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General Baptist

Spring 2014Messenger

In 2007, General Baptists reconfigured their international meeting and introduced the very first Missions and Ministry Summit. This gathering was a time to celebrate what God was doing through General Baptists around the world. I distinctly remember that first Summit gathering and the feeling of excitement that is best described by the words of the late Dr. James Murray, “There’s a fresh wind blow-ing.” That first Summit was held in Springfield, Illinois. We are returning to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, Illinois this summer to experience our 2014 Greater Things Summit on July 21-23. Our theme is taken from John 14:12 where Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.”

Our innovative Summit concept has evolved into a time of worship, training, information, networking and rejoicing over a three-day period. The Summit has revolutionized our movement and infused us with a sense of excitement and urgency to change the world with the gospel of Christ. Our main sessions are filled with uplifting music and Spirit-filled preaching where we are challenged to take our local churches and personal walks of faith to new levels. Our breakout sessions are a rich mix of education, training, information, and insight to remind us how vital the local church is in God’s plan to save the world.

Our special emphasis nights are always highlights of our time together when we pray for and commission brave men and women as International and National Missionaries. These folks have courageously answered God’s call to represent General Baptists as God’s feet and hands across the country and around the world. There is seldom a dry eye to be found during these services and a silent awe envelops the room. We not only realize the magnitude of the task that lies ahead for these missionaries, but we also savor with expectancy and anticipation how God will move through us as General Baptists and through people in numerous states and countries.

The 2014 Greater Things Summit is shaping up to be one of our very best gatherings yet! Our keynote speakers for the main sessions include some very recognized names among General Baptists, such as Brandon Petty, Phil Warren, and Jeff Smith, as well as some new faces such as a collection of worship leaders and musicians from several General Baptist churches who are organizing into an all-star worship team.

A multi-layered style of Breakout Session was well received last year while in Tampa. Our Breakout Sessions will not only include topic presenters, but also facilitators for question and answer times to provide an interactive learning environment.

We will also have many of our International Missionaries and all of our Church Planters on hand to keep us informed of what God is doing in their spheres of influence. If you’ve never had a chance to attend a missionary breakout session, where you have an opportunity to hear about the exciting work actually going on in the field and you get to see firsthand who and what your Unified Giving dollars support through the International and National Missions Departments, then you really don’t know what you’re missing!

On Tuesday evening as part of our Missions emphasis we will have the great honor of hearing Dr. David Cummings from Australia. Dr. Cummings not only served as a translator in Papua New Guinea, he also served as chairman of Wycliffe International for a number of years. He will share first-hand accounts of the impact the Word of God has as it is translated and delivered in native tongues around the world.

At The Summit we will also be receiving two offerings designated for Missions. One will be divided between our National and International Missions Departments, and the second will be received to assist our Women’s Ministries and their mission programs. I encourage you to start now in your local church to raise money for these two offerings and present the funds during these special times of giving. There is no limit to what General Baptists can do as we work together to make sure that the gospel goes forth into our towns, states, country, and the world.

I want to personally extend a special invitation to all General Baptists to come and join us at the Greater Things Summit in Springfield, Illinois on July 21-23, 2014. You will leave refreshed, challenged, encouraged, and excited at what God is doing among us and the greater things He has in store for us.

I absolutely believe our Lord has given General Baptists something to celebrate! See you in Springfield! Ω

From Our Executive Director by Clint Cook, Executive Director

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MessengerGeneral Baptist

Spring 2014

3 From Our Executive Director8 See You in Springfield9 Schedule of Events

10 Summit Children’s Activities11 Summit Youth Activities12 Meet Our Keynoters14 God Has a Vision for Your Marriage18 Workshop Tracks24 Healthy Church Track25 International Missions Workshops26 Women’s Ministries Workshops

Table of Contents

38 31The Differenc the Summit Makes

The Six Month Mark

27 Personal Enrichment Track29 International Missions VBS Project30 International Missionaries at The Summit31 The Six Month Mark32 MVP Update33 Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Faith Home Cafeteria35 Church Planting Update37 I’m Going to Springfield38 The Difference The Summit Makes42 General Baptist Ministries Expands Digital Communications

37I’m Going to Springfield

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God has a Vision for your Marriage

See you in Springfield

12Meet Our Keynoters

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The early Church knew while not all were called to travel the known world preaching the Gospel, all were expected to financially and spiritually support the work of those who were, as well as give toward emergency relief.

Paul mentions on numerous occasions the help he receives from the established churches and the offerings he delivers

to the poor. (Romans 15:23-24, Galatians 2:10, Philippians

4:16) People from all over would come together in support of a few, so that the Gospel could branch out to even more places.

Unified Giving allows us to follow the example of the

first believers and gather our resources to send and support

more missionaries than ever before to all corners of the world, and to provide

relief to the poor, the widowed, the orphaned, and the disaster-stricken. It enables us to do greater things together than what we can do alone.

Unified Giving

UnifiedGiving

#GBMINISTRIES

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See You in SpringfieldBy Jeff Smith, 2014 Moderator/Host

When asked to serve as moderator of the 2014 Mission & Ministry Summit, I wasn’t even sure what the moderator did other than bang a gavel and say something similar to “court is now in session”. I quickly asked others what was expected. The answer was pretty simple. Work with the Plan-ning Team to suggest the Summit theme,

suggest keynote speakers, and promote the event. Summit theme; Greater Things - check. Keynote Speakers: Justin & Tr-ish Davis, David Cummings, Ted Cunningham, Brandon Petty, Phil Warren - check. Promote the event - next box to check. So, I began to ask myself why come to The Summit? Why take my most precious commodity (time) and invest it in this event instead of other things? As I pondered these questions, I asked even deeper questions.

• Why would bi-vocational pastors take sacred vacation or personal time to come?

• Why would larger church pastors and staff pick the Summit over a litany of other high impact conference options?

• Why would lay people invest their own money and travel time to attend this gathering?

In my opinion, these questions deserve legitimate answers.Why should I come to this? So, as I pondered this question I

came up with my own personal reasons that drive me to attend every year.

1. Doing things together. Our mantra for the past several years has been “doing together what we cannot do alone.” But if you look across our movement, one might question if we really believe that. Many of our churches are isolated in remote rural areas and often feel alone with very little support. Others have grown so large that they feel an understandable connection with other larger churches outside our General Baptist family. Still others have just lost interest altogether and see no apparent value in connecting with other churches of our movement.

Brand loyalty and organizational commitment are things of the past. Gone are the days when you require people to do things “just because.” However, there is one thread that weaves through generational lines as well as cultural trends, and that thread is relationship.

Even though I am 100% in agreement with our doctrine, I remain General Baptist because my friends and contemporar-ies are General Baptist. They are my family! I have a long and growing list of personal friends I have made in this movement. I have walked with these guys, prayed with these guys, laughed, cried, and hopefully challenged these guys.

I go to the Summit because I get to see my friends, my contemporaries, my buddies. I go because they are there! I go because we are doing things together whether it’s sitting in a workshop, going to lunch, or worshipping together. The bottom line is that we are together in the same place this one time each year.

2. Leaders are born to be made. I recently read a blog that caught my attention. The post Leaders Are Born to Be Made (www.bigisthenewsmall.com) addressed the age old question, “Are leaders born or are leaders made?” In this post, Scott Williams suggests that leaders are born to be made. You should check out the blog or better yet mark it as required blog reading.

Leadership development is critical to the life and vitality of the church. Years ago, John Maxwell coined the phrase “Every-thing rises and falls on leadership”. He’s right! Church leaders must continually grow and stretch if they are to successfully lead the churches God calls them to lead. They must expand their knowledge, experience, and capacity to see growing vi-brant churches in their communities.

The Summit has always placed a high priority on leadership development. From its inception The Summit was intended to be a place of leadership resourcing and networking.

I pastor an amazing church. It’s a fast growing, forward thinking church but I come to the Summit to learn from guys who are growing faster, moving further, and doing it better than we are at Genesis. Big church, small church, city church, or country church it doesn’t matter because no one has the market cornered and we can still learn from one another. Proverbs 27:17 nails it “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” If you want to grow in your leadership knowledge and network don’t miss this year’s Summit!

