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BaptistLIFEBaptistLIFE Newsjournal of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware

BCM/D hires new

Urban Strategist to

reach our cities

Page 6

Lifeway’s president,

James Draper, announces

retirement for 2006

Page 8

Eek gets all

freshened up for

Easter morning

Page 6

March 2005Download this issue online:

www.yourbcmd.org/BLFeb05

By Sharon MagerStaff Writer

CONOWINGO, Md. — Conowingo Church, the oldest Southern Baptist Church in Cecil County, with a member-ship of 230 adopted a people group in West Africa. From that simple step, the church has gone on to take three mis-sion trips, was instrumental in providing missionaries on the field and facilitated two missions conferences, one in Maryland and one in Africa. In fact, it was through the work of Conowingo that the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D) has a new partnership with the unreached people groups of West Africa. And even while going through the transition of losing a pas-tor, Conowingo kept up its momentum.

Al Hodges, International Mission Board (IMB) director of global equipping, said the church is worth emulating. Yet church members acknowledge that God had a plan that sur-prised them.

“It humbles me that God used Conowingo, in the mid-dle of nowhere, to really stir this thing in what’s becom-ing quite a movement,” Russ Reaves said. Reaves is the former pastor of Conowingo Church who initiated the church’s African partnership.

The story began when Reaves, a young pastor with a heart towards missions,

arrived at Conowingo in 1998. He wanted to engage the church in missions.

Reaves began looking at Conowingo’s history and found that at one time the church supported missions sacrificially and they had even adopted missionaries. But when he suggested a mission trip he met with disinterest. He was disappointed.

Shortly after that time, Reaves attended a Global

Missions Priority Conference at the IMB’s Missionary Learning Center in Richmond, Va. The conference was for pastors who wanted to encour-age their churches to be mis-sion minded and how to learn to partner with people groups throughout the world.

“I made a commitment at that conference to allow God to direct us to the place and people that He desired for us to engage,” Reaves said.

Reaves came back to Conowingo and assembled a mission strategy team. He shared his passion for mis-sions and told them that he felt Conowingo wasn’t burdened for their adopted missionaries, but that perhaps God would open a different opportunity for them if they sought Him.

Conowingo Church adopts the Fulakunda people in West Africa

This meal is a traditional one called ceebu yapp - served in a “common bowl”- to be eaten family style

all from the same bowl. Eaten with your hands while seated on the floor each person works on the

portion in front of themselves. Above, Cheryl Compton (IMB), Russ Reaves (former pastor), Duane Faulk

(IMB) and Al Hodges (IMB) eating the beef and vegetable dish served over rice.

continued on page nine

By Sharon MagerStaff Writer

COLUMBIA,Md. — Prison Fellowship founder, author and international speaker, Charles “Chuck” Colson, wants to raise an army from different walks of life, from every church affiliation and from every part of the country. Called Centurions, these men and women are being challenged to help their churches and communities understand and live out a bib-lical worldview. These modern day Christian soldiers are going out to change the world. Sean Copley, BaptistLIFE’s design editor, is one of these new soldiers.

Copley personally studied under Colson as part of a group of 100 in

Prison Fellowship’s Wilberforce Centurion program. He received a certificate from the pro-gram in January and will use his knowledge to train others to be cul-tural missionaries.

“A worldview is how you see the world,” Copley said. “It is a framework or foun-dation that gives order and makes sense of the world around you. All worldviews attempt to answer the questions: Where do we come from? Who are we? What is wrong with this world and what can be done to fix it?” The Christian worldview answers these through the doctrines of creation, the fall, redemption and restoration.

“Everyone has a world-view,” Copley said, though not everyone really understands what it is. A worldview shapes a person’s behavior. People can say they believe a variety of different things, but their actions will show their beliefs.

“You’ll always live the way you truly believe,” Copley said.

Copley’s introduction to the Centurion pro-gram came while read-ing Colson’s syndicated column “Breakpoint.” It’s a daily column that Copley’s mother sent him thinking he might enjoy reading. Perusing through one of the day’s writings, Copley noticed an advertisement for the Centurions program. It peaked his interest, so he downloaded the appli-

cation. That was in August of 2003. He struggled with the idea of filling it out. He felt the term “worldview” was getting a negative connotation and was being politicized.

Copley joins ranks of Worldview Centurions – cultural soldiers shaping future generations

continued on page seven

Chuck Colson presenting Sean Copley with

a certificate of completion of the Wilberforce

Centurion program.

2004 BCM/D

Cooperative Program

and Designated Gifts

church listing on p. 5

David Lee

BCM/D Executive

Director

Bob Simpson

BaptistLIFE Editor,

BCM/D Director of

Communications

James Nichols

BCM/D President and

Senior Pastor of Faith

Church, Glen Burnie, MD

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

Postmaster: Send address changes to:10255 Old Columbia RoadColumbia, MD 21046-1716(Phone) 800.466.5290 ext. 245(Fax) 410.290.6627(E-mail) iwhite@bcmd.org

BaptistLIFE StaffBob Simpson Editor

Iris White Associate Editor

Sean Copley Design Editor

Sharon Mager Staff Writer

Shannon Baker National Correspondent

Todd Hampson Graphic Designer

Iris White Backpage Coordinator

Sherry Lee Advisor to the Editor

Address Change: Send the new address with the old mailing label at least three weeks prior to move.

Advertising Rates are available. We do not automatically accept all advertising. We typically accept

ads for services provided to Maryland and Delaware Baptists related to or assisting in starting new churches and strengthening existing ones. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of any advertiser’s products or services.

Deadlines for news and advertising is the end of day on the 2nd Friday of the month preceding the next issue.

Subscription: Free of charge by request to members of the BCM/D churches; outside BCM/D churches and members, $10 per year; BackPage Program: $20 per issue.

We Welcome letters from readers, press releases and photo topics of interest to Maryland/Delaware Baptists. Digital photos sent electronically are preferred. If you

send glossy prints, please include a SASE for return.Letters to the Editor (LTTE) do not reflect the views or opinions of BaptistLIFE. We prefer letters from Maryland and Delaware. Only letters marked clearly for publication as a LTTE, signed and with addresses will be considered. Please include a daytime telephone number for verification purposes. Letters may not exceed 300 words and are subject to editing. Letters attacking churches or individuals will not be published. Letters will be edited for clarity, BaptistLIFE style, and space considerations, but not for content. We regret that we cannot respond to all letters not accepted for publication.

BaptistLIFE is a member of the Association of State Baptist Papers and is printed by The Daily Record, Bel Air, Md.

BaptistLIFE Serving Baptists since 1849

Volume 89 Number 2

Okay, I confess. I am a NASCAR fan. Now I know some of you just

don’t get it and think all of us car racing types have eleva-tors that do not go all the way to the top floor.

I’ve heard it all before. You think we’re nuts for sit-ting four hours watching cars going around in circles. You think that the smoke, the noise and the fumes have cer-tainly affected our capacity to think clearly. That might be true, but if we are crazy, we are in good company since car racing is America’s number one spectator sport. Have you ever felt that you were spending your life going around in circles?

Sometimes I feel like that little mouse on the wheel that runs and runs, but never gets anywhere. When it comes to serving God, all of us must wonder sometimes if we are getting anywhere. No matter how much we witness or how many people we minister to, we never seem to get where we want to go and the result is often frustration and disap-pointment.

The Apostle Paul warned us, however, “not to grow weary of doing good.” The ques-tion all of us want answered is… how? How do we not grow weary? How do we not just run around in circles? The best question, how-ever, does not revolve around

how, but whom. Whom do we serve? One day Jesus was at the house of Mary and Martha. Martha wanted to be the hostess who put on a party that was second to none. After all, it’s not everyday that Jesus comes to your home. Thus she got extremely busy with all the preparations.

Martha’s sister, Mary, however, sat down at Jesus’ feet and was listening to Him teach about the things of God. Martha saw this and came to Jesus with her complaints and in anger spoke about Mary’s lack of busyness. Jesus, how-ever, told Martha that she was worried about too many details, while Mary had cho-sen that which was the most

important…spending time with Him.

You see, what we “do” as a Christian should be an overflow of whom we serve. The priority then should be a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. So the next time you get concerned about run-ning around in circles, just stop and spend time with Jesus. You just might be sur-prised at the new perspective He will give you regarding the important things of life. After all, wasn’t it Jesus who said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Well, I’ve got to get ready... another race is on the way!

Are you going around in circles?

Last month I sat in a meet-ing of Baptist leaders to pray, network and strat-

egize about how to continue to embrace the city of Baltimore. We were meeting in a church located at the geographic center of the city. The room was filled with inner city pastors, county pastors, laypersons, directors of missions, directors from a family and children’s services agency, and the state conven-tion leadership and staff. It was a pivotal moment for me.

I began to recall how all my life I have been taught to believe that Baptists know how to cooperate. We have always been the model of cooperative enterprise, most notably in the areas of missions and evange-lism. And yet, that morning, I realized the opportunity to jointly wrap our arms around Baltimore is potentially one of the most uniquely pivotal areas of Baptist cooperation that I have seen in my lifetime. We have never had more wealth

and more expertise in our BCM/D churches. We have so much that can be brought to bear to help so many. And never has the need been so great.

Our area is a great study in contrasts. Maryland residents are healthier, wealthier, and more upwardly mobile than most Americans. Maryland ranks third in median house-hold income, fifth in per capita income, second in the number of college graduates, and fifth in overall educational achieve-ment.

And yet there is a dark reality that looms ever before us. Maryland has the fourth highest murder rate, the sixth highest robbery rate, and the sixth highest aggra-vated assault rate in the nation. Taken as a whole, Maryland is the third most violent state in the union.

Baltimore City is even more acutely at risk. In a city of 638,614 people, nearly 150,000

(23%) live at or below the federal government’s official poverty guideline (which is $15,670 for a family of three). Of the 96,230 children who attend Baltimore City schools, over 42% are considered by the U.S. government to be poor. Baltimore youth are two and a half times more likely than other Maryland youth to die due to a violent act, homicide or suicide. Over 50% of Baltimore’s ninth graders drop out of school. Seventy-six percent of Baltimore’s African-American males do not complete high school. The recidivism rate for Baltimore’s juvenile offenders is over 80 percent.

I challenge all of our BCM/D churches to consider what you can do to help. The time is now. We cannot wait another day. Call your director of missions. Contact BCM/D. Partner with Baptist Family & Children’s Services. Pray, pray, pray both personally and

as a church. Offer yourself as a mentor. Give financially. We are at a critical juncture. I assure you that the devil is not sitting on the sidelines.

Maryland/Delaware Baptists, once again it’s time to do what we do best…cooper-ate! Once again we stand at the intersection of decision for this generation of Baptists in Maryland and Delaware. Let’s really embrace our Jerusalem (Baltimore) and our Judea (Maryland and Delaware). And, although the thrust of this editorial is about Baltimore, God is certainly also at work in Wilmington, Delaware. Doors are opening to us in both cities on a daily basis. Will you, your family, and your church join with us once again in reaching out to our most local and des-perate mission fields, our two major cities? Jesus said it this way: “Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, my breth-ren, you have done it unto Me!”

