What is the purpose of life?

This video was shown at our Christmas Missions Banquet last night. Our guest missionaries this year came from Scandinavia, and are spreading this video for people to see. It's an outstanding presentation. I only wish more Americans would have the opportunity to hear such a clear and concise summary of the gospel too.

The video is in Finnish (which you'll notice sounds a lot like the Elvish language from Lord of the Rings), but it has English subtitles. Take a few minutes to watch it. It really is a great reminder of the power and simplicity of the gospel, and that Jesus is the only name under heaven by which we can be saved.


Miksi minä olen täällä? - In English from Jere Valkonen on Vimeo.

The sweet smell of sweat in Haiti

We showed this 5 min. video at church Sunday morning to report how God has been at work in Haiti since the tragic earthquake. It's an encouraging update on how college students are giving their time, talents, and treasure to serve the Lord and make an eternal impact.

The reference mentioned at the beginning of the clip is from Ezekiel 16:49. (It took me and Natalie a while to find this one. It's quoted from the NLT).

Click to watch: "Haiti: the sweet smell of sweat"

Discipleship can be painfully slow

Here's a fascinating story about Mark and Lisa P, missionaries to an unreached people in Thailand. Over the past seven years, they were able to help local farmers with agricultural techniques and quickly gained respect in the village. But when their conversation turned to the gospel, the locals tuned out. It's another reminder that "a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him" (1 Cor. 2:14).

One thing I appreciate about this article is that the International Missions Board admits just how hard and discouraging the work of missions can be. We often hear the tear-jerking stories of conversion and the unprecedented revivals in faraway lands (as we should). Yet we can begin to assume that as soon as the gospel is proclaimed, people always respond and churches flourish. But we dare not forget how painfully slow discipleship can be.

Mark and Lisa have learned a valuable lesson through all this: "We have to trust God in His leadership, no matter what task He gives us, and we have to be faithful to that, even when it is frustrating and we can’t see the results...I think we knew that, but He let us experience it."

What a tragedy it would be if these missionaries, in an effort to boost their professions of faith and baptisms, began to dilute their message, making the gospel slightly more palatable to the locals. No, I think we see in Mark and Lisa true faithfulness to the gospel which will have far greater eternal results than any man-made method or measure of success.

You can read the whole article here.

West Coast Missions Forum

Our Southern Baptist Cooperative Program is a brilliant way to fund missions, but the sheer size of the IMB and NAMB can make it difficult to know how a local church can get more involved. To help overcome some of these barriers, Immanuel Baptist Highland will be hosting a Missions Forum in September. This three-day forum would be a wonderful opportunity to learn more and network together. Here's the full news release...

We gladly embrace The Great Commission, but it is a challenge! To find help in meeting this challenge please join us for Missions Forum 2010 West at Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland, CA on September 20 – 22, 2010.

What is Missions Forum? Is for missions leaders whatever their title may be; pastor, missions pastor, minister of missions, lay missions leader, etc. Topics vital to missions ministry will be addressed. It is a time to share common challenges, victories, and to learn from one another. Missions Forum is a cooperative effort of Immanuel Baptist Church, IMB, and other Southern Baptist Churches.

What are the basic aspects of the Forum?

• Inspirational speakers: Dr. Rob Zinn, senior pastor at Immanuel and Peteris Sprogis, leader of the Baptist Union in Latvia

• Breakout groups: Times of discussion in small groups where missions leaders can share experiences, knowledge and challenges on subjects vital to missions ministry. See a listing of topics on the registration page whose link is given below.

• Networking: Ample time will be provided to talk one on one with other missions colleagues to learn and share.

• Connecting with missionaries: For those looking for national and international partners, representatives from IMB and NAMB will be present to discuss partnering opportunities.

• Ethnic specific sessions: Separate tracks for English, Spanish, and Korean/Asian based ministries

Registration and other information can be found at: www.regonline.com/mf2010west

For additional details contact Dr. Rhonda Boggs, Director of Global Outreach, at 909-425-1777.

