Posted: 6/10/05

House parents 'mom' and 'pop'
to cottage kids for 25 years

By Miranda Bradley

Texas Baptist Children's Home

ROUND ROCK–John and Brenda Toner have spent all but six months of their married lives working as house parents with Texas Baptist Children's Home.

In those 25 years, they have been parents to more than 200 children–including their own, whom they reared alongside residents of Cottage One. Still, they say, children essentially are the same today as they always have been.

“They are all just looking for love,” Toner said. “These kids have come out of relationships with people who have let them down. I don't ever promise something I can't deliver. And, most of all, we let them know they are loved by us and by God.”

The cottages at Texas Baptist Children's Home offer a home environment with Christian couples as the models for family life. Most children in the agency's cottage homes call their house parents “mom” and “pop”–a tradition that began with the first campus house parents 55 years ago. The Toners recognize it as a true term of endearment.

“One girl looked at Pop just the other day and said, 'You're my real dad, Pop,'” Mrs. Toner said. “And that's just how a lot of them feel about us. Many times, we are the closest thing they have to parents. We're making a difference in their lives.”

The Toners met in 1977 while both worked at a children's home in Kansas. He had been a successful businessman, but he felt unfulfilled.

“I had money, but I didn't have happiness,” he said. “The Lord delivered me from an unhealthy lifestyle and instilled a desire in me to serve him. I wanted to help kids avoid the stuff I had been doing.”

Her calling came much earlier in life. From the time she was a teenager, she felt God leading her into missions. After writing a college paper on “throwaway” children, she felt her calling clarified.

“I've always been for the underdog,” she said. “And these kids sometimes have a lot going against them when they come here. I just really like to see them succeed.”

Alumni of Cottage One frequently call or come by to give updates on their lives. Others have even looked to Pop for help with moving or co-signing car loans.

“You don't stop being part of their lives just because they don't live here anymore,” he said. “We're here for them as long as they need us.”

The Toners have stuck with their ministry as cottage parents for a quarter century because “this is where God led us,” she said. “And this is where we will stay until he moves us.”

Even though the Toners are allowed to go “off duty” for a short period during the month, they would rather stay on campus caring for the kids they consider family. It's that kind of devotion that keeps the Toners dedicated to their calling and to the lives they touch every day. Still, discouragement sometimes creeps in.

“When we provide stability, nurturing and love and kids still don't want to accept it, that is very disheartening,” she said. “It's hard when you see that they just don't want to make a change for the better when there is so much good to be had.”

Despite the ups and downs of their hectic daily schedules, caring for eight teenage girls, the Toners insist they are in it for the long haul.

“The only thing that could make us leave is God,” he said. “Our job is to undo the work of the enemy (Satan) in these kids' lives with truth and healing. That's what we're here to do, and we plan to do it for a very long time.”

Posted: 6/10/05

Abortion rate has not increased under Bush,
but declined more slowly, new data suggest

By Analiz Gonzalez

Associated Baptist Press

WASHINGTON (ABP)—A controversial study suggesting the abortion rate has increased since President Bush took office was off the mark, its author now admits. But he also says new figures vindicate some of his contentions.

A recent study of the abortion rates in several states since President Bush took office revealed figures slightly different from those that seminary professor Glen Stassen found in a study of a smaller number of states last fall.

Stassen, a Christian-ethics professor at Fuller Theological Seminary near Los Angeles, originally extrapolated data from 16 states to suggest the national abortion rate has risen slightly since Bush took office in 2001 after falling for several years under his predecessors.

Prominent Democrats have cited Stassen’s figures as recently as mid-May in criticizing Bush. Partially in response, the Alan Guttmacher Institute released its own study of abortion rates May 18. The group, affiliated with Planned Parenthood, tracks abortion statistics, which are only released every 10 years on the national level.

The Guttmacher study found that, while the abortion rate hasn’t increased under Bush, it also has declined more slowly under his presidency than under predecessor Bill Clinton, who unlike Bush favors abortion rights.

“Between 1992 and 1996, the annualized decline was 3.4 percent per year, while between 1996 and 2000, it was 1.2 percent per year,” the Guttmacher study read. “The annualized decline between 2000 and 2002 was 0.9 percent.”

The authors of the Guttmacher study noted it is “subject to some limitations and should be considered provisional.”

Stassen, who published his original findings in an opinion piece that appeared in Sojourners magazine as well as several other news outlets, defended his work by saying his resources were limited when he did the study. He noted some states had not made their most recent abortion statistics available at the time he conducted the study. The Guttmacher study, however, extrapolated a national abortion rate from figures in 44 of the 50 states.

Groups that oppose abortion rights have long accused Stassen’s study of being flawed. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins criticized Democrats, such as New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and former presidential candidate John Kerry, for using the figures “to attack President Bush and to promote condom use.”

“Professor Stassen also used wrong figures in several states—old, dated statistics,” Perkins said in his daily e-mail newsletter to supporters. “In some cases the absent-minded professor used birth rates when he meant to cite abortion rates.”

Stassen disputed Perkins’ claim, labeling it as “simply untrue.” Stassen, however, has previously admitted mistakenly reporting increases in the 2002 abortion rates in two states that actually showed decreases.

The public’s response to the findings about abortion rates “separate those who want to reduce abortions from people who want to defend this Republican administration,” he said.

“If I am right that the rate of reduction has stalled, that puts pressure on the administration to do more to support mothers and babies and reduce abortions,” he continued. “Pro-life people like me should cheer on the pressure this generates.”

Sharon Camp, the Guttmacher Institute’s president, had a different perspective. “It takes time for political decisions to be reflected in statistical data, so it is too soon to tell what the impact of Bush administration policies will be on U.S. abortion rates,” she said in a statement.

Bush’s presidency may not have reversed the historic decline in abortion rates, but the apparent near-stall in their decline may reflect economic factors that are connected to the president’s policy decisions, Stassen said.

He pointed to studies suggesting the abortion rate has paralleled the unemployment rate since the Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide more than 30 years ago. He said 21 percent of women who had abortions in the United States cited financial problems as the top reason for their choice.

Calls to White House and the Family Research Council requesting comment for this story were not immediately returned.