Most will be able to come up with hundreds of reasons to skip this year’s Summit. Too far, no time, too expensive, been-there-done-that, yada, yada, yada. But, hopefully you’ll kick around the two ideas that keep me coming back year after year and decide to join us this year in Springfield, IL. In the words of modern day wise man Si Robertson, “It’s on like Donkey Kong. That’s a fact Jack.”

See you in Springfield! Ω

Jeff Smith grew up in West Plains, Missouri and returned there in 2008 with a dream to launch a new church plant. In partnership with General Baptist Ministries, Genesis Church came into existence in 2009. Since that time Jeff has served as Lead Pastor and in 2012 was selected to serve as Host/Moderator for this year’s Mission & Ministry Summit. Pastor Jeff also serves on the Council of Associ-ations and has been elected to the Executive Council where he also serves on the Personnel Committee.

the Summit

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FIND US ON &

Schedule of EventsMONDAY9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. General Session I – Keynote Speaker: Justin Davis10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Workshop 1Lunch1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Workshop 22:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open3:00 p.m. Afternoon Break (in exhibit hall)7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. General Session II – Keynote Speaker: Phil Warren

TUESDAY8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. General Session III – Keynote Speaker: Brandon Petty9:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 45 Minute Intensives10:45 a.m. G. A. Business SessionLunch1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Workshop 32:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open3:00 p.m. Afternoon Break (in exhibit hall)7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. General Session IV – Keynote Speaker: David CummingsMissions Commissioning Service

WEDNESDAY9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. General Session V – Keynote Speaker: Ted Cunningham10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Workshop 4Lunch1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Workshop 52:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open3:00 p.m. Afternoon Break (in exhibit hall)7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. General Session VI – Keynote Speaker: Clint Cook

SUMMIT REGISTRATIONRegistration for all Participants is located in the Hotel Lobby Entrance

located on the first floor.Sunday evening 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.Monday 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.Tuesday 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.The information desk will be manned:

8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. & again, 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. each day.

springfield

july21-23,2014Illinois

Not registered for the Summit yet? • Stop by the Summit website www.GBSummit.org

• Click on “Registration.”

• You can register online or download the form and send it in.

• Call Congregational Ministries at 573-785-7746 for more details.

Register

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Summit ChildrenAll children and students will be checked in through Kid-

Check secure child check-in system. All Summit volunteers involved in children’s ministries have had background checks.

Children’s Registration is located on the third floor.

NURSERY AND TODDLERS | Birth – 2 yearsNo Registration fee The nursery is located in the Springfield and Sangamon Rooms on the third floor. Children will be with their parents for all meals.

PRESCHOOL | 3-5 yearsNo registration fee The preschool room is located in the Illinois Room on the third floor. Children will be with their parents for all meals.

ELEMENTARY | K – 5th GradeRegistration fee - $55 The Elementary room is located in the Governor Conference Room on the third floor. Children will be with their parents for all meals except Tuesday lunch. Be sure to pack swimwear, backup plans are in place for swimming in case of any changes.

Elementary | K – 5th Grade MONDAY

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. On-site activities and programming Lunch with parents1:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Water games @ Real Life Church Dinner with parents7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. “Who’s Your Friend?”

Kids Worship Experience

TUESDAY9:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. Henson Robinson Zoo and Central Park (Lunch provided) Dinner with parents7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. ”Who’s Your Friend?”

Kids Worship Experience

WEDNESDAY9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. On-site activities and programming Lunch with parents1:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. On-site swimming and games Dinner with parents7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. ”Who’s Your Friend?”

Kids Worship Experience

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Summit Youth Registration Fee - $55

• The Student room is located in the Plaza G room on the first floor• Lunch will be provided on Tuesday and Wednesday since students

will be away from the hotel. • Monday lunch will be with parents.

• Normal summer clothing is appropriate for all eventsBe sure to pack swimwear, backup plans are in place for swimming in case of any changes.

MONDAY9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Opening service and Group buildingLunch with parents1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. On-site swimming and gamesDinner with parents7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Special Evening event – Talent To Be Announced!

TUESDAY9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. In main session worship (Special Reserved Seating!)10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Outreach service project (Lunch provided)Dinner with parents7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Youth Worship LIVE!

WEDNESDAY9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Fun Day at Park (Lunch provided)Dinner with parents7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Concert by Look Up

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Meet Our Keynoters!

Justin &Trisha Davis – RefineUs Ministries

Justin and Trisha Davis know all too well the dangers of settling for an ordinary marriage. Their own failure to rec-ognize the warning signs almost resulted in the end of their marriage, their family, and their ministry. Justin and Trisha are bloggers, authors, speakers and founders of RefineUs Ministries. Sharing their story of pain, loss, and redemp-tion, RefineUs is igniting a movement to build healthy marriages and families.

They are the co-authors of their first book, Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just Isn’t Good Enough, published by Tyndale House Publishers.

Clint Cook – Executive Director

General Baptist Ministries

Clint Cook was called into the ministry at the age of 16 and ordained as a minister at the age of 20. Graduating from St. Louis Christian College

in 1986 he began his first pastorate at Real Life Church in Springfield, IL in September 1985. Real Life Church recently celebrated his 28th

year as Senior Pastor.In 2011, he was called by the General Baptist Council of As-

sociations to act as the Interim Executive Director following the resignation of Dr. James Murray. In 2012 he was selected by the

General Association of General Baptists to serve as Executive Director on a flex-time basis.As Executive Director, he has continued his ministry as Lead Pastor at

Real Life Church while expanding the Next Level Coaching Network among General Baptist pastors and leaders.

Phil Warren – General Baptist Missionary, Saipan

Phil has been in vocational ministry for the past 30 years. Prior to becoming a pastor he served in the United States Army in Seoul, Korea. He worked for 13 years in manage-ment at Boeing Corporation in St. Louis, MO.

Since becoming a pastor he has served three growing churches in Illinois and Missouri and is now serving as a missionary on Saipan at Saipan Community Church as Pastor of Leadership Development.

He served as the Director of Congregational Ministries for General Baptists and has served in various positions of leadership within the denomination and in the communi-ties where he pastored. He has travelled on short-term mis-sion teams to Jamaica, Mexico, Sudan and the Philippines.

He has been married to Cindy Warren, who teaches at Saipan Community School, for 19 years. They have six chil-dren and eight beautiful grandchildren.

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Ted Cunningham– Lead Pastor, Woodland Hills Church

Branson, MO

Ted Cunningham is the founding pastor of Woodland Hills Family Church. He is a graduate of Liberty University and Dallas Theological Seminary.

He absolutely loves, and enjoys being married to his wife, Amy. They live in Branson, MO with their two children, Corynn and Carson.

Ted is the author of Fun Loving You, Young and In Love, and Trophy Child. He is coauthor of four books with Dr. Gary Smalley: The Language of Sex, From Anger to Intimacy, Great Parents Lousy Lovers, and As Long as We Both Shall Live. He is a regular guest on Focus on the Family, Life Today, and Moody Radio.

David Cummings – Former director of Wycliffe in Australia – President for Wycliffe International

David Cummings is a native of Australia where he worked in the electrical industry for six years before attending and graduating from the Melbourne Bible Institute.

He then studied at the Summer Institute of Linguistics and imme-diately served in Papua New Guinea with Wycliffe Bible Translators. There he discovered the call of God on his life to take up the work of Bible Translation. He began Bible translation for the Weri people in the Eastern High Lands of Papua New Guinea. After this assignment, he di-rected the work of Wycliffe in Australia for 18 years, later returning to serve a further 8 years. He also directed their New Zealand work for a time. He served as International President of Wycliffe Bible Translators and chairman of the Board for 15 years.

On retirement from directing the work in Australia, David began serving as In-ternational Ambassador for Wycliffe and is now involved in relating to other missions and churches as they focus on the task of taking the Scriptures around the world. He is also involved with the International Training Alliance and the Leadership Matters Course, as well as serving on three other mission boards.

