Posted: 8/10/07

Baptist World Aid issues
appeal for South Asia

WASHINGTON, D.C.—With up to 20 million people affected by the floods in South Asia, Baptist World Aid, the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance, issued an appeal for funds to provide help.

Floods have devastated parts of Nepal, India and Bangladesh. BWAid sent initial grants of $5,000 each to the Bengal Baptist Union and the Bengal Orissa Bihar Baptist Churches Association in India.

The annual monsoon often brings flooding to these countries, but this year’s rainfall has been well in excess of normal. Some experts comment that the flooding could be far worse than the record-breaking floods of 1988 and 1998.

“It is the poor who suffer so much in these situations,” BWAid Director Paul Montacute said. “The poor live on low lying ground or on land that is easily swept away as waters descend from the mountains.”

Many people have taken shelter in whatever raised ground they can find, and are relying on food drops. Now there is concern for a spread of diseases such as malaria and encephalitis.

BWAid is working with and through Baptist groups to bring immediate relief. In Bangladesh, Baptist Aid—a ministry of the Bangladesh Baptist Church Fellowship—is engaged in emergency relief operations. Six teams are at work providing flood victims with some dried food, but funds to purchase the food already are running out.

Nripen Baidya, the Bangladesh program director for Baptist Aid, has visited the most badly affected areas, providing support to their six relief teams.

“Children and old men and women are suffering the most,” Baidya said. “Baptist Aid would be happy to meet some (more) of the needs of these suffering people. We are in prayer. We also need the prayer support from our friends all over the world.”

BWAid also is awaiting relief proposals from other Baptist groups in the region so that assistance can be given to those in most need.

Designated gifts for “Asia Floods” can be sent to: Baptist World Aid, Baptist World Alliance, 405 North Washington St., Falls Church, VA22046.

For more information, contact Paul Montacute or Lee Hickman at (703) 790-8980 or BWAid@bwanet.org.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 8/09/07

History conference draws wide
array of Baptists to celebrate diversity

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

CHARLESTON, S.C. (ABP)—Perhaps the most notable thing about the recent “Baptist History Celebration,” held in the mother church of Southern Baptists, is that it happened at all.

But historians from an astonishing array of Baptist groups—liberal, conservative, fundamentalist, moderate, African-American, Caucasian, Latino, Northern, Southern, Calvinist and Arminian—gathered at the First Baptist Church of Charleston, S.C., to celebrate and learn more about the diversity they say has characterized the Baptist movement in the United States.

“The organizers—or I should say the magicians—who put all this together deserve our heartiest congratulations,” said Edwin Gaustad, an American Baptist historian, during the conference’s closing keynote address. “Baptist ecumenicity is sometimes a movement and sometimes a magical moment. I suggest this is just such a moment.”

The meeting bore out Gaustad’s observation. It began with an admiring profile of English Baptist pastor John Gill—a hero to neo-Calvinist Baptists—from a conservative Canadian Baptist who is slated to begin teaching this fall at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Shortly after, attendees heard from an American Baptist who is currently teaching at a Canadian Baptist seminary but who has also served on the Baylor University faculty. William Brackney noted that Baptists, from their roots in 17th-century English separatism, always have encompassed diverse theological views on Calvinism and other doctrines.

“We come from a very diverse background. It should surprise no one that we are a very diverse tradition today,” said Brackney, who teaches at Acadia Divinity College and is considered one of the world’s most authoritative Baptist historians.

The early Baptist movement in the United States was centered in the Northeast, and particularly New England, where Calvinistic Puritans governed all aspects of life, both civil and religious. Since the earliest U.S. Baptists had few confessional statements and differed from congregation to congregation on issues as fundamental as the nature of God’s sovereignty, Brackney said, “Imagine what this array of theology looked like to the Puritan colonists.”

As the early Baptists in the urban centers of the Northeast began to prosper and build larger churches, Brackney continued, many of them became increasingly concerned with “looking like good theological citizens” to their Puritan rulers. So they developed a form of Calvinism and stoic forms of worship.

These urban Baptists also began to codify theological confessions as well as establish more organized denominational bodies. The conference marked the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, the first in the New World.

The forms of Baptist theology dominant in the urban centers of the Northeast also exerted influence in Charleston, with the first church founded by colonists who had moved from Kittery, Maine. The Charleston Baptist Association would later become the first such association in the South.

Likewise, a “Charleston tradition” in worship styles among Southern Baptists developed out of the host church, with an emphasis on education, structure and order that would make many Presbyterians feel at home. Meanwhile, simultaneously, the “Sandy Creek tradition” began developing out of the Sandy Creek Baptist Church near Asheboro, N.C. That style emphasized emotional worship experiences and the unpredictable movement of the Holy Spirit.