An historic moment in the SBC

The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force released their Final Report today with some sweeping recommendations for the Southern Baptist Convention. This report will no doubt receive a lot of attention and debate over the next month, culminating with a convention-wide vote in Orlando in June. This is an historical moment. Here's the release from chairman Ronnie Floyd:

As promised, we are releasing today the Final Report of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. It is called, “Penetrating the Lostness: Embracing a Vision for a Great Commission Resurgence Among Southern Baptists.” You can access the report on our website www.pray4gcr.com. There are three types of media located there:

1. The written report, available to download and print
2. The report on video
3. A five-minute video that looks at lostness in our world and the reason we have need for a Great Commission Resurgence. This stirring piece is available for you to download free of charge so that you can show it to your church or ministry.

Finally, thank you for praying toward this day. Please continue to pray for this need all the way to the SBC in Orlando in June and beyond.

We are grateful for each of you.
Ronnie W. Floyd, Chairman
Great Commission Resurgence Task Force

 Related Posts:

• Initial thoughts on the GCR Progress Report
• Jerry Rankin on a Great Commission Resurgence

IMB to give more emphasis to theological training

The International Mission Board is setting up an advisory team of four men to help oversees church plants with theological training. This is an excellent direction to move in. Churches are so often planted overseas without adequate follow-up, discipleship, and equipping of leaders. More emphasis on sound doctrine is always a good thing.

Here's an excerpt from the news release:

What happens all too often is that we come in and we blow the Gospel out there … and pop the question really quickly, ‘Will you trust Jesus?’ And the person may respond, but that DNA from the beginning is unhealthy. … We don’t want to see that believer or church fall away.”

Arnett has witnessed firsthand how dangerous a lack of theological training can be. While teaching at a seminary in Togo, West Africa, he started a church with a national Baptist partner. But Arnett didn’t realize this man, who was leading the new church, was mixing the Gospel with elements of African traditional religion — the worship of spirits in nature and of ancestors.

 You can read the whole IMB article here.

Volunteers needed for Haiti trips in April

This has just been announced by California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief...

We want to put together two more teams to serve in Haiti.

First Team:  Medical team: 2 MDs, 2 RNs, 1 pharmacist, one chaplain (CISM), and 2 others (LVNs, paramedics, or more RNs)
Dates needed:   April 14-20

Second Team:  Demolition: (Does not need DR training) 5 strong men (be able to swing a sledge with no problem), 1 chaplain (CISM), 1 EMT or nurse. This team must go in totally self-contained (tent for rainy weather, sleep bag or sheets, heater meals and snacks, Water bottle, hand towel for showering under a bucket, two changes of clothes, and heavy work boots. It is to plan to go back-packing for 7 days. Don Hargis will be the team leader for this team
Dates needed:  April 17-24. 

To volunteer for one of these teams, please contact Judi Cook, our Off-site coordinator by e-mailing disasterrelief@csbc.com

Jerry Rankin on our priorities

Jerry Rankin, retiring president of the International Missions Board, shares some very candid thoughts on the convoluted priorities and cooperation of Southern Baptists.

Many denominational events and programs have grown aimless and ineffective. Cooperation has become an end in itself, rather than a means to some greater, transcendent end. Rankin writes...

Cooperation is about us; it is self-centered, self-promoting and maintaining everything every entity is doing without any concern for priorities or results. The Great Commission is not about us, our programs and sustaining what we have always done; it is about others. It is about a lost world. It is about consolidating our resources and focusing our energies to proclaim the gospel to those who have never heard, to win the lost and see the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of our Lord.

As I listen to Rankin's heart, I honestly don't think he is ranting. I think he is grappling with the reality that we live in a lost world, where three people are dying every second, and most are going straight to hell without Christ. Rankin is genuinely heartbroken over the lost, and putting our petty denominational bickering into perspective.

I wholeheartedly agree that cooperation is not an end in itself. It is a means to promote something of value. Something exhilarating. Something transcendent. Something Christ Himself commanded us to do while on this earth: to fulfill the Great Commission.

Semper Gumby

This past week, after hearing from several missionary friends on the field, I've been reminded how challenging missions can be. Three things necessary in missions work are flexibility, faithfulness, and a big sense of humor. In short, the motto of a missionary must be semper gumby -- always flexible.