Brandon Petty – Lead Pastor, Generation Church

Portland, TN

Brandon Petty is the lead pastor of Generation Church, a new church plant in Portland, Tennessee. Brandon was in youth ministry for over 14 years and has spoken at many different camps and conferences.

He is best known for his passion and his ability to include humor with real life application to his messages. His dysfunc-tional childhood, along with his powerful story of redemp-tion and purpose, help him connect with leaders of all ages.

He and and his wife, Jessica, moved to Portland three years ago with their two daughters to start Generation Church. Generation Church has become one of the fastest growing churches in the General Baptist network.

Our keynoters at this year’s Summit will help us see different dimensions of our Greater Things theme. We will be challenged toward Greater Things in our personal lives, in our ministries,

in our relationships, in our response to the world and in our collective vision as General Baptists.13

God Has a Vision for Your MarriageBy Justin and Trisha Davis

When a man and woman first get mar-ried, they don’t yet know what they don’t know. In fact, it would seem that most of us who get married think we know it all, right at the beginning. Trisha and I (Justin) certainly held the belief that our marriage would be different. That we would overcome the issues that plagued other couples. That we loved each other more than most couples. After all, we talked about our family differences. We could talk about anything. We knew each other better than anyone else knew us.

Our marriage would be different.There is no doubt that we all want our

marriages to be anything but ordinary. The great news is that God has a vision for our marriages as well. God longs for us to see and experience the vision he had when he created marriage. Look at his vision:

For Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said,“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

| Genesis 2:20–25, niv God’s idea is completely wild: “They

become one flesh.” We don’t usually say “one flesh” in our world today, but God’s vision for our marriage is oneness. What God calls oneness, we call intimacy.

Often when we think of the word intimacy we think of it in purely sexual terms. Yet the word intimacy literally means “to be fully known.” Intimacy, as God envisions it, is to be fully known by our spouses—emotionally, physically, and spiritually. This passage reminds me that our vision and dreams for our mar-riages aren’t too big; they are actually too small. We can’t out dream our Creator when it comes to our marriages. We often

settle for ordinary when God longs for us to experience extraordinary.

Genesis 2 shouts to us, “You’re not cra-zy!” The longing we have for a rich and fulfilling marriage has been given to us by God. Our desire to be fully known and loved comes from a God who knows us fully and loves us anyway. This passage is a mandate for us to not settle for any-thing less than extraordinary:

ex • traor • di • narya: going beyond what is usual, regular, or customaryb: exceptional to a very marked extent

Maybe you’re asking yourself, What on earth does it mean to have an ex-traordinary marriage? What sticks out to Trisha and me in this definition is the phrase going beyond what is usual. That most likely describes what your dating life was. A man might open the car door, think up unique places to eat, and always plan ahead to create time together that was even better than the time before. A woman might surprise her man by cooking his favorite meal, buying him tickets to his favorite game, or choosing to go to an action movie rather than a chick flick. Couples often wonder why it was so fun to date each other but why that same excitement feels so unrealistic for married life.

Where would you rate your marriage in the area of extraordinary?

Can you think of a recent time you had an extraordinary experience with your spouse? If yes, what made it feel extraordinary?

If your answer is no, what comes to mind as to why extraordinary experienc-es don’t happen for you?

Great at Falling in Love,Ill - Equipped to Stay in Love

We are really good at falling in love. But what we see reflected in the divorce rate is that we are really bad at staying in love. We know how to get married happy; we aren’t really good at staying happily married. There are a few reasons why over time we tend to drift into unintentionality.

The first is familiarity. Think about the car you drive today. Do you remember when you first bought that car? No one was going to eat in it. You were going to change the oil every twenty-five hun-

dred miles. You washed it twice a week. You made the kids sit on plastic so they wouldn’t mess up the pristine seats. But after a period of time, without even realiz-ing it, you treated your new car as you did your old car. You stopped washing it twice a week and just waited for it to rain. The kids now eat snacks from yesterday’s left-over McDonald’s off the floor. Once the shine wears off, the glitter fades, and the familiarity sets in, you treat things differ-ently. We do the same with our spouses.

The second reason it is hard to stay in love is that we live at a point of exhaus-tion. As we get older, our energy levels go down while our responsibilities go up. Marriage takes a lot of energy. It takes energy to listen. It takes energy to resolve conflict. It takes energy to put someone else’s needs ahead of your own. It takes energy to raise kids. Because we are exhausted, we think we can neglect our marriages and stay in love.

But remember the equation we gave at the beginning of the chapter: time + unintentionality = ordinary.

New & Not ImprovedWe mentioned before that one of the

things that helped us develop in our dating relationship was traveling togeth-er. Not only did we travel for sports, but each weekend we would travel to a little church in Indiana and lead youth group together. We logged a lot of miles. The drive from central Illinois to central In-diana in the winter is flat and open. There isn’t much to see while driving back and forth. There are just miles and miles of cornfields between cities.

One Sunday while we were driving back to school, I (Justin) was not paying close attention to the road, and we drove through a flock of birds taking flight. Birds surrounded the car, and I found myself ducking (as if one were going to hit me). As I ducked, a bird flew right into the windshield and splattered feath-ers, poop, and blood all over. Now Trisha cares deeply for animals. She cares even more deeply for animals that die a violent death right in front of us. She im-mediately started crying, and I panicked. In a moment of insanity, I simply turned on the windshield wipers. That only smeared what was on the windshield, and Trisha cried harder. I tried to use the windshield washer fluid to remove what

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residue I could, and we drove back to campus in silence.

I bring this story up because it illus-trates some moments we all face in our marriages: those moments when things beyond our control hit the windshields of our lives, when circumstances crash into our marriages and we don’t know what to do. In an effort to make our marriages better or to make our issues simply go away, we turn on the windshield wipers, which really only make matters worse. It is easy to offer simple solutions for mar-riages that attempt to merely wipe away what is visible.

People are so much better at medicat-ing symptoms of their marriage issues than at diagnosing and treating the root causes of marriage problems. We work on communicating better. We read books on anger management. We try to understand love languages. We listen to sermons on marriage. We go to marriage conferences. We try to wipe away all that is visibly wrong and fail to go deeper into the heart of our relationships. Yet we experience only incremental, inconsistent improve-ments in our marriages.

And we do the same thing in our re-lationship with God. So often, we would rather have God medicate the pain in our hearts than do what it takes to bring complete healing to us. So we learn to live with spiritual illnesses while looking for

ways to make ourselves feel better. We go to church. We sing the songs. We pray the prayers. We join small groups or Sunday school classes. We may even give regu-larly. Yet we experience only incremental, inconsistent growth in our relationship with God. We do a lot; we just change very little.

The goal of this book is to move beyond the windshields of our marriages, to un-cover the heart behind why the marriage you have maybe isn’t the marriage you desire. Trisha and I want to help you see that the marriage you have is perfectly positioned to become the marriage God has in mind. A lot of marriage resources focus on behavior modification. Commu-

nication. Anger management. Work/life balance. Money management. Improving your sex life. And we agree that these issues matter. It isn’t that they aren’t important issues to deal with, but most of the behaviors we struggle with are tied to broken parts of our hearts, and if we focus on the behaviors and not the root cause, we are not dealing with the issue, only smearing it around on the wind-shield. More information doesn’t guaran-tee heart transformation.

We work really, really hard to improve our marriages by improving our be-havior, and while these changes might last for a few weeks or a few months, we end up right back in the same rut. Even worse, we try really, really hard to improve our marriages by forcing our spouses to improve their behavior, and we end up frustrated and exhausted; and our spouses feel like they never do anything right.

Those in ordinary marriages believe behavior modification will solve their problems, that spouses can behave their way to an improved marriage. But you can’t behave your way to an extraordi-nary marriage. God doesn’t want to im-prove your marriage; he wants to trans-form it. God doesn’t want to modify your behavior; he wants to change your heart. Extraordinary comes when you, as a hus-band or wife, invite God to change you. It is a dangerous prayer to pray—God, change me. You know why it’s dangerous? Because this is a prayer God will always answer. God longs to transform you. As much as you want to change your spouse, as much as you try to modify your behav-ior, God wants to change your heart. This prayer is where lasting change starts.