At the intersection of “Open Door Parkway” and

“Cooperation Highway”

The mission of the Baptist Convention of MD/DE is clearly stated. “We exist

to intentionally assist in the starting and strengthening of congregations so that together we can accomplish the Great Commission.” I was on the BCM/D staff and part of the futuring team when this state-ment was drafted. Each word was chosen carefully. Our mis-sion statement was written to be a true mission statement designed to drive our coopera-tive effort.

Next to the Great Commission reference, the most important word in the statement is the word “inten-tionally.” Great Commission work does not just happen. I will never forget what I was taught by Bill Latham many years ago. “We may not do all that we plan to do, but we sel-dom, if ever, do any more than we plan to do.”

Your BCM/D staff wants to “intentionally” assist in strengthening your congrega-tion and your association and

wants to “intentionally” assist your congregation and your association in starting new congregations. We believe that together we can accomplish the Great Commission.

We are constantly looking for ways to improve our mis-sion efforts. A priority focus for us is strengthening our connection with you. Our con-sultants have been assigned to each region in our multi-state convention to make “inten-tional” efforts to connect with your church and your associa-

tion. We want to know how we can assist you in accomplishing your Great Commission vision.

If you need to connect with us before we make contact with you, please give us a call. We count it a privilege to serve alongside you and connect you to the resources you need. Every day, our staff works with scores of churches. We want to help you.

Not sure where to start . . . call my office. Carol Moore and I will help you get connected to someone who can help.

Together we can accomplish the Great Commission

BL • March 2005 • 3

AssociationLIFE

comes primarily from

church and association

newsletters, bulletins,

and written reports on

events that are sent to

Baptist LIFE.

You may feel free to

fax news to us at (410)

290-6627 or e-mail

to Sharon Mager at

srmwriter@hotmail.com

Obituaries are

edited due to space

restrictions.

Arundel Association

Youth Fusion is a fresh opportunity for teens from the Arundel Association to connect for worship. Each month differ-ent churches will host the event, offering youth to meet each other while coming together for corpo-rate worship.

The next fusion is on Mar. 4 at College Parkway Church, Arnold.

College Parkway is planning a missions trip to Nigeria in May to provide some construction help and to do outreach ministry.

The church is having a spring retreat for youth on April 23-25 at the West River Retreat Center.

Elvaton Christian Academy, sponsored by Elvaton Church, Millersville, baked and sold cup-cakes, cookies and other sweets to raise money for tsunami victims. The children earned approximately $700. The funds were sent to the International Mission Board where 100% goes directly to aid and relief in the areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The class has been in contact with two missionaries who live on the island of Java and who have been in Sumatra, one of the hardest hit areas.

Pete Columbo, director of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, spoke at Grace Church, Pasadena, about motor-cycle ministry. CMA has more than 800 chapters in the United States and is represented in 12 countries around the world.

Riva Trace Church, Annapolis, will have its annual Easter egg hunt with games, food and the telling of the Easter story on Mar. 19.

The church will break ground soon on their new prop-erty at 214 Central Avenue and plan to be in the new location by Easter 2006.

Severn Church began meet-ing at Annapolis Area Christian School, 109 Burns Crossing Road.

Weems Creek Church, Annapolis, sent a men’s mission team to Martinsburg, W.V., to help a new church with construc-tion of its building

Baltimore Association

Rob Steinbach and his wife, Beth, Freedom Church, Baltimore, had a big surprise at his daughter Miriam’s school, George Washington Elementary #22, recently.

When they arrived they noticed a lot of police and whis-pering and soon found out that Laura Bush was coming.

“My wife and I, along with parents, the governor, city offi-cials, and some of #22’s own kids had the opportunity to hear the first lady speak.” Steinbach wrote in an email.

“Pray that Mrs. Bush and her husband follow through with their plan to give $150 million over the next three years to com-munity groups working with young men. Pray we could also gain some of that money to reach the kids here.”

Lee Street Memorial Church, Baltimore, will celebrate its 150th anniversary at 1 p.m. on April 30 at Council’s Restaurant in Baltimore. For more informa-tion call the church office.

Long Green Church is hav-ing a spring talent show on April 9.

Middle River Church, Baltimore, has a SWAT team. SWAT stands for Students With A Testimony. The goal for the group is to learn missionary skills, learn about missionaries and do mis-sion projects.

Blue Ridge Association

First Church, Frederick, will have a spiritual gifts class on March 20 focusing on how we are S.H.A.P.E.D. – which stands for spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personal style and experiences.

The church is officially in its 100th year and is making plans to celebrate. Members are being asked to share pictures, stories and memorabilia to make the year special.

South End Church, Frederick, offers free blood pres-sure screening the second Sunday each month after the worship service.

Delaware Association

Bethany Church will have its annual Kingdom Kids Easter Egg Hunt on Mar. 19. Each year about 70 children come to the event.

Women at Bethany minister to children with HIV/Aids at DuPont Hospital. Each Easter they gather candy and stuffed animals for baskets to take the children in the name of Jesus.

Iron Hill Church, New Castle, will have an evening of praise and worship featuring church member Kristie Einbrod in concert on March 19. A love offering will be taken and pro-ceeds will go towards Kristie’s mission trip in May to Guatemala through Global Missions Fellowship.

North Church, Wilmington, hosted an evening of Ukrainian music presented by the Ukrainian Evangelical Church of Delaware.

Seaside Church, Lewes, had a groundbreaking and celebration service on Jan. 16.

Women at Hockessin Church knitted and crocheted mittens and hats for children in Moldova.

Eastern Association

The Eastern Association’s annual music festival will be at 2 p.m. on Mar. 5 at Immanuel Church featuring adult, youth and children’s choirs, vocal and instrumental ensembles.

Chad Cravens has become the church planting coordinator for the Eastern and Delaware Associations. Cravens was for-merly a church planter focusing on Hispanic works.

Harvest Church, Salisbury, will host a “Max Q” weekend beginning April 15. The Disciple Now type event includes guest speakers Stuart Hall, Dash Ministries and camp pastor of BIG Stuff Camps in Florida and the Jeff Scott Band, featured on many “Passion” CD’s as well as the lead worship leader at BIG Stuff Camps.

The Joy Group from Spence Hill Church, Snow Hill, recently went to Blackwater Refuge, then to a local restaurant for lunch.

Mid-Maryland Association

Friendship Church, Skyesville, has an “I have need” ministry, matching items people no longer need with people who need them. Members maintain a bulletin board and also follow up to help people connect. The min-istry provides an opportunity for practicing good stewardship.

The church also has a tutor-ing ministry, helping children with their studies on a drop-in weekly basis during the school year.

Northwest Church, Reisterstown, will present the musical “God With Us” on Easter morning.

The church is in the midst of a 13-week divorce care for kids

(DC4kids) program to help chil-dren cope with the struggles of having their parents separated or divorced.

Montgomery Association

Germantown Church will celebrate the Passover Seder at 6 p.m. on Mar. 22. A representative from Chosen People (a Messianic Jewish group) will share the sig-nificance of the Passover meal and its significance as it points to Jesus as the ultimate sacrificial lamb.

RSI will serve as consul-tant for Greenridge Church, Clarksburg, for a spring fund-raising campaign. Funds will be used to build a new activ-ity center. The church plans to break ground this fall. Total Construction Services of Ellicott City will be the design/build contractor.

Jan Nassef, a Greenridge member, will join the church staff on Mar. 7. She will serve as the Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Rob Eby and Tim Simpson.

Kensington Church mem-bers had an “almost spring” party late last month. They had hot dogs, salads, deserts and drinks. Everyone enjoyed games, prizes and fellowship.

Redland Church, Rockville, is compiling a cookbook of mem-bers and friends’ favorite recipes. Proceeds will benefit mission work in Africa.

Viers Mill Church, Silver Spring, will present the play “The Me Nobody Knows” from 4 to 6 p.m. on Mar. 6. The gospel play is written and directed by Sheritha Bowman. Bowman, a native of Washington, DC, is an author, playwright, director, mentor and conference speaker.

Potomac Association

Churches in the Potomac Association are putting together health kits to be used in prison, homeless, seamen and migrant ministries.

Dunkirk Church will have revival services Mar. 6-8. Rick Hancock, pastor of Dunkirk Church, will be the speaker.

Bill Miller, former pastor of First Church, La Plata, received the Civista Medical Center’s 2004

Spirit of Community Award. Miller was recognized for form-ing Civista’s Spiritual Care Committee in the mid 1980’s. He has volunteered at the hospital for 17 years and is an on-call clergyman for the emergency room and intensive care units.

Tim Bean, pastor of Marbury Church was also one of the award nominees.

Trinity Church, Waldorf,

has been airing new television commercials on TNT and the F/X networks to make the community aware of the church and its min-istries.

The Women of Worship of White Plains, Pomfret, will have a women’s retreat at Camp Maria April 22-23.

Prince George’s

Berwyn Church, College Park, called Jesse Smith as full-time minister of students and education.

Clinton Church called Gerald E. Jones as senior pastor effective Jan. 9. Jones has served the church since 2004 as assistant pas-tor. He will be installed at a special service at 3 p.m. on April 10.

The church will have Maundy Thursday service at 7 p.m. on Mar. 24 and a special Easter sunrise service at 7 a.m. and an 11 a.m. service on Mar. 27.

Cresthill Church, Bowie, recently had a service to honor Pastor James Painter’s 10- year anniversary with the church.

Faith Church, Laurel, had a special ordination service for Roger Wright and Tim Strickland.

First Church, Laurel, had a cake auction last month to raise money towards youth events including Missionfuge and sum-mer mission trips.

Susquehanna Timothy Krayneck is the new

pastor of Conowingo Church, effective December 2004. He and his wife Aliza and their two children, Eliyah, age two and Jonathon, age seven, came from their former pastorate in Morgantown, W.V. Timothy grad-uated from Mid-America Baptist Seminary, Memphis, Tenn., in 1999.

First Church, Perryville, has several deaf people in their congregation. Church member Mary Silver took college courses to become a certified interpreter. Others are helping Mary sign during services.

The church’s pioneer clubs will have their annual Easter egg hunt on Mar. 20.

Children in the clubs recent-ly visited senior residents of Perry Villa for a Valentine’s party. Pioneer club members are partici-

pating in an outreach program by making homemade greeting cards for patients at the Upper Chesapeake Health System.

Western Association

Pleasant View Church, Oakland, has an active prison ministry. Members visit the coun-ty jail on Thursday nights.

Arundel

Baltimore

Blue Ridge

Eastern

Delaware

Mid-Maryland

Potomac

Montgomery

Western

Susquehanna

Prince George’s

New online feature:

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By David Jackson

A few years ago when my brother bought his first house in the

Richmond, Va., area, his fam-ily located a property on a cul-de-sac that they wanted. At the time, it was quite in vogue for young families with growing children to desire a cul-de-sac home.

There are many reasons why. There is limited traffic on a road like this. Since it’s a dead end drive, rarely does anyone drive onto a cul-de-sac road that does not intend to go there. Limited traffic means limited noise, too. This inevitably is much more convenient for the neighbors who live on the street. In fact, it tends to improve the quality of life for those who live there. Safety is another contribution that living on a cul-de-sac makes to families that live there. Especially if children are growing up in the home, this is an impor-tant value that parents want. Cul-de-sac homes also grow in property value over time, since they afford all of these benefits and more.