With additional reporting by Robert Marus of the ABP Washington Bureau

Posted: 6/10/05

Around the State

Three people with Texas ties have received appointments from the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Bryan and Stacey Intemann will work in central and eastern Europe. Their home congregation is Wedgwood Church in Fort Worth. Jimmy Shaw will work in central, eastern and southern Africa as a church starter. Team Church in Fort Worth is his home congregation.

Six new inductees, have been announced for inclusion into Hardin-Simmons Univer-sity's Hall of Leaders. Honorees include Joe Black, golf professional; Glen Bur-roughs, retired oil executive; O.H. Cooper, former president of HSU; Katharyn Duff, former assistant editor of the Abilene Reporter-News; Julius Olsen, former dean and faculty member at HSU; and Gordon Wood, former football coach in Brownwood and other cities. The Hall of Leaders recognizes graduates, former students and prominent leaders of the university who have achieved distinguished records of achievement.

Arnold Oliver and Brad Helbert have been named trustees at Howard Payne University, elected by the university's board of trustees. Oliver is a member of First Church in Wichita Falls and is the former head of the Texas Department of Transportation. Helbert is the retired executive director of the West Central Texas Council of Governments and a member of First Church in Abilene.

Youth at First Church in Keller worked five days at Casa Hogar Elim, an orphanage for about 120 children in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. During that time, they also helped build two homes in an area where many families live in lean-to shelters made of tin. The 12' by 16' shelters would be remarkably small in the United States but were greatly appreciated by the families receiving them, which included an expectant mother. Lee Bradley, above, was one of 79 youth and adults making the trip. The little girl had been left at the orphanage that morning by a family who no longer could care for her.

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor students won 14 top individual awards, best overall and the sweepstakes award at the Texas Intercol-legiate Press Association's conference for university yearbooks. Bluebonnet staff earning individual first-place awards included Sara Hillis, people page design; Christi Snow, student life copy and organization copy; Amy Patterson, organization package and feature/student life package; Jacob Sais, opening section copy; and Tiffany Turk, feature story.

The School of Fine Arts at East Texas Baptist University recognized student achievements with year-end awards. Jason Waggoner was chosen as the outstanding music student. Selected for scholarships were Bonnie Russell, Catherine Kirkwood, Brian Scherff, Amy Stanfield, Jennifer Howell, Aaron Perkins and Robbie Herrage. Laura Dunlap and Amanda Williams tied for the highest grade-point average among graduating seniors.

The Baylor Alumni Association has presented the George W. Truett Distin-guished Church Service Award to Paul Powell, dean of Baylor's Truett Seminary. The award is presented annually to someone closely associated with Baylor whose record exemplifies the life and career of Truett. The alumni association chose Max Sherman as the recipient of the Price Daniel Award, given annually to someone whose record in public office exemplifies a dedication to public service. Sherman is professor emeritus of the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.

Jeffrey Copeland of Crosby has received the Phillips Greek Exposition Award at Southeastern Sem-inary.

Three students with Texas ties received doctoral degrees from New Orleans Seminary this spring. Jim Graham, who served Texas churches 15 years and now is a minister with students at North Phoenix Church in Phoenix, Ariz., received a Ph.D. in Christian education. Mike David, minister of administration at First Church in Kingwood, received a doctor of ministry degree with a specialization in leadership. Tasha Levert of Burleson received a doctor of philosophy degree in psychology and counseling.

Allan and Griselda Escobar, students at the Baptist University of the Americas, are serving as Hispanic ministry interns at First Church in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Retiring

Lloyd Priddy, as music minister at First Church in Kenedy, May 29. He served the church 23 years and was in the ministry 42 years. He also served at Travis Church in Corpus Christi seven years.

Anniversaries

First Church in Milford, 150th, May 22. Shane Nor-cross is pastor.

Griff Servati, fifth, as minister to students at First Church in Van Alstyne, June 1.

Lynn Godsey, 20th, as pastor of Templo de Poder in Ennis.

Lindsey Bloodworth, fifth, as minister of music at First Church in Victoria, June 5.

Lowell Howard, 15th, as pastor of Antioch Church in Bells, June 10.

Baptist Temple in Edna, 50th, June 12. Danny Wilson is pastor.

Kelly Wolverton, fifth, as minister to students at Hampton Road Church in DeSoto, June 12.

New Hebron Church in Waskom, 50th, June 12. Darrell Paulk is pastor.

Marcus Lawhon, 10th, as pastor of House of Worship in Brenham.

Poetry Church in Poetry, 150th, July 10. Robert Wheat is pastor.

Matt Cook, fifth, as pastor of First Church in Rosebud, July 29.

Deaths

Marie Studstill, 68, June 4 in Granbury. Her husband, James, was minister of music at Mambrino Church in Granbury eight years until his retirement last year. Her son, Tim, is director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Center for Music and Worship. She was preceded in death by her brothers, William Dowell and Joe Elwin Covington. She is survived by her husband of 47 years, James; sons, Tim, Michael and Brian; brothers, Ross, Albin and Tom Covington; and four grandchildren.

Fred Bender, 77, June 7 in Temple. He was ordained in 1950 and served as a chaplain in the U.S. Army in Korea and Germany. He twice received commendation awards from the chaplains' commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and received commendations from the Korean and German governments. From 1968 until 1979, he was a professor in the philosophy department at San Antonio College in San Antonio. He was pastor of several churches, the last being Memorial Church in Pasadena from 1980 to 1986. From 1987 until 2000, he was adjunct professor of philosophy at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. He is survived by his wife, Frances; daughter, Texie Sage; sons, Bob, Mark and John; 14 granchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Events

Bosque Association conducted a commissioning service for Bryan Cottrell as he prepares to enter the U.S. Air Force as a chaplain. He has been pastor of Mosheim Church in Valley Mills.

The Attaways, a Southern gospel family singing group, will be in concert at First Church in Gainesville June 19 at 7 p.m. A love offering will be taken.

The Heights Church in Richardson has reached an agreement with Comerica Bank in Richardson. The bank will match the contributions of Vacation Bible School children up to $1,000. All money will benefit a children's home in Matamoras, Mexico.

Licensed

David Roach to the ministry at Rocky Creek Church in Victoria.