Will you pray this prayer? That is the question you will have to ask yourself before moving forward. Will you stop settling for ordinary and trust God for extraordinary? That is the journey Trisha and I want to go on with you. The great news for each of us is that God doesn’t promise improved; God promises new. Ω (From the book, Beyond Ordinary by Justin and Trisha Davis. Used with permission, Tyndale House Publishers, 2013)

[ Time+ Unin ten t i ona l i t yOrdinary

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CAMP MEETING DAYS

Workshop TracksEvery year the series of workshops offered at The Summit becomes a highlight for Summit participants.This year more of our workshops will follow in tracks or series to maximize the time some of our special guests have to spend

with us and to preserve the learning for the Summit participants.A full description of and schedule for our workshops will be distributed closer to The Summit. Currently we anticipate workshop

tracks that will address:

Leadership Development

Special guests Stan Toler and Allen Dorsey, Jr. will each spend a day with us sharing workshops from their own unique expe-riences, backgrounds, and expertise.

• Dr. Toler has served the Church of the Nazarene as a General Superintendent and pastor. In his years of ministry he has been the pastor/leader in three different churches that grew to exceed 1,000 in attendance. On Monday of The Summit he will present his “Lead to Succeed” workshop in both the morning and afternoon workshop sessions.

• Allen Dorsey will present on Wednesday his Leadership Development Workshop “Becoming a Person of Influence, How to Positively Impact the Lives of Others.” The participants will be exposed to several key concepts that are designed to show them how to develop their influence, how to free people to reach their potential, how to develop strong loyalty among those they are called and trusted to lead, and how to connect and inspire people around them.

Healthy Church TrackThe oversight team for National Missions has organized a series of workshops that address what it takes to “build” a healthy

church, by using the analogy of building a home (foundation, exterior, electrical etc.). This series of workshops will take the best learning from our church planting strategies and apply them to the established church. Each session will be facilitated by one of the church planters, resourced by a panel of leaders and targeted toward a working session that will allow personal assessment and specific planning toward implementation.

International Missions Track

With a large number of international missionaries slated to be present at this year’s Summit our International Missions Depart-ment has organized a series of workshops that both tell the story of our ministries and share the challenges of our missionaries. Plenty of time will be provided for up-close-and-personal conversations with our missionaries who are on the front lines of sharing the gospel in other cultures.

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Keynoter’s Track

Every year we are blessed to have a number of special guests who share keynote messages with us. This year, as in the past, our guest keynoters will also be present in workshop settings so Summit participants may carry the conversation a little further. Our guest keynoters will take the principles shared in their messages to the next level in a more informal, interactive setting.

Women’s Ministries TrackOur Women’s Ministries Department has organized a number of special workshop sessions that are designed to meet the unique

needs of women. Short term missions, ministry couples, the power of networking, women in the 21st century church and a preview of Inside Out are all included in this workshop track.

Personal Enrichment TrackEvery year several of our Summit workshops are designed around the need for personal spiritual growth and professional

development. This year special guests Bob and Brenda Poinsett will lead a number of workshops that address these needs. Other presenters will explore aspects of history and theology that fit within this category. Still other presenters will share this-is-how-we-did-it style sessions targeted to youth ministry, children’s ministry, and other specific ministry areas. For example, special guest Rick Chromey will return to The Summit to share his insights on Thriving Ministry in the Smaller Church.

Ministry Specific OptionsOn Tuesday morning a shortened workshop session will be organized to allow time for the General Association meeting.

A variety of ministry specific workshop options will be presented. Our initial list includes such topics as:

• How To Increase Baptisms• How to Select a Family Based Curriculum• Why Attend Oakland City University• Introducing Next Level Coaching• Church Mergers That Work• Social Media Basics• Media Helps for the Tech Crew• Planning Worship for a Younger Crowd

Worship Arts TrackWorship is the primary ‘product’ the church offers. In this series of workshops several areas of worship arts will be introduced/

developed. Topics such as media in worship, leading worship in Praise and Worship settings, resources for local church worship, and worship planning tools will be offered.

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Stan Toler is a best selling author, leader, and teacher. A successful pastor for over 40 years in Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, more than one million people have attended his seminars. For many years Toler Served as Vice President and taught seminars for John C. Maxwell’s INJOY Leadership Institute, training church and corporate leaders to make a difference in the world.

He has written over 90 best-selling inspirational books, and more than three million copies have been translated and distributed worldwide.

Stan and his wife, Linda, have two sons and four grandchildren.

Stan Toler | P. O. Box 720230 | Oklahoma City, OK 73172 www.StanToler.com

Lead to SucceedVisionary Principles for Leadership

Featuring: Stan Toler

The Leaders of the early Church brought Christianity from obscurity to greatness. As they struggled to keep the church above the raging waters of their time, they preached, taught, and organized powerfully and productively. LEAD TO SUCCEED shares the leadership secrets of these thouroughly dedicated men and women, from John the Baptist to John the Revelator.

Monday, July 21 10:30am & 1:30pm

You Will Learn:• Ten Principles for Successful Leadership.• Practical Leadership methods of New Testement Leaders.• Characteristics for moving people forward.• Tools for dealing with personal or corporate adversity.• Techniques for dealing with people in a manner that reflects faith in Christ.• Methods to maximize effectiveness.• Strategies for integrating personal faith with public leadership.

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Wednesday, July 23 10:30am & 1:30pm

During the workshop we will create a fun learning environment for building awareness around several laws that will increase a leader’s effectiveness. The goal is to have each participant walk away with at least one mind-changing idea that will create a desire for motivation and self-improvement to increase productivity and results in their ministry.

Allen Dorsey, Jr. | a.dorsey@addvaluegroupinc.com 618.580.0161 | www.addValueGroupInc.com

Becoming a Person of Influence How to Positively Impact the Lives of Others

Featuring: Allen Dorsey, Jr.

Leadership is the difference maker and the deal breaker. It is how we grow organizations. It is how we impact lives.

Leadership cannot be an idea we simply talk about, leadership must be the action we live out. Why? Because everything rises and falls on leadership and leadership is influence.

Expected Outcomes of Workshop• Improved interaction with other team members• Increased problem solving ability• Develop a sense of responsibility for individual and team performance • Handle conflict and stress more effectively • Increased Team Cohesiveness & Team Effectiveness• Increased Trust in the Ministry• Improved productivity, creativity and quality• Improved Ability to Reach More People

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Springfield WelcomesThe General Associationof General Baptists 2014Mission & Ministry Summit

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FUN THINGS TO DOIN SPRINGFIELD1 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum2 Illinois State Museum 3 Route 66 Drive In4 Knight’s Action Park5 Darcy’s Pint (try the “Horseshoe”)6 Shopping at Scheels7 Lincoln’s Ghostwalk8 Henson Robinson Zoo9 Lincoln Home National Historic Site

AND SO MUCH MORE! For more information visit us onlineat www.visit-springfieldillinois.comor call 800-545-7300

SPRINGFIELD ILLINOISCONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

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Healthy Church TrackAs our new church plants are developed

church planters set out to build ‘from scratch’ a community of believers. They start with a small core group and then develop ministries, programming and systems that soon include hundreds of newly won disciples. Based on this model of building a new church and using the metaphor of home construction our church planting team has organized a series of workshops to help apply these principles and processes to the established church.

The Foundation (Monday, 10:30 a.m.) Mission, Vision, Values. Facilitated by Carl Nichols with a panel of church planters (Brandon Petty and Vince Daniel) and their wives (Julie Nichols, Jessica Petty, and Jennifer Daniel). A working session to help participants identify their mission, vision and values will be included.

The Roof (Wednesday, 1:30 p.m.) Facilitated by Carl Nichols with a panel of financial experts, pastors and business leaders, this session will deal with the financial health of the local church.

Interior Design (Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.) Facilitated by Brandon Petty with a panel of worship leaders, executive pastors and lead pastors who will form a panel for an open forum of questions and answers on service planning for guest connections.

