February 2012 BaptistLIFE

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

February 2012

™

BLACK HISTORY MONTH:

Participants in a New Day in Race Relations initiative

reflect on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. See story on pages 6-7.

It is that time of the year when people’s

attentions turn to “getting healthy.” We start exercis-ing. We say “no” to dessert stuff and “yes” to green stuff. We know that staying with it is hard work. Most of us will “drop balls” along

the way. Yet, collectively we want to take the journey, because we want to get healthy.

The beginning of the year is a good time for churches to think about “getting healthy,” too. Church-es can develop bad habits. Things change in the body of Christ just as they do in the human body. Those changes require that we make changes in our lifestyles. Our world changes, too.

Start the journey toward “get-ting healthy” as a church by asking good questions and seriously seek-

ing good answers.• How are things “really?”

It is important that we take a snapshot of how things are “right now.” It must be an honest assess-ment. It does us little good to look at things as we want them to be, if we are not willing to take a hard look at how they really are today. I guarantee you that things are not just like they were a year ago or two or three years ago. In fact, things may be dramatically different in the beginning of 2012 than they were two months ago. Be realistic about where you are “right now.”

• What is our purpose? What is our goal? How you approach these questions is so important. For example, a wrong question is, “How can we get more people to come to our church, sit in our seats, and put money in our offering plates?” If we are honest with ourselves, too often this is our unspoken purpose or goal. A better question is this. “What will it take to reach our community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?” Health comes when we

establish an outward focus rather than an inward focus. There is something that happens when we stop making it about us or about our survival, and start making it about those we are called to reach.

• While leaning on God’s promises and being realistic about our resources on hand, where can we have influence and make the greatest impact? I am one who dreams big. I am also one who understands that not every church is going to become a mega-church. I do, however, believe that every church can become an impacting church. The key is to find a healthy balance between realistic dreaming and a God-sized dream.

• What are the one or two things we could do consistently and well in 2012 that could make the greatest impact on the kingdom of God in the places we are called to serve? In our attempts to get healthy we are prone to try to do too much too quickly. The result is usually pain and dis-couragement mixed with disappoint-

ment. It is better to work effectively at one or two things that we can do well, than it is to try to tackle more than we can handle.

• What has changed around us and within us that impact where we go next? Most of us find comfort in routines. Routines are usually familiar and make us feel safe. Routines are not all bad, but sticking with a routine while things are changing around us may cause us to miss out on some op-portunities God has presented. I highly recommend that each church begin the New Year with a thorough analysis of your ministry field. You will be surprised at how things have changed. I guarantee you that you will also find new open doors of ministry.

There is no quick-fix way to get healthy. There is no “magic pill.” “No pain, no gain.” To use another over-used phrase, “A journey begins with the first step.” I urge you to take that first step toward getting healthy in 2012—both you and your church.

Bob SimpsonBCM/D Assoc.

Executive Director, BaptistLIFE Editor

Current lessons learned from an ancient leader

David LeeBCM/D Executive

Director

Perspectives... February 2012

So far this year I have been

studying the book of James. It is a fascinating study for leaders today. He had excellent credibility as a leader. James was the Lord’s half-brother and became the leader of the Jerusalem

church. He presided at the Council of Jerusalem that was convened to determine the position of converted Gentiles.

He wrote his New Testament letter soon after 40 A.D. It was probably the earliest New Testament letter. It emphasizes practical aspects of the Christian faith and thematically deals with a myriad of subjects including “faith and works,” “prayer,” “speech,” “the second coming of Christ,” “law,” “poor and rich,” “submission to God,” and

“temptation” to name a few. And, according to the historian Josephus, James was martyred for his faith by being stoned to death in A.D. 61.

What a legacy of leadership! He not only experienced our Lord up close and personal, he led the early church during very turbulent, yet critical times to the new movement. There is so much we can learn from his writings.

For example, right from the start of his letter he identifies himself as being a “slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” I would have been tempted to mention that I was Jesus’ brother. But his self-identity was not based on anything self-serving, only on being a humble servant. That’s a good reminder for any leader!

James suggests that a leader must be totally dependent on God for all things. He said that our source of wisdom is God not anything else. If we lack wisdom, we should to go directly to Him. Translation: we should spend more

face time with God than we spend on Facebook!

Another principle James suggests is that integrity has to be a priority in a leader’s life and ministry. He says to “just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.”

Integrity issues emerge when leaders try to position themselves between conflicting positions. Sometimes a leader has to lead and that, more often than not, requires that a stand be taken.

Speaking of integrity issues. James says that it’s not a question of “if” we are tempted, but rather, “when” we are tempted and if we give into that temptation, something in us will die.

No doubt one thing that will die is our passionate focus on doing the will of God in our lives. A leader must understand that there are consequences to our every action as a leader.

There is much more to learn from James than I have time and

space to accomplish. One last thought. James is crystal clear that leaders must be accountable to others. We are not in this alone.

In fact, it is our aloneness that morphs to aloofness. And aloofness leads to faulty thinking and poor decision-making. James says in chapter 5, verse 16 that we should “confess our sins to each other…”

All of us lead something or someone. Often we are leading others who are simply observing us. Others are elevated to the formal leading of many.

Whatever your level of leadership, remember this one last secret that James gives us: “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”

Leaders who get this right will truly be effective and winsome leaders!

On the journey toward ‘getting healthy’

February 2012 Perspectives...

BaptistLIFEVol. 96 No. 1

Serving Baptists since 1849

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

BaptistLIFE 10255 Old Columbia RoadColumbia, MD 21046-1716

(Phone) 800-466-5290, ext. 245(Fax) 410-290-6627

Send address changes to: [email protected]

BaptistLIFE StaffBob Simpson Executive EditorIris White Managing Editor/Mailing Shannon Baker Design Editor/ BCM/D National CorrespondentSharon Mager BCM/D Correspondent

Address change: Send the new address with the old mailing label at least three weeks prior to move or send an email to [email protected] with your old and new information.

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. The deadline for news and advertising is the first day of the month preceding the next issue.

Subscription: free of charge by request.

Press Releases and Photos: We welcome letters from readers, press releases and photos of 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 with addresses will be considered. Please include a daytime telephone number for verification purposes. Letters may not exceed 300 words. 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, Baptist Press News and Evangelical Press Association and is printed by Carroll County Times, Westminster, Md.

By Shannon BakerBCM/D National Correspondent

FREDERICK, Md.—Ken Stalls knows it was the long-time prayers of his grandmother, mother and wife that softened his heart for Jesus—and saved his life.

He had always heard of Jesus, but it wasn’t until he was working at a large construction job at a nuclear plant that God became real to Him. A carpenter foreman kept sharing about Jesus with Ken, who at the time was also a foreman.

“[The foreman] kept sharing with me in ways I could understand,” explained Stalls.

Then, at his wife’s request, he attended a service at a Baptist church in Wilmington, N.C., where they lived at that time. As he listened intently to the pastor’s message, he instantly knew the man “was talking to nobody but me.”

Stalls felt prompted to go for-ward during the pastor’s invitation, but didn’t. All the next week, he hated himself for not doing so. The following Sunday, when the pastor

Despite health challenges, BCM/D President Ken Stalls keeps serving

Puzzled about BCM/D? Let this puzzle by Ken Stalls help you!

Ken Stalls, BCM/D President, and Senior Pastor, South End Baptist Church in Frederick, Md.

Continued on page 10

Answers to this puzzle are

posted at www.baptistlifeon-

line.org.

Across4 BCMD Executive Director5 Baptist Mission Resource Ctr Location 6 Acts 1:89 Potomac Association Dir. of Missions15 BCMD online training16 Collegiate Minister at Morgan State17 BCMD Convention President20 Blue Ridge Association Dir. of Missions21RetiredExecutiveOfficeCoordinator22 WMU Director23 Mrs. VBS25 BCMD Missionary of Collegiate Ministries27 9th Word of the BCMD Mission Statement29 Mid-Maryland Association Dir. of Missions31 Sky(croft) King33 3rd Word in the Original BCMD Name34 BCMD Missionary of Worship36 BCMD 1st Vice President38 Western Association Dir. of Missions41 Collegiate Minister at Frostburg42 BCMD Recording Secretary43 BaptistLIFE Design Editor44 Foreign Missions Agency46 BCMD Mr. Fixit47 Domestic Missions Agency50 Delaware Association Dir. of Missions52 Managing Editor of BaptistLIFE53 BCMD Missionary of Language Churches55 BCMD State Paper: Baptist______56 BCMD 2nd Vice President57 Number of Original Churches in BCMD

Down1 President of the General Mission Board2 ___ Program: Missions Giving Channel for SBC3 Number of BCMD strategies7 Wo-Me-To Location8 Collegiate Minister of University of Delaware10 20th Word of the BCMD Vision Statement11 Collegiate Minister of University of Maryland12 BCMD Missionary of Asian Church Dev.13 Montgomery Association Dir. of Missions14 BCMD Camp in Middletown18 WMU Camp19 BCMD Missions Involvement Team Strategist24 BCMD Missionary of African Am. Church Dev.25 Carol Moore #226 BCMD Missionary of Hispanic Church Dev.28 Susquehanna Association Dir. of Missions30 PG Association Dir. of Missions32 The Number of BCMD Core Values35 The Number of BCMD Associations37 Arundel Association Director of Missions39 Baltimore Association Director of Missions40 Collegiate Minister at Bowie State University45 Collegiate Minister at the Naval Academy48 BaptistLIFE Editor49 BCMD Missionary of Ministers’ Wives/Families51 BCMD Assistant Recording Secretary54 Our National Denomination

Go to www.bcmd.org to search for the answers.(All names will be first initial, last name or vice versa, i.e., bsimpson)

Your Association... February 2012

AssociationLIFE comes primarily from church and association newsletters, bulletins and written reports on events that are sent to BaptistLIFE. Due to space restrictions, articles received may be edited. You may feel free to fax news to us at (410) 290-6627 or e-mail to [email protected].

Arundel Association

Jessup Baptist will have a Valentine’s dinner on Feb. 13.

New Hope Church, Curtis Bay, kicks off a new ladies’ Bible study this month studying the book of Esther. The group will use Beth Moore’s study, “Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman.”

Baltimore Association

Bethlehem Baptist has a “Kidz Safe” before and after school care program. The outreach min-istry offers students a chance to be in a safe environment to do their homework, work in the computer lab, meet some new friends and eat nutritious meals.

Darnell Ranson, pastor of Beth-lehem, said the program offers the church an opportunity for hands-on ministry, getting to know the chil-dren and their families. Ranson said Kidz Safe has also brought more diversity to the church.

Bethlehem Baptist is developing partnerships with other churches and city organizations. They are working with Mt. Calvary Baptist Church on Fulton Avenue with a Thursday evening weekly feeding ministry, serving meals to people in need in the West Baltimore area.

The church has a new van and is using it for their outreach and on mission trips.

Colonial Baptist, Randall-stown, will host its 13th annual Missions Conference Mar. 10-12. For details, please call the church office at (410) 655-1080.

Blue Ridge Association

Blue Ridge Baptist Associa-tion will have their annual “inser-vice training” event on Feb. 20 at South End Baptist, Frederick. A worship rally begins at 6:45 p.m. Course offerings include building an effective praise and worship team, Internet evangelism, military sup-port, prison ministry, dance worship and church planting.

Phil Graves has accepted a call as pastor of First Baptist, Bruns-wick. Graves has been serving as media ministry for the Blue Ridge Baptist Association since 2002 and will continue to serve in that capac-ity.

Delaware Association

Bethany Baptist, Wilming-ton, is in the process of planting an Hispanic church. Alexis Vides is the planter and small groups are meet-ing in homes for Bible study.

Hockessin Baptist, Wilming-ton, had a church planting confer-ence last month. The church part-nered with Embrace Wilmington and with BCM/D to host the event.

North Baptist, Wilmington, was the first church in Delaware to go through the transformational church process. Director of Missions Mitch Dowell said it was a “good process” and the church will soon receive recommendations.

Ogletown Baptist will launch their Celebrate Recovery (CR) min-istry to the community on Feb. 9.

The church began preparing for the CR launch in August, training leaders for the ministry.

Paul Manieri, a member of the CR leadership team, said God used Celebrate Recovery to grow his faith.

“Our Father is a grantor of second chances, especially for people that have survived the broken road and have chosen the narrow road to eternal life,” Manieri said.

“There is a wave of healing taking place in 2012 and a wave of blessings. It is important for us to have people in place as leaders - servant leadership. We are living in an economy and state where people are fearful and hurting and don’t know where to turn. They don’t want to trust the church. Celebrate Recovery is an outreach ministry and program meets people where they’re at.”

The group will meet from 6:45 to 9:15 on Thursdays.

Eastern Association

Immanuel Baptist, Salis-bury, has a growing international ministry. Pastor Andrew Morgan is thrilled with the growth of the His-panic congregation led by Wilfredo Rodriguez. The average Sunday morning attendance is 130 for the Anglo congregation and 80 for the Hispanics.

Wilfredo Rodriguez is the as-sociate pastor leading the Hispanic church. Rodriguez is now working with the congregation to develop church planters to start more East-ern Shore churches. Morgan said there are “vast numbers” of un-reached Hispanics in the area.

Immanuel also has a Korean congregation, World Vision Bap-tist, that meets regularly, led by Kee Chul Kim.

Recently, God provided the church with the opportunity to build a relationship with a local Hindu priest. The priest and his family at-tended the church’s Christmas Eve service and were warmly received. He said he is thankful God is blend-ing cultures at Immanuel.