Ordained

Nick Reeves to the ministry at Crescent Heights Church in Abilene.

Clay Trotter to the ministry at First Church in Hale Center.

Paul Easter to the ministry at First Church in Lolita.

Bob Holderby, Roland Huff, Alan Wiley, John Bannert and David Smith as deacons at Trinity Church in Gatesville.

Greg Casey and Rick Hodges as deacons at Live Oak Church in Gatesville.

Billy Minton as a deacon at Oak Hills Church in Kempner.

Terry Nichols and James Riley as deacons at Battetown Church in Cameron.

Hollis Atkinson, Chuck Bell and Gene Doggett as deacons at First Church in Granbury.

Don Davis, Howard Morgan and Mark Venable as deacons at Central Church in Italy.

Posted: 6/10/05

Gunter recommended as
BGCT chief operating officer

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Charles Wade has taken a major step toward reorganization of the BGCT Executive Board staff by recommending Ron Gunter, BGCT regional associate for the greater Houston area, as associate executive director and chief operating officer.

Wade and search committee members BGCT Executive Board Chairman John Ogletree of Houston, Executive Board Vice Chairman Jim Nelson of Austin and BGCT President Albert Reyes of San Antonio presented their recommendation to the Executive Board June 2 for approval by mail ballot no later than June 10. If approved by the board, Gunter will assume the post June 16.

The associate executive director's position has been vacant for more than a year and a half, since Bill Tinsley was named leader of the new WorldconneX missions network. As part of an ongoing reorganization in BGCT life, the job description was expanded to include responsibilities as chief operating officer for the state convention.

The chief operating officer will manage day-to-day BGCT staff operations and lead efforts to align staff performance with the convention's mission, vision, values and priorities.

Specifically, he will manage and oversee staff in areas including services to churches, leadership development, research and development, knowledge management, communications, and institutional and organizational relations.

He also will carry out the executive director's duties in Wade's absence and lead strategic planning efforts with staff, advisory groups and other task forces and committees.

The chief operating officer will work with Wade in leading a transformation team to reorganize the BGCT Executive Board staff.

“Filling this strategic position will enable us to move forward in fulfilling our intention to get staff out into the field to help our churches and associations,” Wade said.

In a memo to the Executive Board on behalf of the search committee, Wade noted Gunter was the top candidate who emerged from a field of 36 recommendations.

“We believe Ron Gunter is the most qualified candidate whose skills, abilities, experiences and credentials best match the job requirements, as well as the business and ministry needs of the convention,” Wade wrote.

In an e-mail to Baptist Building staff, Wade added, “Ron's extensive multicultural experience was an important factor in his selection, and he will help us to better serve Texas Baptists, who increasingly come from varied cultural backgrounds.”

Before joining the BGCT staff, Gunter served in Eastern Europe from 1994 to 2002 with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. He resigned when the mission board required missionaries to sign an affirmation of the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message confessional statement.

During his time with the International Mission Board, Gunter rose through the ranks, from a position as church planter and director of missions to a strategy coordinator, mission administrator and finally strategy associate, managing Southern Baptist missions operations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova.

In the latter role, he directly supervised 10 strategy coordinators, indirectly supervised 90 other personnel, worked with a $1 million budget and administered all human resources functions for employees assigned to him.

Before he went to the foreign mission field, Gunter was pastor of First Baptist Church in Henrietta and River Oaks Baptist Church in Fort Worth, as well as churches in Kentucky and Tennessee.

He also was a volunteer hospital and police chaplain, and he was intentional interim pastor at Baptist Temple in Houston.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., and his master's degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.

Gunter's wife, Cynthia, is president of the Texas Baptist Ministers' Wives Fellowship. They have three sons: Samuel, Lee and Andrew.

Posted: 6/10/05

Book Reviews

Out of the Question … Into the Mystery: Getting Lost in the Godlife Relationship by Leonard Sweet (Waterbrook Press)

Leonard Sweet's new book continues his urgent call for Christians to deal with real culture. He begins with what he sees as the “No. 1 problem in the world”–people living “disconnected lives … detached from God, from others and from creation.”

“Relationship is the soul of the universe. And the soul is sick,” Sweet insists.

“Jesus died an outlaw, showing with his body the supremacy of love. “The greatest 'law,' Jesus said, was the law of love, a law that wasn't a law at all but a relationship.”

Sweet challenges his reader to think: “Being a Christian is more about relationship with God than beliefs about God; more about the presence of God than the proofs of God; more about intimacy with truth than the tenets of truth; more about knowing God's activities than knowing God's attributes. … God is as much to be found in creeks as in creeds, in canyons as in canons, in silence as in statements, in experiences as in edicts, in conversations as in convictions, in heart as in head.”

What are you reading that other Texas Baptists would find helpful? Send suggestions and reviews to books@baptiststandard.com.

I love this book. He moves from defining faith as relationship to urging us to have a true relationship with God, with God's story, with other people of faith, with those outside of faith, with those who are different, with God's creation, with the “things that draw us to God” and with the spiritual world.

He had me singing, praying, crying and laughing. The final chapter, subtitled “Losing Yourself in the Mystery of God,” ought to be compulsory reading for every Christian.

E.B. Brooks, director

BGCT church missions & evangelism

Dallas

Theodicy in the World of the Bible by Antti Laato and Johannes C. de Moor, editors (Brill)

How does one explain God's role in the suffering of innocent people at the hands of evil? This is the work of theodicy, the attempt to “justify God,” or to “defend God.”

The problem of defending God rests upon four basic premises: (1) There is only one God; (2) God is good, loving, and just; (3) God is powerful; (4) innocent suffering and evil are realities in this world.

Put simply, the problem looks like this: (A) If God were good, loving and just, he wouldn't want his children to suffer evil; (B) If all-powerful, God wouldn't let his children suffer evil; (C) God's children do suffer innocently at the hands of evil; (D) Therefore, either God is not good, loving and just, or not all-powerful, or neither.

Examining literature from the Ancient Near East, the Old and New Testaments, early Jewish writings and rabbinic Judaism, the writers show how sages through the ages have sought to exonerate a good and powerful God from guilt in the face of evil.

Rating: Impressive and scholarly!