The conference explored Baptists’ worship history as well, with features on the development of Baptist hymnody. Irvin Murrell, a professor at the Baptist College of Florida, told participants that an examination of early U.S. Baptist hymnals revealed that, despite extreme differences in worship styles between several Baptist groups, the hymnals of Calvinistic, high-church and low-church groups alike contained a common core of agreed-upon hymns.

“We have a multi-polar heritage,” he said. “Those poles are going to pull against each other in a creative tension. Don’t let our multi-polars pull us apart.”

The conference’s host church also played an important role in another distinguishing mark among Baptists—their split into Northern and Southern camps over the issue of slavery. From the very chancel where longtime pastor Richard Furman once cited Scripture to justify the continuation of slavery, and in a sanctuary ringed by a gallery where black members were once required to sit, historians recounted the contributions of African-American Baptists.

“For many years … historians paid little attention to these great souls who labored hard and faithfully for the Lord,” said LeRoy Fitts, one of the nation’s most prominent African-American Baptist historians, in a profile of Lott Carey. Carey is widely regarded as the first black Baptist missionary. His evangelistic work continues to bear fruit in Liberia, Ghana and other West African nations.

“Records indicate that Lott Carey may rightfully be called the father of West African missions,” Fitts said. Carey was born into slavery in Virginia in 1780. In 1807, he became a Christian after hearing a sermon from the slave gallery of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, Va. Fitts said a white deacon at the church taught Carey the Bible in a night school for slaves.

By 1815, Carey had earned enough money to purchase his own freedom and that of his children. In 1821, he went to Sierra Leone and then to Liberia. Although his life was cut short by an 1828 explosion, the largest African-American Baptist missionary-sending group still bears his name.

Overall, Brackney said, the many strains of theology, political involvement and worship style in early U.S. Baptist history reveal little conventional unity in the tradition. But, quoting the apostle Paul, he said, “If there is a theological golden cord running through early Baptist life and thought, it is … ‘we confess we know but in part.’“

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 8/09/07

Moment of silence case indicates importance
of teacher training, CLC director says

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS—A case challenging the moment of silence in schools illustrates the need for training teachers on how to handle issues dealing with religion in schools, according to the director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission.

David Wallace Croft is suing Gov. Rick Perry and the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in an effort to end the minute of silence. He argues it is unconstitutional because it amounts to the state endorsing prayer.

According to the lawsuit, a teacher told Croft’s son, who attends Rosedale Elementary School, the minute of silence was specifically for prayer, and then the teacher prayed.

CLC Director Suzii Paynter, who worked on minute of silence legislation authored by Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio), said the law is constitutional, but the teacher apparently mishandled the situation.

Situations like these can be prevented by following principles outlined in Texas Education Agency training sessions, Paynter said.

“The most common problem with the minute of silence and confusion with mandatory prayer is when teachers have difficulty expressing the purpose and limits of the minute of silence,” she said.

“It appears that in Carrollton, the problem for Mr. Croft’s child resulted from a classroom comment by a teacher, not as a result of an unconstitutional law. The most common-sense remedy for a situation like this is proper and thorough training for teachers. Texas provides the opportunity for this training currently in the staff development code for Texas schools.

“Staff development training on prayer in schools is an option for every school district in required teacher training. Unfortunately, many school districts do not choose this option for training and teachers are not prepared adequately to handle questions or confusion regarding the minute of silence.”

Instructors must understand how to be neutral regarding religion in the classroom, said Paynter, a former teacher. Students can reflect, pray, meditate or do nothing during the minute of silence, and teachers must let students know that.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 8/08/07

BaptistWay Bible Series for August 19

Weeping in the night

• Lamentations 1:1-5, 12-22

By Corey Cornutt

Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene

The book of Lamentations captures sorrow in its purest form. The book is anonymously written by someone who witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. The destruction of the city was so complete Jerusalem never again would be the same. It was as if the Jews were grieving over the death of a loved one.

The book of Lamentations is included in Jewish liturgy, being read on the day of commemoration of the destruction of the temple. Likewise, the Roman Catholic Church includes Lamentations in its liturgy during the final three days of the Holy Week.

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This liturgical use probably arises from the structure of Lamentations. Each poem, with the exception of the fifth one, is an acrostic. Every line begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order. This could have been the author’s attempt either to help readers memorize the poems or to show the readers the complete “A to Z” destruction of Jerusalem and the holy temple.

A horrific tragedy (Lamentations 1:1-5)

In verse 1, Jerusalem is called both a widow and a princess who has become a slave. This shows the great disparity between the Jerusalem that was a city to be envied and what Jerusalem became after the Babylonian defeat—smoldering ruins left in the wake of a superior power. The Jews identity as God’s chosen people was very important to their faith, and now that identity was gone.