The Exterior (Monday, 1:30 p.m.) Facilitated by Vince Daniel with a panel of church planters and veteran pastors with a focus on specific community contexts for doing outreach.

The Mechanical Systems: HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.) Facilitated by Dustin Thompson with a panel of church planters and executive pastors. This session centers on opening the front door and closing the back door. Participants will be able to choose a sub-group that will give attention to one of the major systems of the church such as First Impressions, Assimilation and Follow Up, Ministry Teams, Leadership Development, and Small Groups.

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International Missions Sponsored WorkshopsSummit 2014

English Language Institute ChinaPresenter: David Raiser- DirectorSubject: Learn how you can serve the world with your English speaking ability. Come and listen to David as he describes differ-ent opportunities for you to invest in the lives of Asian students oversees. This is your opportunity to become a missionary.

M.V.P. (Mission Volunteers Program)Presenter: Kris Yoemans- Coordinator Short Term MinistriesSubject: Listen to our short term team coordinator as he shares the impact our volunteers make on the mission field and how you can become a vital part of this valuable ministry.

Ministry after Typhoon HaiyanPresenter: Joyce Porcadilla- President General Baptist Bible College (GBBC), Philippines Subject: Once again the generosity of General Baptists was shown when the Philippine people were hit with another Ty-phoon. Joyce will share how we were able to minister and make a difference in the Philippines after this tragedy.

A Brighter FuturePresenter: Joyce Porcadilla- President of GBBC, PhilippinesSubject: Joyce will share personal stories of how student lives have been forever changed and impacted because of GBBC. Be-cause of your support, these young people will never be the same.

“Blessed are the little Children” - stories from Faith HomePresenter: Christina Massey- Director Faith Home Child Care CenterSubject: Christina shares from her unique perspective the challenges and opportunities for our children at Faith Home as well as the transformations that have taken place in their lives. She will also share how you can personally become part of this important ministry.

The Challenges of the Great Commission - PanelPresenters: Sam Ramdial, Christina Massey, Joyce Porcadilla, Jason Warren, Phil WarrenFacilitator: Jim Schremp- Interim Director International MissionsSubject: This is your opportunity to ask your missionaries about the personal challenges they face every day.

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Women’s Ministries Sponsored Summit Workshops 2014• Cut to the Chase: smart-cuts for pursuing short term missions dreams • Kris & Nicole Yeomans Do you have more calling than you have cash? Veteran mission volunteers share proven strategies

for developing a team of senders and raising the funds necessary for you to “go ye, therefore.”

• Called, Led, or Dropped: Understanding the Uniqueness of Ministry Couples’ Relationships • Trisha Davis Does the spouse always share the call to ministry? Does it matter? Trisha and her husband, Justin, have built a ministry from ruins up. Hear what she has to say about the lows, highs, and realities of being married to ministry.

• Glancing Behind, Forging Ahead: Panel discussion on the power of networking and exciting future plans for GB Women’s Ministries (a segment of business will be included.) • Patti Thornton & WM Board • Facilitated by Hope Valvero Why do women need to network? Where are our leaders? What is the goal of Women’s Ministries? How do we continue as a living, moving, mission-building organization? Join Patti and current WM Board members in a panel discussion to address these questions. Women’s Ministries annual business will be addressed during a brief segment of this workshop.

• Women as Leaders in the 21st Century Church • Carol Lewis While running our race, are we inspiring a team? Join a discussion on how Christian women can participate as leaders in a ministry of discipleship and mentoring.

• Inside Out Preview: Road Trip! • Vicki Smith & Hope Valvero Have you been curious about what goes on during an Inside Out (women’s event) weekend? Join us for a sneak preview of 2014’s ROAD TRIP. This year is all about dumping our excess baggage. Expect a surprise or two at this fun-paced workshop.

ROad TRiP!26

Personal Enrichment TrackSummit Workshops 2014

This year some of our Summit guests will present workshops on topics that re-late to personal enrichment with a special emphasis on personal spiritual growth and/or professional development.

Bob and Brenda Poinsett are no strang-ers to General Baptists. Bob headed the Bedford Campus of Oakland City Uni-versity for several years and Brenda has taught in conferences settings among us (including The Summit) in the past. As the Poinsetts return this year Brenda is preparing to lead workshops like Wonder Women of the Bible, Reaching Heaven: Discovering the Cornerstones of Jesus’ Prayer Life, and What Will I Do with the Rest of My Life. She will also supply a book table in the Exhibit Hall where copies of her most recent books will be available.

Bob Poinsett will lead one session on All Paul where participants take a jour-ney with Christianity’s greatest traveling salesman from Tarsus throughout the Roman Empire. He will also lead a dis-cussion on Falling Forward: Bible Per-sonalities who Succeeded after Failing.

This personal enrichment track will also include workshops on General Bap-tist History and General Baptist Theology along with several this-is-how-we-did-it type sessions on various age specific or program specific ministries.

Rick Chromey will also return as our special guest to present on such topics as Why Kids Misbehave and Thriving Ministry in Smaller Churches.

A number of other personal enrich-ment topics are now being developed.

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2014 INTERNATONAL MISSIONS VBS PROJECT

The International Missions Vacation Bible School project for 2014 will be to purchase a new van for Faith Home. The Faith Home childcare facility, Honduras church planting and Mission Volunteer Program (MVP) teams need a new 15 passenger van. The existing 12 passenger van is 15 years old. Faith Home uses it daily to take some children to and from school and to take small group outings.

Church planting uses the van several times weekly to go to church services in the commu-nities and for outreach trips. MVP teams also use it frequently for team overflow and small group trips. The old van has definitely served us well, but we have been spending a lot on repairs. We worry about the repeated break-downs and the safety of the children.

The VBS Mission Offering will go toward purchase of a new Nissan Urvan van.

A recent VBS Missions Resource Kit was mailed to every church. Additional copies are available upon request by contacting Interna-tional Missions at 573-785-7746. Each resource kit includes:

• A project poster• Reproducible coloring sheets

for younger children• A list of suggested offering ‘helps’• Download information for Powerpoint

slides (also available on DVD by request)

The VBS Mission Offering has a rich history of linking children in the United States with missionary outreach outside the country. A special link has been forged through the number of Faith Home projects that have been funded by the VBS Offering. This has allowed children in General Baptist Churches in the United States to directly assist children in our General Baptist Childcare Center in Honduras.

The VBS Project Goal this year is a total offering of

$30,000.

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INTERNATIONAL MISSION REPRESENTATIVES TO 2014 SUMMIT

General Baptists International is pleased to announce that the following will be present at the Summit. They will be con-ducting workshops and will be available for personal interaction during that time.

Phil Warren, a well-known General Baptist pastor, is now serving on Saipan. He is assigned to mentor, develop lead-ers, and strengthen the local church on Saipan; to reestablish relationships with churches on Guam; teach leadership at General Baptist Bible College in the Phil-ippines; and the strengthen other mission endeavors in the Pacific region.

Jemima Pamu is the daughter of the late Pastor Suvarna Raj. She and her husband, Prakash, oversee the Dorcas Sewing Centers and outreach ministries in Southeastern Andhra Pradesh. Plans are for Jemima to remain in the U.S. until August 21 to visit churches and report on their work.

Joyce Porcadilla is president of General Baptist Bible College in the Philippines. Her duties include oversight of Matigsalug Bible Institute as well as the Bible College. She has also overseen the distribution of emergency relief funds provided by General Baptist people toward the devas-tation of Typhoon Haiyam. Joyce will be available to speak in local churches in the weeks immediately following the Summit.

Christina Massey is Superintendent of Faith Home in Honduras. Her duties include oversight of the child care center as well as well as representing General Baptists in Honduras.

Jason Warren serves as senior pastor at Saipan Community Church and oversees the Saipan Community School. This school serves children of diverse ethnic backgrounds from all over the world.

Becky Coomer has been instrumental in teaching, equipping, and mobilizing Christians in Hong Kong to reach out to the Muslim community throughout Asia and middle East. She is also connected with Partners International.