Randall O'Brien, interim provost

Baylor University

Waco

God is Closer than You Think by John Ortberg (Zondervan)

Pastor John Ortberg tempts the average preacher to break the 10th Commandment–it is easy to covet his eloquence, humor, storytelling and grasp of biblical truth. But the average reader will be more likely to rejoice over Ortberg's latest offering, God is Closer Than You Think. The central premise of the book is that God, like the figure on the Sistine Chapel, is constantly trying to “close the gap” between himself and us. And the Christian's task, and privilege, is to experience God's presence in the ordinary moments of life–waking, eating, working and thinking.

Ortberg is at his best when he's describing how biblical characters, Christian saints and ordinary believers imbibe the extraordinary presence of God. Whether he's comparing the hidden presence of God to “Where's Waldo?” or describing how Christians can become conduits of God's presence–“Waldo Junior”–Ortberg's latest is sure to cause you to laugh and think while you celebrate the God who is constantly drawing closer to us.

Larry Parsley, pastor

Valley Ranch Baptist Church

Coppell

Good to Great by Jim Collins (HarperCollins)

Good to Great is an excellent book for high-level, high-output leaders. Collins offers examples of traits possessed by leaders who pushed good companies to a higher level of service and achievement. One of the key attributes of high-level leadership is the idea of upholding the mission of the organization over and above his or her own personal ambitions. These leaders rejoice over the success of the organization, both during and after their departure from the team.

Michael Evans, director

BGCT African-American ministries

Dallas

It Only Hurts On Monday by Gary L. McIntosh and Robert L. Edmondson (Churchsmart Resources)

This book addresses the reasons pastors quit the ministry. It gives practical actions laypersons can take to help their pastors have long and successful ministries. The book was written to laypersons, but it will encourage pastors to look at their lives and address problems before they destroy their pastoral ministries and leave the ministry altogether.

Bob Ray, director

BGCT bivocational/smaller membership church development

Dallas

Hurt: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers by Chap Clark (Baker Academic)

After attending a seminar with Chap Clark and hearing about his research with teenagers, reading his book was a must. Clark develops his thesis about the issue of abandonment as the greatest need of youth today. He explains how teenagers have been abandoned by society, their parents, schools and even religious organizations. The final chapters provide ministry recommendations. This book is a great resource for anyone working with or even living with adolescents.

Adlin Cotto

Southwayside Baptist Church

Fort Worth

Posted: 6/10/05

Baptist Briefs

Knoxville pastor potential SBC first vice president. Knoxville pastor and past Tennessee Baptist Convention President Mike Boyd will be nominated as first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the SBC's June 21-22 annual meeting in Nashville. Boyd, senior pastor of Knoxville's Wallace Memorial Baptist Church since 1997, will be nominated by current Tennessee Baptist Convention President Roger Freeman, pastor of First Baptist Church in Clarksville. In addition to serving as Tennessee Baptist Convention president in 2003-04, Boyd's denominational service includes membership on the Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Board. Boyd also is being nominated by the SBC Committee on Nominations to serve as a trustee of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, where he earned his master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees. A native of Memphis, Boyd also is a graduate of Union University in Jackson.

Criswell College may sell radio station. Criswell College trustees have recommended selling the college's radio station, KCBI-FM, to a California-based Christian radio corporation for $23 million. Trustees approved selling the station and its assets to Covenant Educational Media, contingent on an acceptable contract and approval by First Baptist Church of Dallas and the Federal Communications Commission. First Baptist Church of Dallas owns the college and its related entities.

LifeWay announces staff changes. Ralph Hodge has been named director of regional operations for LifeWay Christian Resources, the Southern Baptist Convention's publishing house. He replaces Mike Miller, who has become executive pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas. Hodge, who was a pastor 24 years, has been at LifeWay since May 1988. Mike Harland has been named director of the LifeWay Worship Music Group, which includes six imprints–Genevox, Church Street Music, Church Street Press, Children's Music Series, Dovetail Music and Made for Praise. Harland, who has published more than 150 songs and produced many choral music projects, was associate pastor for music at First Baptist Church in Carrollton three years. Bill Taylor, director of network partnerships, will retire from LifeWay July 1. Bill Henry, LifeWay's managing director of network partnerships, will serve as acting director. A formal search for the new director of network partnerships will begin July 1, with the goal of filling the position by Jan. 1, 2006.

Pastor apologizes for anti-Muslim sign. Creighton Lovelace, pastor of Danieltown Baptist Church in Forest City, N.C., apologized for posting an anti-Muslim sign at his church. The apology followed criticism by leaders in the Muslim-American community and a disavowal by SBC Executive Committee President Morris Chapman. Lovelace said he regretted posting a message that read, "The Koran needs to be flushed." He maintained he was unaware that the Quran was so highly valued. "It was certainly not my intent to insult any people of faith, but instead to remind the people in this community of the pre-eminence of God's word," he insisted.

Resolution urges investigation of schools. A group that tried unsuccessfully last year to get Southern Baptists to encourage parents to pull their children out of public schools is now asking the Southern Baptist Convention to urge churches to investigate whether their local school systems support homosexuality. Exodus Mandate, which promotes home schooling and Christian schools, is backing a resolution proposed by evangelist Voddie Baucham and attorney Bruce Shortt that encourages every Southern Baptist church to investigate whether its local school district has a homosexual club or any curriculum or program that attempts to influence children to accept homosexual behavior as a legitimate lifestyle. If so, the resolution urges churches to inform parents and encourage them to remove their children from the schools immediately. The SBC Resolutions Committee will decide whether to present the resolution to messengers for a vote at the annual meeting June 21-22 in Nashville, Tenn.

Posted: 6/10/05

Doctors donate services to Russian orphan

By Felicia Fuller

Buckner Baptist Benevolences

A team of Dallas ophthalmologists donated corrective eye surgery to a Russian orphan visiting Dallas as part of the Buckner Orphan Care International Angels from Abroad host program.

Ten-year-old Kristina underwent surgery June 4 to correct strabismus, an optic muscle malady that causes the eyes to appear crossed or imbalanced.

“We are so grateful for the benevolence of these doctors and their willingness to give their time and resources to help a child who might not otherwise have access to proper healthcare,” said Tiffany Taylor, marketing director for Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls.