Intersections are the mir-ror reverse in reality. Always busy with lots of traffic and its accompanying noise, inter-sections are dangerous places to live. They are never as safe. Instead of valuing property, they tend to value people. In fact, people by the thousands are always coming and going, never stopping and staying. They are on a journey some-where, and the intersection affords them opportunities to choose. More than that, it offers them a way to discover their destination.

Which is your church more like—a cul-de-sac or an intersection?

It has occurred to me that too many churches in the world today are more like a cul-de-sac, seeking to play it safe in an all too dangerous world. It doesn’t have to be that way. There are ways to get off the cul-de-sac and intersect with people where they are. Consider the following:

Start a different kind of

worship experience. A new worship opportunity will attract new people. This is especially true if the service is held on a different day of the week or in a different part of the church facility. Different styles of music and preaching

will also connect with a differ-ent crowd. Some churches may go so far as to use this strategy to start what is called a “church within a church.” This idea revolves around the concept of having a new and different congregation forming its own identity (and often leadership from the church staff) in a symbiotic relationship with the main congregation. This can be a daring move, since the new congregation may eventually outgrow the relationship and move on. But it’s a Kingdom move that puts reaching new people above anything else.

Add a satellite campus. Another way of reaching new people is to go to a new place to begin a worship experience. Placing a worship opportunity in a location near the group of people you are trying to reach makes it easier for them to participate in your church.

While this approach is usually more expensive than the first approach listed above, it has the potential to connect with many other people, too. Why? Because you’ve gone to them where they are, instead of expecting them to come to you. While multiple worship experi-ences as mentioned above will eventually reach a point of saturation on your church cam-pus, satellite campuses can be added over and over again.

Try a video venue. A newer way of adding congregations with lower overhead than a

church plant and more “same-ness” than a satellite campus is known as a video venue. This strategy can be done either on the campus of your church facilities or off campus at a new and different loca-tion. Either way the venues are intentionally developed to reach different groups of people by the way they “do” church. Music usually var-ies, the focus is on different age groups or lifestyles, and the atmosphere can be more or less formal. But in a video venue, the message remains the same. While the speaker is seen live in one setting, he is seen on videotape or a video screen in the others. Surprisingly, this strategy has worked very well with younger adults and with large churches whose membership is scattered over many, many miles.

Plant a church. The ultimate method of living dangerously and intersecting with others is to plant a new church. This approach releases and empow-ers people to serve as local missionaries sent out from your church for the express purpose of finding new people and establishing a church just for them. It is a challenging undertaking, but one filled with excitement and adven-ture for the entire church. The advantage it has above all the others here is that it brings into being a second autono-mous entity, which can in turn do what your congregation has done, and multiply itself. As such, it has global possibilities today, just as it did in the days of the apostles.

Don’t be a dead-end church. Be a church that lives where the people are, mul-tiplies itself time and again, dares to be different and is dangerously on mission for Jesus Christ.

If David Jackson can assist you or your church in multiplica-

tion strategies like those listed above, don’t hesitate to call or

email him. He can be reached at (800) 466-5290, ext. 225, or at

djackson@bcmd.org.

Is your church like a cul-de-sac or an intersection?

David Jackson

Consultant for

Church Planting and

Multiplication

C3:Communicating Christ in the Churchan all day workshop targeted to your church’s media ministry leaders. We will equip you with the skills and resources in graphic design, audio, lighting, projection, software and video...all in the context of the worship experience!

www.yourbcmd.org/C305

June 4 • 9-3:30 • South Columbia Church, Columbia MD

VBS Directors/

Pastors

planning sessions

(Early bird)

Thursday, March 10 7:00 - 9:00 pm

BBA Office, Baltimore

BCM/D

Associational/

Regional VBS clinics

for directors, teach-

ers, helpers, etc.

Saturday, March 5Trinity, Waldorf

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Saturday, March 12First Southern

Dover, DE 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Monday, March 14Oak Grove, Bel Air

6:30 - 9:00 pm

Friday, March 18First English,

Frostburg 7:00 - 9:30 pm

Saturday, March 19Pleasant View,

Oakland 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Monday, April 4North Arundel,

Glen Burnie 6:00 - 9:00 pm

Saturday, April 9First Delmar, Delmar, DE

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Saturday, April 16Kettering,

Upper Marlboro 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Saturday, April 23Pleasant Valley,

Rohrersville 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Saturday, April 30TBA, Montgomery

Association 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

BL • March 2005 • 4

BL • March 2005 • 5

2004 Cooperative Program (CP) & BCM/D designated gifts

Arundel Association Berea 0.00 0.00Broadneck 0.00 0.00College Parkway 18,532.27 2,718.20Crossroads 1,572.00 0.00Elvaton 9,953.46 0.00Emmanuel, Gambrills 14,461.54 0.00Faith, Glen Burnie 101,221.47 0.00FBC, Crofton 19,800.79 2,530.82FBC, Eastport 1,611.26 0.00FBC, Edgewater 4,000.42 0.00FBC, Kent Island 5,754.04 0.00FBC, Shady Side 3,499.92 0.00Glen Burnie 101,814.96 0.00Grace, Sunset Beach 10,417.12 0.00Heritage 0.00 5,296.18Jessup 15,753.53 0.00Journey Fellowship 8,721.58 0.00Junction 111 700.00 0.00Lake Shore 5,170.37 5,170.37Living Water Community 1,025.00 0.00Living Word Bible 0.00 0.00MD Central Korean 1,200.00 0.00New Beginnings C & M 0.00 0.00New Hope Community 9,403.63 0.00New Life, Glen Burnie 587.62 0.00North Arundel 5,498.36 0.00One Hope Korean 600.00 0.00Patapsco Valley 349.94 0.00Riva Trace 8,499.96 0.00Severn 38,674.79 0.00Severn Korean 650.00 0.00Severna Park 18,444.52 0.00South Shore 38,389.69 0.00The Life 0.00 0.00Weems Creek 36,240.57 0.00

$482,548.81 $15,715.57

Baltimore Association All Nations 0.00 0.00Arbutus 0.00 0.00Beacon 493.00 0.00Bethlehem 200.00 50.00Brantly 600.00 0.00Breakwater, Inner Harbor 709.01 709.01Calvary, Towson 2,800.00 0.00Canton 1,529.75 0.00Catonsville 3,130.35 0.00Chestnut Ridge 600.00 1,775.00Christ Sent 0.00 0.00Cockeysville 2,990.00 0.00Colgate 1,179.70 0.00Colonial 52,200.00 0.00Crossroads Community 1,116.91 0.00Crossway International 2,976.66 170.92Edgemere 7,958.71 0.00Faith International Bible 200.00 0.00FBC, Brooklyn 8,369.41 0.00FBC, Dundalk 21,266.00 0.00FBC, Essex 6,941.00 0.00FBC, Gray Manor 0.00 0.00FBC, Lansdowne 1,535.70 352.00Forest Park 0.00 0.00Freedom Community 182.66 0.00Global Mission, Baltimore 910.00 0.00Good News Bible 0.00 0.00Grace Life 2,450.00 250.00Grace, Baltimore 0.00 0.00Hampden 3,504.00 0.00Harbor Heights 720.00 0.00Hazelwood 9,767.19 0.00Immanuel, Baltimore 6,201.69 0.00Joppa Road 2,537.54 0.00Lee Street Memorial 1,300.00 0.00Loch Raven 2,962.53 0.00Long Green 27,411.21 0.00Mars Hill 4,197.04 0.00Merritt Park 0.00 0.00Middle River 43,152.06 0.00New Christian Bible 1,112.56 0.00New David 0.00 0.00New Day 25,168.64 0.00New Vision Bible 120.00 0.00North Glen 4,122.45 0.00North Point 1,352.07 0.00Northeast 1,590.93 0.00Northside 0.00 0.00Open Bible House 0.00 0.00Parkville 19,957.14 0.00Patterson Park 221.31 1,991.72Peninsula 4,988.42 0.00Pilgrim’s Way Bible 750.00 0.00Pleasant Rock 125.00 0.00Reisterstown 14,857.90 0.00Riverside, Baltimore 7,416.00 0.00Second & Fourth 2,509.93 215.52Seventh 1,000.00 0.00Shelbourne 11,900.00 0.00Slavic Mission 0.00 0.00St. Timothy’s 0.00 0.00Streetlight 2,500.00 500.00Tabernacle 19,234.49 0.00Temple 9,747.00 0.00The Church at White Marsh 50.00 0.00Valley, Lutherville 15,169.76 0.00Vietnamese 698.00 0.00Watersedge 3,485.39 0.00White Marsh 83,456.22 0.00Woodbrook 1,091.60 21,020.19Woolford Memorial 1,833.35 0.00

$456,550.28 $27,034.36 Blue Ridge Association Berean, Frederick 1,776.00 0.00Covenant, Shepherdstown 10,000.00 0.00Crossroads Community 5,621.83 0.00Daybreak 1,948.28 0.00Faith, Knoxville 38,455.58 0.00FBC, Brunswick 2,175.20 0.00FBC, Frederick 11,396.16 16,016.97FBC, Hagerstown 11,736.41 0.00FBC, Thurmont 6,089.05 0.00Frederick Korean 150.00 0.00Greenbrier 1,913.15 0.00Iglesia Cristiana Fuente de Vida 0.00 0.00Maugansville 5,756.72 0.00Myersville 6,238.83 0.00New Day Community (D) 100.00 0.00New Life Community 2,440.43 0.00North Star 4,140.00 0.00Paramount 48,588.64 0.00Pinesburg 0.00 0.00Pleasant Valley 13,859.00 0.00Real Life Community 500.00 0.00Rock Spring 3,932.00 0.00Smithsburg Valley 11,903.53 0.00South End 45,821.67 0.00Summit Trace 300.00 0.00The Living Room 100.00 0.00The Oasis 250.00 0.00Valley, Middletown 3,700.90 0.00Virginia Avenue 9,149.00 0.00Waynesboro Korean 0.00 0.00West End 10,763.96 0.00

$258,806.34 $16,016.97 Delaware Association Alpha 400.00 0.00Bethany 3,500.00 0.00Campus Christian 0.00 0.00Covenant, Chestertown 810.00 0.00Delaware International 1,517.68 0.00Delaware Korean 1,680.00 0.00Emmanuel Haitian 0.00 0.00Fair Haven 500.00 0.00FBC, Marydel 243.45 796.00First Korean 1,180.00 0.00First Pilgrim Haitian 0.00 0.00First Southern 33,206.11 0.00Friendship, Newark 3,238.54 0.00

Greensboro 80,104.47 0.00Harrington 1,485.00 0.00Harrington Christian 0.00 0.00Harvest, Milford 1,110.14 0.00Healing Water 0.00 0.00Hockessin 55,738.00 0.00Iron Hill Community 1,200.00 0.00Latter Day 200.00 0.00London Village 1,200.00 0.00New Hope Center 390.10 0.00North Baptist 2,472.66 85.00Ogletown 97,684.89 0.00Russian Ukrainian 50.80 0.00Seaside 6,559.96 0.00Smyrna 886.86 0.00Solid Rock 20.00 10.00Sussex Country Bible 0.00 0.00Truth Chapel 45.00 50.00