Mid-Maryland Association

Manchester Baptist will have a women’s retreat from 10 a.m. to noon on April 21. The guest speaker will be Lucinda Mills. Mills au-thored the book, “Let Yesterday Go,” a story about her experience of being raped repeatedly through the years by her father, a deacon in a local church, and the long after-math of dealing with her hatred, her struggle with God and her eventual triumph through Jesus.

The conference is free but res-ervations are requested by April 1. Please call the church office, (410) 291-6317.

Rather than have their usual gathering before Christmas, mem-bers of The Village Church invited the community to come to the church for free bags of grocer-ies with the “fix-ins” for Christmas dinner. Village members purchased over $2,000 worth of food for those

in need. “The response from the commu-

nity was great as our building was full of hope during these difficult times,” Dan Hyun, pastor of The Village Church, wrote in an email newsletter.

The church also had a “free store,” offering clothing, toys and household items. “The response was humbling as many shared that these simple items would function as their Christmas gifts this year,” Hyun wrote.

The church also had live music, refreshments, children’s activities and prayer.

Northwest Baptist Church, Reisterstown, sent their third mission team to Senegal, Africa, last month to help build a church. They assisted International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries there, one of which grew up at Northwest Baptist. The couple’s goal is to build one church a year.

In June, Northwest Baptist will send a team to Tasmania, Australia, where former Northwest members and IMB missionaries Ben and Judy Armacost serve. Here they will do prayer walks and one-on-one evan-gelism.

“What a joy to see your church children grow up to be missionar-ies within our great denomination,” Northwest pastor Gary Glanville said.

Westminster Baptist is plan-ning a mission trip to Huntington, W. Va., in July. They’ll be repairing homes, doing VBS and visiting the elderly.

Montgomery

A new grief support group meets at Ashton Baptist from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays. The group is open to anyone suffering from the loss of a loved one. Barbara Sweeney will be the facilitator. For more informa-tion, or to register, call (301) 802-0283.

Poolesville Baptist will be hosting The Parenting/Faith Inter-sect Conference with special guest speaker and author Steve Wright. Emphasis will be on how the church

Eastern

Mid-Maryland

Montgomery

Delaware

Blue Ridge

Baltimore

Arundel

and home can work together in rais-ing our kids.

The conference will be from 7-9:30 p.m. on Mar. 2 and from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Mar. 3. The cost is $30 per couple before Feb. 12 and $40 afterwards. For more informa-tion, or to register, call (301) 948-5440.

Viers Mill Baptist, Silver Spring, has a free movie night on the second Saturday of each month at 6 p.m. This month’s movie is “The Encounter,” about five strangers who find themselves stranded at a diner with a man they discover is Jesus.

Robert Wilson, pastor of Viers Mill, said the monthly outreach sometimes draws over 50 people. The church serves light refresh-ments and offers child care.

Viers Mill has four congrega-tions meeting at the facility. In addition to the An-glo church there is: Fellowship Baptist Church, which worships in an African-Amer-ican tradition; Montgomery Chinese Mis-sion, conducted in Cantonese and Mandarin; and Vi-ers Mill Spanish Mission.

Every quar-ter, the churches meet together for worship, singing the same hymns in their own languag-es. Each church is responsible for leading a quar-terly service.

Potomac Association

Dunkirk Baptist hosted Safenights last month. The church opened its doors for a week to pro-vide nighttime shelter for the area’s homeless. Church members provided meals, had games, provided laundry service, transportation and friend-ship.

The church also provides Sun-day shelter the second Sunday of each month.

Hughesville Baptist has

a “Coping with Illness through Christ” support group.

The Potomac Baptist As-sociation will have their 2012 men’s retreat March 23-24 at Camp Wabanna.

Brian Sandifer has accepted the call of senior pastor of Potomac Heights Baptist Church, effective Jan. 1.

Waldorf Baptist took their first international missions trip in November. The church sent a team of 12 to Bolivia.

The church started their annual Upward Basketball program last month.

Prince George’s Association

Landover Hills Baptist, Kent Baptist, Faith Fellowship Com-munity of Laurel, and Kettering

Baptist provided Christmas gifts to the inmates at the Prince George’s County Correctional Center.

Susquehanna Association

On Monday, Dec. 12, 2011, Oak Grove Baptist, Bel Air, hosted several local schools for the John Ar-cher Day. This has been an annual event for more than 20 years for the church and school that sit adjacent to each other across from Harford County Community College. Each year Oak Grove invites the students and faculty of John Archer, a public

special education school, to come over for a fun time of singing Christ-mas carols and enjoying some festive lights and decorations.

This year students were joined by 125 fourth grade students and faculty from Prospect Mill Elemen-tary School, some students and fac-ulty of the newly formed Oak Grove Classical Christian School, residents of Jacob’s Well Assisted Living, as well as groups from The Arc in Belcamp and Family Services in Bel Air. Ministers and members of Oak Grove also participated.

Those who attended were able to see some of the special lighting effects used in the annual Christ-mas program, which is attended by people from Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, D.C. and throughout Maryland. The students were also treated to some secrets

about the specially designed set pieces and how they transformed by revolving and even opening up to create the onstage illusion necessary for performing a Broadway-style Christmas musical.

Steve Poole, music and worship pastor, makes the John Archer Day an annual family event. His wife, Wendy, plays the piano for the carol singing, while his two teenage sons, Ashton and Zachary, often help with sound, lighting, projection and even singing in the choir. “It is a great way for our family to share some of the joy of Christmas with others,”

Poole said.Oak Grove Baptist will host its

2012 Spring Women’s Conference from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mar. 31 at the church. The theme is “When Love Takes You In.”

Guest speakers are WPOC disc jockey Laurie DeYoung and Advo-cate, Veteran and Missionary Erika Clark. (For information about Lau-rie DeYoung see the accompanying article on page 20. For information about Erika Clark see http://www.baptistlifeonline.org/erika-clark/)

The cost is $25 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch.

For more information or to regis-ter, see www.oakgrovebaptist.com or call (410) 838-9898.

Western Association

La Vale Baptist pastor, Jim Jeffries, reported that the church gave presents and stocking stuffers to nearly 300 area children in needy families during the church’s annual “Christmas Shop-pe.” Supplies were exhaust-ed, including surplus left from last year’s effort, but there were still 102 kids/37 families standing in line.

Western Baptist Association’s Director of Missions Kenny Heath wrote in an email, “God was not finished... and and neither was the church! They stepped up to the plate, got the gifts for all the other kids/families…plus seven more kids in four more families that He added on, in the process. Although this was a part-nership effort with Baptist

Family & Children’s Services of Maryland/Delaware, this quickly became a ‘much-bigger-than-La Vale Baptist & BFCS-thing’, a God-sized thing…God’s people responded in faith, and God, as always, showed Himself faithful! Already, Jim has seen some of the families they min-istered to visiting the church.”

Second Baptist, Cumber-land, sent a mission team to Jen-kins, Ky., in December. They distrib-uted 40 baskets of food as well as diapers and wipes.

February 2012 Your Association...

Potomac

Prince George’s

Susquehanna

Western

In December, Oak Grove Baptist, Bel Air, hosted several local schools for John Archer Day. Students and faculty from John Archer and Prospect Mill Elementary School, some students and faculty of the newly formed Oak Grove Classical Christian School, residents of Jacob’s Well Assisted Living, as well as groups from The Arc in Belcamp and Family Services in Bel Air participated in the event.

Your Convention... February 2012


WASHINGTON, D.C.—Four busloads of church members from Af-rican American and Anglo churches gathered this past fall to visit the newly unveiled Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The groups met at Solid Rock Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., to visit the memorial and celebrate afterwards in a joint worship service for both races.

“It was a great opportunity, and I’m glad we went forward with it,” shared organizer James Dixon, Jr., pastor of El Bethel Baptist Church in Fort Washington, Md., and Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware missionary for African-American church development. “It put a taste or flavor in the hearts of people to let them know how many of the races can make an impact on all cultures.”

Dixon, a leader in the BCM/D’s A New Day in Race Relations initia-tive to build better race relations, added. “I really think that we, as a convention, set a powerful example for our two states and the world that we are very serious in going forward to have a new day in race relations. Somebody needs to be a pioneer in this area.”

Somebody, like Martin Luther King, Jr.?

Deacon George Davis from First Rock had the privilege of attending the 1963 March on Washington when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his his-torical speech, “I Have A Dream.”

“We remember so vividly the impact that that speech had on the American life,” he said. “We can see the results of his efforts—of what he has done in making it better, not only for the black Americans but also for even white America—all kinds of people who have come into this country. He has made a tremen-

dous difference, and the privileges are now so great. So now we owe him a whole lot, and it’s just a privilege to be able to come down to see this great monument built to his name.

We’re just so grateful for the work he has done.”

John Hevey, a pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Sykesville, Md., has been a part of the New Day initiative since it started.

“This has been a journey for me, one that has been a corporate one, which involves all of us, but it’s also been a journey that is very personal too as I try to throw off the shackles of the past that have chained us folks as Anglos every

bit as much as those who are African Americans,” he said.

Hevey said the visit was an im-portant event in that journey for him because he was “with a man [Martin Luther King, Jr.] that many of my compatriots vilified when he was out there. They didn’t understand him, but now we have the lens of history to go on and because of that, we can see him in the truth. We can see that he spoke the truth. We can see that he meant what he said and that he was about equality for all human beings.”

Hevey added, “I’m glad that my children are entering a society that is much different than the one I en-tered, that they will be a part of this dream that he saw. The New Day initiative has been great for me, as it has been for many, many others. And

I invite others to join in on it. It’s a chance to reconcile with each other and go beyond that, to move forward into our society.”

Harold Lafayette Dugger, Jr., a high school student from Capitol Heights Baptist Church, in Capitol Heights, Md., called visiting the Memorial “a very good experience because for my generation, it shows

where we come from as a people.”

He added, “We still have a long way to go—some gaps there, we can fill them up…. I hope that I can make an influence so when I grow up, I want to go down in history, too,” he said.

Ernest Brown, also from Capitol Heights, said,

“I thought, in essence, that it was a type of reunion where it would bring people closer together despite the difference in cultures, ethnicity and background and so forth, be-cause when you look at it, we all are one. We’re connected in this great big world that we live in regardless of who we are and where we come from.”

Rachel Henning, a member of New Hope Community Church in Baltimore, Md., said, “I am here to celebrate what Martin Luther King, Jr. has done to bring all of us togeth-er to be as one and celebrate freedom together.” Fellow member Jolie Mem-mel, 11, added, “I’m just so happy to be here today to celebrate us as one big family.”

In the celebration at First Rock, BCM/D Executive Director David Lee pointed to the fulfillment of a Christian’s mission in Acts 1:8, to be Christ’s witnesses, even in the hard places. “There may be some difficult journeys for some of us to go there, but we must go there anyway,” he said. Pointing to Jesus’ prayer in

New Day group visits Martin Luther King, Jr., MemorialExperience rallies pastors toward unity in diversity

USE YOUR SMART PHONE TO LEARN

MORE. SIMPLY SCANTHIS QR CODE:

Download a free QR Reader app from

your App Store

New Day in Race RelationsPhotos (L to R): Larry Baker, pastor of New Hope Community Church in Baltimore, Md., prays with several members from historically African American churches in the metro Washington, D.C., area; Harold Dugger, Sr., pastor of Capitol Heights (Md.) Baptist Church shares from the book of Colossians at a New Day Prayer Rally; Harold Dugger, Jr., and friends share about their desire for racial unity at a visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr., memorial in Washington, D.C.

Continued on page 7

John 17, Lee looked to Jesus’ vision for His disciples to be “one.”

“I know we are not there yet, but we want to journey there; that’s where we want to go,” he said.

Bucas Sterling, senior pastor of Kettering Baptist Church in Upper Marlboro, Md., expressed excitement about being at the Memorial with fellow BCM/D church leaders. “We have all the races coming together to enjoy the fellowship together… but I am even more excited about where we are going.”

In his keynote address, Sterling stressed the importance of redeeming “now” to right the wrongs of the past. “Sometimes we look so far ahead that

we forget about the ‘now.’” He urged his listeners to visit churches of oth-ers’ races “now.”

Angel Rosary from First Rock, who also attended Dr. King’s 1963 speech, agreed. “I hope the church will go back to what [King] was trying to instill—to keep the unity going, the way he had us going so long ago. Because we need to get back together to our grass roots. This is all just wonderful, and we should keep this going.”

To learn more or to view video testimonies from participants as well as Sterling’s full sermon, visit online at www.newdayinracerelations.com or scan the posted QR code.


MOUNT AIRY, Md.— Carol McGiffin didn’t really know the per-son in her Sunday school class, but she was sure she understood God’s direction in her heart: Anonymously send the woman a note of encourage-ment—every week. For a year.

And that’s exactly what McGif-fin did. Since that first experience, she’s done the same with three other women, each of whom she has sent holiday cards and even birthday cards—in July because she didn’t know their actual birthdays.

Her weekly notes included personal observations about her life—things she learned from God’s creation, from scriptures, and even from her dog, Emma. She’s listed rea-sons why she was thankful, shared some of her personal life experiences, and otherwise sought to encourage as the Lord led her.

“It was an adventure every weekend, asking God to show me what I should say,” said McGiffin, who recently retired after serving 15 years for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware as a ministry assistant.

Many of these notes, names left out for obvious reasons, are included in McGiffin’s new book, “Changing

Lives One Note at a Time: The Ministry of Note Writing” pub-lished by Inspiring Voices, www.inspiringvoices.com, a service of Guideposts.

In her book, McGiffin also shares inspiration and guidance needed to begin writing notes as a form of encouragement. She believes that hand-written notes not only touch the hearts of those who receive them, but can have life-changing impact—especially in today’s technology-driven world, where people often commu-nicate through text messaging, instant messaging and emails.