David Stager, along with one of his associates, performed the 30-minute procedure. Stager, who has practiced ophthalmology in Dallas 35 years, donated a similar procedure to an orphan girl with last year's Angels from Abroad contingent. His partner, Priscilla Berry, also offered her services last year.

Stager said his surgeon's fees average around $1,500, while the anesthesiologist usually charges between $500 and $700. Healthsouth–where the operation took place–contributed to the cause by reducing its facility charges from $3,700 to $300.

Launched last year, Buckner Angels from Abroad raises awareness about the preponderance of older children living in Russian orphanages and Buck-ner Orphan Care International's programs to improve their lives. The orphans, who range from 7 to 14 years old, reside locally with volunteer host families from the Christian community.

Becky and Reggie Boles of Dallas are hosting Kristina and her 11-year-old brother, Dima. The Boleses also hosted Olga, the Angel who last year underwent corrective eye surgery for strabismus.

For more information about Buckner Orphan Care International and Angels from Abroad, visit www.helporphans.org.

Posted: 6/10/05

Dallas Baptist University student Ivy Quiñones of Wurzburg, Germany (left), paints a windowsill at the San Gabriel orphanage in Guatemala. Taylor Brewer of Frisco (right), a Christian studies and nursing major at Dallas Baptist University, sorts through boxes of medical aid at the Buckner warehouse. (Photos by Russ Dilday/Buckner)

HANDS OF GOD:
Students share God's love
with Guatemalan orphans

By Russ Dilday

Buckner Baptist Benevolences

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala–Ivy Quiñones steadied her paintbrush as she detailed a section of window trim. Sweeping the brush carefully across, she remarked, "It's amazing how much everything we do makes a difference."

Quiñones, a Dallas Baptist University sophomore from Wurzburg, Germany, was part of a 40-member team of DBU students and staff who traveled to Guatemala recently to work in orphanages. Their journey was one of 42 mission trips planned and sponsored this year by Buckner Orphan Care International and one of 19 the child care ministry has planned for Guatemala.

Paola Anleu prays over boys at the San Gabriel orphanage who have made decisions for Christ during an evangelistic service led by team members from Dallas Baptist University. Anleu is a member of the Buckner follow-up team in Guatemala and will continue to guide the boys in spiritual growth.

The team performed a variety of tasks in five orphanages that ranged from painting to recreation to Vacation Bible School to humanitarian aid distribution–sometimes all in the same day.

Regardless of the pace or the demands of ministering to the children, she said, she and her teammates agreed, “We were the hands and feet of God.”

She said they also served as the heart, sharing the message of Christ with children like 10-year-old Brian at San Gabriel, one of 54 boys currently living in the home.

“We prayed to-gether, and he wanted to make sure he said the right prayer,” she ex-plained. “He told me his mom taught him about God, but she has been here to visit him only once, and he feels alone. The hardest thing for him, he told me, is that when he cries in a corner, no one comes.

“We prayed, and he was so attentive. He said, 'This is what I am depending on.'”

Many orphans in Guatemala depend on private organizations like Buckner to improve their living and spiritual conditions.

Leslie Chace, Buckner missions director for South and Central Amer-ica, said that while children in private orphanages have relatively good conditions, the government orphanages often have to do without many conveniences.

“Help is slow to come with many government orpha-nages,” she said, although some pro-minent political figures and business leaders have directed attention to the problem.

Chace pointed out that the government-run homes need partners like Buckner to help them with improvements, training and aid.

“Buckner's philosophy is to work with the government homes, which get less attention,” she said. “San Gabriel is a perfect example of that partnership. The government provided all of the paint and materials to transform the main meeting room and administration offices but could offer no manpower to paint. That's where the DBU group came in.”

Juan Antonio Olivar, director of the San Gabriel orphanage, praised the work of the students.

“They have been doing a great work in our home. The kids can see the love constantly, and this is beneficial,” Olivar said. “It would have taken a long time for this work to be done, but it has been done in record time, and they have worked hard.”

The team's daily duties depended on the orphanage where they worked. At San Gabriel, they painted in the mornings and conducted a Vacation Bible School program and evangelistic program in the afternoons and distributed shoes collected through the Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls drive.

At Eliza Martinez, a boys' home more centrally located in the city, the team also conducted a VBS and distributed shoes, which proved a popular event. The students dropped to their knees as small groups of boys were led in and sat in chairs. Each boy excitedly received a new pair of socks and shoes–and a hug–from the missions volunteers.

Marion, 13, eagerly held up his new black tennis shoes, saying receiving them made him happy. “Nobody has given me shoes before,” he said.

Being able to provide the boys shoes and minister to them touched many of the team members, including Julie Mitchell, a DBU sophomore from Denison.

“The hardest part to handle is that you hear about orphanages and orphan kids. … It's one thing to hear and another to see,” she said. “Not only the lack of clothing or nourishment, but also their hearts have not been nourished. They have wounds they bear inside.”

Dallas Baptist University student Jennifer Dyess prays with a child at the San Gabriel orphanage following an evangelistic service at the home for older boys. Dyess' paint-streaked legs are testimony to the work the team performed on the home's meeting hall and administration building.

While the work was difficult and days ran long, it was perhaps the emotional strain of working with underprivileged children that often affected group members.

“There is a lot of emotion, a lot,” em-phasized Libby Barnard of Dallas. She said the emotional toll of hearing children's stories of neglect, abuse and abandonment grew enough times that “I constantly had to let it go. You pull away and pray, then go back in there.”

Barnard said the image that will stay with her the longest is of the boys at Eliza Martinez, many of them special-needs children. “It was them, with their disabilities and deformities and me humbling myself before them.

“I struggled with how to minister to them. I prepared by asking God to flow through me and that my faith would be increased. Even though I can't see the finished product of our work, that was not important. What was important was to do the work.”

DBU senior Fabian Ramirez of Houston admitted to learning a new sense of humility by ministering in the orphanages.

“We are people who have everything in the States, and these kids are so much more appreciative. We went through the plan of salvation with one group, and 85 percent of them stood and received him. They realized their need.”