$295,423.66 $941.00 Eastern Association Allen Memorial 83,396.59 0.00Berlin FBC 18,060.14 0.00Cordova 350.00 0.00FBC, Cambridge 43,855.15 0.00FBC, Crisfield 6,540.26 0.00FBC, Delmar 16,035.01 0.00FBC, East New Market 2,438.85 0.00FBC, Easton 42,769.70 0.00FBC, Fruitland 2,070.66 0.00FBC, Girdletree 5,165.52 0.00FBC, Hurlock 6,459.99 0.00FBC, Mardela Springs 5,194.60 0.00FBC, Pocomoke City 19,213.84 0.00FBC, Princess Anne 12,143.41 0.00Fenwick Island 7,200.00 0.00First Haitian Berachah 500.00 0.00First Haitian Williamsburg 125.00 0.00Goodwill 5,088.76 0.00Grace, Seaford 9,349.29 0.00Harvest Hope 19,459.54 0.00High Tide Mission 10,467.53 0.00Immanuel Hispanic 0.00 0.00Immanuel, Salisbury 28,466.59 0.00Laurel 1,083.39 0.00Lynnhaven 52,960.47 0.00Marion 0.00 0.00New Bridge 120.00 0.00New Horizons 476.31 0.00Oak Ridge 34,711.40 0.00Ocean City 7,943.20 0.00Pitts Creek 1,042.50 0.00Primera Iglesia, Seaford 575.87 0.00Rehoboth 3,639.30 0.00SonRise Church 3,487.71 0.00Soul Discovery 4,829.99 0.00Spence 20,343.15 0.00St. Mary’s Mssionary 0.00 0.00Union 0.00 0.00World Mission 840.00 0.00

$476,403.72 $0.00

Mid-Maryland Association Antioch Korean 520.00 0.00Beautiful Community 2,550.00 0.00Bethany Lane 2,500.00 0.00Bethel 47,578.30 0.00Columbia B. Fellowsp 1,600.00 7,000.00Columbia Chinese 800.00 0.00Cornerstone 1,575.00 0.00Covenant Korean 300.00 0.00Covenant, Columbia 17,193.10 0.00CrossLife Community 1,953.74 0.00Elders 44,568.22 0.00Elkridge 7,025.65 0.00Faith Family 9,000.00 0.00Faith, Hampstead 5,474.24 0.00FBC, Savage 13,000.00 0.00Forest 743.85 0.00Fountain Community 1,360.00 0.00Friendship 71,020.25 0.00Gethsemane 30,999.96 0.00Gunpowder 11,575.00 0.00Haitian Mission 0.00 0.00Hampstead 100.00 0.00Hanover Fellowship 0.00 0.00Hope 21,044.57 0.00Horizon 6,205.80 0.00Horizon II 0.00 0.00Hosanna Korean 1,200.00 0.00House on the Rock 463.22 0.00Iglesia Christiana de Columbia 1,100.00 0.00Liberty 9,147.09 0.00Linthicum 4,827.92 0.00Living Water, Ellicott City 0.00 0.00Manchester 3,891.00 0.00Mason Dixon 13,200.00 0.00Mount Airey 30,250.00 0.00Northwest 27,000.00 0.00Open Korean 870.00 0.00Rolling Hills 3,748.02 0.00Seeds Bible Fellowship 300.00 0.00South Columbia 79,432.00 0.00Tamil Christian 0.00 0.00Taneytown 12,838.39 0.00The Journey 0.00 0.00Tri-County 3,858.93 0.00Tyrannus Korean 11,000.00 0.00Westminster 53,155.96 0.00

$554,970.21 $7,000.00 Montgomery Association Agape BC of Washngtn 300.00 0.00Ashton 18,466.68 0.00Barnesville 11,099.29 0.00Berkland 804.00 0.00Burtonsville 7,227.00 150.00Calverton 1,737.37 0.00Christian 0.00 0.00Church of New Nations 420.00 0.00Colesville 15,000.00 0.00Crossroads Montgomery County 2,407.47 0.00Disciples Fellowship Int’l 525.00 0.00Ebenezer Church, SBC 0.00 0.00EB du Calvaire 500.00 0.00FBC, Damascus 7,290.03 0.00FBC, Rockville 54,102.85 0.00Fellowship Bible 0.00 0.00Fellowship, Silver Spring 1,200.00 0.00First Hispanic, Adelph 1,465.00 0.00Georgia Avenue 34,459.65 0.00Germantown 16,804.02 0.00Glen Echo 0.00 0.00Global Mission 66,000.00 0.00Glory Korean 100.00 0.00God’s Flock Korean 130.00 0.00Greenridge 107,442.84 0.00Hoi Tranh 1,049.00 0.00IB Alpha & Omega 1,000.00 0.00IB Emmanuel 560.00 0.00IBH de Gaithersburg 300.00 0.00IBH de Rockville 0.00 0.00Ichthus International 0.00 0.00Ichthus Mission 3,200.00 0.00Iglesia Christiana, Columbia 0.00 0.00Kensington 4,005.96 0.00Korean of Washington 0.00 0.00Maryland Chinese 950.00 0.00Montgomery 0.00 0.00Montgomery Chinese 2,400.00 0.00Montrose 0.00 0.00MorningStar Community 2,842.48 285.94New American 500.00 0.00New Life Korean 0.00 0.00Olney 12,805.69 0.00Onnuri Korean 540.00 0.00Parker Memorial 0.00 0.00Phillippine Int’l 2,000.00 0.00Poolesville 0.00 0.00Redland 19,042.94 0.00

Seven Locks 150.00 937.50Stewardship Mission 0.00 0.00Travilah 1,849.96 0.00Trinity Baptist Chinese 200.00 0.00Upper Seneca 8,174.66 0.00Viers Mill 12,360.00 0.00Viers Mill Spanish 0.00 0.00Wheaton Woods 0.00 0.00Wildwood 8,355.42 0.00

$429,767.31 $1,373.44 Potomac Association Bayside 23,209.26 0.00Callaway 4,560.00 0.00Christian Fellowship of Calvert 0.00 0.00Christian Family 424.00 0.00Christian Unity 0.00 0.00Cobb Island 674.00 0.00Dunkirk 33,495.86 0.00Emmanuel, Huntingtown 28,614.60 0.00FBC, La Plata 18,616.87 0.00FBC, St. Charles 20,150.86 45.00FBC, Waldorf 52,326.71 0.00FBC, Welcome 970.05 65.00Grace, Bryans Road 12,139.57 0.00Hughesville 22,200.00 0.00Indian Head 12,183.35 0.00Joy Fellowship 0.00 0.00Kingdom 200.00 0.00Leonardtown 54,767.62 0.00Lexington Park 63,053.06 0.00Lighthouse 1,200.00 0.00Marbury 27,680.30 0.00Maryland Point 2,982.00 0.00Ministry of Christ in Love 1,187.50 0.00Nanjemoy 11,389.29 684.75New Covenant Community 387.55 0.00Potomac Heights 33,499.66 0.00Promise Missionary 0.00 0.00Southern Calvert 19,965.83 0.00The Center 100.00 0.00The Potter’s Place 1,001.21 0.00Trinity 1,143.50 2,236.49White Plains 0.00 0.00

$448,122.65 $3,031.24 Prince Georges Association Abyssinia 0.00 0.00Atlantic Street 112.50 0.00Belair 759.00 0.00Berean 120.00 0.00Berwyn 19,465.02 0.00Bowie Holy Spirit 0.00 0.00Calvary, Upper Marlboro 14,153.74 0.00Cedron Brook 75.00 0.00Central 0.00 0.00Christ Creative 125.00 0.00Christ’s Community 1,183.20 0.00Church of the Great Commission 5,500.00 0.00Clinton 10,574.94 0.00Clinton Korean 200.00 0.00Cornerstone Bible 0.00 0.00Cornerstone Peaceful 6,000.00 0.00Cresthill 6,638.01 5,924.33El Bethel 4,400.00 0.00Emmanuel, Laurel 9,000.00 0.00Expectation Bible 0.00 0.00Faith, Laurel 7,678.53 0.00Faith Community 748.64 0.00FBC, Beltsville 3,654.70 0.00FBC, Capitol Heights 0.00 0.00FBC, Laurel 124,620.83 0.00FBC, Mount Ranier 5,392.50 0.00FBC, Suitland 30,880.01 0.00FBC, Temple Hills 0.00 40.21First Vietnamese 0.00 0.00Forestville 2,745.85 0.00Freedom Way 0.00 0.00Galilee 500.00 0.00Glenn Dale 4,314.74 9.97Gospel Missionary 0.00 0.00Greater Fellowship 0.00 0.00Greater Spiritual 500.00 50.00Greenbelt 0.00 975.83Holy House Community 0.00 0.00Infinity 6,383.75 0.00Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd 0.00 0.00Joshua Bible 1,710.58 0.00Kent 13,647.74 0.00Kettering 25,010.00 0.00Landover Hills 20,319.00 0.00LaPhiladelphie 0.00 0.00LeDetroit 0.00 0.00Little David 0.00 0.00Maryland 390.00 0.00Maryland City 6,589.31 0.00Meadows 0.00 0.00Mt. Calvary 1,000.00 0.00Mt. Sinai 0.00 0.00New Bethel Bethesda 1,246.35 0.00New Fellowship 0.00 0.00New Hope of PG 150.00 150.00New Horizons, Landover 0.00 0.00New Image 300.00 0.00New Jericho 0.00 0.00New Redeemer 800.00 0.00New Solid Rock 50.00 0.00Open Bible Deaf 0.00 0.00Oxon Hill 6,245.27 0.00Progressive 500.00 0.00Riverside, Oxon Hill 0.00 0.00Sharon Bible Fellowship 300.00 0.00Solid Rock, DC 0.00 0.00St. James 0.00 0.00St. James Inspiratnl 0.00 0.00Sung Hyun 0.00 0.00Tabernacle 0.00 0.00Takoma Park Hispanic 0.00 0.00Unity 1,873.69 0.00Uplift 0.00 0.00Victory Filipino 75.00 0.00Victory Temple 0.00 0.00Village 800.00 0.00Washington Street 0.00 0.00West Hyattsville 2,630.44 0.00Whitehall 26,745.37 0.00

$376,108.71 $7,150.34 Susquehanna Association Aberdeen Korean 1,200.00 0.00Bel Air Korean 280.00 0.00Bel Forest 7,958.02 0.00Calvary, Bel Air 99,749.23 0.00Calvary, Rising Sun 8,226.66 0.00Carsins Run 500.00 0.00Church at Riverside 2,644.03 0.00Conowingo 28,085.74 0.00Dublin Missionary 3,001.03 0.00Edgewood 5,341.38 0.00Faith Southern 7,360.33 0.00FBC, Aberdeen 4,822.00 0.00FBC, Elkton 18,092.00 11,270.00FBC, Havre de Grace 16,450.62 0.00FBC, Kingsville 747.31 0.00FBC, North East 17,414.22 0.00FBC, Perryville 18,503.49 0.00Maple View 870.69 3,510.68Mt. Wolf Community 1,525.00 0.00North Harford 29,747.97 125.00Oak Grove 262,091.52 0.00Pathways 1,545.81 0.00Pine Grove 49.00 31.00Pleasant View 28,926.08 0.00Porters Grove 750.00 0.00Prince of Peace 2,018.97 0.00Real Life 1,300.00 0.00Room at the Cross 275.00 0.00St. John’s 0.00 0.00Towne 29,628.41 0.00World Vision 480.00 0.00

