April 2013 BaptistLIFE

April 2013

®

Newsjournal of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware • www.baptistlifeonline.org

SPECIAL FOCUS:

April 2013

VOLUME 98 ISSUE 2/ April 2013

FeaturesDOORS OPEN FOR SOUTH ASIAN FELLOWSHIP AND ACTIVITY CENTER p. 6The South Asian Fellowship is simple, it’s small, but God is open-ing amazing doors.

REDLAND BAPTIST CHURCH’S ‘SHINE THE LIGHT’ PROJECT URGES MEMBERS TO START THEIR OWN MINISTRIES p. 9Redland Baptist Church give a donated $100 per individual or family to cover the cost of a service project where the individual or family sees a need.

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM: SMALL GIFTS LEAD TO HUGE IMPACT p.10The Cooperative Program is a God-given partnership to share the gospel with every person on the planet.

FIRST BAPTIST OF EASTPORT FEEDS OVER 1,000 PEOPLE p. 14Last year, this Annapolis church of 30 provided 4,000 bags of food to over 1,000 people.

PerspectivesDAVID LEE p. 3

BOB SIMPSON p. 4

ROBERT ANDERSON p. 5

p. 14

IN THIS ISSUE: Starting

ministries is not easy. But

the Bible says, “Do not despise

these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin...” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT). In this issue, we recognize the beauty of small beginnings.

CONTENTSp. 6

p. 12

BaptistLIFE (ISSN 331-640) is published bimonthly except for January as a Cooperative Program ministry of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.

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RUSH BAPTIST CHURCH MINISTERS THROUGH A BAND p. 15Rush Baptist Church draws about 25 to 30 people from a rural farmland area each Sunday. That’s actually a huge increase from about eight people last year when they were ready to close their doors.

I will get to the point. If Southern Baptists (or any other denomination) ever get to the point where we no longer value the ministry of small membership churches, then a giant step will have been taken toward the unraveling of our Great Commission

efforts. That statement is not intended to bash large membership churches and mega-churches. Frankly, I wish we had more of those connected with our state convention. Neither does it dampen my dream that some of our smaller membership churches will become much larger churches tomorrow.

The statement is not given as an “out” for those churches with the potential to reach more people, who have chosen instead to sit and focus internally upon themselves while hiding the gospel under a bushel. There is no free pass here!

I just know that in our Baptist world, we have a tendency to overlook the faithful and obedient service of pastors and leaders in churches that do work in hard places where people do not flock to their doors. These are communities where any addition is won by time-intensive and often sacrificial ministry. Often these are churches served by people who give away much more than they will ever receive on this side of heaven.

And hats off to those pastors, many bi-vocational, who do not have staff or strong budgets to assist in the ministry. Yet they faithfully mobilize their people who love Jesus and take seriously the Great Commission.

Throughout our history, these are the churches who have supplied many of our missionaries, pastors, and Cooperative Program resources that have allowed us to become the largest evangelical denomination and missionary force in the world!

I am just saying.

April 2013

David LeeBCM/D Executive Director

Hats off to those pastors...PERSPECTIVE BY DAVID LEE

COLUMBIA, Md.— Rev. Charlie Brown, chairperson of the Executive Director Search Com-mittee at the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D), an-nounced the BCM/D is now accept-ing applications for the Convention’s top post, through April 30, 2013, via a portal on the website, bcmd.org/executive-search.

The right candidate will be a Southern Baptist man and will lead the Convention, as chief executive officer, with vision and sensitivity through planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and utilizing all resources to fulfill the mission of the BCM/D.

“Our state convention exists to assist in starting and strengthening congregations in response to Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8,” said Brown, associate pastor at Dunkirk (Md.) Baptist Church. “Our two-state convention carries this mission out in one of the most strategic locations in the world directly connected to our nation’s capital and the great city of Baltimore, Md.”

The multi-state convention, whose office is in Columbia, Md., a

suburb of Washington, D.C., serves and resources 550-plus churches in the Mid-Atlantic region who are in a cooperating relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention.

The new executive director will replace outgoing Executive Director Dr. David Lee, who will retire on July 31, 2013. Upon his retirement, Lee will have completed 19 years of service to the Convention, the last 13 of which was as the executive director.

“Lee has served Maryland/Delaware Baptists with honor and distinction, and will leave a notable legacy of integrity, wise leadership, and Christ-like character of humility and grace,” shared BCM/D President Robert Anderson, who also serves as senior pastor of Colonial Baptist Church in Randallstown, Md.

A special search committee has been established to find God’s man to serve in this office. This committee is comprised of Administrative Com-mittee members of the Convention’s General Mission Board, a mixture of clergy and laity from BCM/D churches. The Administrative Committee oversees the personnel,

finances and general operations of the BCM/D with input from the General Mission Board members.

The committee will accept resumes through a portal on the website, bcmd.org/executive-search, from prospective candidates through April 30, 2013. Those interested in the position should post his resume and fill out a questionnaire.

Alternatively, resumes may be emailed to the BCM/D Executive Search Committee at [email protected].

Furthermore, those wishing to recommend someone must send a formal letter of recommendation with the candidate’s resume to the above email address.

The search committee will screen applications based on written materi-als submitted. Candidates selected for preliminary interviews may be interviewed in person or by confer-ence call. Finalists will be invited to a personal interview, with members of the Convention participating.

For additional information, visit bcmd.org/executive-search.

The Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware seeks qualified candidates to fill executive director vacancy

April 2013

Have you ever longed for God to do some-thing more powerful

than you have experienced? In your church worship experi-ences, do you ever pray for God to do something that’s not printed in the order of worship or set list? I confess that I have often longed (and prayed) for both.

I came across a fascinat-ing story from church history recently. It seems that in 1860 there was a worldwide prayer revival sweeping the globe. On the Caribbean island of

Jamaica, the Christians there wanted to be a part of it. So they began to pray in daily prayer meetings at dawn. On Sept. 28, 1860, in the regular morning worship service of the Moravian Church in Clifton, Jamaica, something unique and unexpected happened. As was typical, a hymn was sung followed by an opening prayer. Then others began to pray. Children began to pray. One young man poured out his heart in prayer. Tears began to fill the eyes of the congregation. The service lasted for more than three hours. Even at the conclusion of the service, the minister continued to deal with those who were greatly distressed.

Some people left the service and went to continue praying at a nearby schoolhouse. More prayer meetings began to happen in other Jamaican towns including Montego Bay, Bethel Town, and Mount Carey. The prayer revival spilled over to other denominations, the Baptists, the Congregationalists, the Anglicans, the Methodists, and the Presbyterians.

Among the Methodists of Montego Bay, the con-gregation of 800 saw 547 people come to Christ. The 80 Baptist churches of Jamaica reported 12,000 conversions as a result of the prayer revival. The Presbyterian churches of Jamaica saw more than 3,000 conversions in 1860 and another 1,700 the next year.

A Congregationalist minister summed the prayer revival up as follows: “It closed the rum shop and the gambling houses, reconciled long-separated husbands and wives, restored prodigal children, crowded every place of worship, quickened the zeal of ministers, purified the churches, and brought many sinners to repentance.”

Well, AMEN! And it all began with a little prayer. Then it proliferated to more and more prayer. I can’t help but think about the current era in which we live. This country is so messed up. No single solution has emerged. The politicians don’t have the answer. Many of our churches here in our two-state convention are struggling to survive. The world at large seems to have gone mad! The main religions of the world pit themselves one against the other. It seems overwhelming. What do we do? Is there any hope?

Call me silly, but I happen to believe that revival is the answer. And revival always begins with prayer. Typically it begins with the earnest prayers of one person or a small group of believers in some obscure location. Always! There’s no shortcut or alternative strategy.

Perhaps a good starting point would be Habakkuk 3:2, where it says, “I have heard all about You, Lord, and am filled with awe by the amazing things You have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as You did in years gone by. Show us Your power to save us. And in Your anger, remember Your mercy.”