Brittany Vemula is serving with her husband Jessey in western Andhra Pradesh. The Vemulas are involved in evangelistic outreach, planting new General Baptist churches, developing leaders, developing administrative care for orphans, and working to establish a strong organization connected to General Baptists in India.

Josh and Patricia Hammond have been serving in the Philippines. Josh has been teaching at General Baptist Bible College and working with national leaders.

Christina Massey

The Vemulas Hammond Family

Becky Coomer

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The Six Month MarkBy Lori Myers, Missionary to Saipan

We have passed the six-month mark on the missionary field. As I first began to look back, I found myself a little disappointed in myself because I hadn’t yet set our little island on fire for the Lord. Never mind that our professional cross-cultural trainers, as well as our missions staff, advised us to not do much for six months except observe, learn and absorb like a sponge. Having been an overachiever in school, college and in my career I just had a rough time feeling like that applied to me. I should do more.

So I started to pray and to do some research. I read blogs and other writings by both new and ex-perienced missionaries and respected Christian au-thors. I turned up some really helpful information. First, I kept seeing the word “love” everywhere. Mother Teresa, who of course devoted her life to God’s service, said this: “It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing that matters.” She also said, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”

Well it certainly has not been difficult to feel God’s love here and to share it with those whom we have served. Although most people here live very simply, many of them seem very happy. Their simple living patterns come partly because of economic conditions, but also because of the high cost of living here. The man who pumped gas into my vehicle last week at the Mobil station asked me, with the biggest smile you can imagine, how I was

doing. “Great,” I replied, “How about you?” Without hesitation he said, “Oh, God is so good and I am wonderful every day.” How can you not feel Jesus’ love when you meet someone like this? Mother Teresa also said, “Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” I believe that!

Sunday mornings and evenings at Saipan Community Church, I couldn’t count the hugs and smiles that are doled out. It’s amazing and it’s something we could learn from our island brothers and sisters. The feeling of God’s love permeates the very air of our no-wall church.

We do have God’s beauty all around us on our island and the pace of life here is much slower than on the mainland. When I go to buy food for my family, I don’t have the choices of a Kroger or Wal-Mart, but somehow, simplifying my decision process makes it less stress-ful. There are some things that are so expensive I just don’t consider buying them. Others, I buy only on special occasions. With so few choices for most items, making a selection is simple.

I have also come to realize that many of the changes God has wrought in me here in Saipan will stay with me forever: It would be arrogant for me to think God depends on me to do His miracles. I don’t have to win over the entire island in six months, or at all. It doesn’t matter where I am, who is around me, or how difficult my life may seem. I will love with God’s amazing love those with whom I am in contact. We can choose to meet challenges with God beside us, or we can face them alone.

That aloneness is one of the worst feelings I can imagine. Robert Schuller said, “Joy is not the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God.” I can face anything with the Father, who provides strength when I am weak. Ω

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2014 Mission Volunteer Program Updateby Kris Yeomans

We have another exciting year ahead for the Mission Volun-teer Program! We currently have 27 teams scheduled to go out and minister around the world in 2014, but there is still plenty of time and space for your church to get a team together and go and minister. We have opportunities available for:

• Construction • Medical • Church Planting • Evangelism Teams

We are also in need of teams to provide: • Training/Education • Vacation Bible School

• Teams with a focus on Children’s Ministry. We are so excited to be sending more teams back to Mexico in

2014! Currently, several groups are already scheduled to go and minister there. We will have room for many more teams to go and work with our churches in Juarez and Chihuahua City.

I want to mention a specific opportunity available where we already have a small team in place but we are in need of more workers. In June, we are looking for four more people to join

an existing team and go to central Honduras and work with our churches in the Santa Maria area. The team will do some construction work, as well as evangelism and ministering to the people that live near the Emmanuel General Baptist Church. There is a possibility that this team could be doing some medi-cal work as well.

In addition to this opportunity, I am requesting that anyone who may be interested in going to China or Saipan later in 2014 to please contact me as soon as possible. We have some unique opportunities on the horizon.

If these opportunities are of interest to you, or if you would like to discuss the possibility of forming a team to go to Hon-duras, Jamaica, Mexico, India, Saipan, The Philippines or West Africa, please contact me at 573.718.4854 or via email at kris@generalbaptist.com.

I am looking forward to another successful year with our MVP Program!

Upcoming MissionsHONDURASMay 13-20May 24-31June 6-13June 21-28August 2-9August 30-September 6

INDIAMay 2014

PHILIPPINESApril 20-30October 21-31

TRINIDADMay 29-June 7

JAMAICAJune 20-27

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GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR NEW FAITH HOME CAFETERIA

Groundbreaking for the new cafeteria/dining hall at Faith Home Honduras was conducted on Tuesday, January 7. Present for the occasion were Clint Cook, Execu-tive Director of General Baptists; Jim Schremp, interim director of General Baptist International Missions; Sam Ramdial, Deputy Director of International Missions; and David Kelle, Honduras board member. They were joined by Christina Massey and the children and staff of Faith Home.

This building is being made possible by the 2013 Vacation Bible School and Ed Stevens Day Offerings. The construction will be done by a local contractor with assistance from Mission Volunteer Program (MVP) teams. A team from Indiana and Arkansas will lay the block walls in March. The total of $67,000 from the 2013 offer-ings has been transferred to Faith Home to begin the project. MVP teams involved in the construction are providing further funding for building needs.

This building is urgently needed in order to allow the entire family of Faith Home to be served at one time.

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UnifiedGiving

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Church Planting UpdateBy Carl Nichols, National Missions Advisory Team Chair

On behalf of the National Missions Advisory Team, I want to say thank you for this opportunity to serve General Baptists in this interim season. I believe Vince Daniel and Brandon Petty would agree with me when I say I honestly believe that the great-est days of General Baptists are ahead of us and we are excited to be a part of this important chapter in General Baptist history.

We always want to keep you well informed on what is happen-ing in our General Baptist church plants. Christmas was a great time of year and here are just a few things that we saw in four of our more recent church plants.

• Revolution Church - White House, TN (Pastor Kris Freeman) had 490 in attendance at their Christmas experiences with 2 salvations and 4 baptisms. Revolution also received a Christmas offering for new church plant Refuge Church in Cookeville, TN slated to launch in the fall of this year. • Generation Church - Portland, TN (Pastor Brandon Petty) welcomed 915 people through their doors over the course of Christmas weekend and saw 15 people give their lives to Christ. • Relevant Church - Locust Grove, GA (Pastor Carl Nichols) hosted nearly 1200 people over Christ-mas and saw 27 people receive Christ while 32 took their next step of baptism • New Walk Church - Zephyrhills, FL (Pastor Gary Baldus) welcomed nearly 4200 people to one of their 10 Christmas worship services and over 300 people said yes to Jesus!

As you can see, God is moving and your faithfulness and gen-erosity are making a difference. Stories like this never get old!

Remember every one of these numbers has a name, every name has a story and every story matters to God!

At times of transition, people look for clear direction from leadership, so I want to communicate with you a few of the things that are happening within National Missions in the next few months.

• In the fall of this year, Dustin Thompson will launch Refuge Church in Cookeville, TN.• Dennis Amaral is beginning an internship with Vince Daniel at Real Life Church in Mountain Home, AR in hopes to plant a church in the Little Rock area in 2015.• We are working to recruit and assess new candidates in hopes to launch 2 additional churches in 2015.• We are streamlining our coaching system to better equip coaches and planters on the field.• We are evaluating the budget in order to determine the best way to steward God’s resources and make the biggest Kingdom impact.• We are excited about Summit this year as we are planning to offer resources that will help all of us grow and build healthy, thriving churches.

One of our goals as a team is to do everything we can to serve you over the coming months. With that in mind, I have included a series called “Better” from June of 2013 from Relevant Church that had a huge impact on our church and my life individually. Everything you need to adapt this series to your church may be downloaded. Feel free to use anything here and don’t feel the need to give any credit. The videos and graphics were adapted from LifeChurch.tv so please do not reproduce for resale. Ω

Materials may be downloaded at GeneralBaptist.com

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I’m Going to SpringfieldBy Laren Evitts, PastorMt. Moriah General Baptist Church

The first Summit I attended was in Evansville, IN just a few years ago. At that time I was Youth/Children’s pastor at Mt. Moriah General Baptist located a few miles outside of Creal Springs, IL. I really had no idea what to expect but having served on the Council of Associations I had come in contact with other General Bap-tist that were doing church differently than we were back home. When I found out how close The Summit location was, I knew I needed to check it out. I have always believed that there should be ongoing training and support for min-isters and churches beyond what our local association is equipped to provide.