$599,584.51 $14,936.68

Western Association

Christ Memorial 3,917.55 0.00Cumberland Community 2,832.24 0.00Deep Creek 4,636.10 0.00Ebenezer Full Gospel 300.00 0.00FBC, Cumberland 2,400.00 0.00FBC, Keyser 0.00 0.00FBC, Westernport 5,635.20 0.00Ferndale 0.00 0.00First English 5,051.52 0.00Grace, Cumberland 10,726.98 0.00Graceland 7,882.09 0.00LaVale 9,920.60 150.00Little Meadows 1,294.98 0.00Oldtown 3,533.00 0.00Pleasant View 7,933.60 0.00Rush 0.00 0.00Second 11,603.84 0.00Stoney Run 2,288.00 0.00Welsh Memorial 15,962.55 0.00

$95,918.25 $150.00 BCM/D Non-Associational African American Int $0.00 0.00Arabic Gospel 0.00 0.00Baltimore Chinese 1,000.00 0.00Cornerstone International 0.00 0.00CrossRoads Comm., Harford Cnty 1,017.22 0.00Deaf, Washington 0.00 0.00Disciples Bible 0.00 0.00Emmanuel United 0.00 0.00Evergreen 2,500.00 0.00FBC, Baltimore 0.00 0.00First Christ United 0.00 0.00Germantown Korean 640.00 0.00Grace, Baltimore 0.00 0.00Grace, Westminster 1,200.00 0.00Hagerstown Korean 0.00 0.00Hanuri Korean 0.00 0.00Huntingdon 0.00 0.00Indo-Pak 0.00 0.00Kendall 16,706.60 0.00Life Church, SBC 453.00 0.00Logos Korean 0.00 0.00Maryland Korean Church of Love 0.00 0.00Memorial Heights 7,901.00 0.00Miracle Korean 0.00 0.00New Covenant Fellowship 500.00 0.00New Life Korean 1,200.00 100.00Reliance Community 0.00 0.00The Lord’s Church 0.00 0.00United 7,818.15 0.00University 0.00 1,500.00Zion Temple Apostolic 0.00 0.00OTHER 470.00 23.53

$41,405.97 $1,623.53Grand Totals $4,515,610.42 $94,973.13

CHURCH CP Designated CHURCH CP Designated CHURCH CP Designated CHURCH CP Designated

1 Oak Grove 2 FBC, Laurel 3 Greenridge 4 Glen Burnie 5 Faith, Glen Burnie 6 Calvary, Bel Air 7 Ogletown 8 White Marsh 9 Allen Memorial 10 Greensboro 11 South Columbia 12 Friendship, Sykesville 13 Global Mission 14 Lexington Park 15 Hockessin 16 Leonardtown 17 FBC, Rockville 18 Westminster 19 Lynnhaven 20 FBC, Waldorf 21 Colonial 22 Paramount 23 Bethel 24 South End

25 Elders

BCM/D Top 25

Giving Churches

Editor’s Note: These giving statistics represent

what BCM/D churches contributed to the

Convention in 2004.

The CP category stands for Cooperative

Program gifts that are split 59/41 between the

BCM/D and the Southern Baptist Convention.

The BCM/D category represents designated

gifts for BCM/D causes. Annie Armstrong, State

Missions and Lottie Moon Offerings are not

included in the above.

The BCM/D budget is on a January—

December basis.

“BCM/D Top 25 CP Giving Churches” are

based on those churches that filed an Annual

Church Profile by press date.

BL • March 2005 • 6

By Sharon MagerStaff Writer

GURNEE, Il. —As an Army Sergeant Major, Mitch Dowell developed strategy for combat operations, trained sol-diers and determined a course of action. As BCM/D’s new urban strategist, Dowell will use his skills, to train up sol-diers of the cross and develop strategy to empower Baltimore churches to reach the city for Christ.

Dowell, with the help of his wife Rosetta, will work alongside Baltimore churches, meeting pastors and lead-ers, determining their needs, catching their visions and helping them minister to the unique people in their indi-vidual locales. He’ll also help develop partnerships with suburban churches to help do ministry in the inner city and he’ll be a contact person with local leadership, the mov-ers and shakers, to be a link between them, the churches, pastors and the convention.

BCM/D executive director David Lee believes Dowell is a great match for Baltimore and the surrounding cities’ needs.

“From our first meeting it became apparent to me that Mitch Dowell knows his way around the city. His heart, his strength and wisdom, and his knowledge of urban ministry made this an easy decision,” Lee said.

Dowell’s enthusiasm is contagious. He’s excited about the spirit of revival moving across the city and the special spiritual events in and around Baltimore. He was at a recent Embrace Baltimore meeting at Skycroft Conference Center and met young Baltimore pas-tors with a burden for the city. He heard the deep passion-ate prayers and saw the need. Dowell believes Baltimore may be the site of a Great Awakening.

“God is stirring in our cit-ies—Baltimore, Wilmington, and throughout this Baltimore-Washington corridor,” Lee said. “The cooperation being exhib-ited among our associations, Baptist Family and Children’s Services, and BCM/D is unprecedented. From the state convention side of the partner-ship, we needed someone with both a passion and working strategy for the city. We are thankful to God for sending Mitch and Rosetta to us.”

Dowell was raised Catholic, attending mass regu-larly with his Aunt. He didn’t understand much of what he was taught and the Masses were done in Latin. As he grew he became disenchanted.

“One day I found myself in the presence of an older man who asked me if I had been saved. I didn’t know how to respond. I asked him ‘how do I know?’ and he said ‘you’ll know.’

He hadn’t heard that term, “saved” before and it stuck with him. He didn’t hear it again until many years later.

Dowell married Rosetta in 1969. She was sixteen-years-old.

He was drafted five months into their marriage. Two years later, Rosetta wanted a divorce. Dowell was devastated and didn’t want to divorce Rosetta and asked her to reconsider.

She did. Dowell asked her what she really wanted. She said she wanted to be a wife and mother.

“I asked her what changed her mind. She said ‘I got saved.’ I heard that word again,” he said.

The couple began attend-ing a Baptist church. “I heard that preacher use that word again and again. During a revival meeting I just surren-dered and went forward to give my life to Jesus.

“From there it was all uphill. I was saved in 1972 and in 1973 felt a call on my life to be a minister.” he said.

Dowell was licensed in 1975 and was ordained in 1981 to begin pastoring the Kitingen/Wurzburg Baptist Church in West Germany.

After retiring from a 25 year career in the army in 1994 he taught military science at a boys’ military academy for a year. Then, taking a $15,000 pay cut, Dowell began minis-tering at First Southern Baptist Church, Waukegan, Illinois.

“When I came to First Southern it was a little church planted in a community that was changing.”

The neighborhood was quickly diversifying, becoming home to Hispanics, Indians, Filipinos and Koreans.

“I knew we had to reach the people groups of the com-munity.” The church had to change or die, Dowell said.

When Chicago became a Strategic Focus City (SFC) for the North American Mission Board, Dowell worked with the SFC team, traveling to California for training. While in South Central LA, he trained with well-known pastor and civil rights leader E.V. Hill whom Dowell calls the “master of urban ministry.” Dowell said he was not only able to glean

some of Hill’s wisdom, but to minister with him in hands on evangelism programs.

Dowell said Hill helped him and others in the training group to learn how to imple-ment different strategies for different ethnic groups.

After the training in California, Dowell and Bob Ryan, then a director of mis-sions, worked together doing outreach ministry in Dowell’s community.

Bob Ryan later became the North American Mission Board’s Strategic Focus Cities coordinator.

When BCM/D’s executive director David Lee asked Ryan about someone to be an urban strategist for Baltimore, Ryan referred Lee to Mitch Dowell.

“Mitch has an intuitive way of knowing how to assess communities and individual-ism in order to effectively share the Gospel,” Bob Ryan said.

“He is a passionate soul winner and an articulate preacher; but his strongest gifts are the ability to bring people together to accomplish great things for God.”

Dowell depends heavily on his wife, Rosetta.

“She is an invaluable part of what I am. I could not do what I do without her. She sup-ports me in ways I can’t even begin to talk about. She prays for me and with me. She is my best and worst critic.

The couple will begin their work in Baltimore this month.

“We’re excited and pre-pared to tackle the challenge,” Mitch said, and they know there will be challenges.

“One of best ways to coun-ter the enemy is to know how they fight. We’re dealing with warfare on a higher level. We have to be as wise as serpents. Satan does not want Baltimore to be revived, but God is greater.

“When God wants to do something all He needs is a group of people to follow His plans. When they follow His plans, it always works.”

Former Army Sergeant Major/Pastor becomes BCM/D’s urban strategist

“We’re excited and prepared to tackle the challenge.

“One of best ways to counter the enemy is to know how they fight. We’re dealing with warfare on a higher level. We have to be as wise as serpents. Satan does not want Baltimore to be revived, but God is greater.

“When God wants to do something all He needs is a group of people to follow His plans. When they follow His plans, it always works.”

— Mitch Dowell

BL • March 2005 • 7

By Sharon MagerStaff Writer

COLUMBIA, Md.— Each winter, some of Maryland’s homeless population gets a welcome respite in some Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware churches. They get basic food and shelter dur-ing the coldest months of the year and a whole lot more. In fact, in some cases they get downright pampered.

South Columbia Church and First Church, Laurel, both participate in Laurel Advocacy and Referral Service’s Winterhaven program offer-ing shelter to the homeless on a rotat-ing basis with other par-ticipating churches. Riva Trace Church participates in Winter Relief for the homeless, a similar program sponsored by Arundel House of Hope.

Both organizations provide mattresses or cots and sheets and blankets that are moved from church to church.

First Church, Laurel, host-ed homeless women from Jan. 23-29. Cheryl Rowe is the coor-dinator. The church has been participating in the program off and on for 15 years.

Dru Pack, First Church’s receptionist, said it was a snowy week, starting with several inches of snow at the beginning and ending with more snow at the end. Several women came to the church

each evening for dinner and stayed through the night.

In the morning, the church-es provided breakfast casse-roles and the women headed out with packed lunches. Volunteers from different min-istries in the church provided meals. Volunteers also spent time with the ladies through-out the night building relation-ships and sharing about Christ,

as the opportunities presented themselves. One of the women is now attending the church on Sundays.

South Columbia Church hosted homeless men Feb. 13-20. The church has been par-ticipating for four years. Each year up to 30 men arrive at the church and South Columbia members are ready.

“We really work at making our week a home for the men,” Lis Doane, men’s coordinator said.

The guests get transporta-tion to the church then they’re treated to hot meals – ham, and roast beef with the trimmings. In the mornings, they wake up early and get donuts and cereal during the week and on Saturdays they’re allowed

to sleep in, then wake to a big pancake breakfast. Each day they head out with bag lunch-es. Some of the men work, so church members get up extra early to get them to their jobs.

In addition to the basics, the church provides showers, laundry service and haircuts for the men. Since this year’s week came around Valentine’s Day, church members had a

Valentine’s party for the men with homemade candy and cookies.

Throughout the week an out-reach team spent time with the homeless men. Doane said other volunteers were busy working to serve and didn’t have the time to talk and spend time with them, so the outreach team came spe-cifically to spend

time with the men, listen to their

stories and share Christ with them.