Lord, please, do it again!

A little prayer goes a long wayPERSPECTIVE BY BOB SIMPSON

Bob SimpsonBCM/D Associate Executive Director/Chief Operating

Officer and Editor of BaptistLIFE

MYERSVILLE, Md.—In an effort to tell the pastors in the Baptist Conven-tion of Maryland/Delaware, “We love you all of you!” the BCM/D is highly subsidizing the cost of an all day golf tournament on April 29 at Musket Ridge Golf Course in Myersville, Md.

Pastors are invited to enjoy a great day together playing some golf, hearing from godly leaders, meeting new friends, and letting the BCM/D show them how much they are appreciated.

Speakers include Randy Millwood, director of BCM/D’s Wellness Center, and Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board. The event is an AISI (As Iron Sharpens Iron) premiere event.

The BCM/D has highly subsidized the cost so that pastors can enjoy a great day. Many BCM/D and Skycroft vendors are sponsoring holes in order to keep the cost per golfer at the low price of only $25. This includes 18 holes of golf, continental breakfast and lunch. Scholarships are available, if needed. Call (800) 466-5290 x245.

Register online at bcmd.org/2013-aisi-golf-tournament. The deadline is April 15, 2013. Space is limited to 72 golfers. Musket Ridge Golf Course is located at 3555 Brethren Church Road in Myersville, Md.

If you would like to stay overnight at Skycroft on Sunday night, April 28, please contact Doug DuBois. He has agreed to a cost-only rate for a limited number of rooms at Skycroft. Contact Doug directly at (301) 991-8890 or at [email protected].

Pastors invited to highly subsidized Pastors Appreciation Golf Tournament

April 2013

Worthy are you, our Lord and GodPERSPECTIVE BY ROBERT ANDERSON

Everything in life is designed for the noblest of pur-pose, namely to know the God of the Bible. Life is full of surprises, twists and turns, disappointments,

and moments of happiness. But why? In the “Shorter Catechism” agreed upon by the Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster, this old creed asks this question in a another way, “What is the chief end of man?” To which the profound yet simple response is: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” In fact, this is the wit-ness of the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:11,

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

These are my thoughts as I sit at my desk at 3 a.m. reflecting on the passing of a good friend. My friend, in a short moment in time, was used by God to get me to at-tend a revival service on Friday, Jan. 12, 1973, on which I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. Following that glorious night, I probably saw my friend less than ten times face to face over the last forty years. Admittedly, I have lost a lot of friends, relatives, even my own father and the ques-tion of “Why?” crosses my mind. Clearly, the results of sin has left a devastating trial of death and sorrow. However, the hope of believers was celebrated recently, namely, the resurrection of the unique Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, Alleluia!

This leads me back to my opening paragraph, that all life has a divine purpose no matter how long or short,

grand or small, or strong or weak. My fellow Southern Baptist, God wants us to find Him in the midst of it all. Re-member the words of Hosea:

“Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; His going out is sure as the dawn; He will come to us as the showers, as spring rains that water the earth” (6:3).

Knowing God is what life is all about, and therefore let us “press on” through sick-ness and pain, heartache or gain, for God is here for us to know Him. As we soon head into a new season, “spring” in itself is a teacher of God’s love and faithfulness as sweetly expressed in the second verse of the great hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness”:

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness, To thy great faithfulness , mercy, and love.

“Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!”Morning by morning new mercies I see;All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord unto me! May the Lord of heaven and earth give to us an insa-

tiable desire to know Him.On a more personal note, please

allow me to grow in this article writing business. I have not had the charge to write so often. Therefore, I ask for your prayers and patience as we journey together in this endeavor, and it is my prayer that something might be communicated to strengthen and encourage all of us as we prepare to see the King!

Robert AndersonBCM/D President and

Pastor of Colonial Baptist Church, Randallstown, Md.

Interested in a Doctor of Ministry degree?The Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware is negotiating with a fully accredited, Baptist seminary regarding the feasibility of offering Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) seminars in the Mid-Atlantic area. A part of the seminary’s study includes identifying potential students. If you have a M.Div. or M.Div. equivalency and may be interested in pursuing this advanced degree, with only 1 or 2 trips to campus – all other work done here in the region – please contact Randy Millwood at [email protected].

Inspire The Choir Inspire The Choir seminar with Phil Barfoot

Saturday May 4, 20139:00am - 4:30pm

South Columbia Baptist Church8814 Guilford RoadColumbia, MD 21046

Bring your entire choir or individual members!

www.bcmd.org/inspire-the-choir

April 2013

Let’s just say it. Starting ministries is not easy.

But the Bible says, “Do not despise these small

beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work

begin...” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT). In this issue, we

recognize the beauty of small beginnings.

Doors open for South Asian Fellowship and Activity Center

By Sharon MagerBCM/D Correspondent

ABINGDON, Md.—Lisa Mele leads the South Asian Fellow-ship and Activity Center in part-nership with Maple View Baptist Church, the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and with the North American Mission Board.

She’s also the wife of Craig Mele, pastor of Maple

View Baptist Church, with a congrega-

tion of about 40 people reach-

ing the world for

Jesus.

The South Asian Fellowship is simple, it’s

small, but God is opening amazing doors. Maple View Baptist Church has rallied around the fellowship and the church’s goal is to birth a South Asian church in the Abingdon area.

Lisa’s passion began 20 years ago, before she and Craig were mar-ried. They both attended Bel Forest Baptist Church, and Lisa was search-ing for God’s will.

“It was like a physical weight over me. I was shouting on the inside, ‘God, what do you want me to do? Where do you want me to go?’ When I went home that night, I turned the radio on to a station I don’t normally listen to, and it was about a need for missionaries in India.”

The next day, while she was working in an office, listening to mu-sic, Lisa received amazing confirma-tion that God was indeed speaking to her.

“The dial moved to a Christian radio station and it was a rebroadcast of what I heard the night before,” she said. She wasn’t sure what that ministry would look like. Was God calling her to go to India?

Shortly after that, a man from a local detention center called Lisa’s office by accident, but he and Lisa talked. The man was from India and wanted Lisa to check on his family. Their name was Singh. The family lived near Lisa’s office. She visited with them and brought them to Bel Forest where the church helped with their needs.

“Pastor William Rivers (pastor of Bel Forest Baptist Church) and his wife, Betty Faye, were always very supportive of my burden for India and they were extremely missions-minded,” Mele said.

Twenty years went by and in that time, Craig and Lisa married

and Craig started pastoring Maple View.

The desire to start a ministry to reach South Asians still burned in Lisa’s heart. She shared that burden when she and Craig met with BCM/D’s then planned giving consultant Conrad Burch, and his wife Doris for dinner. Conrad tossed one of Robert Kim’s business cards on the table and told Lisa “that’s the man you need to talk to.” Kim is a BCM/D Asian church planting mis-sionary. Lisa shared her vision with Kim and he became her coach. Kim referred Lisa to North American Mission Board Missionary Aslam Masih for more support. Masih en-couraged the Meles to begin having regular fellowships.

“God has done amazing things, working through Conrad, Robert and Aslam,” Lisa said.

Masih has been very supportive, coaching Lisa, coming to help lead the tours to a Sikh temple, in part-nership with Grace Place Church in Dundalk, and at a local mosque.

Amazingly, at the Mosque, John Gauger, pastor of First Baptist Church, Perryville, who is very involved in ministering to Muslims, shared the Gospel with the Iman through a question and answer time.

“It was unbelievable. It was so natural. It was in the process of dialogue. It wasn’t like someone was preaching,” Lisa said.

Masih invited Lisa and Troy McDaniel, pastor of Grace Place Church, to share their testimonies and participate in a South Asian Ministry NAMB conference in Georgia, where they heard the stories from Hindus and Muslims who were miraculously transformed through the Holy Spirit working in amazing ways, from dreams to Chris-

April 2013

Continued on page 8

tians sharing friendship in

intentional everyday relationships“Aslam has provides credibility,”

Mele said. Masih is Pakistani, and is a natural bridge to the local South Asian people groups, opening doors that are sometimes difficult to crack open.

