Posted: 7/08/05

Camp workers' daily routine yields eternal results

By Rachel Stallard

Special to the Baptist Standard

LONE STAR–Many summer staff at Texas Baptist encampments work from before daybreak to late at night, almost as if they believed someone's life–or eternal life–depended on it.

In fact, 20 percent of the more than 306,000 people who attended Texas Baptist camps last year made life-changing commitments, including 7,734 campers who made professions of faith in Christ, said Susan Ater, interim camp consultant at the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Laura Dunlap of Marshall cleans sinks in First Baptist Church of Daingerfield's dorm at Lakeview Baptist Assembly while the campers are in Bible study.

So, what does it take to prepare a camper to become a Christian? Youth leaders agree one component is prayer. Another is a camp staff who understand the importance of paying attention to the little things.

A typical day for the 19 summer staffers at Lakeview Baptist Assembly in Lone Star begins where the previous night's campers left off. By 5:30 a.m., they are in the worship center cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash and straightening chairs for the day's services.

That begins a 14-hour workday filled with assignments in sanitation, cafeteria duty and recreation that remain to be announced at the staff's morning breakfast and devotional, an hour and a half before the campers eat.

Joel Szydloski of Lone Star sprays breakfast plates before they are loaded into the dishwasher.

Jobs change daily, so the staff sometimes is anxious–both in the sense of anxiety and eager anticipation–to see what opportunities are in store for them.

This particular morning, the last full day of a Girls in Action camp, is the sixth in a schedule of 21 camps in 11 weeks.

During his morning pep talk, Adminis-trator Collier Szydloski reminds his staff to be Christian examples and “pull your fair share of the load today.”

At this week's camp with 250 campers, workers know their “fair share” is more than they would be doing if they had chosen employment elsewhere this summer. This is where their faith becomes road-tested as they take on the role of servants.

“I tell the staff, 'We are here to do the physical work and take the focus off cleaning and cooking , so the counselors and campers are able to focus on what God wants for them,'” Szydloski said.

State law requires camp showers be cleaned daily, but at Lakeview, staffers go the extra mile and clean the whole bathroom each day.

Matt Dunlap, 21, understands what brought him and his wife, Laura, here as they disinfect toilets together in the Ironfbluff cabin. They were the first married couple hired at the camp. He is a music major at East Texas Baptist University, and she works as an accompanist during the school year, so they needed summer employment. They also felt the need to be useful.

Ian Grigsby of Daingerfield empties trash containers and loads them in the back of a pickup truck to take to the dumpster.

“It is a different atmosphere than we're used to, but it's also a ministry, and I like that part about it,” Dunlap said.

The couple gets free meals, free rent and occasional laundry service–things they will not enjoy when classes resume. But to the Dunlaps, the camp experience has other rewards.

“The campers are all polite and respectful and really seem glad we are here,” he said.

Keeping an eye on the greater prize is especially important as the days wear on. Fatigue is the first thing to dampen the workers' attitudes, and after 16 1/2 years in camp work, Szydloski knows how to prepare for it.

“Around this time, some of the excitement of being at camp is wearing off, and the reality is setting in that this is going to be a lot of work,” he said. “I tell them over and over to get their rest. Being in this heat every day can drain you. I have enough workers that I can give them regular days off to recharge. And the ones who are working, I provide all the Gatorade they can drink.”

Part of what keeps the staff going are their own memories of those who once did this for them.

Sara Hall and Zach Strawbridge, both 20-year-old college students from the area, enjoyed their experiences here as campers. This summer, they are running the ropes course for Acteens. Hall said coming back as an employee has improved her hazy childhood memories.

Suzanne Taber of Naples readies the lifejackets before the campers arrive on the lake for paddleboats, canoes and kayaks.

“I never noticed how young the workers were, or that the lifeguard at the pool in the afternoon had been in the kitchen that morning taking silverware,” she said.

“I didn't have any idea how the bathrooms got clean everyday. I guess I thought our counselors came back in and did it.”

Staffers list many reasons for coming to Lakeview, but Szydloski only asks that they leave with two things: a closer relationship with Christ and a new experience.

“I want to know that God has spoken to them while they were here and that they have picked up a real life skill, even if it's washing dishes or cleaning bathrooms,” he said.

Justin Kellough, 18, of Daingerfield, would say learning to inflate “The Blob,” a large flotation device and a favorite camp activity, was his practical skill. But he also heard God directing his life at a youth camp meeting he attended one evening, after finishing his dinner duties.

“I surrendered to the ministry here,” he said. “I felt called to be a camp speaker or possibly a youth pastor.”

The fact that God moves among staff members is evident to outsiders as well, Szydloski said.

“I have had adults come up to me and say, 'It's so nice to see your staff laughing together and acting like they really enjoy being here,'” he said. “I'm glad that I do have a staff who loves to be here.”

Hall sums up the life of a servant as one that goes beyond temporal rewards.

“It is so nice when you're working with Christian people,” she said. “I have worked for more money and hated it. I don't make a lot of money here, but I love it.”

Posted: 7/08/05

Texas Baptist encampments:
'Look at the numbers'

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

Summer can pull young people in many directions. Friends, family, sports and recreational activities all beg for their time. But Texas Baptist encampment directors say every year, God calls hundreds of thousands of youth to their ministries. And it's there that lives change forever.

More than 306,000 youth attended the 33 Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated encampments from September 2003-August 2004, and many camp directors indicate 2005 also has been a good year in terms of attendance.

