowance. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41560 -- ERLC supports legislative prayer in high court case The ERLC filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the Supreme Court in support of prayers before legislative meetings as constitutionally protected expressions by private citizens. The justices heard oral arguments Nov. 6 in the important religious freedom case and will issue their ruling in the next few months. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40838, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41424 -- Polygamy ban falls in Utah A federal judge in Utah essentially decriminalized the state's ban on polygamy in a Dec. 13 decision. The ERLC's Moore criticized the ruling, saying, "This is what happens when marriage becomes about the emotional and sexual wants of adults," instead of the needs of children. Utah's attorney general has announced that he will appeal the ruling. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40838, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41424 -- ERLC maintains support of immigration reform The ERLC continued to work throughout the year for responsible immigration reform that is both just and compassionate. The Senate approved a broad legislative proposal, but the House of Representatives has yet to vote on measures to address the issue. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40786, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40808, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40971, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41399 -- ERLC launches new initiatives The ERLC inaugurated several new enterprises after Moore became president. They included a panel discussion on marriage in conjunction with the SBC meeting in June, Church Equip conferences to assist local congregations, a conversation on religious liberty in Washington, D.C., by a diverse group of commentators and the John Leland Award Lecture on Religious Liberty on Capitol Hill. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40576, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40878, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41280, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41690 --30-- Compiled by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. -------------------------------------------------------------------- LifeWay 'continues to experience God's favor' by Staff Date: December 31, 2013 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Lifeway Christian Resources President Thom Rainer told the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention the publisher continues to experience "God's hand and God's favor" -- a sentiment that summarizes the entity's accomplishments in 2013. Rainer's assertion that LifeWay continues "to draw closer to churches and serve them more deeply, resulting in a greater ability to serve the bride of Christ" is evidenced in some of the LifeWay-related stories in the news during the past year. -- LifeWay updates Bible Studies for Life More than one and a half million people saw major improvements in their Bible study materials as LifeWay Christian Resources launched an updated and enhanced version of its leading Bible study series -- Bible Studies for Life. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=39539 -- LifeWay trustees approve sale of Glorieta to Christian camping ministry LifeWay's trustees approved the sale of the Glorieta Conference Center to a group dedicated to continue using the property as a Christian camp and conference center. The new nonprofit corporation, called Glorieta 2.0, was formed and funded by a group of Christian businessmen and camping professionals. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40521 -- LifeWay acquires 17 Berean Christian Stores in 7 states Over a two-week period, LifeWay Christian Stores opened 17 new stores in seven states -- the result of acquiring Berean Christian Stores with locations primarily in California, Arizona and the Midwest. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41190 -- Church membership isn't 'privileges & perks' With nine of 10 churches in America declining or growing at a pace slower than their communities, Rainer notes in his book, "I Am a Church Member," that the decline stems from their members having lost the biblical understanding of what it means to be part of the body of Christ. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40223 -- 2014 VBS to explore evidence for Jesus Kids will become special agents during LifeWay's Vacation Bible School 2014 as they collect and log evidence about Jesus for "Agency D3" and its mission to "Discover. Decide. Defend." http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40435 -- B&H named Spanish Publisher of the Year B&H Publishing Group garnered seven awards from the Spanish Evangelical Publishers Association, including Publisher of the Year and Book of the Year. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40420 -- Bibles go to Asia from LifeWay customers Throughout November, customers at LifeWay Christian Stores helped sent Bibles to individuals thousands of miles away. In a joint venture called The Thomas Project, LifeWay stores, B&H Publishing and the International Mission Board collected donations to print and distribute more than 150,000 Bibles to people in South Asia. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41450 -- LifeWay apologizes for decade-old offense in VBS curriculum Ten years ago LifeWay Christian Resources published a Vacation Bible School curriculum they believed would introduce kids to Jesus using an Asian culture theme. But critics of the material said it promoted racial stereotypes. On Nov. 6, LifeWay President Thom S. Rainer apologized for "Rickshaw Rally" at the Mosaix conference, a gathering of multiethnic church leaders. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41437 -- 'Experiencing God' first release for new LifeWay Films A documentary about the impact of "Experiencing God" -- a discipleship study that influenced a generation -- was the first release of LifeWay Films. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=40203 -- 'Duck Dynasty's' commander talks faith The 8.6 million who viewed the 2013 season premiere of "Duck Dynasty" no doubt enjoy family patriarch Phil Robertson's antics, from his unkempt beard to promises of poor hygiene. But the fisherman and duck caller with a master's degree in education also tells a story of faith. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=39882 LifeWay Research In 2013, LifeWay Research surveyed tens of thousands of Americans including church members and pastors on issues ranging from activities that influence discipleship to cultural and world affairs. Results were reported in national and international news outlets, both Christian and secular, including the Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, Fox News, Christianity Today, RNS and USA Today. Following are five of the most read studies. -- Fewer in U.S. see homosexuality as a sin, but see it as civil rights issue According to a LifeWay Research survey of Americans belief that homosexuality is a sin fell over the last year, and 58 percent of adults now believe homosexuality is a civil rights issue. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=39514, http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=39860 -- Prayer, Bible study and mental illness A third of Americans -- and nearly half of evangelical, fundamentalist or born again Christians -- believe prayer and Bible study alone can overcome serious mental illness, according to a survey by LifeWay Research. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41112 -- Black church plants grow, research shows A steady increase in attendance has been the overall trend among African American churches planted prior to 2012, LifeWay Research learned from "the first research project of its size and scope," as researchers described it, "to measure characteristics distinctive to the African American context." http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41016 -- Immigration reform garners pastor support Nearly six in 10 senior pastors of Protestant churches support immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship, according to a survey from LifeWay Research. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41493 -- U.S. Syrian attack sign of end times? Nearly one in three Americans see the threat of airstrikes against Syria as part of the Bible's plan for the end times. http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41087 --30-- Compiled by Marty King, director of communications for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ESPN hires Tebow as SEC analyst by Tim Ellsworth Date: December 31, 2013 - Tuesday NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Tim Tebow is returning to football – not as a player, but as an analyst for ESPN. The former University of Florida star and Heisman Trophy winner will make his debut with the network Jan. 6 during pregame coverage of the NCAA national championship game between Auburn and Florida State. Tebow's main duties will be with the new SEC Network launching in August. He also will serve as a regular contributor on SportsCenter, ESPN Radio and the ESPN's Heisman Trophy coverage, according to an ESPN news release. "I am so excited that ESPN has given me this incredible opportunity," Tebow said in the release. "When I was 6 years old I fell in love with the game of football, and while I continue to pursue my dream of playing quarterback in the NFL, this is an amazing opportunity to be part of the unparalleled passion of college football and the SEC." Tebow, who spent two seasons with the Denver Broncos and a year with the New York Jets, was cut from the New England Patriots during the 2013 preseason. He has said he still desires to play quarterback in the NFL, although no team has shown interest in signing him. His contract with ESPN allows him to continue pursuing options to play in the NFL. "Tim is a SEC icon with a national fan base and broad appeal," ESPN Vice President Justin Connolly said in the news release. "He will be a significant contributor to the compelling content we will deliver with the SEC Network. Tim brings a wealth of knowledge about the game, the conference and the passion among SEC fans." An outspoken Christian, Tebow is a member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. --30-- Tim Ellsworth is editor of BP Sports (www.bpsports.net). Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Send conference among NAMB highlights by Staff Date: December 31, 2013 - Tuesday ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- The North American Mission Board reflects on a year of stories regarding its new outreach emphasis to the under-reached, under-served areas of North America -- and efforts to encourage every Southern Baptist church to be more involved in introducing North Americans to Jesus Christ. The following stories are among the year’s highlights for NAMB: Send Conference connects churches to vast mission field More than 4,200 church planters, pastors and church leaders flooded the hallways of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, for NAMB's second Send North America Conference. The July 29-30 gathering was marked by masses of participants praying in response to speakers, hundreds of connections between churches and church planters, and individuals seizing their moments to penetrate lostness in North America. Many attendees expressed the belief they were witnessing momentum building toward a movement to reach the continent. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=40824 NAMB sends evangelism-themed Bibles to every Southern Baptist church Every Southern Baptist and Canadian National Baptist church in North America received a case of New Testaments from NAMB in the spring of 2013. The "Find It Here" New Testaments are part of NAMB's God's Plan for Sharing: GPS initiative to encourage "Every Believer Sharing, Every Person Hearing" by 2020. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=39816 Baptist relief workers 'stand alongside' Moore residents Hundreds of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers helped survivors after a devastating tornado struck Moore, Okla. in May. More than 40 SBDR volunteer chaplains engaged in the response. Oklahoma SBDR mobile kitchens prepared more than 35,000 meals in just over a week, and more than 160 recovery and cleanup jobs have been completed. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=40399 Send North America luncheon draws 3,500 Using dots on a timeline, the North American Mission Board showcased significant moments in Southern Baptist history during the Send North America luncheon June 12 at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Houston. With precision video mapping and a combination of digital and physical presentation, NAMB challenged the 3,500 guests to recognize that their next steps are crucial to reaching North America for Christ. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=40544 On spring break, students clean up Sandy debris Hundreds of college students in teams that came from states across the nation took part in the SBC Collegiate Spring Break's recovery response to Staten Island in March. The project was coordinated by the NAMB to help Hurricane Sandy survivors begin the process of recovering and rebuilding their homes. The college students served alongside dozens of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=39895 Cities' church planting maps posted by NAMB Southern Baptists can access new online church planting maps for North America's largest, most influential and least-churched cities. NAMB has posted digital maps highlighting current and planned church plants for the cities that are part of its Send North America outreach. The online maps show the locations of current church plants with red dots and the locations of future plants with blue dots. The maps are available at namb.net/cities. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=39912 New funding model lets NAMB shift money to non-South regions NAMB president Kevin Ezell, in his Oct. 9 address to trustees, announced a new funding model between NAMB and South Region state conventions. The grant system is simpler, leaves more spending decisions to the states and will no longer include personnel. The shift allows NAMB to double church planting funds in 2015 in states such as Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, invest $1 million over four years for new churches in the I-29 corridor between the Dakotas and Kansas City, and provide an additional 15 church planting catalysts throughout North America. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=41278 NAMB calls Southern Baptists to TenTwo prayer emphasis In October NAMB encouraged SBC churches to set aside Oct. 2 -- 10/2 -- as a special day of prayer to ask God to send more workers into the harvest fields of North America and the world. But this is not a once a year event. The hope is that each individual and church will consider making Luke 10:2 a daily prayer. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=41212 NAMB guidelines for military chaplains updated to address same-sex unions The North American Mission Board issued new guidelines for Southern Baptist military chaplains in light of the U.S. military's recognition of same-sex marriage. The guidelines reiterate Southern Baptist doctrine and the expectation that SBC chaplains will not participate in or attend wedding ceremonies for gay members of the military. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=40991 Decline in SBC baptisms being studied by pastors' task force NAMB convened a national Pastors' Task Force on Evangelistic Impact and Declining Baptisms to address the continued decrease in baptisms among Southern Baptist churches. The group's first meeting was Sept. 18 in Nashville. http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=41128 --30-- Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YEAR'S DAY: Resolution or Revolution? by Mike Bergman Date: December 31, 2013 - Tuesday ADRIAN, Mo. (BP) – January 1, 2014 is upon us. In what has become a tradition in our culture, many people will make a New Year's resolution in which they vow to make a significant change in their life for the coming year. For some it will be to lose weight, to eat better, to work less, to work more, to fix a certain relationship, to … you get the picture. Sadly, though, people start out with good intentions, but somewhere deep down, we forget that for better or for worse -- often for worse -- we tend to be creatures of habit. The resolution was made, but the resolve doesn't last. And suddenly our list becomes as void and outdated as all the ones we made before. What we need is not another year of vowed resolutions that have failed; if we are in Christ, we need to live in