The Meles followed Masih’s advice and began hosting fellow-ships, inviting local South Asian families through mass mailings using a criss-cross directory and targeting families with Indian last names. They had visions of filling their fellowship hall with Indian families seeking sup-port and spiritual guidance, but that didn’t happen.

A few Christian Indian families attended, but mostly the fellowships drew Christians from other churches that had a similar passion. It wasn’t what they envisioned, but it was how God was directing the ministry.

“We were developing a core group,” Lisa said.

Now, rather than having fellow-ships, the group operates on a more one-on-one and Bible study format.

One of the most effective ministries has been a Bible study at a local Dunkin Donuts where Lisa and

a friend, Mona, have built relation-ships with the restaurant staff.

“We just kept showing up, ask-ing about their families and getting to know them. God would have them sit down and talk to us. Now, they invite us to their house for food, teach us to cook, and invite us to Hindu festivals in the area. We’re the only non-South Asians there. We even became friends with a Mosque president.”

Lisa began to intentionally work as an assistant teaching Eng-lish as a Second Language Class at a local community college.

At first, Lisa was disappointed. There were no students from South Asia, but soon, a student from Bangladesh and one from the Indian state of Gujarat registered, and God allowed Lisa an immediate connection.

“Once again, we just had to

wait on His timing,” she said.Now the ministry has changed.

Instead of sending out invitations to a fellowship, the Meles send bro-chures offering spiritual counseling, Bible studies and scripture in Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, or any other South Asian language.

Lisa believes this is just the beginning. She knows God is going to move in a big way in this ministry

and she’s patiently waiting for Him to make the next move.

“We have met some fascinating people from this part of our world. The Lord has seen fit to allow us to build bridges and to share the Gospel with people of other

faiths. Maple View is a church of about 40 members, but the Lord has put us in contact with over

ten times that number of those in the South Asian community. We pray they come to Christ.”

(Continued from page 15

April 2013

BaptistLIFE Correspondent Sharon Mager, Grace Place Pastor Troy McDaniel, and Director of South Asian Fellowship Lisa Mele attended the North American Mission Board’s South Asian Pastors, Leaders and Potential Church Partners’ gathering in October.

Beda Kaderiya, a Nepali church planter from Columbus, Ohio, was one of many participants at NAMB’s South Asian Pastors, Leaders and Potential Church Partners’ gathering, where each shared their stories about forsaking all to turn to Christ.

April 2013

By Shannon BakerBCM/D National Correspondent

ROCKVILLE, Md.—When a family in his church offered to give $30,000 toward missions, Red-land Baptist Church pastor Mark Ad-ams and lead-ers in his church realized the greater potential of small invest-ments into God’s Kingdom. Rather than placing the entire donation on a single missions trip, they decided to provide $100 per individual or family to cover the cost of a service project where the individual or family sees a need.

Describing the “Shine the Light” project to his congregation, Adams explained, “The idea is for you to covenant to pray about this—asking God to show you a need—a way you can do a tangible good work that will let your light so shine before men so they will praise Him.”

He also explained the guide-lines: Participants must finish their service project, first approved by pastoral staff, within 90 days of when they receive the $100. Participants agree to share a testimony of the re-sults of their project. For larger proj-ects, participants can combine their $100 with other Redland members.

However, participants cannot use funds for their own personal use nor can they be used to help relatives or other organized charities.

“This is for hands-on ministry so that Redland members can them-selves experience the joy of helping,” Adams said, noting already how God is using the experience.

Reports are pouring in. Air Force pediatrician Daniel

Adams felt God was asking him to

use the $100 to make someone feel like a “hundred bucks,” after taking the time to listen to a belligerent

homeless man at the Sil-ver Spring metro

station. “I felt led

to talk to him and spend time listen-

ing to his unintel-ligible rants, and it

had a great impact on him. He told me I made

him feel like one hundred bucks!” the doctor shared, explaining he later felt led to provide a meal for “Miss Smiley,” a homeless beggar he encountered at a pharmacy in Silver Spring.

“I am overwhelmed by the pros-pect of meeting the physical needs of this one woman, Annette. I feel strongly, however, that God placed her in my path for a reason, and that I should continue to engage her, learning more about her needs so that I can with God’s help begin to meet them.”

The experi-ence challenged Adams to learn more about resources for homeless people in Montgomery County. “I am aware of the challenges and risks involved in helping Annette, but I see her as a child of God, clearly in need of friendship, and I can’t ignore her need. I will continue to pray about how I can be an instrument of God’s unlimited grace and love toward Miss Smiley.”

Cyndi Word, a single mom at Redland Baptist, felt a burden to help women trapped in the sex trafficking trade in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., area. She is teaming with nine other Redlanders to furnish bed-rooms for the residential program at The Samaritan Women, a Christian organization in Baltimore that min-isters to women affected by human trafficking.

“I think this project’s biggest effect on me is the way it makes me look for people in need, almost like a ‘need-detective.’ It is probably the way God wants us to operate in every day life,” Word said. “I am so grateful that there is a resource available to actually meet a need, and it has made me super-aware of the people around me.”

Other projects have included helping college students and provid-

ing welcome bas-kets to new fami-lies who move into church members’ neighborhoods.

Pastor Adams said his goal is for this type of service to become second nature to church members. In fact, he sensed God’s call to emphasize service or ministry as the Redland Baptist’s 2013 theme. The focus is called “Second Na-ture,” a term sug-gested by Redland’s student minister, Kevin Freeman.

“Serving others in tangible ways should be second nature to the matur-ing Christ-follower…One of our goals here at Redland is to ‘care in the NA-TURE of Christ,’” Adams said. Learn more at www.redlandbaptist.org.

Redland Baptist Church’s ‘Shine the Light’ project urges members to start their own ministries

April 2013

Cooperative Program: Small gifts lead to huge impact

In 1925 the Cooperative Program (CP) was launched. This God-given partnership of missions support is dependent upon individu-als, churches, state conventions, and SBC entities cooperating, working toward a common goal of sharing the gospel with every person on the planet. Through the years, this approach has proven to be very successful.

Now, Southern Baptists are a fellowship of over 16 million members in approximately 45,010 churches in all 50 states and Canada. These churches work together through ap-proximately

1,182 associations, 42 state conven-tions, and the Southern Baptist Convention to accomplish through voluntary coop-era-

tion far more than they could ever do alone.

If “two are better than one” (Eccl. 4:9), how much better are more than 16 mil-

lion?

Tom Stolle, chief finance of-ficer for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, put it this way:

“Have you ever noticed when you go to the grocery store how

quickly everything adds up in at the cash register? We are

surprised at how easy it is to spend a lot of money

on a few things.”He challenged,

“In the same way, we don’t realize that when we give to missions, it

adds up just as quickly. ”He explained how most

people see what he or she gives, but they often don’t see the cumulative effect of what happens when “lots of little gifts becomes a big gift that really makes a difference.”

“The ‘little’ becomes ‘much’ that impacts people all over the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.

S ince its beginning in 1845, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has always had one mission: to do everything possible to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission

(Matt. 28:19-20). In the early decades of the Convention, each SBC entity raised money for their work by making special offering appeals to the churches. This method was not very effective. More time and effort was spent raising money than reaching people. It greatly hampered the expansion of the ministry opportunities God was giving Southern Baptists and resulted in severe financial deficits.

Pray for the ministries supported by the

Cooperative Program

April 2013

How does the Cooperative Program work?

It involves you…Simply put, the

Cooperative Program (CP) begins with you. You give yourself first to God (2 Cor. 8:5). Next, out of gratitude and obe-dience to God for what He has done for you, you commit to give back to Him, though your church, a por-tion of what He provides. This is commonly called a tithe and represents ten percent or more of your income (Lev. 27:30, Mal. 3:10).