She understands their im-pact.

Notes, which her friend, author/artist Karla Dornacher, calls “treasures of the heart,” changed McGiffin’s life. During a very difficult time in McGiffin’s life, a woman whom she barely knew sent a note to encourage her to stay at the church where she could be loved.

“What a life-changing mo-ment,” McGiffin writes. “Somebody cared about me and was willing to write a note to tell me… That short message from a willing heart changed my entire outlook.”

McGiffin explains, “It helped me to see through my heartbreak and

focus on encouraging words.” When she considered the impact of that one note, she knew she wanted to do that for other people.

Why write a note? McGiffin says it’s because “notes have a unique way of giving a person value. As you share your thoughts with one person

and tell him or her that you care, strength to endure is transmitted from the pen of one hand to they eyes of another.”

McGiffin credits her husband for encouraging her to write her book about her note-writing ministry experiences. “He witnessed firsthand the effect an encouraging note had on others from comments people made to him who received a note from me.”

With “Changing Lives One Note at a Time,” she hopes others will see the difference a note can make in an-other’s life, and how their own hearts will be refreshed by sharing God’s love with others.

“Once readers understand how refreshing and needed a note writing ministry is they will want to become ‘NOTE’worthy for God,” she shares.

To learn more, visit notewor-thyforGod.blogspot.com or email Carol at [email protected]. “Changing Lives One Note at a Time” is available for purchase through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as the Inspiring Voices website.

February 2012 Your Church...

Hand-written notes change lives, says new local author

According to February 5, 1964 edition of Baptist Press, “the Baptist Convention of Maryland adopted a resolution at its annual session [last] November ‘strongly’ urging member churches ‘to open their services of worship and instruction to men of all races, treating them without discrimination becauseof color in regard to fellowship and membership.’”

At the time, two Baltimore-area churches (Gregory Memorial Baptist Church, Valley Baptist Church) and First Baptist Church of Cambridge, Md., among others, voted that race would not be a factor in considering applicants for church membership.

Read the entire news story at www.newdayinracerelations.com.

New Day group visits MLK, Jr., MemorialContinued from page 6

Race Relations key movement for

Baptist Convention of Maryland even in 1964


By Sharon MagerBCM/D Correspondent

COLUMBIA, Md.— David Lee, executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware told members of the General Mis-sion Board, “Despite the changing landscape and the challenge of a struggling economy, we have been able to stay on mission with impact and effectiveness. None of that would be possible without the partnership of leaders like those in this room, the churches you represent, and the oth-er churches and partners that make up the BCM/D and SBC families.”

The GMB met on Dec. 6 at the Baptist Mission Resource Center.

Bryan Patrick, minister of wor-ship at First Baptist Church, Laurel, led members in praise, singing a medley of “Joy to the World,” “Joy Unspeakable Joy” and “I Bring an Offering to You.”

BCM/D First Vice-President Ron Smith called the meeting to order. Smith quoted Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God...” Smith said we spend time praising that very God. “We know at the end of all things, when all is said and done, every knee will bow, every tongue confess...My challenge is making sure I don’t lose focus in between.” Smith told mes-sengers they are doing business for the sake of the kingdom. “That being the case, we don’t want to lose sight of God in the beginning, at the end, or any point in between.”

Executive Director’s Report David Lee reiterated the mission

of the BCM/D, to intentionally assist in the starting and strengthening of congregations so that together “we can accomplish the Great Commis-sion as given to us in Matt. 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8.”

“It’s what drives who we are and what we do,” Lee said, highlighting the five convention strategies: church multiplication; church services; leadership development and support; Acts 1:8 missions involvement; and resource development.

He welcomed new board mem-bers and those returning.

Looking at the recent changes at

the North American Mission Board (NAMB), Lee had encouraging news.

“I am pleased to announce, at this point, we will see a stabilizing of our resourcing from NAMB as we move through 2012, 2013 and 2014,” he said.

He is especially enthusiastic about increased resources available for church planting.

“We are hoping to see a dra-matic increase in the church plant-ing resources available especially as we partner in the Send Cities effort [a strategic effort NAMB is launch-ing to reach cities] in Baltimore and Washington. The next several years could be record years for us in new church plants in our multi-state region.”

There will be adjustments, Lee told members. NAMB will discon-tinue funding resort ministry as of Dec. 31, 2012.

“We are already working with Lynn Davis, BCM/D Resort Min-ister, on a plan to continue that ministry through BCM/D resourc-ing. “We cannot afford to walk away from the open door God has given us in Ocean City, especially in the work with the internationals who come there yearly.”

Another adjustment, Lee cited, is determining how Church Planting Catalyst roles (formerly directors of missions) will be funded.

“The bottom line of resourcing from NAMB, as it relates to our BCM/D budget, should remain the same through 2014.”

Adding more good news, Lee said BCM/D will begin mobilizing efforts to call an African American church planting missionary. Funds were previously frozen by NAMB during their presidential transition.

Lee congratulated Lindsey Shaf-fer. Shaffer was serving as an as-sociate missionary and is now at full missionary status. Her official title is “Live Loud Missionary.”

The SBC annual meeting will be in Baltimore in 2014 and planning for the “gigantic process” will begin soon. Crossover events usually draw many people to make decisions for Christ, and he’s happy that the SBC will see firsthand how God is moving in this region.

“I will also ask you to pray for our staff,” Lee said. “We are expe-riencing a culture shift within our building with the recent and pending retirements, addition of new staff and changing roles of some of our staff.

I have full confidence in those who are assuming these new roles and the team with which we are moving forward. Obviously, these key players who will be retiring will be missed.“

Lee reported that Mitch Dowell is transitioning from the executive director of Embrace Wilmington to director of missions/church plant-ing catalyst for Delaware Associa-tion. Dowell will continue to serve part-time to complete the work in Wilmington and provide counsel for building urban strategies. Embrace Wilmington will end at the close of 2012.

Lee thanked Dowell for his sacri-ficial service and he thanked pastors from Delaware serving on the GMB and those connected with Embrace Wilmington for having exerted a positive influence in leading the city.

Looking ahead, Lee said Em-brace Silver Spring will launch at the BCM/D annual meeting at Global Mission Church in November. “Reaching out to cities is a priority for us due to the large pockets of lost-ness they represent.”

In addition, Lee said the conven-tion will continue to seek to mobilize Maryland/Delaware Baptists to expand efforts to reach those who are in poverty and he asked for prayer for collegiate outreach and ministry.

Assisting existing churches will also be an emphasis in the coming year.

“With the shift in emphasis on church planting at the SBC level, we are doubling our efforts to help with existing church revitalization.”

In addition, Lee said he will bring recommendations in 2012 con-cerning an expansion of support for leaders and their families.

Another emphasis will be in ethnic and language church planting and revitalization.

“We are a growing family. The world is literally coming to us,” Lee said.

Lee also urged members to remain vigilant regarding the battle over the definition of marriage.

“God is at work. We are seeing pockets of revival across our region,” he said. “Let us pray that revival will spread like a wildfire and become

GENERAL MISSION BOARD: Despite challenges, BCM/D stays on mission starting and strengthening churches

Bryan Patrick, minister of worship at First Baptist Church, Laurel, Md., led members in praise during BCM/D’s Dec. 6 General Mission Board meeting. Photo by Jeremy Ephraim

February 2012 Your Convention...

viral in this region!”Lee introduced Mark Swan, pas-

tor of Northpoint Church, Baltimore. Swan said Northpoint Baptist

Church was declining. He led the congregation in being intentional and being missional and reaching their communities. Within 18 months, the church had partnered with local schools, hosted a fall festival and a children’s party. Twenty members sang Christmas carols at a nursing home and they gave away 150 pairs of socks.

The church is growing, averaging 92 in morning worship and it’s a more diverse mix. They’ve had 14 decisions for Christ since September and they recently baptized seven children.

Financial Report Tom Stolle, BCM/D chief fi-

nancial officer, shared the financial report. Stolle reported year-to-date Cooperative Program receipts of $3,537,902, which trails last year by $57,799 or 1.6 percent. Stolle said if receipts for the final two months ap-proximate last year, receipts should be close to the annual budget of $4,300,000.

Receipts from NAMB are down $323,913 from the annual budget of $1,002,000, but Stolle said that largely represents several vacant positions in the 2011 NAMB budget. In addition, funding for collegiate, evangelism, leadership and church planting expenses will be received in December, reducing a portion of the variance.

Regarding disbursements, all major expense categories are within the year-to-date budget with the exception of the BMRC expenses. Year-to-date telephone, information technology support and maintenance are running ahead of budget.

“We are in a ready cash position, paying our bills in full and on time,” Stolle said. “We really appreciate what God has done for us, and we value our reputation. One way to honor Him is to be good stewards,” Stolle said.

Administrative Committee GMB President Kerry Hinton

said he is humbled at his election and “hopes to serve well.”

Hinton referred proposed bylaws changes regarding changes to “Ar-ticle II, Committees and their duties” to the bylaws committee.

Strategy Team ReportsHinton introduced Lindsey

Shaffer. She reported there are 50 new English As A Second Language (ESL) teachers and said they are all serving. Four new ESL minis-tries have started. Shaffer said the team is also seeking to help resource churches with immigrant assistance.

She shared information about a new video called “58 initiative,” (http://www.live58.org), a Christ- centered global initiative to end extreme poverty.

Three mission teams in the spring, two in the summer and several near the end of the year ministered with Maryland/Delaware churches as a result of using BCM/D’s volunteer portal (http://bcmd.org/volunteer-portal). There have been 42 new decisions for Christ as a result.

Eighteen summer missionaries served in 2011. Nine served with the resort ministry in Ocean City, where four international students accepted Christ. One international student was baptized in the ocean.

“I’m excited to see what 2012 brings,” Shaffer said.

Tom Stolle reported for the Resource Development team. Stolle showed two Cooperative Program promotion videos that were on flash drives that were sent out to all BCM/D churches. Stolle told GMB members the drive contains more videos and bulletin inserts for churches to use to promote CP giv-ing.

“We will continue to promote CP giving. Quite frankly, we believe in it. Our God is worthy of the best, and we certainly want to give that to Him,” Stolle said.

Agency Reports “This is my last report to this

body,” Robert Gerstmyer, execu-tive director of Baptist Family & Children’s Services told GMB members. “I am very grateful for the relationships I have with so many of you, and I am thankful for your wholehearted support of the work we do together to serve the poor. That’s what this agency is all about. That’s why we were brought into existence by you.”

Gerstmyer, who will retire in February, said BFCS has fully estab-lished a work in western Maryland through a partnership with LaVale Baptist Church. LaVale converted

their parsonage into a transitional housing facility and church members are rallying around a family of five, donating their time and talents to help. Gerstmyer asked pastors to consider donating unused housing to BFCS for possible transitional housing.

The agency continues to re-cruit families to participate in Safe Families for Children. (http://www.baptistfamily.org/safefamilies)

“We placed our first child in Delaware with an approved family,” Gerstmyer said, explaining BFCS currently has 15 children in hosting arrangements and family friend ar-rangements. At the BCM/D annual meeting in November, 47 pastors agreed to show the Safe Family video to their churches.

Gerstmyer thanked GMB for support their churches have provided in response to an end of year appeal. “As with many other non-profits, this is a tough time to be in business. Our staff and funding have been stretched to what seems their limit. Thank you if you or your church has helped.”

Gerstmyer introduced Debbie Marini, who will serve as interim ex-ecutive director of Baptist Family & Children’s Services. Marini started with the agency as a social worker in 1992 and served for ten years. She left to work with other child welfare agencies in Maryland then returned to BFCS as the director for Chosen Foster Care in 2009.

Gerstmyer will mentor Marini until his term expires on Jan. 5.

John Schoff, president of the Baptist Foundation, reported that 17 churches have outstanding loans from the church loan fund. The Foundation has earned a net income of $126,257 on its church loan fund, including loan interest paid by churches, since Sept. 30. These funds will be used for starting and strengthening existing churches.

Three churches have outstand-ing loans from the Arthur Nanney church loan fund, used for small emergency loans to churches.

As of Sept. 30, the market value of the investment portfolio was $5,877,655. For the quarter ended Sept. 30, the portfolio performance reflected a return of -19.9 percent in equities and 1.6 percent in fixed securities.

Schoff said it was a particularly

tough quarter for the equity market. Unrealized investment losses were the primary reason for the drop in market value from $6,236,414 at Sept. 30, 2010 to $5,877,655 at Sept. 30, 2011. The foundation continues to focus on planned giving as a strategy.

For more information about the foundation and its services, see www.bcmd.org/baptist-foundation.

Embrace Wilmington“I’m loving Delaware and the

Delaware pastors,” Mitch Dowell, executive director of Embrace Wilm-ington, said.

Dowell said he’s seen excitement, churches growing and people coming to know the Lord and being baptized.

He cited EverSpring Church in Bear, Del., doing well reaching out to a diverse community. Bethany Baptist Church joined with Alexis Vides and Nuevo Amanecer Church, a Hispanic plant at Bethany, for their first joint worship and prayer service. Dowell said there are a lot of Spanish speaking people in Wilmington.

Dowell cited Hockessin Baptist Church’s successful ministry through their coffee shop, LOMA.

“LOMA has proven to be a wonderful place for people to con-nect, develop relationships and have conversations often about God over a cup of coffee. The second phase of opening the adjacent ministry center is well under way.”

Dowell said LOMA’s success has encouraged the congregation to move toward the next step of planting a church in Wilmington. Hockessin is planning to host Wilmington’s first church planting conference on Jan. 28.