Of those who went last year, more than 16,000 made decisions for Christ–including 7,734 professions of faith. About 1,500 young people dedicated themselves to serving in ministry.

“If you want to be where God's moving, be in a camp,” said Mike Wilson, director of Alto Frio Baptist Camp in Leakey. “Look at the numbers.”

Camps remain true to a proven methodology–eliminate distractions and provide a setting where young people can focus intensively on spiritual matters.

This approach allows youth to see God working in their lives, said Rhonda O'Banion, vice president of the Texas Camp Managers Conference, and executive director of the Heart of Texas Baptist Camp and Conference Center in Brownwood. Social pressures and other responsibilities are removed so youth are unharnessed to follow God.

Young people connect with spiritual matters easily at camps because programs are designed in their language, using worship styles and speakers they can identify with while promoting biblical principles, Wilson said.

At Alto Frio, Wilson said everything staff members do is aimed at allowing the Holy Spirit to move in people's lives. Unlike some encampments, Alto Frio staff members do not put together programs–letting group leaders handle that aspect–but make sure everything with the facilities is working properly.

“Our purpose is to be here, but not be here,” Wilson said. “Our ministry is a service ministry.”

O'Banion said staff members witness changes taking place. A young person starts out feeling like they are not part of the group they came with. Then they begin to interact with people around them through activities such as rope courses, worship and pool parties. They may make a spiritual decision. By the end of the week, they are an integral part of the youth group.

Baptist camps also solidify a youth group, camp directors said. A weeklong experience draws people closer together and can prepare them for service as a group. Youth ministers regularly leave with a stronger group than they came with.

“We see that all the time,” O'Banion said.

Posted: 7/08/05

The Steam rises to the occasion in evangelism

By George Henson

Staff Writer

MINERAL WELLS–For the Mineral Wells Steam, baseball is more than just a game; it is an avenue for ministry.

The Athletes in Action team is unlike any others it competes against in the Texas Collegiate League.

The team meets for two-hour discipleship classes four days a week. They also meet children at a Mineral Wells park each Wednesday morning for a time to play and develop relationships with children. They also speak in four to five Mineral Wells churches each Sunday sharing their testimony of faith in Christ.

The team's program not only includes player bios and stats, but also devotes two pages to how to become a Christian.

Parker Dalton has played for the Mineral Wells Steam two years.

It's not your typical college-aged baseball team. But that is why players have chosen to play on the Steam. Each team member paid more than $3,500 to join. The players they compete against did not, but since a nonprofit organization rather than an ownership group owns the Steam, players pick up team expenses.

Members of the Steam say it's worth it. “This team is just so different,” said Wesley Dorsett, a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Pittsburg. “The guys and their faith just make it unlike anything I've ever experienced.”

The pitching staff's closer, a 21-year-old sophomore at the University of Nevada-Reno, said the discipleship part of the team's regimen has been just what he needed.

“I've really enjoyed getting to know Christ on a deeper level. The other teams I have been on, the players have been into partying, drinking and drugs and that stuff. I didn't do those things, but I had to be around it all the time,” Dorsett said. “These guys hang out and have a good time, but they don't need to do all that stuff.”

The times at the park also are special for him. “I like getting out to play with the kids, and I remember how important it was to have someone to look up to when I was younger,” he said.

Parker Dalton, who plays for Texas A&M University during the school year, has played for the Steam both years of the team's existence.

“I love to play summer ball, but a lot of other teams just go play baseball. I believe Jesus Christ has a purpose for my life rather than just playing baseball,” he said. “I also love our times of discipleship and sharing. It's the most wonderful thing to learn from that guy's heart, that guy's heart and that guy's heart about what a difference Christ can make in a life,” Dalton said.

Dalton would like to play baseball in the major leagues, but his world won't be crushed if it doesn't happen.

“I'd like to play baseball just as long as they will let me,” he said. “After that, I'm looking to see what God has in store. For now, I feel so much more than playing baseball is going on here. I just feel a heap of purpose in this.”

James Halle, a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Pineville, La., said the entire atmosphere around the team is different.

“You're not playing for yourself but for Jesus Christ,” Halle said.

He pitches during the school year for Louisiana College, a Baptist school.

“At school, we're playing to meet a goal, to win the conference championship. Here, we still want to win the championship, that's still important, but it's also a real big thing to grow spiritually.”

All that is just what General Manager Jason Lester wants to hear. “As we recruit them, we tell them we want to accomplish two things. We tell them we want to take them wherever they are spiritually and take them to the next level. The other thing we want them to do is to improve their baseball skills, which they will do by playing against the competition at this level,” he said.

More than 240 players applied for the 150 slots available on Athletes in Action teams, Lester said. Athletes in Action also fields teams in New York, Alaska, Europe and South America.

Coach Shawn Hughes, a Howard Payne University graduate who now coaches at Cisco Junior College, toured with a South American Athletes in Action team as a player in 1994.

“What we're trying to do is equip our kids, and even me, to share our faith in an athletic environment,” Hughes said.

And that is a far different objective of any other team these young men have played on.

“These guys know they won't be on another team like this. To be a guy who is one of 25 guys playing baseball who are all focused on Jesus Christ, that won't happen again,” Hughes said.

Players share their faith with children during Wednesdays in the park, and they share the plan of salvation with all the other teams in Texas Collegiate League. Players also speak at three to four area churches each Sunday.

Their witness has an impact on the community, Pastor Mark Bumpus said. Eight people have made professions of faith at First Baptist Church as a result of the team's ministry, he noted.