It involves your church…

Every year your church prayerfully decides how much of its undesignated gifts will be com-mitted to reaching people in your state and around the world through the Cooperative Program. This amount is then forwarded to your state Baptist convention.

It involves your Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware…

During the annual meeting of your state convention, messengers from your church and other churches across your state decide what percentage of CP gifts contributed by local congregations stays in your state to reach people and support local missions and min-

istries. The percentage forwarded to the SBC for North American and international missions and ministries is also determined at this time.

It involves your Southern Baptist

Convention…At the annual

meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, messengers from across the country decide how the gifts received from the states will be distributed among the SBC entities. These gifts are used by Southern Baptist entities to send and support missionar-ies through the North American Mission Board

and the International Mission Board; train pastors,

missionaries, and other ministry leaders through

six Southern Bap-tist seminaries;

and address social, moral, and ethical

concerns relating to our faith and

families through the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

To put it anoth-er way, if you follow

the people trail, you will find the CP mak-

ing a difference in the lives of people in your state, across the nation, and around the world. Each person’s small gift has great impact. In other words: little is much.

This month we’re highlighting various ministries supported by the Cooperative Program in prayer. These missions

are impacting the world 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with the mes-sage of God, and YOU are a part of it! Visit online at http://bcmd.org/31days for specific prayers you can pray for the next 31 days. Little is much when you get involved!

Need resources to promote Cooperative Program Sunday on

April 14?

Downloadable videos and printed resources, including the

poster on the next page, are available at bcmd.org/cp

In April, the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware highlights the ministries supported by the Cooperative Program in prayer. These missions are impacting the world 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with the message of God, and YOU are a part of it! Sign up at bcmd.org/31days to receive 31 Days of Prayer for Cooperative Missions so you can join in the prayer.

How the

God expects me to give my tithes and offerings through my church. The Lord expects my church to support missions in our neighborhood, and across our state, nation and world.

It all starts here...

11

Six Southern Baptist seminaries. More than 16,000 future ministers and missionaries attend these schools.

Southern Baptists start more than 100 churches every month, yet many more are needed to reach the more than 258 million lost people in North America.

Through our International Mission Boardwe support more than 5,600 missionaries

who are working to engage 6,400 unreached people groups

around the world. There are more than 3,100 unreached people

groups as yet unengaged.

2

3

1

Together, our BCM/D churches partner with more than

45,000 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. That’s

more than 16 million Southern Baptists across the country.

We partner with other Baptists nationwide to support

three main causes:

43.543.5%*

Together at the annual meeting, our BCM/D churches agree on what missions and ministries we want to support.

33

Our church cooperates with other Southern Baptists because New Testament churches cooperated on missions and ministry, and because we can accomplish more for the Kingdom when we work together. .

22

works

Evangelism (Student/Collegiate/Adult)VBS ClinicsChurch PlantingChurch WellnessDisaster ReliefGuideStone ServicesChurch Treasurers’ TrainingSpiritual Formation/DiscipleshipSeminary ExtensionMinistry Evangelism/PovertyChurch WellnessMinisters and Mates Retreat

This is how we minister together in many ways

across Maryland/Delaware.

We call this system of partnering and putting our money together for missions our Cooperative Program!

How Maryland/Delaware Baptists Support Missions

* As approved by the messengers at the 2011 BCM/D Annual Meeting, if BCM/D churches increase their CP giving, our goal is to send 51% of all CP dollars to mission causes outside of BCM/D by 2020.

43.543.5%*

56.556.5%*Music and WorshipLanguage Church MinistryPre-School/ChildrenWomen’s Ministries/WMUMinisters’ Family SupportStewardshipCoachingBaptistLIFESkycroft Conference Center (Shepherd’s Rest)And Much More!

Together at the annual meeting, our BCM/D churches agree on what missions and ministries we want to support.

33

44Churches send in contributions and the Convention sends the money on to causes agreed on.

working together!

over 535 churches

Our church cooperates with other Southern Baptists because New Testament churches cooperated on missions and ministry, and because we can accomplish more for the Kingdom when we work together. .

55

April 2013


ANNAPOLIS, Md.—About 30 people of all ages regularly attend First Baptist Church of Eastport. They meet for worship and Bible study, and they do outreach ministry in a big way.

The church’s food pantry began with a few shelves of canned goods 20 years ago and now two rooms are filled with food. Last year, that church of 30 provided 4,000 bags of food to over 1,000 people.

Betty Meade is the volunteer church office manager and leads the food ministry.

Each Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to noon, several volunteers of all ages manage the activity, checking people in and bagging and distrib-uting the food. But there’s a lot of work that goes on each week prior to Tuesday. Some gather the food —bringing day-old bread and pro-duce. Another member goes to the food bank for supplies. Midship-men who attend the church pitch in and help stock and maintain the pantry. Many food recipients jump

in and help with unloading.“This is our main focus right

now,” Meade says. Rob Curto, the church’s out-

reach minister, said folks come for a variety of reasons including loss of jobs, ongoing medical problems and crisis situations. Many are broken and Curto, Meade and others pray with them. Several started attending the church as a result of the food ministry.

Curto recalls one young im-migrant, lost and alone, who came to the food ministry for help and became part of the church family.

The church doesn’t stop with the groceries. They also give a small amount of financial help when they’re able.

They raise support for the benevolence fund by opening their church lot for parking during the annual boat show in October and accepting donations.

“Many people give generously when we tell them it’s for the food pantry,” Meade said.

The church even goes an extra mile and occasionally helps with gas and electric and prescriptions.

First Baptist of Eastport feeds over 1,000 people Brian Corrick, pastor of

Gethsemane Baptist Church, and John Smith, executive

pastor of The Church at Severn Run, were the keynote speakers at a small church growth conference at Summit Trace Baptist Church, sponsored by the Blue Ridge Baptist Association. They shared some growth strategies that worked for their churches:

• Emphasize prayer above all.

• Identify a pocket of need and focus on one–pour resources into this need and build ministries around it. Children’s ministry is a great place to start, drawing families. As parents get involved, there is the potential for small groups such as moms’ and parents’ groups. As the children grow, youth groups can be developed.

• Build bridges into the community. Do outreach outside of the church. Make it great. Free hot dogs are okay. Free oysters and ham is better. Don’t have an agenda. Just use the opportunity to get to know people.

• Teach people how to do outreach and set them free. Instead of having a Super Bowl party at the church, encourage families to have them in their homes and invite their neighbors.

• Provide a quality worship experience. Use the best of what you have available.

• Celebrate 90-day “wins.” That can be a big project broken down. For example, a church could have a big children’s ministry building project, but break it into three-month blocks. Concentrate on victories.

• Help people remember past victories. Victories in the past can lead to victories in the future.

• Concentrate on sharing the gospel and let God change hearts and add to the church.

• Be a Great Commission church–see mission as a priority.

–Sharon Mager

Encouraging advice for

smaller churches

Little is Much

April 2013


FRIENDSVILLE, Md.—Rush Baptist Church draws about 25 to 30 people from a rural farmland area each Sunday. That’s actually a huge increase from about eight people last year when they were ready to close their doors. The small group has been very active, and they’re helping to plant a church in Morgantown, W. Va.

When asked about how rural the area is, Pastor John Wyrick, who began pastoring the church last year, laughs and says, “You are surrounded by farms, rivers and lakes...there are more Big Foot sightings in the area than in the whole country.”

Wyrick leads a three-piece Chris-tian Southern rock band, named after him. They play in the community and at fairs and festivals. The church has rallied around the band, using it as an opportunity to do ministry. They plan to expand those ministries to campouts and outdoor services.

When the band began playing outside the courthouse in Morgan-town, church members began distrib-uting food and bottled water. Enough people responded that a new church is being birthed. Rush members are working with another ministry called “The Living Room,” to plant a church in the inner city of Morgantown.