Embrace Wilmington will partner with Wendell Hall and Solid Rock Baptist Church in an outreach to the community through sports evangelism.

One of the greatest needs for evangelism and disciple-making is on the college campuses. Dowell said last year Ogletown Baptist Church partnered with the Baptist Student Ministry at Univ. of Delaware to send 42 students to the Passion Conference. Partnering with Em-brace Wilmington, the church plans to send 53 students and two leaders from the Univ. of Delaware, Wilm-ington Univ., Kutztown Univ. and Delaware Technical & Community



Despite health challenges, BCM/D President Ken Stalls keeps serving


MIDDLETOWN, Md.—In what they called their largest gathering ever, Skycroft Conference Center hosted its annual winter youth re-treat, reBOOT, on Dec. 2-4. Organiz-ers say at least 20 students made first-time professions of faith.

Grace Schofield, associate direc-tor of Skycroft, shared her excite-ment over the growth of the weekend event. About 175 people participated in the inaugural reBOOT last year. This year, the number of participants exceeded 400.

In fact, registration for the Amped Ministry event had to be closed in October because they were already full, she said. Youth groups from Maryland and Delaware, but also as far as Virginia and Pennsyl-vania, came to the retreat.

“For one specific event, this was

the most people that Skycroft has ever had!” she added. The event was so successful Skycroft has added a second winter retreat for 2012/2013.

Structured like a shortened ver-sion of Skycroft’s week-long summer reCharge student camp, reBOOT featured energetic, meaningful wor-ship, relevant messages, and youth group debriefing times as well as Bible studies, break-out sessions and recreational activities.

The speaker was Tyler Crosson, a youth pastor in Lexington, Ky., and former camp pastor for CentriKids camps. The youth worship team from Global Mission Church in Silver Spring, Md., led worship.

In the worship services, Crosson urged students to throw away things that were hindering the students’ walks with Christ into a mental “trash pit.” He asked students to stand up when they were ready to give up control over something to

God or to get rid of the “chains” that were holding them back.

“We probably had half the room stand up just to proclaim that ‘I got rid of some of my junk this week-end,’” Schofield shared, adding that around 20 students indicated they had made first-time decisions for Christ.

On Saturday, students were split by age and gender for specialized Bible studies followed by two “circuit” (break-out) sessions of the student’s choice.

This year’s reBOOT theme was encouragement—“How do we en-courage each other? How does God encourage us”—based on book of Philippians.

Skycroft staffer Andi Sweeney put together a “time capsule” concept that went with the theme.

“We were trying to come up with some way for the students to really feel like they were unified and feel

like they were a part of something in their youth groups,” Sweeney said. He shared how the time capsule helped the students see that what they are doing now really does affect the future “not just for them as indi-viduals, but as their youth group.”

The time capsules contained notes to each other, a timeline of events that happened within their youth group, and lists of things that were significant to them, among other things.

“This was just the start of it. We told them, ‘This is your opportunity to go home and add whatever you want into this to really make it your own and show future generations what the heart of your youth group is,’” Sweeney said.

To learn more about reCharge or reBOOT or other student ministry events, visit online at ampedminis-try.org.

Skycroft’s December youth event retreat center’s largest gathering

issued the invitation again, Stalls responded. It was 1974.

“It’s the greatest thing, obviously, that’s happened to me,” he shared. “I never ever regretted that decision.”

Stalls, now 64, is pastor of South End Baptist in Frederick, Md. He is serving a second term as president of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.

Obviously a new man, Stalls got involved right away in the local church and parachurch ministries, such as Yoke Fellows prison ministry and beach ministries in Wilmington.

“I never, ever, ever thought I would be teaching,” he said. But one Sunday at the prison, the person sup-posed to speak couldn’t come. Stalls spoke instead.

Then, at a nursing home, Stalls shared the first sermon he’d ever prepared. Though he had a concept in mind, he was frequently inter-rupted by sincere questions of the seniors in the service, causing him to really think about every word he was sharing.

“This greatly influenced my later preaching,” he said. It also opened the door to his future in ministry.

“I had no idea what God was do-

ing, in terms of calling, but I felt God was doing something in my heart,” he said. A little over a year later, Stalls found himself facing God’s call on his life.

During some downtime at work at a chemical plant, his supervisor gave him the opportunity to sit still. “I was sitting on a mountain of fertil-izer—waiting—when God confirmed the call [on my life],” Stalls shared.

That encounter later led to a pub-lic profession of his call at Pine Val-ley Church in Wilmington. Eventu-ally, Stalls went back to college, this time to Gardner Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., and then to seminary at Southeastern Theologi-cal Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.

Throughout the subsequent years, he served as pastor at church-es in Zebulon, N.C. and Newport News, Va.; and as the director of missions/church planter in the Little River Baptist Association in Lilling-ton, N.C.

In 1991 he accepted the call to South End Baptist, whose ministry “fit like a glove” for him.

“It’s been a wonderful church to serve,” he said, noting though the church leans more to the traditional side, it has helped start new churches

in the area throughout her history. But it hasn’t always been easy. Stalls has faced several life-

threatening health crises. At the age of 31, he had a heart attack. At 42, he had a quintuple bypass surgery. At 44, he was diagnosed with esoph-ageal cancer, which boasts a survival rate of two percent or less.

“That was a rough year with surgeries, chemotherapy and radia-tion,” Stalls recalled. “The church was so good to me during that time. They stepped up and ministered to my family and to each other.”

Ten years later, Stalls had pros-tate cancer. And just two years ago, he had kidney cancer and underwent cryotherapy, which froze the tumor and saved his kidney.

“I have not just walked into the shadow of death, I have been through it,” he said.

“I find myself quite often cross-ing paths with people with cancer,” Stalls noted. “I have a greater empa-thy for what they are going through. My struggles with cancer put me in the position for really sharing and caring.”

Accordingly, Stalls recognizes that life is short. His illnesses have given him a real appreciation for life

itself. Knowing his life and ministry could have easily ended 20 years ago, he has a heightened sense about the priorities in his life.

“If things need to be done, I need to do them now,” he asserted, adding he feels he is at “the best church I could have and the best convention I could be a part of.”

He says he’s blessed to be work-ing with a convention who has a his-tory of seeing needs and acting upon them. He’s especially excited about the BCM/D’s efforts to strengthen churches and plant new ones.

“You’re not going to have a con-vention conducive to church planting unless you have healthy existing churches,” he said.

He’s also pleased with the con-vention’s effort to move more finances to the mission field. “Our leadership has set into place a selfless, sacrifi-cial approach to move a percentage more,” he said. “It’s healthy, and a great, great move.”

Over all, Stalls says he hopes his mother and grandmother know “their boy has done okay and is serving our Lord.”

He smiled, “By God’s grace, I’ve continued to serve, and I am happier than I’ve ever been in my life.

Continued from page 3



By Randall BlackmonPastor, Faith Fellowship Church,

Cambridge

Thanks to the generous grant afforded to us by our servant leaders at BCM/D, to the hard-

working members of Faith Baptist Fellowship, and the participation of other like-minded, evangelical churches in the Cambridge area, the 2011 Fall Family Festival expe-rienced a blessed time of planting Gospel seed and cultivating potential kingdom citizens!

The Fall Family Festival, held Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, brought over 800 attenders, mostly consisting of our target audience age group – young children and their families.

The outreach was designed as an opportunity for Faith Fellowship to share the Gospel in a multitude of ways with the goal of registering 1,000 guests and building relation-ships with them through effective follow-up and visitation.

Through a well-organized, planned registration process and creative methods of demonstrating the love of Jesus, we registered 796 people. We paid special attention to having the attenders fill out the regis-tration form thoroughly, knowing this would impact follow-up efforts greatly.

Once the guests arrived and registered, children and their par-ents were given tickets for free food. The center-piece of the event was the sharing of the Gospel through the ministry of Steve Gambrill, the “Extreme Balloon Man” from west-ern Maryland. Brother Gambrill effectively related to the children Bible stories and truth through bal-loon art and illusions. As Steve gave an invitation for those to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, several children raised their hands and indicated their desire to know Jesus and learn more about what it means to follow Christ.

Towards the end of the event, a young lady, who had attended one of our participating churches a month ago, gave her life to Christ!

The sharing of the Gospel was complimented by various venues of interest to children and families throughout the day including moon

bounces, face painting, games and family pictures.

Another integral part of this event was the intentional effort to share about the churches that orga-nized this event, with Faith Baptist Fellowship as the lead church. Faith Baptist Fellowship, Jubilee Christian Fellowship (non-denominational), and Jesus’ Church of Cambridge (non-de-nominational) distributed a multi-tude of carefully designed packets of information about the church minis-tries that would appeal to children and young families. The information packets included specially designed invitations to church services and ac-tivities, Gospel literature, Scripture portions, candy, pencils, etc.

During the event, while drawing for and giving away door prizes each hour, we encouraged folks who want-ed and needed prayer and informa-tion about the churches to visit the area where tables were manned by members of participating churches.

This event proved to be an effec-tive unifying effort to bring like-minded churches together for the Gospel. Prior to the event, over 200 people gathered at the festival site (Governors Hall, Cambridge) for a combined time of prayer and wor-ship. New Hope Fellowship Church, Trappe, Md., provided worship music and Randall Blackmon, pastor, Faith Baptist Fellowship, delivered a mes-sage on prayer based on Matthew 7:7. Other pastors offered prayer during the worship service. All participating pastors felt that it was a good thing for our churches to worship together before we worked together for the sake of Christ and His kingdom.

The offer of free family por-traits was a huge component of the follow-up effort after the Festival. We have planned to hand-deliver all 113 family portraits to the homes of each family who had their picture taken. This will give us another non-threatening and caring opportunity to share Christ, call for a response to Christ, and invite them to attend one of the sponsoring churches in the area. These pictures and assign-ments will be divided equally among the churches according to where families live geographically to a par-

ticular church.God supplied us with the vi-

sion and the means to conduct a Great-Commission-type outreach in Cambridge, Md. It is true: where God guides, He provides. As we have seen through hosting this Fall Fam-ily Festival, the Lord abundantly supplied what was needed through willing cooperation and participation of Christ-followers.

Thank you, “Strengthening Churches Grant” committee mem-bers, for helping us fulfill the vision that Jesus laid upon our hearts to reach this generation with the Good News of Jesus Christ through our Fall Family Festival. Continue to pray with us that we will reap a harvest of souls for Christ and that His kingdom will grow through Faith Baptist Fel-lowship.

All churches in the Baptist Con-vention of Maryland/Delaware were sent information about applying for a strengthening churches grant.

Grant money is provided through the “Advancing Christ’s Kingdom” fund and is made available to as-sist churches, missions, associations, BCM/D strategy teams and/or BCM/D staff in their outreach and ministry.

Churches must have been in existence for at least three years. The maximum amount of grant money per project will not exceed $4,000. Due to limited resources, requests for construction or transportation projects will not be considered. First time requests will be given priority.

Applications from churches that do not support the Cooperative Pro-gram and/or BCM/D mission causes will not be considered. Churches must also agree to submitting a final evaluation of the project within 30 days of its completion.

The criteria for the grant in-cludes the project’s potential for reaching and discipling the un-churched, potential for continued influence in the church or associa-tion ministry, new and innovative outreaches for effectively sharing the Gospel, availability of other resources, and projects that fit into a comprehensive vision strategy.

See http://tinyurl.com/2012Grant for more information.

BCM/D Strengthening Churches Grant funds successful Eastern Shore outreach

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. Understand that you are a sinner. Pride keeps us from doing some of the most impor-tant things in life. Without God’s intervention, your sin will ultimately lead to death and eternal separation from God. “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. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eter-nal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 6:23.

Believe...that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, makes it possible for you to have a relationship with God. “This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice 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 desire 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 publicly. 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 baptised 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. Any-one who believes in Him will not be disappointed” Romans 10:9,11.

Scripture from the New Living Translation

How to become a Christian

Your Church... February 2012

By Karen L. Willoughby HYATTSVILLE, Md. (BP)—

”The beauty of the Cooperative Program,” as Rolando Castro sees it from a church’s perspective, “is that you can be involved no matter how big you are, no matter your location.”

Currently serving as interim pastor of a Hispanic congregation in the metro Washington area, Castro added, “You can be involved in reach-ing the world with the Gospel mes-sage of Jesus Christ.”

Castro has led Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Maryland from giving zero to missions to 10 percent of their offerings through the Cooper-ative Program (CP) to fund missions and ministry by the state conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention.

When a church extends itself beyond its neighborhood through the Cooperative Program, it can become involved in international missions and in planting churches across North America, Castro said, describ-ing it as “the first step in increasing involvement in missions, in evange-lizing.”

“I think churches should be spending their resources – actually God’s resources – to Kingdom first and then to themselves,” Castro continued. “This is probably reversed in Christian churches in America. If you are giving to the Cooperative Program in this way, you can say 10 percent of your income is going to missions. That would be a really good point to launch a missional mentality in the church.

“If we are giving, then the next step is to go, and the next step is to participate,” said Castro, who also coordinates Hispanic church plant-ing and evangelism for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. “You need to surrender yourself to be missional, and the first thing to sur-render is money.

“I don’t think God is giving us His resources to pay the bills” solely for church expenses, he said.

About 10 years ago, an average of 200 people participated in Sunday services at Primera Iglesia Bautista, located in Hyattsville, Md. But the number dwindled over time, and for at least two years the church was without a pastor. Castro filled the pulpit occasionally, and when he was

asked to serve as a long-term interim, he agreed to do so if they would allow him to lead as a pastor would.

“Because they were ready to change, they agreed,” Castro said. “Now it seems like every-body is on the same page. They really want to see something happen.