One was a boy who developed a relationship with a player who stayed in his home during last season. Each player stays with a host family during the season. This host family will bear eternal witness of how much that can mean.

Last year, the team's operations director maintained an office at the chamber of commerce. His daily demeanor and witness over the course of the season caused the receptionist to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

Seeing the difference in her life, her sister and brother-in-law came to Bumpus with curiosity and also made professions of faith.

The church is involved with the team in several ways. Several First Baptist families serve as host families to players. Bumpus calls on players to share their testimonies with the congregation on several occasions each season. One player's mother shared how her faith helped her overcome pancreatic inflammation, after two prominent First Baptist members dealt with the debilitating ailment.

“We almost always have seven or eight players in our services and this past Sunday had 12 or 13,” Bumpus said.

Despite a sub-.500 season last year, the team still led the league in average attendance, due in large part to the team's relationship to area churches.

“This is just a wonderful program,” Bumpus said.

Posted: 7/08/05

Seminary offers light for Russia's path

By Marv Knox

Editor

DALLAS–Bright minds can light Russia's pathway out of spiritual darkness, the president of the nation's Baptist seminary believes.

“The situation is excellent to reach Russia” with the Christian gospel, reported Alexander Kozynko, president of Moscow Theological Seminary. “But to do this without education is difficult.”

Baptists in Russia are afflicted with a curse that may carry a blessing.

According to conventional Russian wisdom, Baptists are members of a sect, whose teaching not only is ill-informed but simply wrong, Kozynko explained during a visit to the United States.

Russian culture, which values education and intelligence, compounds this perspective. Despite years of communism and subsequent financial turmoil, Russia has the best-read society in the world, he said.

So, while other Russians may look down on Baptists with skepticism, well-educated and thoughtful Baptists have the element of surprise on their side, Kozynko said. “If intelligent people visit Baptists, they should see that their leaders have clear minds and are sober, that they are able to help the nation meet its problems–alcoholism, drug abuse, child abuse and family abuse.”

That's why Russian Baptist leaders see education as an evangelistic tool: If they can equip pastors and youth ministers and even ordinary lay people to think “clearly and soberly,” they can impact their nation.

Still, the odds are long, Kozynko acknowledged.

“The problem is our church is not growing so fast that we may expect to become more influential in society,” he said. “You need 5 percent to 7 percent of the population to make a significant impact. But all Protestants number only 0.7 percent of 145 million Russians.”

That percentage includes not only Baptists, but also Pentecostals, charismatics, Lutherans and others.

Still, Baptists are growing and making “pretty good progress,” Kozynko said, adding, “It's because of freedom.”

Technically, Russian law only recognizes only four “historical churches”–Orthodox, Jewish, Islamic and Buddhist. But other religious groups function without significant hindrance.

“Baptists are … the largest evangelical church in Russia,” Kozynko said. The Russian Baptist Union counts 1,650 affiliated churches, with 92,000 to 100,000 members.

Those Baptists are working hard to spread the gospel throughout their vast country–which stretches across 11 time zones, from Eastern Europe to the farthest tip of Asia, he noted. In the past 18 months, they have conducted two evangelistic missions expeditions.

Last year, Russian Baptists divided into teams and conducted evangelistic meetings in 221 cities, many of which had no evangelical witness. Those meetings produced about 100 new groups of believers across the nation.

“Some of them are growing well and will become congregations,” Kozynko said. “Particularly in the big cities, like Moscow and St. Petersburg, people are very open to the gospel, especially if they have been recipients of compassion ministries.”

And compassion has driven the second expedition, conducted this year in 600 Russian prisons. “Some (of the prisoners) had never heard the gospel,” he said. “Many of them received the Lord.”

In addition to serving prisoners, the Baptists reached out to the prison workers and their children, “showing love for them, too.”

The expeditions presented Baptist churches with new opportunities to minister to hurting people in their communities, Kozynko reported.

“In the Baptist Union, many churches are growing,” he said. “They're establishing youth ministries, prison ministries, ministries to orphans.

“Social ministry is developing more and more. The government realizes that if something new needs to be done–such as start a kitchen for the homeless–they can contact the Baptists.”

That's not true in every community, he conceded. In some places, government officials relate only to the Russian Orthodox Church. But overall, Russian Baptists feel a sense of freedom and opportunity, he added.

“I would not say there are any kinds of limitations from the government for the kinds of ministries we would like to do,” he said. Although churches have to get permission to construct buildings or to hold public rallies, those restrictions apply to all kinds of groups. “That doesn't have to do with freedom,” he stressed.

Baptists are exercising their freedom to train their leaders–preparing them to engage the intellectual core of the culture with the truth of the gospel.

Moscow Theological Seminary trains about 40 to 45 residential students each year in its bachelor's and master's degree theology programs. The seminary also offers two nonresidential certificate programs, training 20 youth ministers and 30 church planters.

While the bachelor's and master's degree programs are central to the seminary's mission, the other training is crucial to Baptists' goal of evangelizing Russia, Kozynko said. Well-educated youth ministers can play a central role in reaching the nation's young people. And since 30,000 Russian communities have no church, and less than 500,000 Russians are born-again Chris-tians, the seminary and the Russian Baptist Union are teaming up to train ministers and start churches as quickly as possible.

Russian Baptists also are training their leaders through the Moscow Theological Institute, the seminary's sister school, which has about 200 students.

The institute offers five-year nonresidential study programs that provide bachelor's degrees in pastoral ministry and Christian education, and students can earn master's degrees with three additional years of study. Participants attend short-term intensive courses at four training centers across the country and complete their studies through correspondence courses.