To add insult to injury, verse 5 indicates that while Jerusalem is going through disaster, her enemies are prospering. There is nothing worse than suffering while those you dislike thrive. This is the same thing many Americans experienced as they watched news channels broadcast pictures of Al Qaeda members celebrating in the streets combined with pictures of a smoldering New York City in the wake of 9/11. To reflect on our own history, that also was probably what African slaves felt under their American masters and others who profited from the cotton trade before the American Civil War.

Perhaps the tragedy hits hardest as described in Lamentations 2:11-12. The author speaks of shedding tears at the sight of children fainting in the streets from extreme hunger because even food was becoming a rarity for the defeated Jews. Sorrow and suffering are experienced most purely when one looks into the eyes of a hurting child.

You are correct if you think that we, as Americans, could never fully understand the plight of the Jews in Lamentations. We can, however, find a measure of similarity to Lamentations in our own experiences. All of us have undergone some type of loss, whether it be suffering in our own lives or sorrow over the death of a loved one. Likewise, people all over the world face suffering daily, whether it be feeling the pangs of starvation or hiding from a corrupt government.

Our country also has experienced great times of loss. Take these few words and phrases for example: the Challenger, Pearl Harbor, Columbine, 9/11, Oklahoma City bombing, Hurricane Katrina, Space Shuttle Columbia, Vietnam, Iraq and, most recently, the Virginia Tech shootings. No country will ever be free from tragedy. But why do such tragedies occur?

The reason for tragedy (Lamentations 1:12-22)

Throughout the entire book, the author attributes Jerusalem’s suffering to God alone. Verse 13 is a prime example—where God acts against Jerusalem in all four statements. I’m sure many of the Jews were questioning God: “Why, O Lord, would you forsake us and bless those evildoers?” The answer, however, had already been provided.

In 2 Chronicles 36:15-16, we learn God was angry at his people for continually breaking the holy law. Yet God had compassion on the people and sent messenger after messenger telling them to repent from their wicked ways. But alas, they never repented, and God’s wrath burned so hotly against them there was no remedy. God had to act. The author of Lamentations reminds his readers in verse 18 that God is righteous, and they are being punished for their rebellion against God.

Can such a tragedy happen again? Is America in danger due to its current trend towards ungodliness? Some might think so. We know that on this side of the cross, however, there is no longer one specific country that is God’s chosen. The church is now where God resides. So should the church be afraid?

Some think God actively punished the Jews himself when they were overthrown. Others think that God merely removed his hedge of protection around Jerusalem because of their transgressions. Perhaps God was letting them live with the results of their sin. Maybe he had just “given them enough rope to hang themselves.”

Whatever the case, no one should disobey the word of God. As individuals and churches, we must consistently live in harmony with God’s will. Otherwise—whether it be God’s direct punishment, his removal of protection, or living with the consequences of our sin—tragedy is inevitable.

Discussion question

• How might you and/or your church be taking God’s grace and protection for granted?

• What are some ways God has protected you from your sin and/or the sin of others?

• What would your life be like if that protection were non-existent.

• How can committing to obey God’s commands show your gratitude for God’s presence in your life?

Corey Cornutt is a master of divinity student at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon Seminary in Abilene.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 8/08/07

Bible Studies for Life Series for August 19

When sickness strikes

• 2 Kings 5:1-5; 8-16

By David Harp

First Baptist Church, Stanton

I was 18 years old and bulletproof. It was my senior year in high school. The world was at my fingertips. Many years before, I had made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, regardless.

On Sundays I worshipped God at Belmont Baptist Church in Pueblo, Colo. The sad truth of my life is that I had become a “secret service” Christian. I had managed to compartmentalize my life. On Sundays, my friends were church people. The rest of the week, I lived my life apart from God with the friends I made with my own winning personality. Sports and friends became my personal god.

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In the fall of 1975, I suddenly became ill. My illness started with a whimper—influenza. No big deal for an 18-year-old who was bulletproof and invincible. But the flu wouldn’t go away. Each day brought a new and mysterious symptom. Until that point, I had only seen a doctor when the school required me to do so for a physical. Those days were over for Mr. Bulletproof.

The next year of my life I became all too familiar with the medical community. I won’t bore you with all my details; you probably have your own. I will tell you that it took three months in 1975 for me to receive my diagnosis: Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Translation: French Polio. What began with a whimper now ravaged my weak and frail body. I lost all ability to walk because paralysis had taken over my body slowly and painstakingly.