He agreed that ministering to the children could become emotional. “I tried hard not to break down, but when I told them, 'We are all part of the same family,' I broke down. I realized I had new, younger brothers.”

His consolation, he said, was the knowledge that “we're leaving them with assurance, giving them hope and letting them know they are special. They are assured that with God as their Father, their future is very bright.”

When senior Taylor Brewer first met Julio, an orphan with autism, during the trip, she said he “wouldn't look at us.”

After working with him though, during VBS time, Julio's icy shell melted, and he began to talk to Brewer. “He said he misses his mom. I could just hold him and cry with him. I felt so hopeless, but it was the most wonderful part of the trip.”

At the Manchin girls' home in Antigua, classmates Barnard and Mandy Biggs hugged and held teenage girls overcome with grief as they watched one of their friends check out of the home.

“They are upset that their friend is leaving,” a Buckner translator said. “But they are more upset because they have no home to go back to.”

Manchin is a place where tenderness sometimes has to tear through the tough veneer many of the girls wear. Many of its residents have come from a life on the streets and, at 14 or 15, have brought their babies. Some are being sheltered following a young life of prostitution. Others have been convinced not to sell their babies to adoption providers, a major source of income in Guatemala's national economy.

At Manchin, the girls receive an education and often a chance to escape victimization, Chace said. “Many of the girls have been sexually exploited. They are often picked up by authorities as dancers and prostitutes in bars, or they have been victims of the pornography trade.”

There also were fun times for the group. At Casa Alegría (House of Happiness), a home to about 50 children, team members scooped up children happy to see the new visitors. Over the play and hugs, several team members could be heard praying for safety and for God's intervention in the children's lives.

Among the aid Buckner has brought to the home has been the renovation of the interior, playground equipment and the provision of a tank for clean water. The home's director waves her hands dramatically when she talks about her favorite aid package from Buckner–“six thousand diapers a month!”

In addition to the physical aid, Buckner recently instituted the “Niñeras” (nannies) program at Casa Alegría, providing up to 13 caregivers to overcome the problems caused by lack of adequate care.

Casa Alegria also provided victories for the team. Sophomore Jonathan Kuiren of New Jersey noted that his trip was validated when he picked up a child afflicted with a lung disease. “When he came into my arms, he laughed. That's what we're here for.”

Posted: 6/10/05

Practice pays off at Bible drill

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS–Winners of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Bible drill and speaking competitions credited many hours in prayer and practice for their standout performances.

Participants said they practiced several times a week with others from their respective churches. Hanna Eunice of Northside Baptist Church in Del Rio, who won the junior high Bible drill competition, thanked her friends and family for their help.

Many other competitors also had the support of their families, who helped young people hone their skills. Family members turned out in force for the state finals, filling one of the largest rooms at the Baptist building in Dallas in support of their loved ones.

Christina Kruse of Lifeway Fellowship in Killeen, who won the high school speakers' competition, called the victory “an answer to prayer.” For placing first, she won a scholarship to a BGCT-affiliated university.

“I've been praying and talking to God about where to go to college,” she said. A high school junior, she is considering attending Baylor University or the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Laura Sexton of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler won second place in the youth speakers' tournament.

Elizabeth Rasmussen and A.R. Moreno of First Baptist Church in Belton and Jacob Eunice of Northside Baptist Church in Del Rio all tied for first place in the high school Bible drill competition, illustrating the closeness of the contest.

Jeni Hawk of First Baptist Church in Buna won second prize in the youth Bible drill high school division, and Chance Burnett of Central Baptist Church in Evadale won second place in the junior high division.

More than 1,500 students competed in the various regional and state Bible drill and speakers' tournaments. Dickie Dunn, who directs the competition with the BGCT Bible Study/Discipleship Center, praised the work of each participant, noting the young people's scores were close in many instances. “Hiding Scripture” in a person's heart is worth every hour of practice, he said.

Posted: 6/10/05

Effective children's ministries
involve, equip parents

By David Winfrey

Kentucky Western Recorder

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP)–“Parents are the missing element of children's ministry,” an author and children's-ministry consultant recently told a Baptist conference.

Too many churches are working off the 1970s model of recruiting a paid or volunteer worker to “baby-sit” children while the adults hold their worship service, said Art Murphy, author of The Faith of a Child.

“It's not the job of the 10 percent to do 90 percent of the work,” he said. “That's called unhealthy.”

But successful children's ministries today involve parents in the work with children and equip adults to be Christian parents and role models throughout the week.

Parental involvement is one of 10 components that make up a strong children's ministry, Murphy said.

Other components of a healthy ministry he identified are:

Bible truth. “This is our power source,” he said, referring both to Bible facts and Christian doctrine. Children's ministries can reinforce such truth, he added, by teaching kids to memorize Bible verses and lists, such as the fruit of the Spirit.

Bible application. In addition to teaching Bible truth, children's workers should teach what that truth means in age-appropriate ways, Murphy said.

Noting that some educators want to teach children more than they can take in, Murphy compared it to trying to teach a 6-year-old to avoid adultery. The goal, he added, is not for children to know everything about the Old Testament's Daniel but to know “they want to be a Daniel.”

Shepherding. Shepherding involves not only caring for children but also observing them so that workers learn how best to care for those in their ministry, he said.

Safety. This is the most important topic for visiting families, Murphy noted. “This is a different day, folks, and it's not about the members. It's about the ones outside,” he said. Children's ministries should be concerned about emotional safety as well as physical safety, he noted, including such issues as bullies, teasing, nicknames and labels.

Trained and adequate staff. Training includes appropriate children's evangelism, as well as understanding how to treat a 4-year-old differently from a fourth grader, Murphy said. Adequate includes having the right ratio of adults to children. Ministries should have one adult for every two babies; one adult for every four preschoolers; one adult for every five elementary school children; and one adult for every seven or eight preteens, he said.

Facilities. Child-friendly facilities “say we like kids, and kids like it here,” Murphy said. “A lot of our facilities could use a touch-up.”

Special events. Four or five special events each year tell the children they're important to the church. They also offer children and parents opportunities to invite other children, Murphy said.

Music. Christian music can help equip children to face a non-Christian world, he said. “We want to give them some tools that work, and music is a powerful tool,” he said. “It's easier to remember songs than it is a Bible verse, sometimes.”