The church also gave the men used clothing and gifts. Last year they gave away homemade quilts. This year they gave toiletry bags.

“We don’t want to be just a shelter; we want it to be about learning what the love of Christ is like.

“Several have come to Christ,” Doane said. Over the years some have gone on to get jobs or have returned to their families. She said there are so many different circumstances that cause the people to be homeless.

“Every one has a story that will break your heart. They need love and attention.”

Riva Trace Church hosted both men and women on Valentine’s week. This is the third year the church par-ticipated in the program. They average about 30 people each year.

Over 250 volunteers are involved in the annual pro-gram, coordinated by Mike Canary.

Church members provide transportation for their guests for the week. Over 100 mem-bers on the food and beverage committee serve hot dinners, lunches and breakfasts. Night hosts greet people and keep things running smoothly. A sign-up help desk is manned by a volunteer who coordinates the various activities and show-ers.

Riva Trace offers lots of extras to their guests including haircuts, nursing and if needed doctor’s care, a game room and laundry service. The church also provides daily devotional time, Bible studies and spiritual counseling. One night during the week the “Jesus” film is shown. This year they had a special ice cream bar with all the fixings and a big birthday party.

Canary said every year about half of the guests make commitments, some first time and some recommitments. Last year there were 11 new com-mitments and five recommit-ments.

They come from all walks of life, Canary said. Some are college graduates, some come from broken families and oth-ers are just having a hard time.

“We just want to love them,” Canary said.

If your church is involved in a ministry to the homeless please send your information to Sharon

Mager at srmwriter@hotmail.com.

BCM/D churches give hope to the homeless

“We don’t want to

be just a shelter; we

want it to be about

learning what the love

of Christ is like....

“Every one has a

story that will break

your heart. They need

love and attention.”

— Lis Doane

But he filled it out and mailed it in October. On his application he wrote, “Honestly, this is my biggest worry…what relevancy does apologetics have today? That’s what I hope to answer. Too often apologetics has been ‘200 scientific reasons why my God is true and yours is not.’ Not only is that not a very friendly approach, it’s very modernistic and foreign to many under the age of 30. My goal is to discover a way to convey Truth as relevant and turn the postmodern tides beating against the Church (and from within the Church).”

He thought that his com-ments might keep him out and was surprised when he was accepted. When the train-ing started, it was non-stop. The intensive year-long study included three weekend con-ferences, monthly web con-ferences, mentoring sessions, conference calls and approxi-mately ten hours of reading and writing each week.

The program, according to the Wilberforce website, was intentionally heavily weighted towards how to think. The website states, “A Christian

worldview is not a set of posi-tions and propositions merely to be memorized and repeat-ed. A Christian worldview is born out of critical thinking and is built on a theological foundation. Only then is the student prepared to address particular issues and then to go on to teach others,”

“It was a lot,” Copley said. “And I had just agreed to work with the youth in the church. A month later I found out Jennifer (Copley’s wife) was pregnant.”

Through the program, students were exposed to some of the most well known Christian leaders in this gen-eration, some in person and many through web conferenc-es. They included economist and ethicist, Jennifer Roback-Morse; U.T., Austin, professor of philosophy and govern-ment, J. Budziszewski; former senior editor of Intervarsity Press, James Sire and presi-dent of Calvin Theological Seminary, Cornelius Plantinga.

Copley said he was overwhelmed to be working with Christian men he had admired for so long. He even got the opportunity at a buf-

fet dinner to personally thank Colson and tell him what a blessing he and the program were.

Now Copley is work-ing to share what he learned and teach others to be critical thinkers and to help Christians develop biblical worldviews.

He will begin with his two sons, two-year-old Aaron and four-month-old Caleb.

Hearing statistics by researcher and author George Barna, such as what you believe by the time you’re 13 is what you’ll die believing, had a new urgent impact on Copley.

“It has given me a fire to think critically about what I bring into my home and my children’s lives.

“When you talk about biblical worldview, it freaks people out. All it is is thinking Christianly in the world we live in. Our world is our little sphere. Our first sphere is our family. Right now each of us can start in our own sphere of influence, teaching our family to live Christianly.”

Using his passion, Copley, in conjunction with graphic designer Todd Hampson, developed a series of cartoon shorts that teach worldview

principles. They’re designed for use in Christian education as short “hooks” for lessons, or for complete lessons if used with the accompanying lesson plans. For more information see www.timbuktoons.com.

In addition he’s design-ing a curriculum and ani-mation series designed for homeschooling families and developing a parent/student worldview course.

continued from page one

Copley joins ranks of Worldview Centurions

Sean Copley, BCM/D Design Editor of BaptistLIFE,

and his wife, Jennifer, and their two sons, Aaron

and Caleb.

Dinner being served by volunteers at South Columbia Church to

men participating in the Winterhaven program.

BL • March 2005 • 8

By Chris Turner

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — LifeWay Christian Resources’ trustees immediately will begin the search for a new president following last night’s announce-ment by James T. Draper, Jr., that he plans to retire from the position effective Feb. 1, 2006.

“For many years I have asked God to make clear to me when I need to retire,” Draper told the full board of trustees during its semiannual meeting. “My prayer has been that He’d allow me the strength to fin-ish well, serving Him until He sees fit to bring me home. In that regard, retirement from LifeWay is simply a transition from one ministry opportu-nity to another. I believe there are exciting days ahead for both LifeWay and for me.”

A presidential search committee was formed fol-lowing Draper’s comments. Members are Chairman Rick Evans (Ala.), Vice Chairman Phil Neighbors (Calif.), Secretary Ken Jones (Tenn.), Mark Anderson (Miss.), Bill Henard (Ky.), Melvin Pugh (Pa.), Roger Willmore (Ala.), Tom Woodson (Okla.). Ex-officio members are Wayne Hamrick, trustee chairman; Ed Ethridge, trustee vice chairman; Bobby Welch, Southern Baptist Convention president. The committee will begin accepting resumes and recommendations imme-diately. Deadline for having applications to Evans is April 15, 2005, and can be sent to his attention at Dalraida Baptist Church, 3838 Wares Ferry Road, Montgomery, AL, 36109.

Draper said an approxi-mate timeline is for the com-mittee to bring a candidate to the full board at its next meet-ing, Sept. 12-13 in Nashville, with the intention of approv-ing the candidate as presi-dent-elect.

Draper said he will work side-by-side with the presi-dent-elect until Feb. 1, when he’ll step down and the new president will assume full responsibility for the position. “I am looking forward to this process and to a smooth tran-sition of leadership,” he said.

Draper, who will be 70 in October, told trustees his decision to retire is borne out of his “love for LifeWay” and his “commitment to do what is best” for the organization and its Kingdom ministry. February 2006 will mark his 15th year as president, and he stated it is time for new lead-ership.

“We are seeing a great response in our effort to con-nect with younger leaders across our denomination,” he said, “and we need a younger man who can lead this organi-zation to continue that trend. The younger leaders are ready to be Kingdom leaders, and LifeWay should reflect a full

commitment to partner with them as they follow God’s call.

“We need a younger man with great vision, one who will not rest upon the great resources of this organization

and maintain the status quo. We need a younger man who sees future pos-sibilities through God’s eyes. We need a younger man who can guide LifeWay to be a relevant resource for the church for decades to come as the church faces tumul-tuous cultural times. One thing is certain: We cannot become what we need to be by staying the

way we are.”Draper cautioned trustees

to diligently seek God’s direc-tion in filling the position, say-ing that many people will “tell you they know who ought to be here and what you ought to do. Listen graciously to them, but realize that the decision is yours alone. None of you should have a personal agenda, and do not entertain the agen-da of others.”

Draper recounted how reluctant he was to leave the pastorate when approached about taking the position,

saying the greatest job in the world is being the pastor of a local church. He last night offered trustees the following counsel: “Find somebody who has no ambition to be here, and when you come across some-one actively pursuing this posi-tion, run from him. Your only purpose is to find God’s man.”

Draper said he has no desire to choose his successor or to interfere in the search process in any way. Rather, he wants to be available to share his insight with the presiden-tial search committee when asked. His “strong desire,” he said, was to make the transi-tion “efficient and effective.” He said his passion was to pass to the next leader the legacy that had been passed to him, beginning 114 years ago with founder J.M. Frost.

“These are serious times and there is a desperate need for serious organizations staffed by serious people,” Draper said. “LifeWay must be a serious organization as we move deeper into this century if we are to turn these six chal-lenges into opportunities. I sense we are gaining momen-tum in some of these areas and this presidential handoff

needs to be an explosive surge forward.”

Draper stated he has no desire to retire to a life of lei-sure. “Listen, don’t cue the sun-set and launch into a verse of ‘Happy Trails to You,’ he said. “Retirement from an adminis-trative position in today’s world may sometimes be construed as a departure from labor alto-gether. In no way is this my intention. As a minister, I will never retire. I cannot retire from ordination, the call to preach or the compulsion of the Holy Spirit to work and witness as a Christian minister.”

Draper indicated there are no current plans for what he might do beyond his retirement from LifeWay.

Draper closed his address by challenging trustees to make the next several months some of the most intensely focused months of prayer they’ve ever spent with the Father.

“I have unwavering con-fidence that God will honor your humility in prayer and deliver to you the man who is to lead LifeWay in the very critical years ahead,” he said. “May the Father be glorified by our actions over the next several months.”

LifeWay’s president announces retirement plans BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP

WITH GOD

GOD’S INITIATIVE:

God sent his son, Jesus, to die on the cross, paying the penalty for your sins, and promised “everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

OUR RESPONSE:

ADMIT…that you need to be rightly related to God. Under-stand that you are sinner. Pride keeps us from doing some of the most important things in life. Without God’s interven-tion, your sin will ultimately lead to death and eternal separation from God. “No one is good –- not even one. No one has real understanding; no one is seeking God.” Romans 3:10“For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious stan-dard.” Romans 3:23

REPENT…from your sin and turn to God accepting by faith His gift of salvation. “Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins.” Acts 3:19 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

BELIEVE…that God’s son, Je-sus Christ, makes it possible for you to have a relationship with God. “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself…” 2 Corinthians 5:19“This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as a sacrifi ce to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:10

CONFESS…your sin to God. If you want to make this choice now, you can express that de-sire to God in a prayer similar to this one: “Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus shed his blood, died and rose again to take the punishment for my sin. I accept your offer of forgiveness and eternal life. I thank you for what you have done for me, and I give you my life from this day forward.”

EXPRESS…your faith publi-cally. Share it with a Christian friend or a pastor. You will want to become involved in a local church where you can grow in your knowledge of Christ. If you choose a Baptist church, you will be encouraged to be baptized as a public expression of your faith.“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Anyone who believes in Him will not be dis-appointed.” Romans 10:9; 11

DEDICATE…yourself as a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Receiving God’s gift of forgiveness through Christ will set your life in an opposite di-rection of the one you’ve been going. Now you are following God. “Jesus said to all of them, ‘If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be will-ing to give up their lives daily to follow me.’” Luke 9:23

Scripture from the New Living Translation

BL • March 2005 • 9

NEW ORLEANS — One student with Maryland ties graduated with a doctoral degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary on Dec. 18, 2004. Chris Friedmann, associate vice presi-dent for Operations at NOBTS, received the doctor of educa-tional ministry degree.