One missionary family learned this week that after selling all their possessions, doing a year of language training, going through many trials, and finally settling in a South American country for the past two years to begin church planting, they have been notified by their missions agency they will be reassigned in the next three years to a new, unreached people group, relocate to a new culture, and probably have to learn an entirely new language. As Solomon once said, "the mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." (Prov. 16:9)

Another missionary family, in a completely different corner of the globe, shared some of the quirky realities of living in a different culture...

Living here means...

* ...you fear any amount of bathwater getting into your mouth may have a serious adverse effect on your health.
* ...there's not a dishwasher in our whole city.
* ...year after year, I never have to drive a car!! I really like this!
* ...when we do get in a vehicle, we don't have carseats or seat belts. Just guardian angels.
* ...no Mexican food. My kingdom for some nachos!
* ...no carpet. I really like this too!
* ...never wearing shoes more than 2 feet inside the door.
* ...the inside of your friends' homes are only 30 degrees (like outside) since they don't want to pay for electricity costs, even if it's accessible.
* ...buying a box of fireworks for 12 cents.
* ...you can pick your nose in public and no one minds. (Can't pick your teeth though.)
* ...it's acceptable to ask anyone about their age, salary, rent, and even their diarrhea problems.
* ...you don't have to stand in line. It's every man for himself.
* ...no worries if you forget your deodorant, everyone else did too.
* ...looking 360 degrees every time you cross the road.
* ...never watching TV (it doesn't speak English).
* ...it's very very easy to say the wrong thing and cause much laughter.
* ...dear friends are dearly missed, new friends are dearly treasured.

I'm grateful how both of these families are putting their love of Christ above their love of comfort, their compassion for souls above their craving for security. These are men and women of whom the world is not worthy (Heb. 11:38). May God bless them, and keep them semper gumby -- always flexible.

Surprised by Hope

We showed this video at church last Sunday. It captures well the mix of chaos and hope found in Haiti right now.

How you can help Haiti

The International Missions Board has put together several tools to help you pray, give, and even volunteer in Haiti. Here's the information copied from their site:

You can give

• Haiti Response Fund: 100 percent of your gift will be used for meeting needs of earthquake victims in Haiti.

You can pray

• CompassionNet: Watch for daily prayer updates.
• Twitter: To watch for latest updates from the Haiti follow @IMBconnecting. Please use #haitiprayer for your updates and prayers.
• Blog: Join those adding their prayers to the IMB Prayer Director blog.

You can volunteer

• E-mail: E-mail haitiresponse@imb.org. Indicate your name and contact information, what skills you have and when you are available. Southern Baptists interested in donating supplies or offering other assistance also can send an e-mail to this address.

You can mobilize others

• Videos: Download and show these videos to your church or others who may be able to help:
  
  
  
  • Mark Rutledge, long-time missionary to Haitians, speaks out from Port-au-Prince asking you to pray and give to help earthquake victims.
  • Gordon Fort, IMB vice president for global strategy, asks Southern Baptists to pray and help victims in Haiti in other ways.
  
  

Southern Baptist disaster relief assessment teams have arrived in Haiti to plan volunteer deployment.

Disaster relief volunteer efforts will be coordinated among Southern Baptist entities, including Baptist Global Response, North American Mission Board and Baptist state convention disaster relief teams.

Source: http://imbresources.org/index.cfm/fa/store.prod/ProdID/2825.cfm

Fifty ways to give more money to God's work

Whether you're trying to give more money to Haiti relief, to global missions, or to your local church ministry, it's good to review your budget and see where you can cut unnecessary expenses to support God's work around the world. This is part of being a good steward and laying up treasures in heaven.

The Church at Brook Hills (where David Platt pastors) has recently come up with 50 Financial Tips to help families give more for the glory of God. This is part of their "Radical Experiment" discipleship and stewardship campaign for 2010. They've got some great ideas that could make a real difference in your short-term and long-term ability to give.

Here's their list...