In the words of the remarkable Presbyterian minister and chaplain to the U.S. Senate, Peter Marshall, God was tapping me on the shoulder. What would I do? Where could I turn? Would I be healed from this disease?

Our lesson this week seeks an answer to a question we have asked for ourselves or for a loved one: How can I know God cares for me when I’m sick?

Sickness can strike anyone (2 Kings 5:1-5)

In a few phrases in these verses, we learn Naaman was a remarkable man. Naaman was a high-ranking officer in the Syrian army. We might call him a four-star general. Scripture calls him “A great man with his master.” Naaman was trustworthy and important. He garnered the respect of his fellow man. Naaman was secure, responsible, honorable and brave. Naaman was also very sick; he had contracted leprosy.

Leprosy is a serious skin disease that can begin with a mild form of foot fungus and can lead to skin lesions where the skin literally falls away from the body. Leprosy often has been referred to as the cancer or AIDS disease of the ancient world.

Naaman was strong, powerful, and influential, but with leprosy, he also was very vulnerable. How long could he keep his powerful position? How long would it be before the disease took such control that he no longer could lead other men? When we are sick we are faced with our own limitations.

Naaman searches for a prophet of God so that he can be healed. Naaman is desperate and needs a cure. God uses ordinary people along the way. A servant girl suggests a cure might be possible through God’s prophet, Elisha. Naaman prepares and searches and finally finds God’s prophet, Elisha.

In error, Naaman thought he could purchase God’s healing. Surely God would be moved when he saw Naaman’s resources, strength and prominence.

Naaman is in a bargaining mood with God. Could he buy his healing?

God’s ways are not always understood (2 Kings 5:8-12)

Naaman is not the first person to seek an audience with God based on his own credentials. Surely Naaman’s wealth and prestige would gain this four-star general an audience with God or God’s prophet. Naaman brought with him horses and chariots—surely God would be impressed! Of course, we know God is not impressed with Naaman’s horses and chariots. God’s ways are not always understood!

The scene is set. Naaman stands outside the prophet Elisha’s house with his impressive collection of men and money. Instead of a personal audience with God or his mighty prophet, an unknown household servant peeks through the door, steps outside and gives him a most unusual message. In effect he says: “Elisha says to go dip in the river seven times and you’ll be fine. Have a nice day!” The door shuts and the servant is gone.

The seasoned soldier stands speechless. His neatly-pressed uniform must have wrinkled along with his confused face. God’s prophet didn’t even bother to come to the door himself. God’s prophet was seemingly unimpressed with Naaman’s entourage. What a humiliating set of instructions he gave. Scripture tells us Naaman was furious.

Naaman expected God and God’s prophet to take him seriously. Naaman also expected God and God’s prophet to take his illness seriously. Naaman wanted to hear Elisha personally say, “Well this is going to take some doing, but I think we can motivate God to work in the way we ask him to.”

Sound familiar? As we read these verses, we witness pride on parade. How often have we said, “I want God to work and move on my terms, in my way, according to my merit?” God’s ways are different.

God’s grace is available (2 Kings 5:13-16)

Naaman came dangerously close to missing out on God’s power and healing. Naaman would have to abandon his own personal ways for the ways of God. Was this strong and impressive general a big enough man to recognize his limitations? Could the general follow orders no matter how simple? Fortunately, in our passage, we are told that God uses ordinary people like Naaman’s servants. They urge him to follow orders. Naaman, the general used to giving orders, proves he also can follow orders. He goes to the Jordan River and immerses himself seven times.

Naaman receives healing from God alone. The mystery and simplicity of Naaman’s healing prompts us to praise God alone. No puff of smoke or loud trumpets playing. Elisha is not the source of God’s healing, cleansing power. The water is not magical. God uses ordinary people.

In my life, I had to learn no one is bulletproof. When sickness comes, we value health. God used ordinary people in my own life—doctors, physical therapists and a desperate patient. I made God a promise when I was at my lowest. I promised God if he would let me walk again, my steps would move in his direction.

Ken Gire, in his book The North Face of God, says: “When suffering shatters the carefully kept vase that is our lives, God stoops to pick up the pieces. But he doesn’t put them back together as a restoration project patterned after our former selves. Instead, he sifts through the rubble and selects some of the shards as raw material for another project—a mosaic that tells the story of redemption.”

The only answer to Naaman’s healing is the invisible and invincible Lord. In my experience, God alone always has been faithful.

Discussion questions

• Do you believe in healing?

• Why does God sometimes choose not to heal?

• What role does obedience play in this miracle?

• What have you learned from “God’s tap on your shoulder?”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 8/08/07

Explore the Bible Series for August 19

Living in covenant relationship

• Malachi 2:1-16

By Kathryn Aragon

First Baptist Church, Duncanville

There is no greater bond than covenant relationship. Although we see many depictions of this relationship throughout the Old Testament, none is greater than the covenant of salvation.