“And not only evangeliz-ing, getting people involved in church, but being involved in other kinds of missions,” said Castro, who is involved with a church plant in addition to his pastoral duties.

Castro would like to see something similar to Primera Iglesia Bautista’s transformation take place across the two-state convention, where about 30 churches worship in the Spanish language. Three or four more are in the process of organiz-ing, and one or two are actively planting churches.

“Basically we are desper-ately looking for pastors,” Castro said. “The need is so great. We are praying for a huge move-ment of churches, and we are confident the Lord will multiply His people.”

About 750,000 Hispanics live in the Washington metro area, and up to 75,000 live in the three zip codes surrounding Prim-era Iglesia Bautista, which is one of perhaps five churches specifically seeking to reach people who speak Spanish. It’s a mixed area of single-family homes and high-rise apart-ment buildings with 80 or more units per building.

“We are in the first stages of what I hope to be a strong relation-ship with one elementary school in the community,” Castro said of a school that he describes as having “a lot of needs.”

Church members plan to provide volunteers to read to the children, to coach age-appropriate sports and to give books, coats and uniforms to the students. “We just want to be a bless-ing to the school and to the families of that school,” Castro said. “Already we are buying 600 books from the church budget.”

This is a marked change for a church that in the recent past

struggled to pay its bills.“Now they see what is to be

done,” Castro said. “This is a church that really wants to be a part of the Southern Baptist life. They under-stand that participating in Southern Baptist life should be significant in every level – from giving, going and being a part of the local association and state convention.”

Primera Iglesia Bautista has learned about Southern Baptists through an interim pastor – Costa Rica-born and spiritually reborn in a Baptist church. When Castro moved to Maryland in 2003, his sister-in-law was part of a Southern Baptist church that was looking for a church planter.

Castro had no education or train-ing in pastoring or church planting, but he knew that with God’s call came God’s equipping. He’s been studying ever since, and now he teaches biblical classes at Instituto CanZion in Washington, where he interacts routinely with Christians

unaffiliated with the SBC.

“I can’t understand why someone would not be Southern Baptist,” Castro said. “Doctrin-ally we are very good and also we have all the resources available for our church …. I can’t understand why some-one would reject being part of this wonderful denomination.”

Primera Iglesia Bautista’s building is among the major challenges facing the congregation.

“The place where we meet is probably 80 to 85 seats,” Castro said. “We already have 65, which means we only have 20 chairs for [new] people to come. We know we can grow. We need a bigger place to grow.

“Another dream: I want them to have small groups in their homes,” Castro said. “I think that’s the only way to grow and probably that will be my next big proj-

ect with them.”Castro’s thinking turned to the

second generation, and from them, to other ethnics.

For many young people, he noted, Spanish is their second language. “What is needed is to develop an English church, to have a multieth-nic side of the church,” he said. “I think that will be huge, because the area we’re in is multiethnic and we need to reflect that in the church.

“If we are willing to extend the Kingdom, then we will have enough to pay the bills,” Castro said. “I can tell you because I’ve been experienc-ing this for years: You will never, never be short of resources to pay your bills if you are extending the Kingdom.”

Karen L. Willoughby is managing editor of the Louisiana Baptist Message, Dakota Baptist

Connections and The Montana Baptist newsjournals.

Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Md., embraces Cooperative Program

Rolando Castro, shown with his wife Zulma, (top) has stirred new life into Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Maryland, as interim pastor, by introducing it to Southern Baptists’ Cooperative Program and its national and international outreach for the Gospel. Having found missions fervor though the program, the church now faces the challenge of outgrowing its small building in the metro Washington area.



NORTHPOINT, Md.—North-point Church leapt from plateaued to revival. Attendance doubled in two years. The church is moving out into the neighborhood and is now reflect-ing the Northpoint community.

The church called Pastor Mark Swan in February 2010. Swan began ministering to a wary congregation. They’d been without a pastor for six months. The mostly senior congrega-tion was declining. The were in a rut. Like many churches, they wanted to advance God’s kingdom, but had lost their vision along the way and were inwardly focused, Swan said.

Swan led the church towards an outward evangelistic mindset start-ing with reaching children. He began calling the kids to the front during services for their own special story time. Everyone loved it, the kids, parents and seniors.

“This was a way of communicat-ing that children are important to their pastor and that this church cares about young people,” Swan explained.

The church then began examin-ing current ministries and how they could be more outwardly focused.

VBS was a great place to start. “We got someone with a pickup truck, filled it with ‘pop’ and bottled water and went into Northpoint Village. We knocked on doors, invited them to VBS and gave them cans of ‘pop.’ Their defenses came down when we did something nice for them.”

Swan said. Besides those who answered their doors, church members chatted with neigh-bors who were mowing their lawns, working on their cars and sitting on porches.

“We had a great response. Over 100 kids came to VBS. That’s because we were inten-tional,” Swan said.

The church was also inten-tional about registration and follow-up, sending out letters, postcards and visiting. They followed that success with a back to school blast in August, serving up a 10-foot-long ba-nana split and inviting all the kids from VBS. In October they had trunk or treat. They also had a bike rodeo, inviting neighborhood kids to bring their bikes and skateboards and play in their large parking lot. Families responded and began visit-ing the church.

Sunday attendance was 70 when Swan arrived. They hit 137 in De-cember. There are also more African Americans attending the church in addition to Anglos, better reflect-ing the community God has placed Northpoint Church.

“It’s the Lord blessing,” Swan said. “And it’s us being intentional. Gone are the days when people wake up on Sundays and say, ‘Where will I go to church this morning?’ People don’t seek it out. We’re not living in the 1950s. We must go to them and tell them Christ loves them and died for them,” Swan said.

“That’s what John (Smith) has

done with concerts and his big 4th of July celebration,” Swan said. Swan was referring to John Smith, pastor of First Baptist Church, Essex. FBC Essex has more than tripled their weekly attendance. Smith and Swan came to the area, just a few miles from each other, a week apart in 2010. FBC Essex planted Northpoint Church in 1953.

“It’s neat to see both churches turn around and grow,” Swan said. “We’re encouraging each other.”

Northpoint Church also offered part of their facility to Stauros Min-istries, a drug and alcohol addiction ministry, for counseling. Stauros also has monthly worship at the church on Sunday nights. The seniors have been ministering at local assisted living and nursing homes. Now the church is looking at the large His-panic population and making plans for offering English as a Second Lan-guage classes. There are even early

discussions about planting a church.

Last year the church adopted the mission statement: “Accepting Jesus, Receiving Mercy, Showing Compassion.”

Swan was born and raised in a Christian home and accepted Christ when he was ten years old. He knew from the time he was young that he wanted to be an art-ist and went to art school for five years, majoring in paint-ing and photography at the Cleveland Institute of Art. God called Swan into full time ministry while he was serving

as a summer missionary in 1994. He received his Master of Divin-ity degree at Southern Theological Seminary. He served as a missions pastor and as a senior pastor at two churches in Kentucky.

The Swans’ call to Baltimore was a beautiful answer to prayer. In addition to showing the couple the incredible potential for ministry at Northpoint, God was also opening a door for their son to receive the medi-cal care he needed. Swan and hs wife Amy, a school nurse at Chadwick Elementary School, adopted their son, Andrew from Russia. Andrew has Cerebral Palsy and needs regu-lar medical care. In Baltimore, they have easy access to Johns Hopkins Hospital and other medical facilities. The Swans also have a daughter, five- year-old Gracelyn.

Northpoint revival turns church inside out

Northpoint Pastor Mark Swan baptizes his son, eight-year-old Andrew.

College to the 2012 Passion confer-ence.

Dowell said LifeWay Christian Resources continues to be instrumen-tal in helping churches in the area of leadership, development, Sunday school and discipleship.

Dowell said he continues to meet with business and civic leaders in and around the city, and they’re still working on establishing relationships between churches and para-church organizations in and around the city.

Hockessin Church recently part-nered with Embrace Wilmington, Delaware Youth for Christ, and Film

Brothers Movie Coop in a project designed to impact the lives of five inner city young men, their families and their neighborhoods. The project involved filming “Prodigal,” a short movie completed in June. The movie, adding the boys’ testimonies, is expected to be complete by December.

“This little tiny city is a happen-ing city!” Dowell told GMB members. “God is at work in the city in a num-ber of ways. I am personally thankful for your prayers and support. I am committed to continue helping the churches in Wilmington/New Castle County to reach the lost. I am also

committed to being a good steward of the Cooperative Program dollars as I help these churches.”

Other BusinessJohn Boulet, pastor of Hockes-

sin Baptist Church, said he believes more time is needed to prepare to vote on budget matters, taking the time to go over each area more in-depth, examining it in light of the five strategic focus areas. The issue was referred to the administrative committee.

[Editor’s Note: The BCM/D Administrative Committee, composed of board members from each asso-

ciation, meets often during the year and is tasked with the oversight of budget preparation. The other GMB members are given the proposed budget two weeks in advance of the September meeting when they vote on the final budget to present to the messengers at the Annual Meeting in November of each year].

Hinton closed the meeting in prayer – “Give us a sense of excitement...I pray for Baptists of Maryland/Delaware to walk right in the center of Your will in everything we do.”

GENERAL MISSION BOARD, continued from page 9



UPPER MARLBORO, Md.—In the fall of 2010, staff from First Baptist Church, Upper Marlboro, had a meeting with staff of nearby Frederick Douglass High School and asked them, “How can we serve our community by serving your school?”

They met with Marilyn Walls, head of the music department, and Adaya Powell, athletic director, who serve on a community involvement team. These school leaders outlined numerous projects that would serve the school in a meaningful way.

In the church’s first project, vol-unteers helped the athletic depart-ment clean out some well-used clos-ets. Helping hands took out all the closet’s items gathered over many years and placed them on tarps on the gym floor. They sifted through the materials and organized them systematically within the storage space.

“It was a wonderful opportunity for members of our church to work right alongside staff and students of their school. It was also an oppor-tunity for current students to work alongside former students,” shared Jason Brown, First Baptist’s music director.

“Through the course of the day, we helped create a lot of smiles,” he said.

The second project took volun-teers outside to the school’s inner courtyard, which had become over-grown with weeds and tall grass. Volunteers, split into teams, demol-ished old worn-out benches while others worked to restore what could be salvaged.

Teams worked together to weed and trim plants as well as mulch

the gardens (with $1,000 worth of mulch provided by Prince Georges County).

“Many par-ents got to work alongside their children. And those children got the opportunity to work alongside their pastor [Jim Burcham],” said Brown. “Again, church volunteers got to work along-side the school’s staff and students, continuing to build relationships with the school.”

Brown added, “In one day, an overgrown court-yard was turned into a usable beau-tiful yard.”

Since that time, the church has donated a piano and a drum set to the school’s music department.

But for Brown, the most excit-ing joint effort so far happened at Christmas.

Brown partnered with Walls, at her request, to direct a 110-voice choir—70 voices were from high school students—in a combined Christmas concert held Dec. 16 at the church. In addition to selections sung by the choir, the Douglass drum line performed a special rendi-tion of “The Little Drummer Boy” and the church’s youth group bucket band performed.

In preparation, Brown helped lead rehearsals at the school. And in turn, Walls conducted rehearsals at the church. What resulted was powerful.

“Words can hardly describe how well the concert went,” shared Brown. “The place was packed—over 600 people came. The joining of musicians was wonderful. It was such a wonderful time with the Dou-glass High School students.”

Brown said the growing part-nership has created an excitement at the church.

“People are coming out of the woodwork to serve,” he said. “It’s a

great blessing.”In future projects, church

volunteers will repaint the school’s stadium bleachers and concession stands, re-carpet and otherwise beautify their music rooms, and help with mentoring and parenting classes.

But the church has an even bigger vision. They want to look at another school where they can grow even more partnerships.

“God has certainly blessed this opportunity, and we look forward to being a part of what He will do in our community,” Brown said.

Partnership between First Baptist Church, Upper Marlboro and local high school grows

The Frederick Douglass High School drum line performed a special rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy” during a joing Christmas concert held Dec. 16 at First Baptist Church, Upper Marlboro, Md. Courtesy photo.

LATEST BCMD.E-QUIP.NET TRAINING RESOURCES AVAILABLE• Church Planting 101• Capture the Vision• Basic Training for Sunday

School Teachers

• Desarrollando Ministerios Hispanos de Segunda Generacion en los Estados Unidos

• Assessing the Needs of Your Community

• Small Group Discipleship• Rompiendo La Barrera

“100-125”• Reaching and Retaining

New Families


Mitch Dowell named Director of Missions/Church Planter CatalystBy Sharon Mager

BCM/D Correspondent

WILMINGTON, Del.—Mitch Dowell has four goals as he begins a dual role in 2012, continuing in his position as executive director of Em-brace Wilmington and assuming the role of Delaware Baptist Association Director of Missions/Church Planter Catalyst.

He wants to get to know pas-tors, leaders and their churches, to help declining churches to begin a process to grow and become healthy and to redefine their perceptions about what an association is and why it’s important, and to encourage and assist Delaware churches to part-ner together to plant new churches throughout the region.

Embrace Wilmington will end in December 2012. Dowell is happy with God’s blessings in that area, seeing churches partner with each other, their communities, planting churches and growing. He’s excited at the prospect of using his experience to partner and minister with churches throughout “The First State.”

Dowell and his wife, Rosetta, plan to share lunch or dinner with association pastors and staff to build friendships and to hear about their visions, goals, struggles and achieve-ments, and their expectations of Dowell as their director of missions.

“I want to know how best to serve them through the mission to which God has called me,” he said.