WAKE FOREST, N.C. — Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary celebrat-ed its Fall 2004 commencement ceremonies Dec. 18 with 114 graduates receiving degrees from the seminary and 45 from the school’s undergradu-ate program, Southeastern College at Wake Forest.

The following students from the state of Maryland graduated. Listed are their degrees attained, full names and hometowns.

Bachelor of Arts: Robert Michael Rapier, II – Frederick, Md.

Master of Divinity: Robert Cecil Gettle, Jr. – Hampstead, Md.; Dong Jin Yun – Montgomery Village, Md.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Three students claiming Maryland as their home state graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth during winter commencement on Friday, December 10th.

Two hundred ninety graduates earned degrees dur-ing Southwestern’s 208th com-mencement ceremony at Fort Worth’s Travis Avenue Baptist Church. The winter graduating class included students from 26 states and 12 foreign coun-tries. They earned 10 diploma degrees, 245 master’s degrees and 26 doctorates.

Students from 48 states, Washington D.C. and 47 coun-tries are currently enrolled at Southwestern. More than 65,000 students have enrolled

at the world’s largest seminary since it was founded in 1908. More than 38,000 have earned degrees.

Graduates from Maryland, their hometowns and churches,

if known, and their degrees are: Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages: Garet Robinson and Joyce Wallace. Master of Arts in Christian Education: Hwan Yeo.

Pictured with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

President Chuck Kelley (left) is Chris Friedmann from Bowie, Md.

Students from Maryland receive seminary degrees

The team was in agree-ment, so they spread a map of the world across the meeting room table and began to dis-cuss the different regions of the world.

“We began to pray around the world as to where God would lead us,” he said. It was unanimous – Africa. When they prayed to narrow down the area they had no trouble narrowing it down to West Africa.

Reaves contacted Al Hodges, whom he met at the Global Priority Conference. Hodges and his wife Karen served as coordinators in West Africa at the time. Al sent Reaves information on five high priority people groups in the area. The team prayed over them and felt that God was directing them to adopt the Fulakunda people of Guinea-Bissau.

There were no IMB mis-sionaries in Guinea-Bissau at that time because of politi-cal unrest. The church began searching the Internet looking for resources that would help them learn about and under-stand this people group.

“We began contacting every mission agency we could find to inquire whether they knew any information which might help us. We were able to build several key relation-ships with people from other agencies who were engaging the Fulakunda and serving in Guinea-Bissau.

About a year after begin-ning to work with Conowingo, Al Hodges met Scott and Julie Bradford. The couple was in the process of exploring with IMB where they might go. Hodges asked the couple to consider West Africa, which they did.

“I was thrilled when I realized that they lived only an hour’s drive north of Conowingo,” Hodges said. “I introduced them to Reaves and said to him ‘here’s an answer to your prayer’.”

The couple visited Conowingo and the relation-ship took off. The church

hosted them, adopted them as missionaries and sent a team of seven, two women and five men, to prayer walk through what was to be their new home. That was in June, 2002.

Conowingo member Emery Holbrook, Jr., was on the first trip.

“It was very uplifting to me. It changes your priorities at home,” he said. “Those people are lost. They need Jesus. Anything I can do, I would do it.”

When the excited team returned and shared their stories, the Conowingo con-gregation really began to rally behind the effort. They flew the Guinea-Bissau flag in the sanc-tuary and some people began wearing Guinea-Bissau flag lapel pins. Many gave toward the expenses of the volunteer team.

The Bradfords left for Guinea-Bissau in the winter of 2002.

That was just after the time Reaves announced his resigna-tion. Reaves had decided to go to seminary through a schol-arship provided by BCM/D’s Women’s Missionary Union. He was to leave in May 2003.

Several months after the Bradfords arrived in Guinea-Bissau, the couple grew dis-couraged.

“They began writing to us about the struggles they were going through - sickness, heat, disease, bugs and radical cul-ture shock,” Reaves said.

The church launched “Operation Barnabus.” They prayed for the couple, then arranged to get a mission team of three men together to go to the Bradfords.

“A month after I left, a team of three men went to work alongside the Bradfords, to help them with their house, encourage them and stand alongside them when they were deeply distressed,” Reaves said.

One of the highlights of the partnership has been a two-part missions confer-ence Conowingo hosted. The first was before Reaves left in March 2003.

Reaves said he and Al Hodges were having lunch in Richmond and were talk-ing about the great need in West Africa. The two both said they wished other churches could do what Conowingo was doing and they decided to have a conference at the church.

“As we start-ed planning, we began to interact with (missionary) Ron Hill, who was in Senegal at that time. Ron said ‘That all sounds great, but someone can’t get a vision for West Africa in northeast Maryland. They need to come to West Africa,’” Reaves said.

So they planned a two part conference, the first in March 2003 at Conowingo Church and the second in July 2004, in West Africa. Reaves came from semi-nary to meet everyone at the second conference.

Church leaders from all over the country came to the conferences, led by International Mission Board personnel. They talked about the different people groups, the needs, unique challenges and religious strongholds in the area.

Dan Sheffield, Susque-hanna director of missions, and BCM/D partnership mis-sions coordinator, also attended the conferences with his wife, Debbie; Reynold Carr, Prince George’s director of missions; and Will Kopp, pastor of Riverside Church, Baltimore.

The second conference was hands-on as participants went into the field to live among people groups for several days and see first hand what God was doing there. Conowingo Church sent nine people, the largest team yet, to Africa to facilitate the conference. When it ended, many participants signed commitments to work with the people groups in

West Africa in strategic ways over specific time periods and BCM/D’s partnership was born.

Reaves was ecstatic that the church was continuing its momentum.

“I really wept over the possibility that it would fall apart,” he said. “I told them I’d rather get a call that the build-ing burned down than to hear they were to lose heart.

“It’s the biggest God-thing I’ve ever been a part of. I long for another big God thing to happen, but if it never does, I’m content that I was part of that.”

Timothy Krayneck, Conowingo’s new pastor began his ministry at the church in December. Krayneck said he and his wife Aliza are excited to be in a small com-munity that is reaching across the world.

The new pastor said he’s looking forward to working with the missions both in Guinea-Bissau and throughout Maryland/Delaware. “I do feel there’s more in store for the future,” he said. He said he feels blessed to have been given the “inheritance” of this church’s heart towards missions.

BCM/D churches that are interested in learning more about BCM/D’s part-nership with West Africa can call Dan Sheffield, (800) 525-2241 or email him at domsheffield@aol.com or missiontrips@aol.com.

Conowingo Church adopts the Fulakunda peoplecontinued from page one

From left to right: Tina Benham, Bob Benham, Emory Holbrook Jr.,

Lissa Holbrook, Jamie McMillan, Dan Beebe, Tom Stephens, Russ

Reaves standing on a rooftop in Dakar, Senegal.

Applications are

now being accepted

for state missions

teams to:

Puebla, Mexico, June 18-26, 2005 Cost: $1500 Leader: George Jack

West Africa unreached people groupJuly 23-31, 2005 Cost: $2500 Leader: Stan Graham

To apply, or for more information, contact World Missions and Partnerships at (800) 525-2241 or email: missiontrips@aol.com. Applicants must be 15 or older at the time of trip. A deposit of 10% must accompany application.

By Bob Gerstmeyer

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8, 2005. Again, Baptist Family

and the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware encour-age all churches cooperating in the BCM/D to take a spe-cial offering on that day to

support mothers with families in need.

It can be argued that now is one of the most dif-ficult times in history to be a mother. Think about the chal-lenges that the mothers of our country face. Ever-increasing divorce rates mean less stable support from a loving spouse.

A huge pay gap between men and women means that single moms have to work even harder to support a family. Our culture, in a number of ways, is not family-friendly; with every new technology invented, mothers have had to find ways to protect their families from its misuse.

Mothers facing tough social and financial challenges have always turned to church-es for support. Today, Baptist churches in Maryland and Delaware refer these mothers and their families to Baptist Family & Children’s Services. Baptist Family offers immedi-ate emergency support like shelter, food and utility sup-port. The agency then assesses the family’s long-term needs and puts them on a path to self-reliance.

We help mothers and families in crisis recover from that crisis and build a great new life for themselves. A 24-hour Crisis Response Hotline is available to pastors and churches, in order to help respond to families that can show up at the church’s door-step at any hour.

Quite often, I am asked by pastors and church mem-bers “How can I help?” The Mother’s Day Offering is a great way to help mothers and families across Maryland and Delaware.

Baptist Family spends about $250,000 each year tak-ing care of families in crisis. We receive $10,000 each year in Cooperative Program funding. We must raise the remaining $240,000 from other sources. Those sources are churches, church groups (like Sunday School classes), and faithful individuals.

That $250,000 figure, by the way, is set to rise sig-nificantly as the EMBRACE

Baltimore initiative ramps up.That said, the Mother’s

Day Offering is a great way for individuals and churches to collaborate in support of mothers and families in need. Please, this May 8th, take a love offering in your church to help mothers and families in trouble.

To confirm your church’s participation, and to receive a packet of poster, information, and free love offering enve-lopes for your convenience, call Tim Durkin at (410) 872-1050, extension 143.

BL • March 2005 • 10

Fox returns to anima-tion with Robots. Will it make it off the assembly line or end up in the junk heap with the studio’s other animated efforts?

Also, as Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Michelle Trachtenberg goes from slaying to skating in Disney’s Ice Princess, will she become teen royalty or leave audiences cold? Above all, are these films right for your kids?

Find out in the March installments of Reel Advice.For the full reviews visitwww.baptistlifeonline.org.

Kevin C. Neece lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife

Melissa. E-mail him at kevin_c_neece@yahoo.com

Reel Advice

with Kevin Neece

Bob Gerstmyer

BFCS Executive Director

For more information about BFCS, or to ask questions or comment

on articles on this page, please call BFCS Public Relations

Associate, Tim Durkin (410) 872-1050 ext. 143

Baptist Family and

Children’s Services 7175 Columbia

Gateway Dr., Suite F Columbia, MD 21046

Phone: (410) 872-1050 (800) 621-8834

Fax: (410) 872-1047

E-mail: baptistfamily@

baptistfamily.orgOnline:

www.baptistfamily.org

Would you like to be on our email list?

Send a message to: baptistfamily@

baptistfamily.org

Federal and Maryland state governments

continue commitment to faith-based initiativesBy Tim Durkin

On both federal and state levels, government is displaying a greater

interest in cooperating with and funding with faith-based programs run by churches and freestanding nonprofit organi-zations.

Last month, President George W. Bush named Jim Towey to be Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Mr. Towey has been a vocal advo-cate for the role of faith-based organizations in federally-funded community service. His expanded role in the White House signals a renewed com-mitment by the Administration to working with faith-based groups.

“Rallying the Armies of Compassion,” the document which defines the President’s faith-based initiative, defines the basic relationship between government and faith-based groups. “Government has

a solemn responsibility to help meet the needs of poor Americans and distressed neighborhoods, but it does not have a monopoly on compas-sion. Government cannot be replaced by charities, but it can and should welcome them as partners. … The paramount goal must be compassionate results.”

So the federal Faith-based Initiative begins with the premise that government needs the help of faith-based organizations. The State of Maryland’s Initiative shares the same starting point.