Play. Churches that offer play help children interact and get exercise, Murphy said. “You'll have more discipline, they are never late anymore, and they bring their friends.”

Every church's children's ministry should aim to equip children to have two thoughts throughout the week, Murphy said: “What would God want me to do in this situation?” and “I can't wait until next Sunday.”

One simple change any church can make is to change the name of its children's Sunday school. Approximately 45 percent of the churches Murphy talks to are using such names as Kid's Zone.

“If you love Sunday school … please change the name, because it sounds worse than Saturday school,” he said.

Posted: 6/10/05

Parents ask, 'When is my child
old enough to follow Christ?'

By Marv Knox

Editor

When is a child “old enough” to become a Christian?

The answer is as varied and unique as each child, according to experienced children's ministers, who declined to state an age when children should be ready to accept Jesus as their Savior.

“There is no uniform age for a child to all of a sudden know the difference between right and wrong and that Christ needs to be their Lord and Savior,” stressed Curtis Barrett, children's minister at First Baptist Church in Lewisville.

“Look at the salvation experience as a journey–and a journey that every Christian is on, and we are never going to complete the journey until we die and go to heaven,” advised Diane Lane, preschool/children consultant for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

That means children may take many spiritual steps before they're ready to make a thoughtful commitment to follow Jesus. It doesn't mean they're ready when they first ask about Jesus or being baptized.

“When they start asking questions, make sure what the real question is,” said David Butts, children's minister at First Baptist Church in Arlington. “Sometimes, it's just gaining information, rather than being at the point where they are ready to make a commitment.”

Children who are active in church usually start asking spiritual questions when they're in kindergarten or first grade, but that reflects their developmental stage, not necessarily their spiritual condition, added Tommy Sanders, minister of childhood education at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas and author of a book on the subject, When Can I?

“They may be asking about baptism, and they are not really asking about becoming a Christian, although some parents jump to that conclusion,” he said.

Tangible spiritual events in church–particularly baptism and observance of the Lord's Supper–prompt children's curiosity, the ministers said.

“Children become very interested in becoming a Christian during some times of the year,” Lane said. “Between Easter and through the summer, these are the times the church emphasizes the salvation experience–with resurrection at Easter, and then during Vacation Bible School and summer camps.”

Easter often nudges children to ask spiritual questions, “especially if the church is doing a play or pageant where Jesus is depicted as being physically crucified,” Butts said. “That's very emotional for children. … They feel like they should do something.”

Christmas also is a prompting time, because children hear adults talk about the birth of Jesus and about his life and ministry, Butts added.

Their curiosity may soar when a child's friend is baptized and receives the elements of the Lord's Supper, the ministers said. A child may feel curious, or even jealous, when a friend does something in church that he or she cannot do.

Consequently, Sanders tries to help children and their parents determine if a child's desire to make a public profession of faith in Christ and be baptized is a “want to” or a “need to.”

“If it's a 'want to,' then it's about attaining a certain status–being part of a group or feeling included,” he explained. “The way we approach baptism and the Lord's Supper sometimes excludes children. If we find ways to involve them and talk about it, that lowers the 'want to' status.”

But a “need to” desire to make a commitment to Christ is more persistent, Sanders added. For example, a child may ask about making a Christian commitment or being baptized during a worship service, and a parent may suggest they talk about it when they get home. If the child never brings up the topic at home, then the request probably was a “want to,” not a “need to.”

“Let the child and the Holy Spirit be in the driver's seat. You're there to guide the child,” he said. “If they bring it up at night during prayer time or when they're going to bed, that's a key. That tells you there's a growing interest.”

Children may evidence several signs they're about ready to accept Christ as their Savior, the ministers said.

“Sometimes, their mood will change,” Lane said. “They will become very serious–or the opposite, they will act out. They don't know how to deal with their feelings when they become aware of what Jesus did, and they don't know how to deal with that. That's when you know they're dealing with becoming a Christian.”

As children become more ready for a commitment, they show a deepening understanding of important faith concepts, Butts said.

“Just about any child who grows up in church loves Jesus, but that's not being a Christian,” he said. “Children need to know what sin is, that their sin keeps them from God and that they need to be forgiven. They need to have that concept before they can go forward.”

“You may talk about sin, and they may say it's about doing something wrong. But when they understand, they realize sin impacts God, that it's vertical as well as horizontal,” Sanders explained. “Sin is more than doing something wrong. It's doing things my way and not God's way. It's avoiding doing the right thing.”

Children who are ready to make a commitment not only understand what sin is, but also “how Jesus relates to their punishment of sin,” Barrett said. He uses two illustrations to help children grasp the concept.

In one, he asks them how they would feel if they and a sibling were fighting and the child knocked over their mother's lamp. “Somebody has to be punished,” he reasons with the child. “How would you feel if you got punished? Now, how would you feel if your brother took your punishment?” He relates that sin involves breaking God's rules, which require punishment, but that Jesus takes the punishment instead.

In another illustration, he asks children to imagine a video camera that could record all their thoughts and actions, 24 hours a day. But when a person accepts Jesus as Savior and Jesus takes his punishment, “it's like the video never existed, like all the bad things they've ever done vanished.”

“If the lightbulb's going on, you can feel they're getting it,” Barrett said.

A key to discerning if a child is ready to make a spiritual commitment is to listen to that child, Sanders noted. “When you let them talk, when they express things in their own words–that's when I see the Holy Spirit work the most, when a child expresses their own spiritual journey in their own words.”

A caring adult can prompt that conversation with important questions, Lane said. Children exhibit readiness by answering some simple questions in their own words. They include:

Who is Jesus?

Why did Jesus come to Earth?

What did Jesus do?

Why do you think it's important to become a Christian?

How long have you been thinking about becoming a Christian?

What is sin?

Who have you sinned against?

If a child understands these concepts, the time may be right to make a commitment–for the child to admit her or his own sin, to believe in Jesus Christ, and to confess those sins, repent and ask forgiveness.

The ministers all emphasized the special role parents are privileged to play in leading their children to faith in Christ. Children's ministers and pastors are ready and willing to talk and to help. Many offer classes for children who are thinking about becoming a Christian. But the ultimate responsibility is up to the parents, who also can experience the indescribable joy of leading their children into the family of faith.