“I want to make sure there is a clear understanding between me and leadership as to what ‘healthy’ means. Then I can develop a strategy to help, using the association, conven-tion and all the resources available to get it done.”

Dowell said he’s happy when he sees positive movement forward. “Some of our churches may be in a rut. Someone defined a rut as a grave with both ends kicked out. There is no movement in a grave. So if I can help a church move from a minus 10 to a minus eight, that’s good. Those are positive steps forward. I may not be around to see them move to a plus one, and I’m okay with that as long as they are moving,” he said.

He also wants to determine how pastors define association and help

them understand that they are part of the association.

“I’ve heard pastors make the statement, ‘What has the association done for my church?’ In their mind, they see that as a valid question. The association is made up of 28 church-es. That’s the association!” Dowell stressed.

“I want to serve all 28 of these churches by bringing all available re-sources to enable them to accomplish their God-given mission,” he said. “I want them to see the importance of the association as a body of churches with everyone having a role to play. We depend on churches giving to the Cooperative Program so that we can provide needed resources to every church, large or small. We’ve really got to get in their minds - it’s not “What has the association done for me? But what is the association (the churches) doing to further the Gospel and build the kingdom of God?”

Dowell continued, “There is no hierarchy, no authority but God. The way I see it, the Director of Missions does not sit at a head table as the one in charge, but he serves on his knees with a towel and basin. I would never attempt to tell shepherds how to do what God has called them to do, but I want to simply to come alongside to assist and encourage them as they do it.”

Dowell is thankful that God has prepared him well for his new role. He has served in many ministry ca-pacities including pastoring churches in Illinois and in West Germany. He served with the Illinois Baptist Convention as an evangelism con-sultant, and later brought his urban ministry experience to the team serving with the first North Ameri-can Mission Board Strategic Focus City in Chicago and later, served as a missions evangelism consultant for the BCM/D, associate director of missions of the Baltimore Association and associate executive director of Embrace Baltimore.

For more information about Delaware Association see http://www.delawarebaptist.com.

Mitch Dowell grew up in North Wilkesboro, N.C., attending a Catholic church. “I was a really bad Catholic. Everything was in Latin and I was clueless,” he said with a chuckle.

As a teenager, Dowell became less interested in church and more interested in girls and cars. At one point, when he was 16, while he and a friend observed an old mechanic working on the friend’s car, the man asked the boys if they were saved. Dowell was confused.

“My friend pulled me to the side and informed me that this man and family were ‘religious fanatics.’” Dowell laughed.

He heard the word “saved” again five years later. He married his high school sweetheart Rosetta when she was 16 and he was drafted shortly after that. He spent the next 25 years in the U.S. Cavalry as an Armored Reconnaissance Intelligence Specialist. He retired in 1994 as a Sergeant Major. During his military service he received numerous military awards including the Bronze Star Metal for valor during service in the first Iraq war.

All wasn’t well, however, on the home front. Their marriage of less than two years had serious issues that threatened to break the couple apart. Dowell thought all was lost, but God by His grace used that turbulent time to Rosetta draw to Himself.

“God radically transformed my wife, and through her testimony, I was also drawn to the Lord.” At one point he asked her what changed and Rosetta replied, “I got saved.” There was that word “saved” again.

After hearing the Gospel at a revival, Mitch, at the age of 21, finally understood what the old man and Rosetta meant by the term “saved.” On the last night of the revival, Mitch confessed Christ as Lord and Savior. He and Rosetta were later baptized together at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. That marked the beginning of a new love relationship between them and with the Lord Jesus Christ. This month, Mitch and Rosetta will celebrate 43 years of marriage.

The word ‘saved’ dominant part of Dowell’s journey

Mitch Dowell (pictured with his wife, Rosetta) will continue in his position as executive director of Embrace Wilmington as he assumes the role of Delaware Baptist Association Director of Missions/Church Planter Catalyst.


David JacksonBCM/D Missionary

for Church Multiplication

by David Jackson

With the increased focus in our

convention national-ly on church plant-ing, there has been heightened concern over the needs of established church-

es. These churches of many years often feel disenfranchised by the new emphases and initiatives aimed at starting new churches instead of the needs accompanying their own growth and well-being.

Established churches can quite naturally think that they are be-ing ignored, neglected or taken for granted in the new priorities of our cooperative life together. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Church plants need established churches. Period.

There are the obvious reasons why this is true. First, established churches that participate through the Cooperative Program have in large part underwritten the es-sential funding necessary to enable new churches and their planters to begin their new work. They exhibit generosity, as they give for others, rather than keep it simply for their own congregational use. They also demonstrate cooperation, knowing that in pooling resources together churches are able to do more than they could ever do alone.

These acts are certainly sacrifi-cial, as they look beyond self to the needs of the Kingdom and those who are yet without Christ. This volun-tary “pay it forward” strategy is the genius behind our current success.

Second, established churches pave the way for new churches to fol-low them. As pioneers in an earlier day, their presence tilled the spiritu-al soil of the area where new church-es eventually will sprout. Such work

takes countless hours and invest-ment; yet, established churches have done this tireless, but eternal work for the sake of the Kingdom.

These same churches provide stability—gravity, if you please—for the risk-taking, fragile new church attempting to establish itself within a community. Such stability pro-vides balance in the work of the Kingdom, something rarely acknowl-edged, but genuinely needed by both entities.

Third, established churches give birth to new churches. Denomina-tions don’t start churches, nor do conventions or networks.

The biblical model is churches planting churches, churches sending out new workers into the harvest fields.

Since God has created all living things to reproduce “after their own kind,” it stands to reason that the church—a living organism—must necessarily start other churches. Nothing else can serve as an ad-equate biblical equivalent. Being a “parent” to new churches means the role of modeling ecclesiastical theol-ogy, values and lifestyle is an im-portant part of what church plants “learn” from established churches.

But established churches need church plants, too.

Church plants add vitality to the life of established churches that are giving birth to them. They enhance the community dynamic, adding ex-citement and adventure to each and every moment.

Established churches are en-ergized by the difference they see and experience through the work of church plants impacted by their own congregation. They renew hope and purpose for the established church, much as a new child or grandchild brings deeper joy and meaning to life.

They also challenge established churches to live by faith, not by sight. What appears reckless and

risky in the life of a new church con-fronts the cautious assumptions that keep most established churches from stepping out in faith, as it did in its own early years.

The fierce confidence and deter-mination that God will provide evi-denced within church plants leaves many established churches—while sometimes shaking their heads—ad-miring their boldness and willing-ness to live on the edge.

Such church plants see God at work regularly and experience the miraculous often, something every church should long to experience, too.

Finally, they remind established churches why every church truly exists: to “go and make disciples.” It has been said that entities, including churches, quickly and easily begin to look inward, rather than outward, as they become established.

New churches point us all back to the purpose God has intended for us all: to share the Good News so that others can hear it, too. They help us “keep the main thing the main thing.” A passion for the lost

and the development of new believ-ers to maturity are the keys to the growth in church plants; these priorities are from the heart of God for His people.

Yes, church plants and established churches need each other.

They can’t, and won’t, exist apart.

Some try to make this an “ei-ther/or” equation; however, it’s clear-ly a “both/and,” if you ask me. Both give and both receive. Both teach and both learn. Both are necessary for healthy, effective Kingdom work. The last time I checked that meant all churches need to be involved; anything less keeps the church—established or brand new—from fulfilling its God-given potential.

David Jackson is the Team Strategist for Church Multiplication

with the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. He can be

reached at [email protected] or (410) 977-9867.

Church plants and established churches need each other

Follow us atyourbaptistlife

Thinking of Building, Renovating or Expanding

Your Church?

We can help…

North Point Builders has over 20 years of experience servicing the commercial

construction needs of the local community. Our religious facilities experience includes renovations, expansions and new construction.

North Point Builders Provides:

• Pre-construction services• General contracting• Construction management

Feel free to visit www.npbinc.com to learn more about us and contact us at 410-477-8541 to speak with a construction specialist.

• Design/build• General construction advisement

Gayla ParkerWMU Executive

Director/WMU,SBC Missions Innovator

SpecialistMissionary for

Missions Education/Customization


By Gayla Parker

“Hey God! You are re-

ally nice. Thanks for the food. Yea God!” prayed a little boy before dinner. It is not as graceful as the Lord’s Prayer, but it gets the point across: acknowledge-ment of God, recog-nizing attributes of God, giving thanks,

and praising God. All things that say, “I Love You!”

When Jesus prayed the Lord’s Prayer He was teaching us some things about God’s desires and ways we can say “I Love You, Lord.”

Praise God: One of our purposes as we live out life on this planet is to bring praise to God. We all love it when someone tells others how great we are. We get all shy about it and try to deny the truth in it all. But somewhere down inside it feels good to know others think we are special.

God is the same. He loves watch-ing us give praise to Him by the way we make choices and live our lives. He loves to hear us praise Him to others. It is part of our purpose. Praising God, in some ways, is mis-sions involvement. As others watch and hear us praise God, it opens the door for the Holy Spirit to move in their lives. People get curious and want to know what it is all about.

God’s Desire: God’s desire is that all men might know Him. He desires that so much He sent His beloved son Jesus to the cross. Jesus desires it so much He was obedient to His father’s will and went to the cross. When Jesus said these words He was hoping we would catch on and make our desire the same. Reality is, if we do not tell others how to find eternal life, their eternity looks grim and time is of the essence.

While hiking the mountains of the Philippines one day my husband and his team had an encounter with a few bandits. Rather than rob the group the bandits decided to follow them to the village. As they walked they talked to the men about Jesus. One of the bandits said this, “We

have one more place we want to rob. After that I will give it up and find you and give my life to Jesus. This last job will provide the money I need to take care of my family.” The police had heard about the job and were waiting. The bandit was killed. He did not have the time he thought he had. We may not have the time we think we have to share Christ with someone who is lost. That is why our desire for others to know Christ needs to be as passionate for us as it was for Christ.

God’s Provision: If there is one lesson I have learned over and over again provision would be it. God always provides. Just think about the loaves and fish (Mark 6:32-44). Doctors have miraculously appeared at just the right moment. Money has been provided in advance of a min-istry need. Time has been provided through the cancellation of some-thing else. That is God at work.

If we are worried about provision then we are doubting God’s ability to provide. Does He always provide? Yes! Is it always like we imagine? Al-most never! But when we determine that God will provide then it is easy to say “yes” to His leading.

God’s Forgiveness: If there is anything that can block the lines to God it is unresolved anger. Forgive-

ness is tough, especially when we have been wronged. However, anger leads to a desire to get even and pun-ish. Punishment is not our business, it is God’s business. Our business is forgiveness. When Jesus said we have to forgive seven times 70, He was including forgiving the same act over and over again. Every time we feel angry over something someone did last month, last year, last decade, we have to forgive them again. That keeps the communication lines free of “anger clog.”

God’s Guidance: God led the Israelites to the Promised Land, Abraham to the mountain of provi-sion with Isaac, Joseph to high lead-ership, David to safety, and Jesus to the cross. Each time, God’s name was glorified before the lost. How did they know how to follow God? By follow-ing the steps of the Lord’s Prayer: 1. Praising God, it reminds us who He is and what He can do. 2. Passionate about God’s desire to save the lost. 3. Trusting in God’s provision. 4. Keeping communication lines open by preventing “anger clog.” 5. Avoid-ing the temptations that distract us from God.

Jesus kept it simple. Understand-ing missions, understanding life is really fairly simple. Just follow the example of the Lord’s Prayer.

Saying ‘I Love You, Lord’February, March & April

Events

February

2-3 Focused Living for Church Planters, BMRC, Fri. 5pm-Sat. 5pm (ext. 222)

4 Children’s Seminar, Covenant, Ellicott City, 9:30 am-2:30 pm (ext. 218)

6 BCM/D Tour for Language Pastors, BMRC, 6 pm-9 pm (ext. 218)

13-19 Focus on WMU (ext. 218)

24 VBS Expo, Hockessin Church, 5:30-8:30 pm (ext. 218)

25 VBS Expo, The Church at Severn Run, 9:30am-2 pm (ext. 218)

March

2-3 Women on Mission Retreat, Wo-Me-To, (ext.218)

4-11 Week of Prayer for North American Missions (ext. 218)

9 African American Awareness Conference, BMRC, 8am-4pm (202-258-1427)

10 VBS Clinic, First Temple Hills Church, 9am-noon (ext. 218)

10 Disaster Relief Training, Hughesville Church, 8:30am-5pm (ext. 226)

16-17 RA Congress, Middle River Church (ext. 226)

16-17 Ministers’ Wives Retreat, Doubletree Hotel, Annapolis, Fri. 4pm-Sat. 2 pm (410-977-9852 or ext. 205)

23 A Time to Build Conference, First Church, Laurel, 9:30am-3pm (ext. 202)

24 VBS Clinic, White Marsh Church, 9am-noon (ext. 218)

April

1 Language Music Celebration, Global Mission Church of Washington, 5 pm (ext. 222)

6 Good Friday, BMRC Closed

14 Disaster Relief Training, Salisbury, 8:30am-5pm (ext. 226)

20 VBS Clinic, First English Church, 6-8:30pm (ext. 218)

22 Cooperative Program Sunday (ext. 207)

For detailed information, go to www.bcmd.org/calendar or call

1-800-466-5290 and extension.

Your Baptist Foundation of Maryland/Delaware acknowledges that God is creator and owner of all wealth. Therefore, its mission is to inspire Christians to advance Christ’s Kingdom by making gifts through the Foundation to support benevolent and missionary activities and to manage those gifts to preserve and perpetuate the giver’s Christian witness.