Typical students at the institute are current pastors who cannot move their families to Moscow and lay leaders, Kozynko said.

The seminary and institute are represented in the West by Russian Leadership Ministries. Since Russian Baptist churches aren't strong enough to sustain the seminary and institute, Russian Leadership Ministries works to help fund the programs and provide scholarships.

Dennis Wry, Russian Leadership Ministries' director of advancement, said the organization is less than $100,000 away from raising $1.25 million for its latest matching gifts campaign.

But many more needs exist, Wry and Kozynko said, noting the dollars received helped strengthen bright Baptist minds, which will light Russia's path into the future.

For more information, contact Wry at russianlm@comcast.net. Ronnie Prevost, a ministry professor at Hardin-Simmons University's Logsdon School of Theology, serves on the seminary's board of trustees. He can be reached at rprevost@ hsutx.edu.

Posted: 7/08/05

Texas Tidbits

Child care offered for BGCT annual meeting. Free child care will be provided as a service for messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting Nov. 14-15 in Austin. Care for young children–infants through five years old–will be offered at First Baptist Church in Austin Nov. 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Nov. 15 from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Reservations are required. First Baptist Church will provide meals and snacks during the children's stay. For reservations, contact Dorothy Strickland, Children's Minister by Oct. 28 at (512) 476-2625 or dstrickland@fbcaustin.org. A registration packet will be mailed to parents.

DBU creates Durham fund. A $750,000 gift from the estate of Frank Durham and his wife, Fannie, has enabled Dallas Baptist University to create the Frank and Fannie Durham Loan/Scholarship fund. Durham, a former chair of the DBU board of trustees and a founding director of the DBU Foundation, was a deacon and longtime member of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.

HBU receives $1 million gift. Houston Baptist University has received a $1 million gift for its Cultural Arts Center capital campaign from ConocoPhillips. The ConocoPhillips board of directors made the donation in recognition of Archie Dunham's leadership as chairman of the company. The gift has been designated for the construction of the new home of the Bible in America Museum, which will be renamed "The Dunham Family Bible in America Museum."

Hospital auxiliary reaches donation goal for HBU. Volunteers from the Memorial Herman Southwest Hospital Auxiliary recently completed their $100,000 pledge to the Houston Baptist University nursing program by donating a final installment of $25,000. The funds will endow a scholarship in the organization's name.

Mission Waco collects school supplies. Mission Waco–an interdenominational community ministry in Waco led primarily by Texas Baptists–is collecting school supplies for low-income students. In early August, Mission Waco will allow needy parents of school-aged children to buy the supplies at 80 percent off retail cost. Proceeds are used to purchase additional school supplies. For more information, visit www.missionwaco.org.

Student athletes serve in Mexico. Members of the Dallas Baptist University Patriot men's and women's soccer teams traveled on a mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico, to work for the Big Heart Orphanage. Students performed manual labor around the orphanage, as well as played games and built friendships with children at the orphanage.

All-night prayer vigil for Nuevo Laredo slated. United Baptist Church in Laredo will hold an all-night prayer meeting focused on "crying out to the Lord about the crime and violence in Nuevo Laredo," said Pastor Mike Barrerra. More than 70 people have been killed in Nuevo Laredo this year, including the city's police chief, who was gunned down just hours after he took office. Christians on both sides of the Texas/Mexico border are invited to the prayer meeting from 7 p.m. July 15 to 7 a.m. July 16. An evening meal will be served at 6 p.m. prior to the prayer meeting. For more information, contact Barrera at (956) 727-7729.

Posted: 7/08/05

TOGETHER:
When we work together, we please God

The mission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas is to encourage, facilitate and connect churches in their work to fulfill God's mission of reconciling the world to himself.

That means churches are the front line of evangelism, ministry and missions in the world. The convention and its Executive Board staff exist to serve churches as they fulfill their calling in their communities and to the ends of the earth.

We know from Scripture and from experience that when we work together, we please God and we get more accomplished.

Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

The other day, I received a letter from a search committee charged with finding a minister to children for their church. They had written to Diane Lane, preschool/children's consultant for the BGCT, and copied it to me. They thanked her for her affirmation of their ministry and for helping them “understand issues we had not even considered.”

Then this: “You have helped us see the BGCT as a strong ally of Baptist congregations concerned with spiritual formation. In addition, … you informed us of a consultation on facilities and programming available through the BGCT. … The minister to children we select will be better fitted to this position, and we will be more intentional in being church family to that minister once she or he is located.”

Another ministry of our convention is the intentional interim program. Churches across Texas are discovering the intentional interim process is extremely valuable in helping them face forward into God's calling for their congregation. One of our healthy congregations called a wonderful pastor this past week after more than a year of an intentional interim pastorate. The church previously had one of our finest ministers serving them for more than 20 years, and now they are ready to move forward with their new pastor, and he will not have to be an “unintentional interim.”

Churches that have gone through difficulty and division also find the intentional interim process meaningful. One deacon called me to thank us for the efforts of our intentional interim in their church and said, “If we could have gone through this process with our previous pastor, he probably wouldn't have had to leave.”

It is my prayer that every church that needs this ministry will have opportunity to take advantage of it. We have more than 300 ministers who now are trained to be intentional interims. You can make contact through Jan Daehnert's office at (888) 446-1453.

One of our newest developments is the launching of LifeCall Missions. This ministry helps churches enlist, empower and engage members in ministry. We know the strength of a church is unleashed when the laity step forward to offer their giftedness and passion in service to God, their church and the people who live all around them.