Covenant signifies agreement. In the case of salvation, this means we agree with God about our sinful nature and our inability to live up to God’s standard of perfection. Having agreed with God, we enter into Jesus’ death, allowing his blood to wash away the sins of the “old man” while giving life to the “new man.”

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This covenant is made at God’s expense. The debt of sin, which is far too heavy for us to carry, is removed. But it was meant to be replaced by a debt that is no burden at all, that of thankfulness, reverence and awe. “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Hebrews 8:10).

Jesus’ invitation, then, is to covenant relationship: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me … . For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Covenant relationship is binding

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple, separating us from the Holy of Holies, was torn in two. Through this, God signified we would no longer need an earthly high priest. Instead, Jesus is the High Priest who mediates for us with God. It also signifies each of us can enter a priestly role, relating to God personally and individually.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

God’s plan is perfect. Unfortunately, we aren’t. How easy it is to enter God’s grace, give a sigh of relief, and then fail to draw near to God. Or fail to love God sincerely. How easy it is to continue in our sin, turning our backs on our covenant with God. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left” (Hebrews 10: 26).

Is it any wonder God is offended? He made the perfect plan, waited patiently for the fullness of time, and sacrificed his own Son, Jesus. He offers a “covenant of life and peace.” Our response should be awe. How can it be that the majestic God of all creation, whose throne is heaven and whose footstool is earth, should favor us with his love. Yet in his perfection, he can’t help himself. God is love, after all.

In speaking of his covenant with Levi, God says, “My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin” (v. 5-6). God already has given us life and peace. We are bound to give God reverence.

Covenant relationship is eternal

The most wonderful thing about salvation is the magnitude of the gift. It gives us life and peace not only in this world, but for eternity. However, since the blessings of covenant relationship last forever, the consequences of ignoring covenant requirements also must be eternal.

When we fail to give God the reverence he deserves, we cheat God. Having accepted his grace in salvation, we now are in his debt. Of course, God intends the debt to be light. He only asks that we repay him with thankfulness and obedience. Unfortunately, because of the nature of covenants, when we fail to perform our part of the covenant, Malachi says we bring curses upon ourselves.

Not only does disregard for God bring curses on us individually, it also brings curses on our descendants. When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, he told him, “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:5).

Although we don’t like to think about God in the same sentence with curses, we can’t deny what God says. There are consequences for not honoring him. We can, however, take comfort in the fact that God’s blessings far outweigh his curses. Notice the curses will affect our children, grandchildren and even our great-grandchildren. Now notice how many of our descendants will be blessed by our commitment to covenant relationship with God. God prefers to bless us, but sometimes he must resort to drastic measures to get our attention. Cursing our blessings is just that: a drastic measure meant to discipline his children.

Because each of us has access to God, just as the priests did in the time of Malachi, God’s rebuke applies to us. “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction” (v. 7).

Yet we can’t preserve something we don’t have. Covenant relationship means we must know God, and we can know him only if we spend time with him. We must commit to learning God’s heart through prayer and reading the Bible. As the Psalmist writes, “Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord” (Psalm 119:1).

We must learn to stay focused on the generous gift of covenant relationship and show our thanks to God by honoring and reverencing him. Malachi reminds us disobedience brings curses on our blessings. But how much more will the God of love bless our curses if we turn to him with our whole hearts? “‘I have sent you this admonition so that my covenant with Levi may continue,’ says the Lord Almighty” (v. 4). Let’s step into the fullness of covenant relationship, and let’s step into blessing.

Discussion questions

• Why is it difficult for us to reverence God as he deserves?

• What does it mean to have “true instruction” in our mouths?

• Can we do this without seeming too dogmatic?

• Does being saved protect us from God’s anger?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 7/20/07

Effective children’s ministry more than numbers

By Robert Dilday

Virginia Religious Herald

An effective children’s ministry is more than an appendage to a congregation’s programming: It’s an integral part of a church’s mission and vision, children’s ministry leaders say.

Although it’s tempting to evaluate the success of children’s ministry by the numbers—attendance or professions of faith in Christ, for instance—other ways sometimes are more effective, the leaders report.

“I don’t think churches that have all the bells and whistles are necessarily doing the best ministry,” observed Diane Smith, children’s ministry specialist for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. “I’ve seen some church functions for children where there are so many kids, it’s easy for them to get lost in the crowd.”

Instead, it’s better to evaluate children’s ministry in light of its role in the overall life of the church.