The Governor’s Office on Community Initiatives is over-seen by Lt. Governor Michael Steele. The office states its goal as being “to empower vol-unteer, faith and community based organizations to better assist Maryland’s most vulner-able citizens.”

These two programs share more than just a philosophical standpoint. The implementa-tion of that philosophy looks similar on both the federal and

state levels. Both programs have focused on persuading federal agencies to become more familiar with the abilities of faith-based and other non-profit groups.

Faith-based nonprofits, especially churches and the family service agencies they combined to form, have been the backbone of charitable work in America for decades. Despite the claim made in “Rallying the Armies of Compassion” that “government cannot be replaced by chari-ties,” in fact, charities were doing the needed social work long before government got into the game.

With the New Deal and the rise of the social professions in the twentieth century, govern-ment became more concerned with the provision of services like emergency food, shelter, and counseling. But until recently, government agen-cies did not directly cooperate with the faith-based charities that traditionally did this work since America’s founding.

Baptist Family was found-ed in 1920 in order to keep troubled children from ending up in state-run orphanages. Its founders believed that a pri-vate home with loving parents was the best environment for displaced kids. Over the years, government followed that lead, closing group homes and sup-porting efforts to keep families together.

In the post New Deal America, as people began rely-ing more on government, the role of churches and private charity groups shrank.

A 2002 report from the Brookings Institute states that “only 7% of all congregations have a staff person devoting at least one-quarter of his or her time to social service projects, and the median dollar amount spent by congregations on such projects totaled only $1,200.”

With these new faith-based initiatives, government appears to be trying to revive the social service components of church-es and other private faith based charitable organizations.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner!

BL • March 2005 • 11

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COLUMBIA, Md. — Sa-bao Resources, LLC was re-cently named an independent sales representative for the Dominion Sky Angel DBS Television & Radio System, the nation’s only direct-to-home satellite television service delivering multiple channels of Christian-based and fam-ily-friendly television and radio programming to homes, churches, businesses and or-ganizations across the conti-nental United States equipped with a small, affordable satel-lite dish.

As a Sky Angel indepen-dent sales representative, Sabao Resources, LLC will be actively promoting the Sky

Angel service through the dis-tribution of brochures, fl yers and other sales materials ad-vertising the Sky Angel service in the Maryland and Delaware area.

Provided through high-powered direct broadcast satellite (DBS) technology, Sky Angel is currently beam-ing directly into homes across the continental United States multiple 24-hour channels of television and radio program-ming that is morally sound and spiritually uplifting, in-cluding biblical teaching and ministry; wholesome family entertainment, movies and dramas; classic sitcoms; shows for kids and teens; Christian

music from sacred to gospel to contemporary; music videos; special events, concerts and conferences; ministry pro-gramming geared toward a variety of ethnic groups; news and talk; sporting and home life shows; and much more.

Founded in 1980 by Rob-ert W. Johnson, chairman and CEO, Sky Angel went on the air on Dec. 10, 1996. Sky Angel offers 20 TV channels and 16 radio channels.

The basic Sky Angel pack-age of 36 Christian ministry and wholesome family televi-sion and radio channels, is available to anyone who pur-chases a DISH-brand satellite dish and receiving system and

subscribes to the Sky Angel service.

In 1984, Dominion was one of the fi rst to be awarded a li-cense and construction permit by the Federal Communica-tions Commission to build and launch a DBS service capable of serving the entire U.S.

Dominion is the only DBS system offering a complete multi-channel niche package of Christian-based and family-friendly programming.

To learn more about Sky Angel and to receive a free Sky Angel brochure & video, con-tact: Michael McCarthy of Sa-bao Resources, LLC, by phone:(410) 570-3309, or by email: sabao@comcast.net.

Local business represents Christian satellite TV system

DISCOVERY DAY WORKSHOP:Who, Me, a Church Planter?

April 30 from 9:00 - 2:00 p.m.at the Baptist Center in Columbia, MD

For pastors, staff and lay people, who are interested in exploring the possibility that God may be calling them into church planting.

FREE (including lunch) for the first 20 people who register by email at dshiflett@bcmd.org or call Donna Shiflett at

(800) 466-5290 ext. 226.Deadline: April 27

NOTE: This event is NOT for current church planters.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT — First Baptist Damascus, MD seeks an experi-enced part-time Administrative Assistant. Duties include assisting church staff and general office administra-tion, preparation of weekly bulletin and other correspon-dence, and maintaining the church membership database. Working computer skills nec-essary. Send your resume to Doyne@fbcdamascus.org or call Pastor Doyne at (301) 253-3278 for more information.

PASTOR — Upper Seneca Baptist Church is now seeking resumes for a pastor who is a servant-leader. Send resumes to: Chair of Search Committee, Upper Seneca Baptist Church, 23401 Davis Mill Road, Germantown, MD 20876, Phone: (301) 972-3686, Email address: USBC@Juno.com.

RESIDENT CAMP MANAGER — Wanted: Resident Camp manager for Wo-Me-To. For more information, call Aquilla

Smith at (800) 466-5290 ext. 231, fax (410) 290-7040 or email asmith@bcmd.org.

SECRETARY — Wanted: secre-tary 30 hours a week with ben-efits. For more information, call Aquilla Smith at (800) 466-5290 x231, fax (410) 290-7040 or email asmith@bcmd.org.

CABIN LEADERS AND LEADERS-IN-TRAINING — Wanted cabin leaders and Leaders-in-Training for 2005 Girls Camp, July 10-16. Be a part of a week-long camp which promotes missions awareness and education for girls in grades 4 through 12. Cabin Leaders (age 17 and above) and Cabin Leaders-in-Training (age 15 and above) are responsible for eight to ten girls in one cabin and will lead them in the various activi-ties planned. You receive room and board, meals and a small honorarium. If you’re interested, please call (800) 466-5290 ext. 232 or email cmcgiffin@bcmd.org for an application form.

MINISTER TO YOUTH — Full-time position available

for person to help us establish a ministry that actively seeks to recruit youth and their families into the fellowship of the church. Send resume to call Grace Baptist Church, 805 Atlanta Road, Seaford, DE 19973. phone: (302) 629-8434.

CHILDREN/FAMILY MINISTRIES DIRECTOR — Immediate Full time opening for Children/Family Ministries Director for Southern Baptist Church on the Eastern shore of MD. Send resumes to mike @harvestbc.com.

CHURCH STAFF — Colonial Baptist Church is seeking spirit-filled individuals to join our church staff to serve in various capacities. Candidates must have a personal commit-ment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Positions available are: 1) Director of Music, 2) Associate Director of Music, 3) Percussionist, 4) Part-time Custodian Staff, and 5) Full-time Youth Pastor. If you are interested in any of the above listed positions, please fax us your resume to (888) 351-1622 or

email your resume to personnel@colonialbaptist.org. You may also call the church office for an application at (410) 655-1080.

DIRECTOR OF WORSHIP, PT — All interested candidates please send resume and salary requirements to: Music Search Committee, Tri-County Baptist Church, 7821 Damascus Rd, Laytonsville, MD 20882. Dead-line: March 31, 2005.

RETREAT TO THE OCEAN — The Baptist Retreat Center in Ocean City is available for Fall-Spring Retreats. We can accommodate groups as large as 65. For more info, call (410) 289-6573 or check http://www.OCBaptist.org.

Employment

Miscellaneous

Come join us at

Middle River Baptist ChurchFor our 60th Anniversary

Celebrate with us at Martin’s EastFriday, April 15, 2005, 6:30 p.m.

For a special banquetCost: $25.00 per person

Call (410) 686-8810 for further information.

Saturday, April 16, 2005, 7:00 p.m.A Musical Mosaic of Middle River Baptist Church

Fellowship following in gymnasium

Sunday, April 17, 2005Former pastors preaching

Fellowship in the gymnasium following evening worship

F.A.I.T.H 2005May 9th and 10th

Linthicum Baptist Church, Linthicum Heights, MD

Two days of intensive evangelism training that will prepare you and your church for the marvelous opportunity of taking the

good news of Jesus Christ into your community and into a world that desperately needs Him.

Your ministry will never be the same

after this experience!

FREE- all books, materials and meals are provided! To register or for more info call (410) 766-0204

Registration and scholarship forms available online atRegistration and scholarship forms available online at www.yourbcmd.org/camps www.yourbcmd.org/campsCamp scholarship applications must be postmarked by June 1, 2005 (www.yourbcmd.org/campscholarship)

ALL ABOUT KIDS PRODUCTIONS in association with Lamplight Artists

FOR: Completed Grades 1-6

WHEN: Sunday 3-5PM, Monday-Friday, 9AM-3PM

WHERE: multiple locations (camps as of press date)

• June 19-24, Knoxville, MD

• June 19-24, Baltimore, MD

• June 26-July 1, Baltimore, MD

• June 26-July 1, Rockville, MD

• July 17-22, Clarion, PA

• July 31-August 5, Sykesville, MD

• July 31- August 5, Bel Air, MD

• August 7-12, Columbia, MD

COST: $95 per student

REGISTRATION/PAYMENT DEADLINE: One week BEFORE the

start of the camp. Registration forms available online.

CONTACT: bonnie@lamplightartists.com

Visit www.yourbcmd.org/aakp for more!

YOUTH PERFORMING ARTS CAMP

in association with Lamplight Artists

FOR: Completed Grades 7-12

WHERE: Skycroft Conference Center (Middletown, MD)

WHEN: Sunday night, July 24, through Friday,

July 29 (noon)

COST: $250

Registration forms must include a non-refundable

$50 deposit— register today as space is limited!

FORMS AND FULL PAYMENT DUE: July 1 (after, $35 late fee applies)

CONTACT: Cindy Harper, (800) 466-5290 ext. 0

Visit www.yourbcmd.org/ypac for more!

GIRLS CAMP 1 FOR: Entering grades 4-6

WHERE: Camp Wo-Me-To, Jarrettsville, MD

WHEN: July 10-15

COST: $160.00 per person

REGISTRATION/PAYMENT DEADLINE: June 30

CONTACT: Carol McGiffin, (800) 466-5290 ext. 232

GIRLS CAMP 2FOR: Entering grades 7-12

WHERE: Camp Wo-Me-To, Jarrettsville, MD

WHEN: July 10-15

COST: $160.00 per person

REGISTRATION/PAYMENT DEADLINE: June 30

CONTACT: Carol McGiffin, (800) 466-5290 ext. 232

MOTHER/DAUGHTER CAMPFOR: Entering grades 1-3 and their mothers

WHERE: Camp Wo-Me-To, Jarrettsville, MD

WHEN: July 15-16

COST: $55.00 per person

REGISTRATION/PAYMENT DEADLINE: July 2

CONTACT: Carol McGiffin, (800) 466-5290 ext. 232

BOYS CAMP 1FOR: Completed Grades 2-6

WHERE: Kamp Kaylor, Middletown, MD

WHEN: July 14-17

COST: $100

REGISTRATION/PAYMENT DEADLINE: June 30

CONTACT: Carol Batson, (800) 466-5290 ext. 224

BOYS CAMP 2FOR: Completed Grades 2-6

WHERE: Camp Wo-Me-To, Jarrettsville, MD

WHEN: August 4-7

COST: $125

REGISTRATION/PAYMENT DEADLINE: July 28

CONTACT: Carol Batson, (800) 466-5290 ext. 224