Some examples of how volunteers are serving through their churches are: visitation evangelism, teaching English as a second language, tutoring children and youth, literacy efforts with adults, discipleship efforts with prisoners and church-based medical/dental ministries.

Our staff offers to your church a way to work cooperatively in training volunteers for a variety of mission ministries. These ministries may be in connection with mission activities on your church field or they may be ministries that connect your church to a mission passion anywhere in the world. Cecil Deadman can work with you on this. Contact him at (214) 828-5293.

This is why I like to say, “Together we can do more than we can alone.”

We are loved.

Posted: 7/08/05

Biblezines package gospel
in teen-friendly format

By Helena Andrews

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)–Beauty secrets, decoder rings and “Is this the guy for me?” quizzes aren't just the stuff of teen magazines. Now they're in the New Testament as Bible publishers find success marketing the Good Book to the golden demographic.

Biblezines, or Biblemags–biblical text in magazine format–for teenagers have become best-sellers all over the country, and not just at Christian bookstores. Wal-Mart, Borders, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.com have sold millions of the magazine-style books at an average price of $17.

Banking on their success with teens, Thomas Nelson Bibles has expanded beyond Generation Y and begun marketing Biblezines to younger children and even the hip-hop generation.

Magnify, for kids ages 7-11, was released in March and a new version with the Old Testament will be released in September. Real–targeting urban youth–will hit bookstores this summer; it features articles like “Jail's No Joke–Testimonies From Ex-Convicts” and “How You Travelin'?–How to Walk Out Your Life With the Lord.”

Officials at the Tennessee-based Thomas Nelson Bibles said they have found a great way to get the Scripture into young people's hands.

“It was obvious that we were missing the mark because we weren't speaking to them (teenagers) how they needed to be spoken to,” said Wayne Hastings, vice president and publisher of Thomas Nelson Bibles, which publishes four Biblezines and plans to make more.

Candace Leutzinger of Layton, Utah, spotted one of Nelson's most popular 'zines, Revolve, at a Barnes and Noble store four years ago.

“I looked through it and realized it was a Bible,” explained Leutzinger, now 22. After she shared the Biblezines with her friends, they got interested, too, and even starting giving them as gifts.

Most Biblezines use text from the New Century Version (NCV) translation first published in the 1980s and known for its easy-to-read language. Fans of the 'zines say this translation makes it much easier for teens to connect to Scripture.

Leutzinger agreed. “I think it's a really good concept, because prior to seeing those (Biblezines), I was really turned off by the Bible.” She described the Bible as “wordy, hard to follow and kind of confusing at times.”

These hip versions of the New Testament feature articles like “Extras: Girls, Cash and Cars,” “Top Ten Ways to Make a Difference” and “Radical Faith: How to Live What You Believe,” along with devotional guides, beauty tips and music reviews. Nelson's Revolve, Refuel, Magnify and Becoming are the most popular Biblezines geared toward teen girls, guys, children and young women, respectively. They have sold more than 1 million books so far–a staggering number for Bible sales among that age group, according to Hastings.

Their next project, Real, will target urban youth.

“It is a culture that is permeating everything,” said Hastings, who added that 78 percent of Billboard's top 25 CDs are hip-hop, a genre that has gone untapped in Bible publishing. Nelson wants to reach it first.

That aim might bring even more young readers to the Bible, because many think it's especially tough for teenagers to be religious and cool at the same time. Biblezines might be the answer, said Todd Starowitz, a publicist with Tyndale House Publishers.

“They may be hesitant to carry a Bible on a bus,” said Starowitz of Bible-reading teens. Tyndale published the sports-themed New Testament Biblezine nt:sport in 2004 and has sold 40,000 copies since September.

Despite bustling sales, not everyone is happy with trendy updates to a text many believe sacred.

One Amazon.com reviewer wrote this about Revolve2, the recently updated version of Nelson's Revolve: “Girls, please don't short-change yourself ever by thinking you are too stupid to understand something as complex as a book. There is more to you than makeup and boy angst.”

Even Leutzinger thought the 'zines went too far. “It had some really sexist ideas in it, like women aren't supposed to work and how girls should not ask guys out,” she acknowledged.

But even with reviewers calling the Biblezines an affront to young people's intelligence, youth pastors say the benefit of getting Gen Y interested in the Bible far outweighs the criticisms.

“I think that any time we can get kids reading the Bible, it's going to be a plus,” said Jeff Slack, pastor of student ministries at Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif., which hosts the popular cable show The Hour of Power.

Slack works with almost 100 junior high school students and has passed along Refuel and Revolve to about one-third of his teens, giving them to “the kids that don't have a church background who are a little resistant to the traditional-looking Bible.

“Then I'll … follow up and ask them some of the questions based on those articles. I think it's a great entry point,” he said.

With millions of Biblezines sold and Becoming ranking fifth on the Christian Booksellers Association's June 2005 best-seller list, the 'zines have clearly reached their target.

Hastings of Nelson Publishing said a 2002 meeting with a marketing company opened his eyes to the possibilities of grabbing younger readers.

“They walked in and threw Seventeen magazine and a Bible on the table and said, 'If you were a teenager, which one would you rather read?'”

Posted: 7/08/05

Magazine urges girls to
choose virtue over vogue

By Kelly Davis

LifeWay Christian Resources

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–A new teen magazine has set out to offer a Christ-centered alternative to the traditional teen-mag diet of promiscuity, materialism and ungodly behavior.

“Being a girl in today's culture is hard,” best-selling author Vicki Courtney writes in the introduction of TeenVirtue, a publication termed a “maga-book” for its glossy magazine-like presentation.