Wyrick likes the name. “It started in a living room, and it’s full of life,” he said.

Wyrick said someone recently asked him what is the church’s growth plan, and he quipped that he had a two-step plan guaranteed to work: preach the gospel and love everyone.

“It sounds so simple, but really, simplicity works,” he said.

Wyrick has pastored in Hat-tiesburg, Miss., North Carolina and Pennsylvania in addition to traveling throughout the country as a musical evangelist. He settled in Pennsylvania. It served as a good home base while he travelled the East Coast.

Wyrick said God truly orches-trated bringing him to pastor Rush. The band was playing at a church in Friendsville. A member of Rush Baptist heard the band and passed the information on to the leaders at Rush. The date Rush wanted Wyrick to play was booked, but immediately before Rush leaders called, someone had cancelled the previous gig, leaving Wyrick free to play at Rush. Wyrick said he recalls the day he shared at Rush because it was Dec. 4, 2011, his 47th birthday.

“I joke about the Lord setting it up and giving me Rush as my birth-day gift,” Wyrick said.

He preached about Zacchaeus, and a little girl responded to the invi-tation and gave her life to Jesus.

The church began to grow.“Fifteen to twenty people doesn’t

seem like a lot to larger churches, but we’re really pleased with what the Lord is doing here,” he said.

Wyrick came to know the Lord on March 30, 1980 through Youth For Christ. He was 15 years old and

already an accomplished musician. “For me it was a major event. I

had grown up playing music and by that age I was in a regionally success-ful rock band,” he said.

God changed Wyrick’s heart and his desires.

“I was called into ministry right away,” he said. Wyrick began sharing his testimony at church services and youth groups.

“It was pretty neat for me because I had been pretty well known through my music. Pastors liked me because they thought of me as a teen-age kid snatched from the pit of hell. We were hanging with some pretty big names, especially in Southern rock.”

Wyrick literally went from hang-ing out with the Allman Brothers to singing in church.

Wyrick and his wife, Rebecca, have three children. They are origi-nally from Florida.

“It’s kind of funny to be talking about some of the things we’re doing: being creative and innovative. What we’re doing is looking at our sur-roundings and resources and using what we have.

“Maybe that’s the biggest innova-tion of all. Instead of doing what we’re not capable of doing, we’re staying within our element.”

Check out the John Wyrick Band on YouTube. To book the band or learn more, email Wyrick at

[email protected].

Rush Baptist Church

ministers through a band and plants a church

April 2013


SALISBURY, Md.—There are 46 churches in the Eastern Baptist Association (EBA). Reid Sterrett, who officially took the reigns as Director of Missions (DOM) in February, plans for that number to double within a decade. Church planting and strengthening existing churches are the top priori-ties for the EBA.

Sterrett, who has been leading the EBA as the interim DOM since 2011, has already spear-headed signifi-cant changes in the association in preparation the growth. He im-mediately reduced staff and sold the EBA building, transitioning the as-sociation to an all-virtual operation, cutting overhead costs and freeing necessary funds.

He wants to help plateaued and declining churches by provid-ing networking opportunities and training, including participation in LifeWay’s Transformational Church process.

Sterrett also firmly believes churches need to define their vi-sion. He has a goal of helping every church in the association develop a written vision statement.

“We want to help them under-stand why they exist–not just a mis-sion statement but a vision, in the heart and mind of the pastor, who clearly articulates it to the congrega-tion and community,” he said.

During his interim period, EBA became a church planting cen-ter, an environment to intention-ally identify and develop church planters and leaders. Currently, six participants are interning to

become planters or part of a church planting team.

Sterrett stepped forward as interim when the association was going through a transition period following the unexpected death of long-time DOM Bruce Revel. Sterrett helped in the DOM search,

poring over 100 resumes. When they narrowed it down to one candidate, and offered the position, only to be turned down, Reid began to feel God calling him.

“Over time I felt God begin-ning to do a work in me. I have always had a passion and desire to serve pastors,” Sterrett said.

The Eastern Association covers the Delmarva Peninsula serving 970,000 people spread out over a huge geographic region, much of it rural. The association is looking at a variety of church planting models, using bi-vocational pastors, home churches, and utilizing abandoned real estate from other denomina-tions.

There’s also the issue of visiting EBA churches each year to build re-lationships. It’s not feasible. Sterrett is looking at a possible new model of breaking down and distributing that workload using a shared min-istry type of model and assigning territories to designated leaders.

The association is uniquely

diverse and rural, with a large immigrant population serving the poultry and agricultural industry. There are large Hispanic, Haitian and Korean populations. Ster-rett also works with Lynn Davis, who oversees the resort ministry in Ocean City, ministering to

hundreds of young internationals each summer.

Sterrett came to Christ as a 20-year old while serv-ing in the army. He returned home and shared his new-found faith with his then girlfriend, Mary. The two married shortly af-terwards and began attending and were baptized at Lynn Haven Baptist Church. Sterrett felt called to min-istry, and Kerry

Hinton, pastor of Lynn Haven, ordained him. Hinton encouraged Sterrett to participate in the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Dela-ware’s church planting assessment. The couple got the green light and returned to plant Soul Discovery Church, which lasted a decade.

Reid and Mary Sterrett have three daughters: Madelyn, 16, Mariah, 13, and Mallory, 12. Ster-rett enjoys physical and outdoor sports including racquetball, biking, hunting and fishing.

He requests prayers. “We need support for the big

task ahead of us. It is unachievable by our own hands,” he said.

“It is very exciting time...there is a lot of opportunity before us.”

Contact Sterrett at web: www.easternbaptist.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/reid.sterrett.5.

EBA Director of Missions Reid Sterrett leads change on Delmarva Peninsula

Mary and Reid Sterrett

April 2013

David Jackson pens new book, ‘Planted: Starting Well, Growing Strong’

By Shannon BakerBCM/D National Correspondent

COLUMBIA, Md.—After working with 350-400 church plants over the years, David Jackson recog-nized a common theme: churches that emphasize evangelism grow.

“The bottom line is it’s about evangelism,” shares Jackson, church multiplication missionary at the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. “That’s what I call the ‘Miracle Gro element’ that every suc-cessful church plant has. Evangelism permeates everything they do.”

Jackson details his observations in his new book, “Planted: Starting Well, Growing Strong,” in which he seeks to answer, “What has made new churches grow effectively?”

The book, available in April, reveals ten characteristics evidenced in the fledging early days of growing congregations. Some characteristics are internal, such as allowing every-one to have ownership of the vision. Others are external: getting into the community and out of the building.

“They all play out evangelisti-cally because the heart of the planter is evangelistic,” Jackson says, noting findings from Church Planter Profiles developed by Charles Ridley of Fuller Seminary. These assess-ments, used to evaluate potential new church planters in the BCM/D, show successful planters are very pas-sionate about lost people.

“In the earliest days of most

church plants there are few, if any, people committed to the on-going viability of the new church beyond the planter’s own family,” Jackson writes. “Because this is the norm, the

planter’s thoughts and actions are naturally inclined to those who are still ‘unreached.’”

As the church grows, “individu-als in the congregation will begin to ‘mirror’ the inspiring leader who has greatly inspired them,” he adds.

“The point of ‘Planted’ is this: new churches are more evangelisti-cally effective than older ones, and the reasons why this is so are not really a mystery!” shares Randy

Millwood, author of “To Love and To Cherish from This Day Forward: A Portrait of a Healthy Church,” in an endorsement of the book.

Millwood celebrates the “informed research, testimonies from real practice, and personal anecdotes” contained in the book. “You often see one, but seldom see all three blended together so well,” he says.

Robert E. Logan, author of “The Missional Journey,” agrees. “‘Planted’ is a leadership primer to guide church planters, pastors and congregational leaders through the maze of healthy church development that maintains fidelity to the mission of Jesus,” he says.