1. Remember that all of your possessions belong to God. Psalm 24:1, Psalm 8:4-6
2. Establish giving if you haven’t already. 2 Corinthians 9:6
3. Stop buying on credit right now. Proverbs 22:7
4. Be on guard against materialism. Luke 12:15, Matthew 13:18-23, Ecclesiastes 5:10
5. Borrow money cautiously and modestly or. Proverbs 22:7
6. Practice saving, even if it is a small amount. Save your spare change every day. Proverbs 13:11
7. Remember that you are accountable to God for the stewardship of the resources that He’s entrusted to you.
8. Learn to live on what God provides and not fall prey to what the world tells you that you need.
9. Evaluate where you prioritize your work (Jesus first, family second, work third). Proverbs 23:4-5, Matthew 6:33
10. Think before you purchase everything. Proverbs 24:3, Ephesians 5:15-17
11. Look at your monthly expenses and evaluate which items are needs and which items are wants.
12. Create and follow a written financial plan (budget). Start by praying about it. Proverbs 16:9 (See budget worksheet).
13. Document your cash flow in and out for 3 months in order to see where you’re spending (try using a tracking software such as Quicken).
14. Monitor progress toward your goals by setting weekly/monthly checkpoints and evaluating the changes you’ve made. Set a monthly meeting with your spouse to review your finances.
15. Take advantage of free retirement matching from your employer.
16. Evaluate your outstanding debt and form a plan of attack to pay it off.17. Clip coupons. Try www.couponmom.com, www.couponsuzy.com, or www.hotcouponworld.com.
18. Recycle and reuse.
19. Re-evaluate your entertainment choices. Visit the library for free entertainment. Use Red Box movies at Walmart or visit the Dollar Theater. Consider reducing or eliminating attendance at sporting events (Friday night football, college football).
20. Visit garage sales.
21. Shop off brands or discount retailers.
22. Do your own yardwork.
23. Stop going out to eat. Bring your lunch to work/school.
24. Pay bills online to avoid postage expense and the cost of checks.
25. Drink only water at restaurants.
26. Bunch your travel or errands in order to save gas.
27. Form a supper club instead of going out to eat. Share money saving ideas with the group.
28. Buy kids' clothes on clearance in the off season for the next year.
29. Use best price finder sites for items (www.shopzilla.com, www.froogle.google.com, www.bizrate.com).
30. Buy generic food brands, buy what’s on sale, buy a less expensive version (i.e. hamburger instead of steak), buy store brand items.
31. Consider changing your home phone or cell phone plan. Do you need a land line? Do you need a long distance plan? Are you paying for more minutes than you use?
32. Save on energy bills – programmable thermostat, higher during summer, lower in winter, use ceiling fans, wash clothes in cold water
33. Drive your current vehicle instead of buying a new one. A new vehicle always costs more than repairing your existing vehicle.
34. Consider carpooling.
35. Stop buying bottled water.
36. Only run the dishwasher when it’s full. Only run the washing machine with a full load.
37. Limit your extracurricular activities to a level comfortably within your budget (i.e. children’s sports activities)
38. Review every utility/household expense you currently have to ensure you are paying only for what you need (internet, cable, phone, insurance). Get help from a professional that you trust if needed.
39. Plant a garden.
40. Eliminating or reduce dry cleaning expense. Iron your own clothes.
41. Reduce your Christmas/birthday/gift spending. Do not buy gifts on credit. Proverbs 22:7
42.    Use guidelines for what percentage of your income you should be spending on certain categories (housing, food, automobiles)
43.    Auto deposit your paychecks to a separate account and only move the amount necessary to pay bills to a separate bill-paying account.  This is especially useful for the self-employed or other with variable income.  Proverbs 27:12; Proverbs 6:6-8
44.    Have your savings automatically withdrawn from your paycheck and directed to a separate savings account so you are not tempted to spend it.
45.    Have your paycheck direct deposited to avoid the temptation of cashing it and spending it.
46.    Evaluate the cost of your hobbies and consider reducing or eliminating.
47.    Never overdraft your account.  Keep a cushion in your account in order to avoid overdrafts or service charges.
48. Consider selling assets (big and small…houses, cars, investments, and so on…) that you do not use or do not need. Store your treasures in Heaven! Matthew 6:19-20
49. Give your savings to Christ’s church during the Radical Experiment.
50. Consider not borrowing any additional money during the Radical Experiment.