At that Summit I felt God speaking to me, giving me a bigger vision for the local church I was serving and a better understanding of my role in that vision. I have not missed a Summit since. The Summit has opened many doors in my way of thinking about church and how we do ministry. When I attended Summit for the first couple of years I selected workshops sessions geared towards youth and children’s ministry. Then I started selecting workshops on church growth. I was hooked. In September 2013 I became the senior pastor of Mt. Moriah, the very church I served in as a youth/children’s pastor and had grown up in from childhood. I feel Summit has really helped give me the confi-dence and encouragement I needed to step into this position.

The layout of Summit is much like the conferences I attend as an educator in the public school system. At those education conferences we almost always have main session speakers to inspire us, challenge us, and force us to examine how and why we teach. In between main speakers we always get to choose small group workshops based on personal needs or interests. The Summit is to church leaders what education seminars are to educators. At Summit the main speakers do the same - they in-spire me, challenge me, make me uncomfortable at times, force me to question why we do what we do in ministry - which in turn should help me be a better minister and leader. The break-out sessions give me the opportunity to choose topics I am most interested in or want help with - from church growth, youth or

children’s ministry, small group ministries, leading worship, technology, current issues, General Baptist history, leadership, and so many more.

As a bi-vocational minister I find The Summit to be a high-light of my year as it fuels the vision I have as a minister. I know I don’t have all the experience that many other preachers have or the deep Bible knowledge that others may possess, but I know God is using the main speakers to inspire me and the work-shops to encourage me to step outside my comfort zone. I always find something that, even in my smaller church, we can use.

If you have never attend-ed our Mission & Ministry Summit then make this the year to change that. If you have felt discouraged, unqualified, frustrated, or at a point that you are question-ing whether or not to leave the ministry - you need to attend before giving up! I believe with all my heart that God is using The Summit to shape our General Baptist churches today by teaching us how to make disciples and do our part in expanding the Kingdom of God.

This year’s Summit is only a few hours from our church so we plan to bring several people. As the lead pastor I want to bring as many of our members as possible so they can see for them-selves what God is doing in General Baptist churches all over our nation and in other parts of the world.

Make whatever plans necessary, use vacation time if you must - but be sure and be there! Don’t miss out. Ω

Laren Evetts grew up in Southern Illinois and returned there after spending some time in Indiana. He has served as youth/associate pastor and now serves as pastor of the Mt. Moriah General Baptist Church near Creal Springs, Illinois. Pastor Laren teaches in an elementary school classroom and is enrolled in the Evansville Next Level Coaching Group.

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The Difference The Summit MakesWe asked leaders from two different churches to respond to

our questions about the difference The Summit has made and is making for them. The Lane Avenue Church (Jerry Applegate, pastor) is in suburban Kansas City, Missouri. The First General Baptist Church, Princeton, Indiana (Brad Keenan, pastor) is in a county seat town in southern Indiana. Here are their own words and the words of some of their Summit Team (esp. Julie Harden of Princeton) and a few photos to help measure The Difference The Summit Makes.

1. What general benefits has your church gained from send-ing people to The Summit?Lane Avenue: It has given new ideas and generated excite-ment for our church. It has shown what can be done and not just “that’s what we have always done.”Princeton: The benefits are the unity it brought to the teamof people that attended from our church. We now have what we call the “Dream Team” put together to build ex-citement and unity in our congregation.

2. The Summit offers block registration so that churches may pay one registration fee for as many people as they choose to send. Has block registration made a difference for you?Lane Avenue: We have only gotten to use the block registrtion one time. Our church is made up of working familiesand most of them are not able to take off work for a week.We are trying to get them to plan ahead in order to do so. I had been attending The Summit by myself and tried tobring back the ideas and enthusiasm that were generatedthere. It just was not effective. My wife and two other people started going with me andthat helped tremendously. Their enthusiasm got otherpeople interested and we were able to get another couple and a single lady to go. Then, another couple went. We are

hoping for several more young couples to be able to go this year. We have set up a fund to help those who might not be ableto go because of finances. Two of the couples that have gonein the past but will not be able to go this year have contrib-uted to this fund in order for others to go becausethey feel it is so worthwhile.Princeton: It was very beneficial to us to have one fee for all attending. Money is always tight for families and this made it a little more affordable to our group. We were able to take 11 people for one fee.

3. How does the value gained at The Summit compare to other conferences or events your church sends people to?Lane Avenue: Other than the pastor, the church does not send people to conferences so the value to us is priceless.Princeton: It was so refreshing to be able to get away in a retreat-like setting and stay a few extra days to spend time together and really get to know the couples that attended and build a true friendship and support team to take back to our homes.

4. Every year there are dozens of workshop options to choose from. How do you narrow the choice? What strategies does your Summit Team use to maximize learning? Lane Avenue: We try to go through the advance handouts and see what is available and then split up to maximize the classes that we are able to attend.Princeton: We separated into teams of two usually and chose what we thought would benefit our church family the most. We took notes, picked up handouts and then went over the workshops with the others that day while it was fresh in our minds.

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5. Does your Summit Team spend any time together at The Summit to debrief and strategize?Lane Avenue: Yes. We get together and talk about what we have experienced and how can we use it in our own church.Princeton: Every day we went to dinner and discussed the events of the day. Then we went as a group to all the main sessions and had a time of reflection most every evening.

6. How does your Summit Team debrief and strategize when they get back home? Lane Avenue: Again, we try to get together after returning home to see how we can implement in our own church what we have learned at The Summit.Princeton: We started a weekly meeting to get together and start to implement the things that we learned that we felt our church could benefit from....after we got things rolling, we now try to get together semi-monthly to month-ly to go over new ideas and how things are going with what we have started in the church.

7. What benefits have you seen from attending the main sessions with the featured keynoters? Lane Avenue: It gives our people a chance to see how other worship sessions are done as well as getting to hear well known speakers that they might not ever get the chance to hear in person.Princeton: The keynote speakers were wonderful!!! This was a true treat for us from small town Indiana, who are not conference goers, to be part of such dynamic worship. We always left wanting more.....and you can’t ask for more than that!!

8. How does the overall atmosphere of The Summit impact your people? Lane Avenue: I think that it serves as a revival to those attending and generates excitement that they bring back.Princeton: We were very impressed with the greeting

and we have implemented a new greeting program in our church and have incorporated bright new shirts for our greeters to really stand out. Our Welcoming Group has really stepped up and make everyone feel at home and love to share a big smile with everyone who enters our doors.9. What kinds of ideas, plans or programs have you imple-mented because of The Summit?Lane Avenue: • One of the first things that came out of the Summit was a new letterhead. We had a contest to choose the one that we thought fit us best and I was so pleased with the one chosen.• We also started a breakfast to encourage people to come early for Sunday school. • We installed outdoor speakers and started playing music so people can get in the right frame of mind before coming inside. • One of our guys felt that the greeters at the street was his ministry and he has been doing it for almost two years. Another new member saw what he was doing and now he is involved as well. Even with the cold weather and snow, they are out there waving. People have stopped to tell them how much they appreciate it. People have given them their tithe checks because they were not going to be able to attend their own church. The last two Sundays, a lady has been coming because she said if someone cared enough to be out there waving, she wanted to see what was inside. • Our Sunday school has been completely reorganized and the teachers are using new literature and are excited. Because of that, class members are inviting those who have not been attending to start attending. • We have also had several people step up to start four small groups that meet weekly. Another one is in the works and will start soon. • We completely remodeled the sanctuary to make it more appealing. Princeton: • We have our new greeter teams with matching t-shirts to stand out of the crowd.• We are beginning to set up small groups (life groups) to bring more unity in the church.