While the audience is primarily directed at church planters, Jackson says seasoned ministers of estab-lished churches could glean from the book’s principles in their settings as well.

Available on Amazon.com, “Planted” is published by Screven & Allen Publishing, named after Wil-liam Screven, a Baptist preacher and shipbuilder who arrived in Charles-ton, S.C., from Maine in 1696 to plant the first Baptist church in the South, and Roland Allen, a mis-sionary who established indigenous churches in China.

Learn more at www.facebook.com/plantedonline

email: [email protected] phone: (410) 977-9867.

DIRECTOR OF MISSIONS— The Potomac Baptist Association (PBA) located in Hughesville, Maryland, is searching for a Director of Missions. The PBA consists of 37 churches and missions and serves Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert Counties in Southern Maryland. Qualifications include a proven ability to strengthen existing churches, to lead in the church multiplication pro-cess, and to develop an Acts 1:8 mission strategy. The PBA is affiliated with the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and the Southern Baptist Convention. For more information about the PBA and the ministry opportunity please visit www.potomacbaptist.net. Resumes should be submitted

to the website or by mail to Potomac Baptist As-sociation, 8468 Leonardtown Road, Hughesville, MD 20637.

MAIL, E-MAIL OR FAX YOUR AD: Deadlines are the first day of each month for

the following month’s issue. Classified advertising is 75 cents per word ($18.00 minimum) for BCM/D churches and church members; 85 cents per word ($20.00 minimum) for non-profit organizations; and 95 cents per word ($25.00 minimum) for commercial organizations. Word count does not include words with two letters or less. Contact us for display ad pricing. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of any advertiser’s products or services.CL

ASS

IFIE

DS

April 2013

‘Miss Personality’: from ‘people pleaser to set free by God’

Michelle Mackall


Michelle Mackall serves as an administrative assistant for the Mid-Maryland Baptist Association and ministers alongside her husband John at CrossLife Community Church in Elkridge, Md.

Attractive, with a winning smile, she’s “Miss Personality”and that’s of-ficial. Mackall won the secondary title at the Miss Delmarva pageant last fall.

Mackall competed in past pageants, but this was different. It was unfinished business with God.

“I had always wanted to compete once more.... I knew if I walked off the stage 100 percent who God made me, I had the victory, and God would be glorified,” she said.

In the past, Mackall sought the approval of man. She struggled with her own self image and fought for control in her life. That control even extended to a long-term struggle with anorexia.

Mackall grew up in a Christian home and made the decision to follow Christ when she was seven years old. Turmoil led to a “diet” at the age of 16 that quickly spiraled into a 12-year battle with an eating disorder. At one point she dropped to just 93 pounds.

“It was my way of controlling a world that in my mind was out of control,” she said.

She smiled her way through her young adult life to hide the pain. She met her husband John in college, who tenderly helped her through the battle, encouraging her to seek coun-seling several times, with God each time moving her steps forward.

After a brief hiatus, the disorder tendencies resurfaced while John was in seminary. A counselor at that time told Michelle she was “very good” at hiding behind the smile and building up walls to protect herself, even walls within her own marriage.

“But God did not want walls; He

wanted me and my surrender to Him,” she said.

One way Mackall had sought approval in those early days was in pageants. And while pageants, she said, are often a wonderful venue for women, for Mackall, competing was a way to say she was “someone.” So she sought to look and say what she thought the judges wanted her to say rather than be who God had made her to be. Last year, with her husband’s support and blessing, she signed up to compete in the Mrs. Delmarva pageant to be held in Salisbury.

Mackall did not take home the

Mrs. Delmarva crown but she did take the title and crown for Delmarva’s “Miss Personality.”

“And the funniest part was winning the interview competition.” Mackall laughed thinking she “blew it,” feeling much like Charlie Brown’s teacher talking. But, she remembered her answers were from the heart, and she laughed with her family with true

joy and freedom rather than beat herself up as she would have done 26 years ago when she struggled so hard to answer what was expected.

Mackall reconnected with a high school friend at the competition. A picture was taken of the two women and Michelle panicked when it was posted to her Facebook wall following the pageant.

“This means many high school friends have now seen me in the pag-eant ‘finery’ sans the crown. I had not thought that dynamic through and realized my secret is ‘out!’”

Mackall prayed, asking God to help, to ensure that He got the glory.

“He met me there and said, ‘What if My mission field was to expand beyond you and your prayers for the contestants? What if I am us-ing that picture so that anyone who asks gives you the oppor-tunity to share the reasons for your walk with Me?’”

One of the interview questions had been what I would want to accomplish as Mrs. Delmarva.

“My heart is to help women and girls realize their self-worth not through what society would tell them but for their gifts and talents.”

Mackall loves teaching a teen girl’s Bible study and is once again teaching a women’s Bible study where she prays

she imparts this message. She also meets with individuals,

helping them to trust God as they work to win the battle over disorders such as anorexia.

Mackall is available to share her journey from people pleaser to set free by God with women and teen groups.

For more information contact Michelle at (443) 340-5720 or [email protected].

April 2013

By Shannon BakerNational Correspondent

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Aquilla Ann Brown Smith, a former Woman’s Missionary Union state executive director for Maryland/Delaware, New Mexico and South Carolina, died Feb. 7. She was 70.

Smith retired on medical disability at the end of 2005 after serving the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware for a decade as a consultant for the WMU as executive director, missions education, special education, coordinator of On Missions Celebration (World Missions Conference), Women’s Enrichment Ministry, advisor to the Maryland/Delaware support staff and director/treasurer for Camp Wo-Me-To, a camp in Jarrettsville, Md., owned and operated by WMU.

She also served 18 years in the New Mexico Convention and four and a half years in the South Carolina Convention.

Smith, who is the wife of Lonnie L. Smith and daughter of the late Frank and Aquilla Wilkins Brown, was introduced to missions at an early age.

“Missions is in my blood and it has been from the time missionaries came and spoke at our church and stayed in our house when I was a child,” Smith told BaptistLIFE at her retirement.

“My parents set the example. They didn’t have a whole lot materially, but Mama and Daddy shared with people who needed things such as food and clothing. They also supported the special missions offerings like Annie Armstrong, Lottie Moon and State Missions, as well as the South Carolina Children’s Home, in addition to tithing.”

Smith was raised in the rural community of Goucher in Gaffney, S.C. She made a confession of faith when she was nine years old at an August revival service at her

church, Goucher Baptist Church in Gaffney. Later she graduated from Limestone College in Gaffney and did graduate work at the University of South Carolina, Spartanburg, in special education and counseling.

She spent two years in Guatemala, Central America, as one of the Foreign Mission Board’s (now IMB) first missionary journeymen group where she taught missionary children.

She also taught history and special education in South Carolina before becoming the director of Baptist Women (now Women on Mission) for the South Carolina’s Woman’s Missionary Union.

In 1978, she became executive director of WMU for the Baptist Convention of New Mexico. She was called to Maryland in 1996.

Since beginning to work professionally with WMU in 1973, Smith had the privilege to serve with five state executive directors and five division directors.

In New Mexico and Maryland, in particular, she was a transition person seeing many changes in the organization of WMU: most notably, younger women serving on the WMU Executive Board and in other places of leadership.

Gayla Parker, who followed

Smith in her ministry at the BCM/D, noted, “One of the hardest things in ministry is to follow someone who so passionately gives her all to a ministry. As soon as I arrived in Maryland I knew that I was following a woman who had given her life passionately to the cause of missions and missions education through WMU.”

Parker added, “Every where I went I heard stories about Aquilla; how she gave, how she worked, how she lead, and how she inspired. When I finally met her for the first time I met a gracious, humble and very kind woman. She was a spiritual giant that will be greatly missed but her legacy will live on through the women and girls who learned to live out their faith from Aquilla Smith.”

Smith enjoyed working in all the churches, with church plants and with language churches. Smith said she enjoyed providing training, planning events, setting up mission trips and especially making new friends.