Loving our neighbors in Haiti

The IMB reports that Christian relief efforts have begun in Haiti after a deadly earthquake. What a privilege to know our monthly Cooperative Program giving, rummage sale fundraiser, and Lottie Moon offering are contributing to this ministry. Let's pray for all those helping with the relief efforts, and that the name of Jesus will be magnified through this.

Southern Baptists are mobilizing to assess disaster relief needs after the largest earthquake in more than 200 years rocked Haiti the evening of Jan. 12.

The initial Southern Baptist disaster relief effort will be led by Florida Baptists, who have had ministry relationships in Haiti for more than 20 years and currently have six staff members who live and work in the country, said Jim Brown, U.S. director for Baptist Global Response, a Southern Baptist relief and development organization. The International Mission Board does not have long-term personnel stationed in the country.

Initial funding for the relief effort will be provided by the IMB’s disaster relief fund. You can contribute to the relief effort at gobgr.org.

Read  the whole article here.

Tears of the saints

We showed this video during last Saturday's Christmas Mission Banquet. The need for the gospel in our world is absolutely staggering. May God use us to rescue the lost and declare His glory among the nations.

Tears of the Saints from HistoryMaker on Vimeo.

Witch doctors and miracles

The International Missions Board has an amazing story today out of North Africa. Here's an excerpt.

Hospital doctors discovered that Ali had a perforated colon — an extremely rare condition in younger men without trauma or previous infection, and Ali had neither. Castle couldn’t explain how it happened, but Ali had a theory: He believed his illness was the product of a curse placed on him by an Islamic witch doctor. Things got worse after the surgery...

You can read the exciting conclusion of this story here.

I am not a charismatic. I believe the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit (i.e. tongues, prophecy, miracles, healing) ceased by the end of the first century AD for several reasons: (1) the purpose of these gifts was revelatory and to authenticate the apostle's ministry (2 Cor. 12:12). (2) Paul said these gifts would go away (1 Cor. 13:10). (3) the later years of the New Testament already seem to indicate the sign gifts were fading out (e.g. Phil. 2:27; 1 Tim. 5:23).

But that does not mean cessationists like myself deny the reality of miracles. I have never heard a cessationist say miracles do not happen. Our Almighty God can and does still perform miracles according to His Sovereign will and even sometimes in direct answer to our prayers. But note, the story above and other joyous incidents around the world are something quite different from the apostolic gift of healing, where for example Paul was performing extraordinary miracles in Acts 19:11-12.

Charting a course for the SBC

In his recent President's Address, Walter Price called for Californian Southern Baptists to seek a radical "new way of doing cooperation" that will streamline our resources and narrow our focus on missions, education, and mercy. These are the three areas where Southern Baptists can accomplish more together than we can individually.

Recently, Bruce Ashford and Danny Akin wrote a series of posts called "The 21st Century SBC." It's the best summary I've seen so far of where the SBC probably needs to head if it is to regain effectiveness and attract a younger generation of leaders. Here's an excerpt which gives specific examples of what the "new normal" may look like...

Through four centuries of history, Baptists have displayed a remarkable continuity in doctrine and practice. With historic Christianity, we have confessed that God is Triune, that his Son is fully God and fully man, that salvation comes by grace alone through faith alone, and that the Scriptures are the very words of God. In addition, we have held that the church is regenerate in its membership, autonomous under the headship of Christ, and free from state control. These last three distinctives relate to the doctrine of the church. Baptists have always been serious about church and specifically about the local church. It is through his churches that Christ disciples his children, directs his mission to the lost, demonstrates his glory to a watching world, and extends his kingdom.

What does this mean for the Southern Baptist Convention? The SBC was formed as a network of local churches who partnered together for the sake of mission. In the last 50 years, however, she has become more and more of a denominational bureaucracy. We must help our denomination return to her roots. The SBC of the twenty-first century must be a missional network, just as the churches of Acts were a missional network. Our focus must be the gospel, and our means of cooperation must be primarily “churches partnering for the sake of mission.” Thom Rainer has urged our churches to simplify and streamline so as to maximize their effectiveness, and we think that this applies to our convention as well. The roadmap for revisioning the SBC, as well as any institution or entity within the SBC, will always involve two ideas: local church and missional cooperation.