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• We have new ideas about tracking 1st time guests and fol-lowing up with those guests (including new welcome gifts)• We are working on “Manning” up our church and are try-ing to appeal to the men of our congregation. We have add-ed new carpet as well as other renovations and updates to our building and are getting ready to break ground March 2014 on our new Family Life Center that will include a basketball court!!! We also have an awesome softball field that the churches of our town use for a softball league that is organized by one of our own young adult men.

10. Is your team organized for Summit 2014? Lane Avenue: We are in the process now. We usually wait until we get the information of what the breakout sessions will be before making any definite plans. Princeton: We have not organized a team yet for Summit 2014. The work schedules of some of our 2013 team will prevent them from attending in 2014, but hopefully we will bring new people to experience the excitement that The Summit brings and they will come back refreshed, excited and ready to experience God in a new way.

11. What else can you add to describe the impact of Mission & Ministry Summit?Lane Avenue: I think I have used up all my words to de-scribe the impact! The Summit has made a difference!Princeton: The Summit really did bring new excitement to our “Dream Team” and in turn I believe it has brought that excitement to our church... We have all felt the impact that the Summit can have in our lives..... We even had beach balls in church one Sunday!!! Ω

CorrectionIn the editorial process to prepare page 28 of the OCU Special Edition of The General Baptist Messenger the name of the ‘extension instructor’ who encouraged Pastor Chad Hensley to begin taking courses at Oakland City University was omitted. Pastor Hensley intended to give credit in print, as he always does in conversation, that had it not been for Dr. Darrell Hillhouse, the extension instructor referenced, he would not have pursued his education. We regret this omission and take this occasion to thank Dr. Hillhouse!

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General Baptist Ministries Expands Digital CommunicationsOver the next few months General Baptist Ministries will restructure its digital communications. The new multi-faceted plan will help insure better connections among General Bap-tists. Some of the elements being expanded or adapted to the new plan include: • Launching of a ministry-wide information blog to include news and op-ed pieces along with local, national, and world interest pieces. • Coordinating weekly email blasts to select groupings of interested people. • Integrating Social Media to better drive interest and connections in our very mobile society. • Redesigning the General Baptist website (www.GeneralBaptist.com) to incorporate the new communication outlets.The new communications plan is being coordinated through Amy Powell, a recent addition to Congregational Ministries.

A life-long General Baptist, Amy graduated from Carson-New-man University with a degree in communications and religion. She served multiple years as a Congregational Ministries Intern at the Mission & Ministry Summit. Since everyone at Gener-al Baptist Ministries multi-tasks and wears multiple hats, in addition to communications she also gives attention to database management and event registrations.The success of any communication plan relies on the ability to gather information to be disseminated among the various out-lets. This is not an easy hurdle to overcome as General Baptist Ministries has not previously had a centralized communication plan. Recipients of communications from General Baptist Min-istries can assist in the planning and rethinking of our current methods. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Contact us through the website. Call us on the phone. If all else fails, stop by for a visit!

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Contact InformationPlease print legibly. One form per church.

Contact Delegate__________________________________

Title____________________________________________

Church Name__________________# of members________

Association_______________________________________

Address_________________________________________

City___________________State________Zip___________

Daytime Phone___________________________________

E-mail Address____________________________________Summit events are open to all General Baptists. For voting on General Association business, churches belonging to an association and churches that are direct affiliate members “shall select delegates to theGeneral Association—two delegates for each 50 members or fraction thereof.” In addition, pastors and staff employed by the church are automatic delegates.

Registration1. Individual Preregistration # attendees listed below______@$55 each= ________2. Group Preregistration unlimited # of attendees ____________________ $400 (All preregistrations must be received by June 30, 2014)3. Individual On-site Registration - After June 30 # attendees listed below______@$65 each= ________A church block to allow an unlimited number of attendees from one church may be purchased for $400. For facility and program planning purposes, the names of the people attending as a church block need to be included on this form. Additions and substitutions are permitted.

Adul t reg is t ra t ion does not inc ludec h i l d / s t u d e n t r e g i s t r a t i o n f e e s .Method of Payment

_____Check (Make checks payable to General Association)

_____Credit Card (Please fill out included Credit Card Authorization form)

1. Name_____________________________Address_______________________________________

E-mail:________________________City:______________________State:_______Zip:________

2. Name_____________________________Address_______________________________________

E-mail:________________________City:______________________State:_______Zip:________

3. Name_____________________________Address_______________________________________

E-mail:________________________City:______________________State:_______Zip:________

4. Name_____________________________Address_______________________________________

E-mail:________________________City:______________________State:_______Zip:________

5. Name_____________________________Address_______________________________________

E-mail:________________________City:______________________State:_______Zip:________

6. Name_____________________________Address_______________________________________

E-mail:________________________City:______________________State:_______Zip:________

Check box if attendee is a

delegate to the G.A.

Summit Attendees Please include name, address, and e-mail for each attendee. Complete registration is required foreach attendee as name tags will be used for entrance to all sessions.

If more than 6 attendees or using a church block registration, please include requested information on reverse side for additional individuals attending.

Mail To 2014 Mission & Ministry Summit • Attn. Kelly Copeland, Clerk • 100 Stinson Drive • Poplar Bluff, MO 63901Fax To 573-785-0564For Additional Information 573-785-7746

MISSION & MINISTRY SUMMIT A General Baptist Gathering

The Crowne Plaza Hotel • Springfield, IL• July 21, 22 ,23 2014

stewardship

Mission MinistryS U M M I T

ADULT REGISTRATION

Child & Student RegistrationAges infant to 12th grade

Parent or Legal Guardian’s NameMust be the adult in charge of the children while attending the Summit

_____________________________________________________

Spouse’s Name

_____________________________________________________

Name of additional person authorized to pick your children up

_____________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________

City______________________!State________!Zip____________

Home phone! ! ! ! ! Cell Phone

______________________________! ! ______________________________Your cell number will be used for on-site communications

Email

_____________________________________________________________________

#1 Number of Infants and Toddlers _____Please indicate the number of infants thru 5 years. There is no registration fee for this age group.

#2 Number of Children/Students _____Please indicate the number of children ages Kindergarten through 12th grade. There is a $55 per child fee for this age group.

Total Registration Fee __________Registration is $55 X Number of Students indicated above on line #2

Please fill out the information requested for each child on the following page. Make copies if needed.Return completed forms and payment to:General Baptist Ministries | 100 Stinson Drive | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

We are using KidCheck child registration software. If you have an account from last year or any other child care facility using KidCheck, you are already set! Just use your phone number to access your account.

If you have not used KidCheck before, you can go to www.kidcheck.com and set up your FREE account and be ready for child registration at the Summit.

If you have your account already set up before coming to the Summit, your check in will be smoother and quicker.

1. Child’s Name!! ! ! ! ! ! ! Date of Birth

_____________________________________________________! ____ / ____ / _______

___ Use same address as above? If not...! ! ! ! Medical Issues

Address ______________________________________________! _______________________

City______________________!State________!Zip____________! _______________________

2. Child’s Name!! ! ! ! ! ! ! Date of Birth

_____________________________________________________! ____ / ____ / _______

___ Use same address as above? If not...! ! ! ! Medical Issues

Address ______________________________________________! _______________________

City______________________!State________!Zip____________! _______________________

3. Child’s Name!! ! ! ! ! ! ! Date of Birth

_____________________________________________________! ____ / ____ / _______

___ Use same address as above? If not...! ! ! ! Medical Issues

Address ______________________________________________! _______________________

City______________________!State________!Zip____________! _______________________

4. Child’s Name!! ! ! ! ! ! ! Date of Birth

_____________________________________________________! ____ / ____ / _______

___ Use same address as above? If not...! ! ! ! Medical Issues

Address ______________________________________________! _______________________

City______________________!State________!Zip____________! _______________________

stewardship

General Baptist Ministries100 Stinson DrivePoplar Bluff, MO 63901

general baptist m e s s e n g e r

non-profit org

u.s. postage

p a i dpoplar bluff, mo

permit no 164