She was a member of First Baptist Church in Laurel, Md., while in Maryland.

Surviving in addition to her husband is a sister, Mildred Wilson and husband, Don, of Shelby, N.C.; a nephew, George Wilson and wife, Susan, of Shelby; a niece, Margaret Bradshaw and husband, Dan, of Hillsborough, N.C.; two great-nephews. She was preceded in death by a brother, Basil Brown.

An online guest register is available at www.blakelyfuneralhome.com.

Memorials may be made to: Baptist Family and Children’s Services of Maryland, Inc., 7161-A Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046.

—With reporting by Sharon Mager

Aquilla Smith, former WMU state executive director, dies

Aquilla B. Smith

April 2013

Dear Counselor,In the wake of the shootings at Newtown, Conn.,

I have been in a dilemma about how much to talk about this with my children. I have two children in the first and second grades so this has impacted me at a deep emotional level. However, I am not sure what, if anything, to say to my kids about this.

–A Frightened ParentDear Parent,

The highly publicized and “gut-wrenching” nature of the Newtown shooting has made it less of an option to say nothing to your children. They will hear about it from their friends or in school one way or the other. In fact, you might open up a discussion by asking what they have heard. As many have pointed out, while the Newtown shooting is particularly horrific, many children in our country and around the world experience gun violence and other forms of violence every day, so it is a topic that we can no longer avoid even for first and second graders.

While saying nothing is not the preferred option, saying too much is also not the best. Shielding children from constant media images or graphic details is important. Constant expo-sure to the news often leads young children to believe that the shooting is happening over and over again.

Simple, direct statements are best; statements that do not deny, deflect, or “spiritualize away” the fact that an upset person took the life of some young children in their school, causing a lot of pain to their families and community. Of course, children will immediately want to know about their own safety and need to be reassured of what is being done to keep them safe, while not making false promises that bad

things will never happen in life. Discussing what is being done at school and what your particular family is doing and will do in a crisis to keep them safe actually gives a sense of control to children in a time like this.

Reminding children of God’s love is important, but in such a way that tells the truth that God’s love helps us to get through anything and does not always prevent us from experi-ence painful things in life. It is all right to say you don’t under-stand all of what has happened, but that this family can face anything with one another and with God. Hold them close when you say this. Repeat nightly. Watch for any nightmares or somatic complaints (e.g., stomach aches at the thought of go-ing to school) and if these symptoms persist after several weeks, consider talking to a counselor.

This is also a good time to review the family policies about violent video games, movies, TV shows, etc., and to review the family’s commitment to eliminate such from the home and community. Similarly, it is a good time for the fam-ily to look at how children are raised to treat others in school and in life, finding ways to befriend the awkward and different rather than ignoring or teasing them. Finally, it is a good time for the parents to seriously reflect upon their own behavior in family relationships. How are we connecting and overcoming distance? How do we deal with anger? Are any of our family members out of touch or disengaged? What does God want me to do about this and how will I need to grow?

— Tom Rodgerson

Send your questions by email to [email protected]. For appointment information, call (800) 491-5369

or visit www.centrepointecounseling.org.

“Dear Counselor” with CentrePointe Counseling, Inc.

“How do I talk to my child about school shootings?”

Conference presenters are:

Ethel Mitchell, Esq. – Wills & Trusts LLC, and Virginia Jackson, CPA – Sankofa Financial Group LLC

To register: call Virginia (301) 244-0288

$30 registration fee includes: Continental breakfast and lunch, two interactive working sessions, conference workbooks and materials and information on Social Security Benefits.

Emmanuel Baptist Church Finance Ministry presentsEstate & Retirement Planning…God’s Way

Saturday, April 27, 8:30 am -3:00 pm

Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware Mission Resource Center

10255 Old Columbia RoadColumbia, MD 21046

Saturday, May 4, 2013First Baptist Church of Laurel

15000 First Baptist LaneLaurel, Maryland 20707

For more info, or to register, go towww.bcmd.org/building-conference

April 2013

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — SBC-jobs.net, a new, premier online job board for SBC ministers, churches, and entities is available. While SBCjobs.net is not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the purpose of the site is to support SBC churches and ministers by provid-ing a premier online destination for ministry candidates and churches to connect for the glory of God and the growth of His church.

This is accomplished through allowing unlimited space for churches to post job descriptions for open ministry positions. Churches with open positions may also browse the online resume directory for potential

ministerial candidates.For individuals seeking jobs,

SBCjobs.net provides two avenues to apply for jobs. The first is to seek out a specific job and follow the applica-tion instructions contained in the job posting. The second is by creat-ing a profile with your resume and information for churches and entities posting jobs to search. Both services are free to job seekers, and SBCjobs.net encourages ministers to use both methods. To be notified of the latest postings, applicants can connect online through both Facebook and Twitter.

For churches and entities, SBC-jobs.net also provides two avenues to

find capable candidates for their job openings. The first is to post a specific job (with multiple pricing options available) and allow applicants to contact them with their interest. The second is by searching the resume da-tabase at SBCjobs.net and connecting with qualified applicants. By posting jobs, both churches and entities gain access to both methods.

SBCjobs.net accepts PayPal and all major credit cards.

[Editor’s note: The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee still lists job postings at www.sbc.net/jobs.]

SBCjobs.net launches as new job board

African American Advisory Fellowship honors David Lee

NAMB gives evangelism-themed Bibles to churchesALPHARETTA, Ga.—Every

Southern Baptist and Canadian Na-tional Baptist church in North America will receive a case of New Testaments from the North American Mission Board by early April.

The “Find It Here” New Testaments are part of NAMB’s God’s Plan for Sharing: GPS initia-tive to encourage “Every Believer Sharing, Every Person Hearing” by 2020 (gps2020.net).

“If your church hasn’t been out in your community sharing Christ

in a while, we think these Bibles are a great tool for outreach,” NAMB

President Kevin Ezell said. “And if you are already active in reaching your community, this is one more tool we think everyone will want to use.”

Churches began receiv-ing the shipments in mid-February. Because of the large number being shipped, it will take six weeks for churches to receive their New Testaments.

Each case contains 48 New Testa-ments and a card that tells pastors why the New Testaments were sent to them and how they can order more. Churches are asked to use the New

Testaments as part of their evangelis-tic efforts.

Spanish-speaking churches will receive a Spanish-language translation.

Each New Testament has specific verses marked to guide evangelistic conversations. On the back of each New Testament, those looking for spiritual help are given the findithere.com Web address and a phone number where they can find spiritual counseling. The Find It Here New Testaments were produced through a partnership between NAMB and LifeWay Christian Resources. LifeWay assisted in the development of the New Testaments and printed them at a discounted rate.

Members of the African American Advisory Fellowship presented Dr. David Lee with a gift of appreciation, a Ravens Super Bowl football and plaque, on March 8, during their annual African American Awareness Conference at the Baptist Mission Resource Center.

NEWS BRIEFSGifts for victims of Hurricane Sandy

The Arundel Baptist Association is collecting gift cards and financial donations for hurricane victims of Sandy in Rockaway Beach New York. Donations can be sent to Arundel Baptist Association, Attention Cindy Yost, P.O. Box 536, Pasadena, MD 21123.

Free ESL Classes Berwyn Baptist Church

offers free English as a Sec-ond Language (ESL) classes to all international students who wish to improve their English speaking ability. Classes consist of novice through advanced. There is a textbook charge of $15. Classes are held every Thurs-day, 7- 8:30 pm.

For more information call (301) 474-7117.

50th Anniversary Celebration

Westminster Baptist Church will celebrate their 50th anniversary on June 1-2.

The weekend’s events include a banquet at Pleasant Valley Fire Hall with guest speaker Wayne Kemp-son, pastor of First Baptist Church, Waldorf.

On June 2, the church will have a continental breakfast and combined worship service with guest speaker Joel Rainey, Mid-Maryland Baptist Association director of missions.