“Everywhere you turn, messages are telling you to be thin, pretty, sexy, assertive, self-confident and do whatever it takes to make guys drool,” noted Courtney, who lives in Austin with her husband and three children.

Citing the decline of values and modesty that started with the sexual revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Courtney said the lines of morality have been blurred, “and what was once considered unacceptable is now considered personal choice.”

“Our girls have been bombarded by the 'girl power' movement. There are no rules when it comes to dress, and sex outside of marriage is considered the norm.”

In the “Britney era” that followed, “Britney (Spears) and other pop divas made bare midriffs the norm, and the styles offered in department stores reflected the times,” Courtney said. “Before long, many of our church girls joined in, thus conforming to the culture.”

Statistics confirm the fallout from America's promiscuous culture, Courtney said. With 33 percent of all babies born to unwed mothers, she called for change. One in four sexually active teens has a sexually transmitted disease, she added.

Pointing to Scripture to help remedy the problem of promiscuity, Courtney quoted Jeremiah 6:16: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

“Girls today are lacking rest in their souls and longing for new direction,” Courtney said. “We know the 'good way,' and we must be committed to showing them. We can no longer remain silent.”

In TeenVirtue, Courtney is not silent about dozens of contemporary issues confronting young girls, such as learning how to dress modestly, combating eating disorders, standing up to peer pressure and living a pure life.

“But unlike the average fashion magazine, this guide emphasizes virtue over vogue,” Courtney noted.

The maga-book, which includes short, easy-to-read articles and teen quizzes that all point to biblical answers, is published by Broadman & Holman, the trade books division of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.

TeenVirtue was written to be a “teen girls' survival guide,” pointing them to Scripture and lessons from the Bible.

“Believe it or not, God cares about girl politics, boy problems, breakups, embarrassing moms, roller-coaster emotions, broken hearts and much more,” Courtney writes in the maga-book. “He never intended for you to go at it alone in the world.”

Each chapter talks about things important to teens, like beauty tips and dating.

“You've probably heard your mom say that 'beauty comes from the inside' and thought, 'Yeah, right, Mom, tell the guys that,'” Courtney writes. “Well, believe it or not, your mom is right.”

Showing compassion, having a servant's heart and living out one's faith in Christ display true beauty, she noted.

“A girl who loves Jesus more than life can't help but shine from the inside out,” Courtney said. “She will brighten every room she enters, and her glow for Christ will be contagious.”

Offering advice about guys, Courtney discusses four types of dating to avoid–dating for fun, dating by emotion, joined-at-the-hip dating and “mission field” dating.

“When it comes to dating, girls should go before God in prayer well in advance of the 'going out' stage and ask him for wisdom needed to come up with a set of standards for dating,” Courtney writes. “If you don't have a standard, you will most likely embrace the world's standard when it comes to dating.”

TeenVirtue's articles on the topic include “Truth about Prince Charming” and “How to Survive a Heartbreaking Breakup.”

Courtney encourages parents to be open with their teens about these matters. “Don't wait for them to come to you,” she said. “We are called to be their moms first and then their friends. Take advantage of teachable moments. If you are drawing a boundary, explain the 'why' behind it.

“Some issues are serious enough that they merit some isolated time and attention. Consider taking your daughter on a getaway weekend for the purpose of discussing the more serious matters. Be sure to mix some fun activities into the weekend to break up the serious talks. Some of the articles in TeenVirtue would stimulate great conversation such as 'The Big 5 Lies About Sex,' 'Caution: Loser Alert,' 'Dressed to Lure or be Pure?' and 'Top 10 Rules to Staying Inline when You're Online.'”

In TeenVirtue, moms can become acquainted with the situations their daughters currently are facing or could be facing in the future, Courtney added.

“It is my prayer that TeenVirtue will expose our girls to God's perspective on the top issues they are facing and lead them to make choices that are pleasing to God,” she said.

Courtney is the author of several books, including Your Girl: Raising a Godly Daughter in an Ungodly World, Yada Yada: A Devotional Journal for Moms, More than Just Talk: A Journal for Girls and The Virtuous Woman: Shattering the Superwoman Myth.

Posted: 7/08/05

DOWN HOME:
Who couldn't use a car periscope?

Just the other night, I remembered what I need to invent.

Joanna and I sat in our family sedan, backing out of a parking place and not knowing what might happen in the next instant.

To our left hovered a humongous white pickup truck straddling oversized tires. To our right rose a mammoth green SUV with blacked-out windows. I felt like we were trekking an extremely narrow automotive canyon.

Behind us whizzed an almost-steady stream of cars. And then I recalled what I wished I'd invented: The car periscope.

Wouldn't it be great to see over and/or around behemoths of the roadways, instead of wondering if you're about to get creamed as you inch out of a parking spot?

And during the course of a year, I'd save untold hours of commuting time if I could just look about a mile down the road and figure out where to go next. Who needs a high-occupancy express route if you can shift from lane to lane in time to keep the ol' tires rolling?

You probably won't be surprised to learn I'm not the first person to think this up. I Googled “car periscope” and found 221 results. Many of them refer to a book called Hardware Hacking Projects for Geeks by Scott Fullam, who obviously has wayyyy too much time on his hands.

If I invented a car periscope, I'd probably build one like submarines have. But Fullam has mounted a video camera on a telescoping mast so you can look at a monitor inside the car without having to spin around every which direction, ogling out of a traditional periscope. Fullam is a genius cited on the Internet, while I have all the mechanical skills of an iguana.