Posted: 6/10/05

Texas Baptist churches are choosing from a variety of Vacation Bible School curricula.

Churches face choices in VBS curriculum

By George Henson

Staff Writer

When selecting materials for Vacation Bible School, choose substance over style, a Baptist General Convention of Texas children's consultant advises.

“The outcome of Vacation Bible School should be bringing a child closer to God–either to bring them to the point of salvation in Christ or another step in their spiritual journey,” said Diane Lane, preschool and children's consultant in the BGCT Bible Study/ Discipleship Center.

The emphasis of the materials should on Bible study, not peripherals like colorful decorations for classroom walls or crafts, she added.

“All the decorations show an interest by the teachers, and it sets the atmosphere for the Vacation Bible School. But longevity-wise, it has to be biblically strong and theologically correct for it to stick with the kids and have a long-term impact,” Lane said.

“Children learn primarily through emotion through about age 6; so, the passion of the teacher is a lot of what communicates.”

The excitement of the teacher during the hours spent together overshadows any impact made by wall decorations. “That's what the children are going to remember, not the decorations on the wall or the craft they made, but that teacher sharing what a difference Christ has made in their life and how exciting that is.”

While churches recognize the importance of good Bible stories and relevant lessons, individual circumstances lead them to choose a wide range of Vacation Bible School materials.

Baptist General Convention of Texas-related churches will use at least eight pre-packaged curricula: Standard Publishing's Construction Zone; Gospel Light's Kingdom of the Son: A Prayer Safari; LifeWay Christian Resources' Ramblin' Road Trip and Beach Blast; Group Publishing's Serengeti Trek and Jerusalem Marketplace; BaptistWay's Tejas Trails; and Cook Publishing's Good News Clues.

Sam Burgeson, minister of education and administration at First Baptist Church in Mineral Wells, said he spent a day on the Internet investigating the options available. He eliminated one because it used only the King James Version of the Bible, and he feared it might be hard to understand. He ruled out another because he didn't like the Bible studies.

He ultimately decided he liked the Construction Zone materials, but he was unfamiliar with Standard Publishing, so he made a telephone call to learn more about the publisher. After talking to company representatives, his fears were allayed, and he placed the church's order.

Burgeson particularly was impressed that the curriculum afforded two different ending programs and all materials could be reproduced without charge, making it more cost-efficient. The music that went along with the curriculum also was a selling point, he said.

The deciding factor was that the focus of the material was about building Christian character, something Burgeson feels is important for children.

“A couple of years ago, the public schools started the Character Counts program, but how can a non-Christian teacher teach my children character? Well, it's watered-down. It's good, but it's not the character of Christ. This addresses that,” he explained.

Burgeson also found the Vacation Bible School workshop sponsored by Parker-Palo Pinto Baptist Association to be helpful in looking over various materials.

University Baptist Church in Houston's director of children's ministries, Beth Simpkins, narrowed down the curricula to two and then allowed parents to vote for their choice. They chose Gospel Light's Kingdom of the Son: A Prayer Safari.

Two primary considerations seemed to be the church had used Gospel Light materials in 2004 with good success, and the prayer theme was timely.

“One of our churchwide goals is to become a community of prayer,” Simpkins explained. “This year's VBS curriculum takes the Lord's Prayer and goes through it phrase by phrase, explaining what each part of the prayer means.”

First Baptist Church in Floydada chose LifeWay's Ramblin' Road Trip after previewing four VBS curricula at an area conference.

“This one looked like it was the most colorful, most exciting and the easiest to put together for our workers,” said Bill Swinney, minister of education.

The Lifeway video and musical portions also were key selling points, since children are much more attuned to multimedia approaches to learning, he said.

Christoval Baptist Church in Christoval chose LifeWay's other product, Beach Blast. The church asked for samples from four or five curricula before making a decision, Pastor Doug Hurt said.

The church was looking for a material that would be exciting for children, easy for the volunteer workers to use and cost-efficient, he explained.

Christoval Baptist is a rural church that averages between 55 and 80 children in Vacation Bible School in a community with only 120 school-aged children. The opportunity to reach that high a percentage of the community's children makes Va-cation Bible School a high priority for the church, Hurt said.

“It's our biggest evangelistic push for our children. We expose them to the gospel throughout the week and spend another evening making sure they understand what it means for them to ask Christ into their hearts,” he said.

It is thrilling to watch each year as volunteers transform the sanctuary into something exciting for children, he added. This year, the walls will be covered with waves and surfers on those waves. “Our workers really put a lot of time and effort into this,” Hurt said.

Calvary Baptist Church in Weatherford will use Beach Blast for its younger children, but will use BaptistWay's Tejas Trails for youth in the 8th grade and older.

“Tejas Trails is about friendship, and that's the time they need friends and need to know how to be better friends,” said Debbie Turner, the church's VBS coordinator.

Karla Fermin, children's team leader at Wildewood Baptist Church in Spring, said she and the church's Vacation Bible School leaders constantly are evaluating VBS materials. Wildewood will use Group Publishing's Serengeti Trek. Key factors in the decision were the ease of use by volunteers, the fun level for children and that it uses “the media sources they are used to,” she said.

“The music is absolutely excellent,” Fermin added.

“Group and LifeWay both do an excellent job of providing support to help you tailor the curriculum for what you want to do. That's important in our making it work in our specific situation,” she said.

Hilltop Family Church in Springtown will use Cook Communications Good News Clues. Hilltop has been using Cook Communications materials for the past six years, and teachers like having a commodity they can trust, Minister of Education Darrell Mathis said.

Just as the churches put forth their best efforts, so do the publishers of the materials, said Mary Katharine Hunt, LifeWay Christian Resources' VBS division project manager.

“We view Vacation Bible School as the No. 1 outreach event of the year, because that is what the churches tell us that it is,” she said. “We put our best efforts into these materials, because we are told that about 100,000 people come to know the Lord through VBS each year. That's why we work so hard to make the materials appealing and the gospel message very clear.”

She said that makes her job very fulfilling.

“I really enjoy coming to work. Our work is so important it keeps us on our toes and on our knees.”