Gifts can be given to support the BCM/D, your local church or other Baptist causes. In order to help individuals learn how to make a difference and leave a legacy, contact either Bill Peacock or Tom Stolle at [email protected] or (443) 831-4545; [email protected] or (443) 250-2554.

Your World... February 2012


COLUMBIA, Md.—Preserv-

ing biblical marriage is important to pastors in the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, but what is even more important is preserving religious liberties.

Last year, a groundswell of pastors affiliated with the Prince George’s Baptist Association fought for biblical marriage, landing a cover story in Focus on the Family’s June/July edition of Citizen magazine.

Organizer Derek McCoy, an associate pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, developed a Maryland 4 Marriage coalition with the goal of educating voters and ral-lying them to oppose a bill aiming to legalize same sex marriage in Mary-land and recognizing all such unions performed in other states.

Joining him were BCM/D pastors Harold Dugger of Capitol Heights (Md.) Baptist Church; Victor Kirk of Sharon Bible Fellowship in Lanham; Anthony Minter of Solid Rock Baptist Church in Washing-ton, D.C.; and Nathaniel Thomas of Forestville New Redeemer Baptist Church, among many other political and Christian groups.

The coalition members prayed together. They spoke at hearings and lobbied legislators in both the Maryland Senate and House about the decay of the family structure and the biblical definition of marriage as between “one man and one woman.”

They also stressed the fact that homosexual activists refused an ear-lier civil unions bill that would allow for the benefits and rights for which they sought. It appeared their agenda was not the equal rights between homosexuals and heterosexuals.

They wanted the word “mar-riage” for themselves. This, for the pastors and other church leaders, was dangerous territory.

“When you start redefining what the Bible says marriage is, then you start the slippery slope toward other redefinitions,” said Kirk, at a Senate hearing for then-Senate Bill 116, entitled “The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act,” (http://www.baptistlifeonline.org/wp-

content/uploads/2011/02/Senate-Bill-116.pdf) in the Senate Judicial Proceed-ings Committee.

“If this bill passes, what’s next? What if a father wanted to marry his daughter? Or two broth-ers or two sisters want to marry? This is illegal today but under this type of legis-lation to say no would then be gender discrimination.”

Warning against the “slippery slope,” he added, “This can go anywhere once the line of de-marcation is removed. If you think not, just look back 20 years ago. None of what is happening today would even be consid-ered. Now think 20 years in the future if we do allow this type of marriage to be legal.”

For a time, all the efforts appeared to be in vain.

But at the last hour, in a surprising victory for those who opposed same sex mar-riages, Senate Bill 116 was defeated. But activists haven’t stopped.

In anticipation of Maryland’s General Assembly’s 2012 Session, which convened in early January, pastors started gathering in late November and early December to rally support for religious rights in Maryland.

Maryland Marriage Alliance leader McCoy led two press confer-ences in early December to show that some clergy across denominational, ethnic and religious lines are con-cerned their religious liberties will be taken away if Maryland passes its proposed same-sex marriage bill.

“They would like us (Christians) to get in a box and not be able to ex-press our individual faith, not to be able to have freedom of worship, not

to be able to have freedom of speech as is already guaranteed in

the First Amendment of the Constitution,” McCoy said. In November, like-minded

BCM/D messengers passed a resolu-tion for the support of traditional marriage as biblically defined.

Noting that “intrusive re-definitions of issues like traditional marriage by the government have historically tended toward eventual threat of religious liberties and local church ability for self-determination, notwithstanding governmental as-surances to the contrary,” the docu-ment resolved “that we restate our long standing and unfailing support for the traditional definition of mar-riage as an exclusive union between one man and one woman.”

Furthermore, the resolution called on the State of Maryland to support the Family Law Code as it reads in Nov. of 2011, which states, “Only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid in this state”

(MD Code Family Law §2-201). Learn more by visiting online at www.bcmd.org/clpa or use the QR code below.

BCM/D pastors join coalition of church leaders to preservebiblical marriage—and religious liberties—in Maryland

Last year, a groundswell of pastors affiliated with the Prince Georges Baptist Association fought for biblical marriage, landing a cover story in Focus on the Family’s June/July

edition of Citizen magazine. Among them was Victor Kirk (shown above speaking at a Nov. 30 press conference with Maryland Marriage Alliance), pastor of Sharon Bible Fellowship

in Lanham, Md. Photo by Reynold Carr

USE YOUR SMART PHONE To find a list of the Maryland

Representatives and Senators, to whom you can express your

opinions on this significant matter, or to discover more

information on the issue and BCM/D’s response, simply scan

this QR code:

Download a free QR Reader app

from your App Store

February 2012 Your World...

By Mickey Noah

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)— Following 2010’s inaugural success of GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing), GPS 2012 will focus on evangelism events aimed at helping Southern Bap-tists share the Gospel across North America in the days leading up to Easter and beyond.

In 2010, thousands of Southern Baptists trekked door-to-door in American neighborhoods, placing door-hangers, Gospel tracts and invitations to attend church on front doors. In 2012, GPS’ “attractional evangelism” will include block par-ties, wild game dinners, sports clin-ics, antique car shows, skate-a-thons, golf tournaments and other events, said Thomas Hammond, the North American Mission Board’s evange-lism team leader for the biennial GPS initiative.

GPS 2012 is aiming for churches to participate “at a high level,” Ham-mond said. “If the local churches get behind it, we’ll have a much greater level of success. Just a billboard here or there isn’t enough. Churches must support it and follow up.”

With a theme of “Hope: Find It Here,” GPS 2012 will utilize more Internet social media – like Facebook and Google Ads – along with “drive-time” radio spots, but less TV adver-tising, although some TV ads will run in dozens of markets across the United States. A half-dozen 30-sec-ond TV spots in English and Spanish already have been produced.

The external GPS website (http://findithere.com) will include personal testimonies, Gospel presentations, tips on how to find a Southern Bap-tist Convention church and answers to spiritual questions. An internal GPS website (http://www.gps2020.net) will offer tips to pastors and church members. A toll-free phone number 1-888-JESUS2012 (537-8720) also will be available.

In total, NAMB will make more than $1 million available for GPS 2012 for media buys, roughly $18,000 to $20,000 per state convention, Hammond said. The mission board is budgeting an overall $15 million for GPS campaigns every two years through 2020.

NAMB President Kevin Ezell said GPS 2012 will have his, the

NAMB staff’s and NAMB trustees’ 100 percent support and commitment of financial and personnel resources.

Affirming GPS as dovetail-ing with NAMB’s new Send North America evangelistic church plant-ing strategy, Ezell said, “GPS will incorporate our church planting focus in at least two ways. State conven-tions, associations and local churches can use GPS to go into an area that needs a church and use it to sow seeds for a new church plant to come. Second, GPS will be a great tool for existing church plants to use to evan-gelize their communities.”

Hammond recommends that state conventions and associations customize their GPS campaigns to fit their local culture.

“One size does not fit all,” Ham-mond said. “What works in Alabama

will not necessarily work in New York. States must customize and do new and innovative things.

“The whole purpose of our cur-rent training is to walk a church through the process of seeing their community with fresh, evangelistic eyes,” he said. “We want to remind them of the things they used to do or use the things they do anyway and make these things more evangelistic, such as Vacation Bible School or fall festivals.”

No one is a bigger believer in us-ing GPS for intentional evangelism than Sammy Gilbreath, state director of evangelism for the Alabama State Board of Missions in Montgomery.

“GPS 2010 was great for us in Alabama,” Gilbreath said. “Two Saturdays prior to Easter Sunday, we actually put a plastic bag with

a Gospel witness on the doors of 989,000 Alabama homes. It gave our churches such a shot in the arm, especially those who were out in the community for the first time. All of a sudden, our churches said, ‘We can do this and reach people we haven’t reached.’ And 2010 gave us a good bump toward 2012.”

Gilbreath and his staff have set up 12 districts in Alabama and are inviting pastors and key laypeople in a district to attend a two-hour GPS clinic to learn about download-able GPS resources, a free mapping service for a church’s immediate area and available deals for three-for-one billboard advertising across Alabama.

“We have also put together a task force for every attractional event we can think of,” Gilbreath said. The task force is made up of experts with practical experience in doing a particular event.

For 2012, Gilbreath and his team are visiting every association and ask-ing local churches to commit to do four attractional events during the year.

“Churches already do some of these, such as revivals, Vacation Bible Schools and fall festivals. So they only have to commit to do one more. They also have to commit to make the four events intentionally evangelistic.”

Gilbreath believes the use of attractional events in 2012 will be even bigger than the successes of door-to-door evangelism in 2010 be-cause such events give churches and pastors the opportunity to train their people on how to share their faith.

“Our office just does the plan-ning and preparation and then we become cheerleaders. The churches have to make it happen,” Gilbreath said. “GPS keeps us focused on plan-ning for evangelism and prevents us from falling into a lull.

“Our goal,” he said, reflecting GPS’ long-term impact, “is to present the Gospel to every person in Ala-bama by 2020.”

Mickey Noah writes for the North American Mission Board.

Evangelistic events focus of GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing) 2012

GPS 2012 will focus on evangelistic events such as block parties, sports clinics and skate-a-thons, like this one hosted by Mountain Ridge Baptist Church in Phoenix this summer. These and other initiatives aim to help Southern Baptists share the gospel across North America in the days and weeks leading up to Easter and throughout 2012. Photo by Susan Whitley

The BCM/D has free Event Guides as well as 3’x8’ “FIND IT HERE” banners

for interested churches. Contact Ellen Udovich at eudovich@bcmd.

org or (443) 250-2555.RESO

URC

E:


PHCA Administrator/Principal—The Potomac Heights Christian Academy, currently serving K3 through 8th grade students and their families, is searching for an Academy Administrator/Principal with a Bachelor’s degree in Education (Master’s degree preferred), who is responsible for performing his/her managerial, educational, and public relations responsibilities in a Christ-centered manner.

Candidate must exhibit leadership and administrative skills in order to facilitate and delegate day-to-day operations as well as coordinate the physical, financial, and HR functions of the academy. He/she must also be responsible for developing procedures and regulations for the Board’s implementation.

Please submit your resume in MSWord format to [email protected]. Resumes may also be faxed to (301) 743-6868.

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

For more, visit online at www.bcmd.org/ resume-center

February CLASSIFIEDS


BALTIMORE, Md.—WPOC morning disc jockey, Laurie De-Young, relaxed with Johnny Cash at Rocky Gap State Park. She joked about labor pains with June Carter Cash. She found Lyle Lovett fasci-nating, Willie Nelson charming, but it’s her relationship with Jesus that’s sustained her through the years.

The headliner of the Laurie DeYoung Morning Show, DeYoung is a local celebrity with second-gen-eration listeners. She’s been at the station 26 years.

She grew up as a minister’s daughter in Grand Rapids, Mi. She began her radio career as a disc jockey at a rock and roll station and went on to work at a total of nine stations. She moved to San Diego to take a “gig,” but the company was restructuring and DeYoung was left without a job. She began looking for work, telling friends she’d do any-thing but country.

She got a call from a disc jockey friend, Rocky Marlowe, who took

a position in Baltimore and wanted her to come join him. It was a country station.

“I guess that was God’s sense of humor,” DeYoung said with a big smile.

Marlowe stayed for two years, then DeYoung has been on her own since.

God had a plan. “It really suited me well,” DeYoung said. “It fit my world view, the way I look at things,” she said.

DeYoung grew up in a very conservative Christian home. Every week she was at church for worship, Sunday School, prayer meetings and Pioneer Girl meetings. Her mother prayed with her as the 12-year-old DeYoung prayed asking Christ to come into her life.

Looking back, DeYoung said that while she was sincere, the prayer was primarily based on the fear of hell.

“I was a scared little girl,” she admitted. As the years went by, DeYoung said she has just continued “working out her salvation,” admitting to plenty of

questions, but through her life she’s sensed God’s presence, known His love for her, and depends on His grace.

DeYoung likes how country mu-sic boldly embraces faith, referring to songs like, “God Bless the Broken Road,” and “Red Dirt Road.” In “Red Dirt Road,” the lyrics refer to an old country road where the singer has his first beer, and where it’s also the place where he “found Jesus.”

“It’s real. It’s messy,” she said. DeYoung will be a guest speak-

er, along with Erika Clark, who ministers to sex trafficking victims, at a women’s conference at Oak Grove Baptist Church on Mar. 31. The topic is “When Love Takes You In.”

“How do we udnderstand the way God loves us? I’ve been a be-liever a long time and I still don’t get that piece. I hit my head against the wall on that,” she said. The only way DeYoung says she can try to under-stand it in the context of a story. As a disc jockey, she has interviewed hundreds of country stars through the years in search of their stories. She’s discovered that everyone has

story. “They might not think they

have one, but they do,” she said. The problem, DeYoung contin-ued, is that we judge people based on a snippet of that story. “We meet someone, size them up and stick them in a ‘bucket,” she said. “But that’s not all they are. Jesus knows the en-tire story.”

DeYoung said she has seen God’s hand frequently in her own story. She experienced the peace that passes all under-standing when her father lived with her while struggling with and eventually succumbing to cancer. She saw it when two young women lived with her family for a brief time. One was a Buddhist and the other a Christian. Through accep-tance and love, the Buddhist girl eventually gave her life to Christ.

“We have the power to love as Christ loves...to love beyond ourselves,” she said. “People

are looking for hope. I know I am.” DeYoung and her husband, Ed,

serve at Grace Fellowship Church in Timonium. Ed is a minister of music and Laurie helps lead worship and teaches women’s studies. The couple has three grown children.