Another thing I'd really like to invent is a bed sling.

Don't you just hate when you lie on your side and your shoulder feels scrunched up, and then your arm goes to sleep before you do? If you had a bed sling, you could slide your arm through a hole in the mattress and rest your arm in a sling underneath your bed. You'd want to be sure to pull your arm out of the hole before you roll over, or you'd soon be lying on a operating table while a doctor repairs your shoulder.

Joanna and I have talked about a bed sling for years. Google turns up 205 results for “bed sling.” But Google doesn't know grammar. Most of its results are “bed, sling,” which is different. It only means the words “bed” and “sling” came next to each other in material on the Internet, not that someone invented a “bed sling.”

Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure Jo wouldn't take kindly to cutting up our mattress, carving out a hole and putting an arm hammock underneath. So, I'll dream of bed slings while I scrunch my shoulders.

When I think about things I'd like to invent, I'm reminded that my lack of imagination is exceeded only by my profound absence of technical ability.

But when I observe the world in summer, I'm reminded of God's fabulous creativity. Who but God would have "invented" a Texas sunrise, a mockingbird's call and the crash of waves on a beach?

–Marv Knox

Posted: 7/08/05

Shorter College to stay with Georgia
convention after losing court appeal

By John Pierce

Baptists Today

ROME, Ga. (ABP)—The Georgia Supreme Court decided July 1 not to reconsider a ruling that Shorter College improperly severed ties with the Georgia Baptist Convention. The decision brings an end to the long battle over control of the 132-year-old Baptist school in northwest Georgia.

Outgoing trustee chairman Gary Eubanks, an attorney whose family has provided significant financial support to the college for many years, acknowledged that “complete, absolute control of Shorter College” soon will be in the hands of new trustees elected by the convention.

In 2003 Shorter trustees dissolved the corporation and reorganized with a self-perpetuating board, warning interference by the Georgia Baptist Convention was threatening the school’s accreditation.. That dissolution was ruled improper by the Supreme Court June 7, deciding only trustees approved by the convention can serve.

“We must now face the fact that we have lost the court struggle,” Eubanks said in a statement released to the press. “The leadership of the GBC has on numerous occasions in the courts taken the position that Shorter did not really have an accreditation problem with (the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). We will soon see whose position is valid.”

Eubanks identified Nelson Price, retired pastor of Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., as the “likely new president” of the college. Price has advocated for Shorter trustees who are supportive of the fundamentalist-controlled Georgia Baptist Convention.

Eubanks said the college is “at a crossroads and its faculty, staff and students are standing in the intersection.” He urged the Shorter family to “keep its perspective” but anticipated significant changes.

“I must also be candid with present and past Shorter trustees,” said Eubanks. “After the change in control, there will not be opportunities of effective service for many who have dedicated much of their lives to this small college.”

Eubanks said his family’s involvement with Shorter would likely end as well. The Eubanks name is prominent on Shorter buildings, reflecting the support his late parents, Robert and Hazel Eubanks, gave to the college.

Harold Newman has filled the presidency of Shorter since Ed Schrader left Jan. 1 to became president of Brenau College in Gainesville, Ga. Schrader was Shorter’s president during the 2003 reorganization.

In a statement following the June court ruling, Georgia Baptist executive Robert White downplayed any significant changes coming to the college. “We intend to continue our historical and long-standing relationship and friendship with the college,” said White. “Our desire is to see Shorter as a fully accredited, growing and financially stable educational institution of the Georgia Baptist Convention.”

College and convention officials await any response from SACS which, during its most recent accreditation review, questioned the GBC’s influence on the trustees’ management of the school.

Posted: 7/06/05

BaptistWay Bible Series for July 17

Revelation offers hope to the children of God

• Revelation 10:1-7; 11:1-15

By Wayne Smith

First Baptist Church, Lamesa

Last week, we studied the judgment poured out upon the earth following the breaking of the seventh seal. A picture of partial destruction of the universe and its population unfolded as six angels sounded trumpet blasts signaling events leading to the fall of the Roman Empire. Even as they faced destruction, unrepentant people still had the opportunity to receive Christ. But God revealed many would not cease their way of life and follow Christ. Thus the scene was set for the downfall and ultimate destruction of the mighty Roman Empire.

This week’s lesson examines the second interlude. As the Revelation continued, Christians suffered under Roman oppression and the Emperor Domitian. They were told to stand fast. Even though their suffering would continue, they knew enemies of God eventually would be judged. Those who resisted God by refusing to receive Christ would suffer a much worse fate at the hands of God than Christians would at the hands of the Romans.

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In the meantime, the Christian church must carry on. Their faith is well placed and will sustain them. John’s message will bring reassurance and early Christians will be strengthened during a time of adversity.

The angel and the little scroll (Revelation 10:1-7)

John saw another angel come down from heaven carrying a little open scroll. The angel stood, bridging land and sea, and shouted out a message intended for the entire world. When the angel spoke the “seven thunders” emanating from the throne of God (Revelation 4:5) also spoke. John was about to write their messages when a voice from heaven commanded him not to seal up their messages and not to write them. The angel raised his right hand as if taking an oath and shouted there would be no more delay. The mystery of God would be accomplished when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet (Romans 16:25), as God had announced to his servants and the prophets.

Prelude to the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:1-15)

John received a reed and was told to measure the altar and the temple of God. Some believe this act applies to a literal rebuilding of the temple during the end times. Others believe this act is a symbolic representation of what Christians will experience at the end times.