the revolution that has already taken place in our hearts. The on-line dictionary, dictionary.com, offers this definition for "resolution": the act of determining upon an action or course of action, method, or procedure, etc. So, we make a decision and we're going to act on it. Maybe. We hope. A "revolution," meanwhile, is this: a sudden, complete, or marked change in something. The apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." If we are in Christ -- meaning He is the object of our faith and devotion, and therefore the source of our salvation and life -- then we are new creations. The old life of sin and rebellion against God has passed; it is no more. Instead, we have new life. This is Paul's way of saying what God already promised through Ezekiel: "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules" (Ezekiel 36:25-27). God has accomplished all the work, and it is ours only if we trust in and follow Jesus -- an act which results in a personal revolution. Jesus changes us as His Spirit dwells within us. The question is: Will you walk in the newness of life according to the newness of your nature? Go, pick up your Bible and read Colossians 3:1-17 where Paul gives us several characteristics of what it means to live as a new creation, framed in the language of "put to death" and "put on." First, we must keep a proper mindset (3:1-4). Paul says to set our minds on the things above where Christ is and where our lives are hidden. This is a commitment to daily worship. We wake up each day and choose to let our minds focus on the things of God and let His will determine our actions. For some, you may need to wake up and have a morning devotion in the Bible and prayer over coffee. For others, you may need to wake up and listen to or sing some songs of praise. For others, you may need to write some Bible verses on sheets of paper and tape them to your ceiling or bedroom wall so they're the first thing you see in the morning, allowing your mind to meditate on those truths. Be creative as you think of your own strengths and weaknesses and do something to help you start your day with a proper mindset and hopefully keep it throughout the day. Second, we must repent from our sins (3:5-11). Paul uses a very strong phrase: "Put to death what is earthly in you." He then lists various things such as sexual immorality, covetousness, anger and lying. The author of Hebrews calls sin a weight that clings closely or easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1). The point is that if we don't learn to master our sinful habits and tendencies, they will drag us down. The beauty is that we, as new creatures in Christ, do not have to be controlled and enslaved to our sin (read Romans 6). We overcome sin by praying to God for strength in the face of temptation, while fleeing from as many temptations as we can; by confessing to God when we fail, as well as to those we have sinned against as we seek their forgiveness, as well as to other faithful Christians we trust who can keep us accountable; and by staying constant in fellowship, the Word, prayer and praising God. Third, we must pursue love, reconciliation and unity as brothers and sisters in Christ (3:12-15). Even among the church, some people seem to have the attitude, "I'll forgive you, but I don't have to like you and be your friend." If we truly have new hearts, it is time to stop acting like bitter, angry, selfish sinners who by our actions and attitudes seem to enjoy the company of Satan more than the company of Jesus. When we read Paul's words here (and what the Bible says plenty of places elsewhere), we see: compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, love, harmony, peace, and thankfulness. If we took these ideas personally and seriously, the church would look a lot less like the world and a lot more like the Kingdom of God of which it is a part. When we die and stand in the presence of Jesus, the only thing that really is going to matter is relationship. Do we have a relationship with God through Jesus and His Spirit? And if so, do we have a relationship with others that reflects Christian unity and love and that reflects Jesus' heart for the lost, poor and needy? Fourth, we must worship God with other followers of Jesus (3:16-17). Individual worship is important, but there are far too many people who call themselves Christians who lock themselves away from regular fellowship with others in the gathering of the church. "I love Jesus, but I don't love the church," some seem to say either verbally or by attitude and action. Imagine telling a married man, "Man, I love you, but I just can't stand your wife." Jesus is the one who loves His bride, His church, enough that He voluntarily gave up His life by taking on all her faults and sins and giving her all His righteous perfection (Ephesians 5:22-33). You cannot at the same time love Jesus but not love His church. Corporate worship matters, greatly. According to Paul, this involves teaching the Word (the Bible) to each other, singing together and praying together with corporate unity. If you are not regularly worshiping with other followers of Jesus as a church body (Hebrews 10:24-25), and it's not due to issues of health or some extreme burden beyond your control, then do away with your excuses and make the changes you need to make to be with others who love following Jesus. Don't live in another year of failed resolutions. Instead, live a life that reflects the revolution God has given your heart and life. --30-- Mike Bergman is pastor of First Baptist Church in Adrian, Mo., and a contributor to the SBC Voices website (www.sbcvoices.com) where this article first appeared.