The church is encouraging cur-rent and former members to partici-pate in festivities.

Liturgical Dance EveningKent Baptist Church will feature

their KBC Radikal4 Christ and Star-light Praise Dancers at 4 pm on April 27 in an evening of liturgical dance. The church has invited other liturgi-cal dance groups to participate.

The dance program began as a dream between Barbara Smith and Director Denise Bryant as a one-day presentation for a women’s day pro-gram in 2003, but the women and the church enjoyed it so much, it became a permanent ministry.

A dozen dancers, ages 27 to 68, participate in the program led by Bryant and assistant Sharlene Bryant Allen.

They had a five-year anniversary dance celebration in 2008.

“It was a great time with participants of from other churches

performing: praise dance, mime, steppers etc. The Starlight Praise dancers have performed at other churches event lifting up the name of Jesus,” Bryant said. “Our goal is not to perform for form or fashion but to glorify the Lord in dance.” For more information, email Bryant at [email protected].

Revival Evangelist Frank Shelton will

be the guest speaker at Oxon Hill Baptist Church during revival services April 14 to 17. There will be a special concert by Caitlin Jane at 6 pm on April 14.

Outdoor Movie Night Outreach First Baptist Church of Savage

will have an outdoor movie night on the church grounds on May 18. The event is an outreach for the commu-nity.

Family Success Parenting Seminar

First Baptist Church of Upper

Marlboro will host “Relationship Tools for Family Success Parenting Seminar,” from 6-9 pm on April 26, at the church. The program features Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN. There will be a children’s program provided to complement what the adults learn.

Topics include over-coming selfishness with the biblical concept of honor and teaching children to accept “no” as an answer. Parents will leave with plans to put into practice. For more informa-tion about the seminar, see www.biblicalparenting.org/live. The cost is $20 per adult or $30 per couple. For registration information, call (609) 771-8002.

Growing Deeper Jessup Baptist Church

averages about 80 people each Sunday. It’s an average size church doing what many would think would be more likely in a larger church.

They have a “share and care” dinner on the first Wednesday of each month and game nights on the last Saturday of the month. They help minister at Kari’s House,

a division of the Baltimore Rescue Mission, distribute food through a pantry ministry, they have clothing drives, collect book bags of school supplies for students, host men’s breakfasts and they have a widow’s ministry. The church just finished revival services, and they’re getting ready now for this year’s VBS.

Pastor Bill Jones is leading the church in an intentional effort to dig deep into God’s Word. They’ve been covering Acts, Philippians, James and Ephesians and now, Jones is leading a Sunday night study of the Minor Prophets. The church also reads through the Bible together and memorizes scripture.

Social Media WorkshopFaith Baptist Church, Knox-

ville, will host “Telling the Story,” a workshop covering skills to use social media for ministry and outreach on April 13. The cost is $20 per person or $30 per church group and includes lunch. To register, see https://even-tonline.wufoo.com/forms/z7w4q5.

Jessup Baptist Church collects book bags of school supplies for students.

April 2013

Follow atyourbaptistlife

April - June 2013 BCM/D Events

(www.bcmd.org/calendar or 800-466-5290 + ext. below)

APRIL ___________________5-6 Ministers Wives Retreat,

DoubleTree in Annapolis (410-977-9852)

5-6 Disaster Relief Training/OSFA, The Church at Covenant Park (x226)

14 Cooperative Program Sunday (x207)

15 Weekday Education Directors Network, BMRC (x218)

18-19 Finding a Rhythm for My Soul Retreat, Skycroft (x217)

19 VBS Rally, First English, Frostburg (x218)

20 Medical Missions, The Church at Severn Run (x226)

20 Disaster Relief Training, Harrington BC, Del. (x226)

29 AISI Pastor Appreciation Golf Tournament (x245)

MAY ___________________4 Inspire the Choir, South

Columbia BC (x200)10-11 Disaster Relief Training/

OSFA, Southern Calvert, Lusby, MD (x226)

10-12 Family Retreat, Skycroft (800-536-6759)

13 Ports of Call, Skycroft (x226)

21 Multiplying Church Overview, BMRC (x222)

21 Spring Childrens Ministers Seminar (x218)

27 Memorial Day BMRC Closed

JUNE ___________________1 Your Shape for Church

Planting (x222)11-12 SBC Convention,

Houston, Texas

April 2013

The deadline is April 5.

Women’s ConferenceOak Grove Baptist Church will

host its third annual women’s confer-ence, “Let Your Light Shine,” featur-ing DeeDee Jonrowe, an Iditarod Musher and breast cancer survivor, on April 13 from 9:30 am – 2:00 pm. The cost is $25 (includes continental breakfast and lunch).

Jonrowe is an American kennel owner and dog musher who is a three-time runner up in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Dee Jones and Karen Rickards will provide the special music.

Contact Oak Grove Baptist Church at (410) 838-9898, www.oakgrovebaptist.com, to learn more.

‘Seven Laws of the Learner’ Seminar

Kettering Baptist Church in Upper Marlboro, Md., will host a two-day seminar, “Seven Laws of the Learner: How to Teach Almost Anything to Practically Anyone,” on Friday, April 19, 7 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, April 20, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cost is $59.99 until April 7 and $69.99 at the door. Register online at www.ketteringministries.org. For more information, contact Minister Andre Williams at (301) 335-7150.

Walter M. Dow ObituaryWalter “Dow” Wood, died on

Feb. 24. He was 85.Wood served as pastor of First

Baptist Church of Fruitland for 28 years. He helped formed the Fruit-land Ministerial Alliance in an effort to network with other local pastors in the community.

Dow was also instrumental in starting the Eastern Baptist Associa-tion’s disaster relief unit.

Wood was born in Newton County, Missouri, and was raised in Louisiana. He was a deacon at Princess Anne Baptist Church before pastoring Fruitland Baptist, where he was ordained. Wood provided pulpit supply to Fruitland. When he asked the leadership about finding a pastor, they told Wood they already had—they were just waiting for God to tell him.

Dow received a housing allow-ance but never accepted a salary while pastoring Fruitland. He worked full-time as an ironworker before retiring.

Dow is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary Wood, a son, Lemuel J. Wood & wife, Debbie of Glen Bur-nie, Md.; daughter, Mary E. Conner and husband, Harold of Salisbury; son, Preston M. Wood of Hopkins, S.C.; son, Walter M. Wood III and wife, Teresa of Eden; son, Walter Michael Wood and wife Stacey of Richland Hills, Texas; daughter, Cynthia Lirrette and husband Wayne of Sulphur, LA; and son, Robert Wood and wife Pattie of Shreveport, La., 19 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren; and one sister, Barbara Jameson and husband, Jack and many nieces and nephews.

DALLAS (BP)—The 2013 edition of the ministers’ annual tax guide from GuideStone Financial Resourc-es is now available.

The Tax Return Prepara-tion and Federal Reporting Guide provides both active and retired ministers step-by-step help in un-derstanding the latest tax laws along with sample tax forms to assist in preparing 2012 federal tax returns. The tax guide also includes a special section detailing federal reporting requirements for churches.

The guide was written again this year by Richard Hammar, a noted CPA, attorney and widely published author specializing in legal and tax issues for ministers. Additionally, the

material is edited by GuideStone’s compliance staff to ensure that it addresses, in detail, tax issues directly affecting Southern Baptist pastors.

“As our tax system grows more complicated each year, it is a joy and a privilege for GuideStone to stand alongside the ministers we represent and provide solid counsel from a trusted source,” said O.S. Hawkins, GuideStone’s president.

The guide can be obtained in PDF format at GuideStone.org/TaxGuide. GuideStone participants can order a free printed copy by calling 1-888-98-GUIDE (1-888-984-8433) between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday.

2013 Ministers’ Tax Guide available

Non-profitU.S. Postage

PAIDColumbia, MD

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April 2013 BaptistLIFE

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