“I would look at the vision of a specific church’s ministry to children and see how it is incorporated into the larger mission of the church,” said Deborah Upton, associate pastor for children’s ministries at First Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. “When there is clarity about that, other pieces fall into place.”

“I always hope children’s ministry will be seen as an integral part of the church,” said Carol Kleckner, children’s minister at Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston. “It’s not a kingdom unto itself, anymore than any ministry in the church is. What we do in children’s ministry impacts every family member.”

Evaluating children’s ministry means asking:

• Are the child’s attitudes changed?

“One of the most effective ways—though a difficult way—of evaluating children’s ministry is if you see biblical concepts being lived out in the life of the child,” Smith said. “Are they showing kindness or patience? Are they making good choices, basing decisions on what God would have them do?”

“I’ve developed a variety of discipleship classes for children … to help them examine their faith,” Upton said. “There need to be places where children can discuss specific topics of their faith more in depth than is possible in Sunday school.”

See Related Articles: • LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME: Children need worship role models • Effective children's ministry more than numbers • Ministry to children changes moms' & dads' lives, too

Among the classes Upton developed was “‘T’ is Tithing” and another on prayer, in which children practiced a variety of ways to pray. She’s developing a class on service—giving children an opportunity to experiment with several church ministry opportunities.

At Dallas Baptist University, students training to become children’s ministers use an interview process to discover how children feel about their church and their faith.

“It’s not an invasive thing to measure children against each other, but a process that gives us a clue about how they’re feeling about church and their understanding of key spiritual concepts,” said Tommy Sanders, director of DBU’s master’s degree in Christian education/childhood ministry.

Sanders’ students use a standardized measure of biblical learning. “One of my goals is not so much to gain the information as to equip students to learn how to talk to boys and girls. Often, we don’t do a good job at talking to children,” he explained.

• How do other members of the church relate to the children?

“How welcome are the children in congregation—with members who are not involved in teaching children?” Smith questioned. “Are children involved in the life of the church, or do they have to wait until they make a profession of faith? If you look at the biblical model, children were included in the church’s life from birth, not just after they became Christians. Is the church actively looking for ways to involve children and their families?”

• How involved are parents?

“What is the church doing to equip parents to be faith shapers?” Smith asked. “That should be the No. 1 question.”

The DBU program has focused on ways to involve parents and connect them to children’s ministry, Sanders said.

“Sunday school has kind of taken spiritual education away from parents,” he noted. “The education and training of parents (to shape their children spiritually) is as important as anything we do at church and may be the most important thing we do. We’ve missed that because Sunday school is so important to Baptists. But in the past—before Sunday school was developed—spiritual instruction was the parents’ responsibility. Since then, it’s become the church’s responsibility.”

In response, Sanders, former children’s minister at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, helped the church develop a mandatory four-hour class for parents who want to have their babies dedicated.

• How involved outside of church are teachers and others leaders in lives of children they teach?

“The first thing I notice in a new situation is the relationship between the Sunday school teacher and the children,” Kleckner said. “It’s especially noteworthy when you see older children on a Sunday morning going back to speak to a teacher they had in the second or third grade.

“When children know the teacher cares about them, greets them every week, contacts them when they’re absent—that’s what the kids remember.

“Teachers should be making contact with the children in a variety of shapes and forms—phone calls, cards, e-mails, just stopping by and chatting.”

• Is the church keeping up with trends in child care and education—such as security and safety?

“These are very big issues right now,” Upton said. “Parents want to know that their kids are safe. Churches need to meet the challenge of improving their facilities and procedures to accommodate those concerns.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Storylist for week of 7/23/07

TAKE ME TO: Top Story |  Texas |  Opinion |  Baptists |  Faith & Culture |  Book Reviews |  Classifieds  |  Departments  |  Bible Study



• Pope's assertion finds parallels in Baptist successionism

• Baptists, other Christians push for reform in farm bill



• LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME: Children need worship role models

Special Report: Children's Ministry
• LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME: Children need worship role models

• Effective children's ministry more than numbers

• Ministry to children changes moms' & dads' lives, too


• Shores to lead Buckner ministry to Mexico, Border

• Court affirms religious obligation in case pitting sacred vs. secular

• Border, upstate churches team up to press gospel deep into Mexico

• Pieces fall in place to restore passion

• A truly ‘heavenly' cup of coffee

• On the Move

• Around the State

• Texas Tidbits


• Baptist bloggers start hanging out together in the same SBC ‘outpost'


• Harry Potter, move aside. Christian fantasy has arrived

• Urban population crunch prompts crowds in church

• Want your kids to keep faith? Take a chance on college degree

• Faith Digest


• Books reviewed in this issue: Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World by Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger, The Divine Appointment by Jerome Teel and The Sermon on the Mount: A Theological Investigation by Carl G. Vaught.