He also was to count (seal) the worshippers there. He was to exclude the outer court, which would be given to the Gentiles who would trample on the holy city 42 months (likely symbolic of an indefinite period). God will give power to two witnesses who will be given the difficult task of prophesying for 1,260 days (likely a symbolic number for an indefinite period of time).

The two witness, associated by some with Moses and Elijah who also performed miracles similar to the witnesses, are pictured as two olive trees and two lamp stands. Olive trees in the Old Testament were symbols of life (Zechariah 4:3), while lamp stands contained sources of light. The symbols thus could represent the churches or leaders in the churches who would proclaim the message of eternal life for those who would respond in faith to Jesus Christ as the Light of the World.

When they have finished their testimonies, the beast from the abyss (the antichrist) would attack, overpower and kill them. Their bodies would lie in the street of the great city figuratively called Sodom and Egypt (representing Rome which included the entire Roman Empire). The pagan world would rejoice at the death of the Christian church (represented by the two witnesses).

God will give the Christian church (the two witnesses), thought to be dead, new life. As they are resurrected and ascend to heaven, an earthquake causes widespread damage to the Roman Empire. As thousands of people are killed in the earthquake, the survivors glorify God.

The first “woe” was the plague of locusts (9:1-2). The second was the attack of the vast superhuman army (9:15-16). The third woe is announced with the sounding of the seventh trumpet. As the trumpet sounds, a voice from heaven declares: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.” God thus signals the end of Satan’s power in the world. God will assume total control of the world and its inhabitants.

This week’s lesson presents a frightening picture of what is in store for the enemies of God. The Roman Empire, by its treatment of early Christians, insured its own destruction. Events that occur in the immediate future, as well as those which will take place during the end times, are consistent. God will prevail and those who oppose him will be defeated. This message did not grant immediate relief from suffering to the Christians. But it did assure them they had made the right decision by following Christ instead of bowing to the Roman Emperor.

Application

Most of us never will endure the type of persecution experienced by early Christians. But we do experience daily assaults against our Christian witness. Events occur which tempt us to compromise our testimony. Living a bold Christian witness in our world is difficult if we allow others to dictate our actions. We fear what others may think if we are too energetic in our Christian witness. The early Christians, who faced death by being marked as followers of Christ, drew both comfort and courage from the message of the Revelation. We can do the same.

Discussion question

• How can I utilize the message of the Revelation to help me handle adversity in my daily walk as a Christian?

Posted: 7/06/05

Family Bible Series for July 17

Christ can enable joy even during hard times

• Philippians 4:4-13, 19

By Mitch Randall

First Baptist Church, Bedford

My cousin is an inspiration to anyone who has the privilege of knowing him. Even in the midst of his recent struggle and heartache, his ability to bring joy to others is an amazing sight to behold. His wife of 10 years left him to pursue a younger and hipper lifestyle. He is raising his two young girls on his own.

Anyone who has gone through pain like what my cousin has endured the last year has the right to wear a stern look on his face, but there is no such look on his face. His smile and laughter fill a room with joy and inspiration. My cousin’s ability to find joy out of his pain reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s gift of spreading joy even in the midst of difficult times.

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Philippians 4:4-7

As the apostle closes his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul wishes blessings in the Lord upon the congregations. These remarks immediately follow Paul’s recognition of his cohorts’ struggle within the gospel’s work. Even in struggle, Paul encourages his readers with hopeful words. He repeats his message with multiple references to rejoicing and blessings.

In this joy, he exhorts his readers to express their gentleness, moderation or forbearance to everyone. The New Revised Standard translates this word as “gentleness,” the New King James writes “moderation” and the New American Standard interprets it as “forbearance.” In the context of the lesson Paul is writing, it seems the best English word would be “forbearance.” Being able to joyfully forebear through difficult circumstances is extremely admirable.

Paul then gives reason for the ability to rejoice. He writes, “The Lord is near.”

Each and every night for the past week, my 4-year-old son has had bad dreams. He saunters down to our room and climbs into bed with us. His mother never knows he is there, because he has decided the best place to sleep is right next to me with his little hand pressed against my nose. I’ll try to push him away —next to his mother—but he always finds his way back. I asked him the other day why he has to sleep right beside me. He simply said, “You make me feel safe.”

With the Lord near by, no matter the circumstance, believers can rejoice. Since the Lord is near, Paul instructs his readers to worry less about the rising tide of difficulties and spend time in prayer asking God’s guidance. Surpassing all understanding, God will work in our lives to bring about a great peace.

Philippians 4:8-9

In the conclusion of his letter, Paul reminds his readers about the importance of dwelling on good things in the midst of hard times. The virtues he mentions all give hope to those searching for answers during complicated days. Truth, honor, justice, purity, pleasing, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise all are characteristics for which believers can gain strength and fortitude to move forward.

Dwelling upon the things of the Lord and the situations for which the Lord has brought blessings into our lives provides hope for us to endure. It reminds us the Lord is good, for he has blessed us before. It reminds us the Lord is faithful, for we have endured other pains. Concentrating upon the things of God gives us clearer vision for the future.

Philippians 4:10-13

In these verses, Paul continues to build upon his encouragement. While writing about his enthusiasm for the Philippian church, he reiterates the importance of being real about a situation but enduring with the help of Christ. While facing many grievous situations, Paul insists his ability to endure was not his own but the presence of Christ within him. The verse which summarizes this entire section is this, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Discussion questions

• What hard times have you been though? How did you feel?

• What helped you through the difficult times?

• How did you feel the presence of Christ within the situation?