Country Music disc jockey, DeYoung, speaks at Oak Grove

Sundays at 8:30am EST overThe Trinity Broadcasting Network

(DIRECT TV Ch. 372)

Sundays at 8:30pm EST overThe Church Channel (DIRECT TV Ch. 371)

Consult local cable affiliates in your area for channel allocations

Hope & Encouragement for Life!


“Dear Counselor” with CentrePointe Counseling, Inc.

“How do we help soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan?”Dear Counselor:

Our church is located near a military base and recently we have had a lot of soldiers returning from deployment in combat zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Increasingly with the soldiers attending our church, I have notice marital problems, problems with chil-dren, and even some substance abuse issues. At times I feel over my head in addressing these problems and am won-dering how I might truly help these soldiers.

Dear “Over My Head” (Part II):In our last article, we looked at

the military’s own help for return-ing soldiers and were reminded of the “extratherapeutic” value of the relationship with a pastor and con-gregation that can be of significant value in helping soldiers and their

families. Being on the look-out for more

persistent and acute forms of dis-tress is another way of assisting these persons.

Scheider and Waynick (2011) point out that soldiers returning from combat typically experience stress symptoms that include sleep disturbances, grief reactions, anxi-ety, depressed mood, and anger.

These symptoms (often referred to as Combat/Operational Stress reaction) will usually decrease over time in a safe environment as parts of the brain stuck in a “time warp” realize that they are no longer in a war zone.

This is often true whether or not a soldier has experienced a big “T” trauma or little “t” traumas in a combat zone. However, if the symptoms persist months after re-turning home from war, something else may be going on.

Adjustment Disorders are trou-bling, but common and can start as late as three months after the event but usually resolve within six months.

Significant impairment in work and relationships with symptoms of depression and anxiety are possible.

Acute Stress Disorder, with symptoms of feeling spacey and disconnected from reality along with difficulty remembering, usu-ally lasts a month or so but can be the prelude to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

PTSD lasts for more than a month and has very severe symp-toms where the trauma is re-experi-enced, any reminders of the trauma are avoided, reactions are numbed, and the person feels anxious most of the time. In the numbing and avoidant behavior, drugs and alco-hol can be used, as well as anger.

In this case, there is clear

evidence that trauma has over-whelmed the brain’s ability to process the event and it takes a professional to help a soldier in a safe environment to work through the necessary processing of events. When these symptoms are observed over time, there is a clear need for a referral.

Pastors, and others in the Christian community, who take note of the symptoms and talk rationally about the need for help play a significant role in the life of returning soldiers and their fami-lies.

Tom Rodgerson

Send your questions by e-mail to [email protected].

For appointment information, call (800) 491-5369 or visit

www.centrepointecounseling.org.


ASHTON, Md.—CentrePointe Counseling, Inc., now offers a church partnership program that supports and extends the ministry of the lo-cal church. Through partnership, CentrePointe makes professional counseling and consultation services more accessible to church members and pastors.

CentrePointe Counseling offers Christ-based counseling services to those seeking healing throughout the state of Maryland in nearly 25 differ-ent locations.

Encouraged by its accrediting agency, the Samaritan Institute, to grow its ministry to clergy and con-gregations, CentrePointe now offers an intentional package of services for churches.

Included in the package are vouchers for use at the pastor’s

discretion for members to attend counseling, the pastor to get coach-ing or to attend an educational event, or a counselor to present a seminar at the church. Each partner church receives two vouchers for every 100 in worship attendance (example: 600 attendance = 12 vouchers) per year.

In addition, partner churches have priority access to conflict me-diation services, professional coun-seling assessments, church planter wellness program services and pastoral coaching services for pastors learning new skills, among other offerings.

Kim Brown, LCSW-C, execu-tive director, said having priority is important because almost all of the counselors have waiting lists for their clients. Having priority places partner churches’ needs at the top of the list, she said.

In return, partner churches agree to help advance the mission of

CentrePointe by supporting its ongo-ing ministry services and programs. Referrals, promotional, and prayer support are also requested.

The cost to become a Partner Church is $3/person in average wor-ship attendance, paid once annually.

Because CentrePointe must raise over 20 percent of its budget each year beyond the amount collected in fees, a congregation’s participation as a partner church helps support CentrePointe’s ongoing mission, Cook said.

She also asks churches to remember the CentrePointe staff, board, and clients in prayer.

“Please consider listing the min-istry of CentrePointe in your church prayer lists and ask the congregation to remember our needs,” she said. “We know from our conversations with other counseling centers that a strong partnership with churches is the key to sustaining ministry.”

For more information or request an informational visit, contact Cook at (800) 491-5369 ext. 102 or by email at [email protected] or visit online at www.centrepointecounseling.org.

Partners in Ministry: CentrePointe Counseling offers new Church Partnership Program

USE YOUR SMART PHONE To view related story about

CentrePointe’s newest counselors. Simply scan

this QR code:

Download a free QR Reader app

from your App Store

Your World... February 2012


BALTIMORE, Md.— At the age of six, Nelson Terry knows that God has a high calling in store for him.

Nelson was baptized on Nov. 6. His church family at Gospel Taber-nacle Church rejoiced. They stood; they cried; they clapped. But no one cheered louder than his adopted mother, Gloria Terry, as little Nelson emerged from the water, symbolizing his new life with Christ. Gloria remembers a very short time ago, when Nel-son didn’t have much of a chance at life at all.

Gloria’s heart for minister-ing to children began years ago when she would take her son Jonathan to church each week and return home with three or four other children.

“Our house was always full of kids,” Gloria said. So when Gloria was seeking God’s direc-tion in her life, how she could serve Him better, she wasn’t surprised when she felt the Holy Spirit leading her to foster care. A family member suggested Baptist Family & Children’s Services.

After the initial orientation, Gloria knew it was where she was supposed to serve.

In 2001, she became certi-fied, completed the requirements and got her first foster child a year later. But Gloria Terry had no idea what God had in store for her when she became a foster parent with Baptist Family & Children’s Ser-vices.

She has been a foster mother to multiple children in the past decade. How many?

“I lost count!” she said. “I think it’s about 40?”

Most of the children have been in emergency situations, needing shelter before foster families were available.

Two were infants. Nelson was the first. BFCS brought Nelson to Terry when Nelson was just ten days old. The tiny infant was sick. His mother had a severe drug addic-

tion and Nelson was born addicted. He also suffered from the illnesses associated with the lifestyle that ac-companies addiction. The prognosis was grave.

The Tabernacle church family stepped into action and decided they were not going to accept that ver-dict. They started an intense period of prayer for Nelson.

At home, Gloria and her mother, Inez Mitchell, took turns in a vigil over Nelson, staying up all night as the baby thrashed in pain in with-drawal.

“It was pretty devastating,” Gloria said.

Nelson also received prayer at a BCM/D General Mission Board meeting. When he was about four months old, Robert Gerstmyer, former BFCS executive director, brought little Nelson, Gloria and Inez to the meeting. Gerstmyer told of the heroic sacrificial loving min-istry the Terry family was making and how others could participate in this kind of ministry. GMB mem-bers were overcome with compassion for the family. They gathered around

in prayer asking God to heal Nelson and bless the family.

Within several months, Nelson’s condition began to improve. As Glo-ria entered the doctor’s office for the little boy’s weekly visits, several of the office staff would stop and smile and say, “There’s that miracle baby!”

Shortly after Nelson arrived, Gloria and Inez received Artez

into their lives. Artez was also an addicted infant. Gloria and Inez nursed him through withdrawal, but fortunately, Artez did not have the illnesses that Nelson suffered with.

Gloria adopted both children. “Baptist Family has been wonder-ful to us, they were in attendance at both of the adoptions,” Gloria said.

Now the boys are flourishing. Artez attends a program at Emily Price Head Start. Nelson attends Liberty Elementary School.

“Artez is just the smartest little thing. He can read already and he’s only four. He’s also very polite,” Gloria said.

“Nelson loves the Lord, he’s excited about serving God. I was amazed at the impact his baptism

had on the church. They stood up and clapped. People were crying. Just at that moment, I knew it was well worth all of those moments sit-ting up with him at night. He wants to be a preacher!”

Jonathan, Gloria’s older son, loves the boys.

“They’re his brothers and they love their big brother. He walks in

and they’re right behind him. He takes them to Druid Hill Park where they play ball and swing.”

Ministering through foster care and adoption has trans-formed Gloria’s life.

“I don’t think any aspect of my life has not been changed. I have so much joy!”

Gerstmyer has a big smile on his face when he talks about Nelson, Artez and the whole family.

Gerstmyer said, “Every time we have a breaking the cycle event at our building the story of Nelson is told. He epitomizes what the agency is all about and so does Gloria and her family.

“Pure religion and undefiled is this, visiting orphans and widows in their distress, and keeping oneself unspotted by the world,” Gerstmyer said, para-phrasing James 1:27.

For information about how to become involved in treatment foster care, or adoption, see http://www.baptistfamily.org.

Miracle babies bring joy

Baptist Family & Children’s Services

7161-A Columbia Gateway Drive

Columbia, MD 21046(800) 621-8834(410) 872-1050



COLUMBIA, Md.—At the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware’s annual meeting in November 2011, Executive Director David Lee presented Robert Gerst-myer, executive director of Baptist Family & Children’s Services, a picture showing a smiling, carefree looking Jesus dancing with chil-dren. Lee said, “It’s a good reflec-tion of the ministry you have led so faithfully and we want you to know how much we appreciate that,”

It is the children that make Gerstmyer smile. Each quarter as he reports to the General Mission Board, Gerstmyer shares the high-lights from the agency but it’s when he tells the stories about adoptions, foster care, children being saved from hunger, abuse and neglect as well as being saved by Jesus, that Gerstmyer becomes animated and smiles.

Now as he retires, Gerstmyer is amazed at how much God has blessed over the past three decades.

“It’s incredible to think about those humble beginnings,” Gerst-myer said.

“I still have a picture of Bob Moore, then president of the Board of Trustees and director of missions for Howard Association, and me in front of the door of Baptist Fam-ily on my first day,” he said with a smile.

Gerstmyer came at a time when BFCS had been without a director for a year and a half. There was one other full-time worker and two part-timers. Located at that time in the Baptist Building in Lutherville, the agency only focused on sponsor-ship programs, providing clothing, school supplies and gifts to needy families that churches identified.

Since that time, under Ger-stmyer’s leadership, BFCS began a counseling service, catering to those who couldn’t afford counsel-ing and ministering holistically to families in crisis situations and to pastors and their families. Now they provide family preservation services through The Good Samari-tan Network; treatment foster care in Christian homes through CHO-SEN; and through SAFE Families for Children and temporary Chris-tian housing support for children whose families are in crisis in an effort to prevent abusive situations.

Gerstmyer is thrilled with the churches’ responses to an-nual back to school backpack and school supply giveaways and Christmas stores, offering donated toys and gifts that needy families can purchase for one dollar. Those programs have helped up to 4,000 children annually.

“We really hit on a winning formula – not only helping the poor, but doing it with churches right in their communities,” he said. That’s where Gerstmyer’s heart is - he has a passion for seeing churches on mission on behalf of the poor and he’s overjoyed to see that grow-ing.

“In some ways I wish I could stay to see that blossom even more,” he said.

He’s happy that pastors are now using the Good Samaritan Network phone line daily to ask for help with difficult family situations in their churches, or in their own lives.

“We’ve intervened in quite a few troubled situations with pastors and that’s been gratifying,” Gerst-myer said.

Also during Gerstmyer’s ten-ure, BFCS has developed a satellite office on the Eastern Shore, and three transitional houses in LaVale, Ellicott City and Baltimore City.

Gerstmyer grew up in a Chris-tian home and accepted Christ when he was 11 years old. He was attending Watersedge Church and he went forward during an altar call on a Sunday night. Marshall Parsons was the pastor.

The church did not have a baptistry so he was baptized at First Baptist Church, Dundalk. “I just remember that as a wonderful experience. I think back on that a lot. It was like a light shining down as I came up out of the water,” he recalled.

Gerstmyer felt the call to minis-try when he was 17. He studied mu-sic at Bluefield College in Virginia and he played piano and organ and was active in church choirs. He re-turned home and attended the Uni-versity of Baltimore and received a Bachelor of Business Administra-

tion. Then he went to Luther Rice Seminary, Jacksonville, Fla., where he received his Master of Theology degree.

He began pastoring Hampstead Church in 1973. While pastoring he earned a Masters degree in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University. In 1981 he became the executive director of BFCS.

Since that time, Gerstmyer has served 15 interim pastor positions and is currently the interim pastor of Chestnut Ridge Baptist Church.

In January, Gerstmyer and his wife, Karen, moved to their new home in Shepherdstown, W.Va.

Robert ‘Bob’ Gerstmyer leaves a legacy at Baptist Family & Children’s Services

Non-profitU.S. Postage

PAIDColumbia, MD

Permit #350

BaptistLIFE10255 Old Columbia RoadColumbia, MD 21046-1716

A Time to Build: Building ConferenceMarch 31, 2012

9:30am - 3:00pm

First Baptist Church, Laurel • 15000 First Baptist Lane, Laurel, MD 20708

What are the basics you need to know before you build?Where do you start after God says, “Build?”

What does it cost to build in today’s economy?

Building Conference is for senior pastors, building team members, staff members, elders, deacons and even building skeptics!

Registration Deadline: March 15, 2012To register: go to www.bcmd.org/building-conference or

call (410) 290-5290 ext. 202 or send an email to [email protected]

FREE!

• Meet pastors who have done it and are doing it

• Meet contractors• Learn about capital fundraising/loans

• Learn about the latest in worship audio/visual technology

• Learn how to use volunteers and save money

February 2012 BaptistLIFE

Documents

Transcript of February 2012 BaptistLIFE