• Classified Ads

• Cartoon

• Texas Baptist Forum

• On the Move

• Around the State


• EDITORIAL: At least the pope cleared the air

• DOWN HOME: It's not too late to say some things

• TOGETHER: Ministers need time for rest & renewal

• 2nd Opinion: Immigration & evangelism

• RIGHT or WRONG? Non-smoking ordinances

• Texas Baptist Forum

• Cybercolumn by John Duncan: Above, where Christ is



• BaptistWay Bible Series for July 22: All for nothing

• Bible Studies for Life Series for July 22: Sharing Christ in All Places

• Explore the Bible Series for July 22: Zechariah calls us to dependence

• BaptistWay Bible Series for July 29: Toward a more meaningful life

• Bible Studies for Life Series for July 29: Agreeing on the basics

• Explore the Bible Series for July 29: Zechariah calls us to integrity


Previously Posted
• Baptists' statewide efforts pull Texas out of floods

• Flips flops. Bibles. Teenagers: YEC cultivates relationships with God

• BGCT jumpstarts evangelism efforts, releases plans for “Engage”

• Baylor hospital ranks among best in U.S.

• Philanthropic Texas Baptist family issues challenge for BJC campaign

• World Changers bridge generation gap with a helping hand

• Football trip focuses more on winning souls than on winning games

• Late-in-life parents count their blessings, beginning with their son

• Sports camp gives children hope

• In spite of disabilities, author sees life from ‘the bright side'

• Baylor student's Middle East mission a lifetime in the making

• Cromartie, Land again officers for religious-freedom panel

• BGCT seeks to open doors for women's ministry

• Jamaican pastor elected BWA general secretary in historic vote

• Baptist alliance celebrates global freedom

• BWA celebrates freedom, promotes reconciliation

• BWA leaders at Ghana gathering call for repentance, forgiveness for slavery

• Accrediting association reprimands Criswell College due to finances

• CBF meets with American Baptists for centennial celebration

• Truett's famed religious liberty sermon recreated at D.C. event


• See articles from the previous 7/09/07 issue here.

Posted: 8/03/07

Participants at Blume—formerly known as the National Acteens Convention— sing praises to God.

Young women challenged to live
the ‘amazing life’ on mission with God

By Julie Walters

Woman’s Missionary Union

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—More than 3,000 teenaged and collegiate young women were challenged to live “the amazing life” during Blume, a missions event sponsored by national Woman’s Missionary Union.

Texas had the largest representation of any state at the event—formerly known as the National Acteens Convention—with 349 participants.

National Acteens Panelists—including Tiffany Clark of First Baptist Church in Humble (2nd from left) share their personal prayer and challenge with Blume participants during the opening session of the missions meeting. Other panelists pictured are (left to right) Juliana Robbins of Calvary Baptist Church in Waynesboro, Tenn.; Brittany Burdine of University Hills Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C.; and Tara Hammett of First Baptist Church, Minden, La.

During five general sessions, keynote speaker Clella Lee of Fayetteville, N.C., used an analogy to TV reality contest show The Amazing Race, and she asked the girls to consider what is necessary to live “the amazing life.”

Her answer, which she and other speakers, including international and North American missionaries, developed over five general sessions, was to live out the commands in Luke 10:27—to love God holistically and to love one’s neighbor.

“God wants you to have an amazing, fulfilling and purposeful life,” Lee encouraged. “That’s why he made you, and that’s why he died for you. The amazing life is not a way to life; it’s a way of life—and you have to choose it.

“It is God’s plan for you to be God’s instrument in the world to carry out his plan, just as you are.”

At the conclusion of one evening session, 81 girls responded to an invitation to make a faith commitment.

Lauren Brown (left) of Minden, La., and Sarah Martin (right) of New Johnsonville, Tenn., show pony tails of Brown’s hair that she donated to Locks of Love. Martin, a recipient of hair pieces from Locks of Love, snipped the locks of Brown’s hair on stage during the first general session of Blume.

Of those, 10 made professions of faith in Christ, 26 indicated God was leading them into missions as a life direction, and many others rededicated their lives to Christ or wanted someone to pray with them about a specific need or decision.

As part of the breakout sessions, an elaborate interactive area featured opportunities for participants to learn more about various ministries, join in hands-on missions efforts, experience different cultures, and explore how they can use their gifts and passions to further the kingdom of God, Blume Coordinator Kym Mitchell explained.

Of the 100 collegiate girls who attended Blume, 25 walked more than a mile to the Kansas City Rescue Mission, a men’s shelter and soup kitchen in the heart of downtown.

They stood in line with other shelter guests to get their food, then later spent the night on the floor of a warehouse across the street. This eye-opening evening was part of a poverty simulation experience led by Jimmy and Janet Dorrell of Mission Waco.

“It was nice to put faces to this issue” of poverty, said Rachel Gerke, a member of Reynoldsburg Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio.

“We talk about the marginalized, but it was cool to actually sit and talk with them. It was humbling.

“It’s easy to think we have it all together, and we may have a good heart or we may think we have it better than them. But I don’t have anything on my own. It’s all of God.”

As part of Blume, girls were given an opportunity to put their faith into action by learning about and supporting several ministries.

Jean Cullen, national WMU ministry consultant who heads up the organization’s International Initiatives, made a powerful visual impact with a paper chain made of links of written prayers which girls penned for victims of human trafficking in Moldova during their time in the Blume interactive area.

Jena Lee, the executive director of Blood:Water Mission, a ministry dedicated to providing clean water to Africans and founded by Christian rock band Jars of Clay, was on hand to tell the girls about their 1000 Wells Project.

In the “Welcome to Moldova” exhibit, girls wound their way through a maze, their path based on tough life decisions presented at each doorway.

The exhibit was designed to help the girls understand life for many in Moldova—how thousands of girls become enslaved by human trafficking—and how the Beginning of Life Foundation can help.

This ministry seeks to help victims of human trafficking by providing them with safe housing, education and job skills training, and Christian counseling and discipleship.

At the end of the maze, participants were encouraged to write a prayer for girls in Moldova and add it to the prayer chain made of paper links.

A classroom and petting zoo filled with goats and a pig were set up to invite girls to learn about the Ricks Institute in Liberia, a K–12 school for children of the war-torn region.

It purchases livestock for children, who receive the immediate benefits of the animal, such as milk or meat from the offspring.

In addition, they learn animal husbandry skills, enabling their families to earn a living.

In the Locks of Love salon, girls personally gave to the ministry by donating their hair to be made into hairpieces for children with long-term medical hair loss.

With additional reporting by Amy Richardson, Jennifer Harris and Shea Vailes

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 8/03/07

Sherri Manning (left), manager of the Agape Thrift Store in Evant, visits with volunteer Carolyn Huncke.

Store offers help for needy and youth ministry

By Whitney Farr

Communications Intern

EVANT—Coffee addicts might not mind paying $4 for a frappe, but Agape Thrift Store in Evant sold a brand new espresso machine for a mere three bucks.

Coffee drinkers may not be the only ones paying too much. Every item in Agape is sold for $1, unless otherwise marked.

First Baptist Church in Evant opened Agape Thrift Store March 24 to aid needy people in its community by providing discounted clothing, housewares, furniture and other items, and to fund the congregation’s youth and children’s programs.

“This town is 25 miles away from a Wal-Mart, and that is a lot of money in gas, so people go here first to look for what they need,” Pastor David Bonnet said.

As the only English-speaking Baptist church in a town of 393 people, First Baptist felt called to minister to the children and youth in the community. The church, which averages 55 during Sunday services, was going into the red each month trying to fund its youth ministry.

Bill and Sherri Manning, who are now the managers of Agape, shared the idea of creating a thrift store that would meet the needs of the church youth ministry while responding to the needs of the people in Evant.

“If folks come in and they really need something, they don’t have to pay. We also provide a lot of clothing to go into Mexico,” volunteer Joe Lee said. “It’s part of our mission in life to help the unfortunate.”

Not long ago, a needy man passing through Evant on a bike sought help from First Baptist. The church took him to the thrift store and gave him much-needed clothing, shoes and personal items.

“It’s intended to be one big act of love in our community,” Bonnet said.

Lives have been touched, and the community of Evant has gotten closer since the store’s opening, Sherri Manning said.

“You have to help the physical needs of people before you can minister to their souls,” she said. “One woman came into the store saying she hadn’t been very faithful in her walk with Christ, but that the Christian music we were playing touched her heart. Just music—it planted a seed.”

Shoppers find surprises on the shelves every week as new items are donated, including plenty of hunting gear, said Lisa Bonnet, pastor’s wife and youth minister at First Baptist.

“We were wondering at first how many donations we would receive in a town this small, but the people have been remarkable—we receive a lot of new stuff,” Lee said. “I never thought we would be this blessed.”

Carolyn Huncke was out of town when her youth group was raising funds for camp, so she volunteered at Agape and received credit toward camp. A lot of interesting things are donated to the store, according to Huncke.

“They have this nose-picker that you plug into the wall and it has a finger,” Huncke said. “It’s still there, surprisingly.”

Agape Thrift Store is located on Brooks road, just off of US-281 in Evant, and is open on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.