What then will the Southern Baptist Convention look like if we re-vision it for the 21^st century? That is, of course, a very difficult question to answer, a question that exceeds our abilities of and the scope of this post. However, we can point out the broad contours of what it might look like, and raise some pertinent questions along the way. One issue that we might examine is our name. We are the Southern Baptist Convention, but “Southern” neither describes who we are or who we want to be. Perhaps we should modify our nomenclature to better describe our nature as a transregional network of churches. A second issue that our churches might agree upon is that the Cooperative Program needs to be continually re-examined to make sure that it is serving the churches in the best way possible. One of the great motivators during the Conservative Resurgence was the fact that 60 cents of every dollar went to a moderate/liberal bureaucracy. One of the great motivators for a Great Commission Resurgence is the fact that often 60 cents or more of every dollar never leaves the state and often goes to bureaucracies that spend not nearly enough of it on missions and church planting (regardless of whether it is North American or international missions).

What are some challenges ahead for the seminaries? One challenge the seminaries face is how to locate as much of our education as possible in the local church. Is there a reason not to return certain courses of study, such as pastoral ministries, to their native environment in the local church? Another challenge we might face is how to provide the most affordable seminary education. Are there ways we can streamline our institutions? A third challenge is for the seminaries to reject the temptation to be divisively competitive and instead commit to being a network of truly cooperative campuses. Such a network could, for example, provide a combination of on-campus and distance education to international missionaries in a way more beneficial that what is offered presently. A final challenge is for the seminaries to remain vigilant to ensure that our professors are doing theology primarily for the church and secondarily for the academy.

What are some challenges ahead for the International Mission Board? The International Mission Board has taken major steps to re-organize for its 21^st century mission. One challenge for the IMB is how to continue to restore mission initiative to the local church, just as our churches must repent for ceding all mission responsibility to the IMB. Local churches must become Great Commission churches who recruit, disciple, and support their members as they go on mission. They must stop recommending candidates who are unfit (morally, spiritually, or otherwise) for the field, and must stop sending candidates to the field while never really intending to support them. Further, our churches must realize that the IMB is not the true “sender” of missionaries. The local church is. Churches send missionaries. Some churches will be able to call from their midst a team of church planters and handle all of the discipleship and team dynamics as they go to the field. The IMB provides oversight, further training, and strategy. Other churches may send only one member to the field, in which case they may partner with other churches in putting together a team to reach a particular people group, and to hold that team accountable. Regardless, we must work hard to help our churches blossom into Great Commission churches.

What are some challenges ahead for the North American Mission Board and the State Conventions? It is the charge of both the NAMB and the state conventions to reach the United States of America with the gospel. How might they partner together in order to serve the church and further the church’s mission in a 21^st century context? A detailed answer to this eludes our grasp, but some things are certain. The state conventions must have a renewed focus on church planting and renewal, and NAMB must be a handmaiden who provides resources for that task. Unless there are major changes in the state conventions and at the NAMB, it is doubtful that younger pastors will give their money to the CP or seek the resources of the NAMB. They will bypass the CP and give straight to Lottie Moon, if they give at all, and they will seek church planting advice and training from sources other than the NAMB and the state conventions. This type of bypassing has already begun to take place, and at a rapid rate.

Our state conventions must streamline and focus themselves. They must get rid of whatever unnecessary bureaucracy exists and focus their energies on church planting and church renewal. If they refuse, they will be forced to reduce their budgets drastically because a younger generation of churches will not give to the state conventions merely out of a sense of loyalty. Likewise, the NAMB has its work cut out as it adjusts to the 21^st century context. Many of our younger church planters are bypassing the NAMB for other church planting networks and resource centers. In terms of resource-access, these networks have become functional substitutes for the state conventions and for the NAMB. Perhaps a revisioning of the NAMB-state convention relationship would look something like this: The state conventions reorganize, streamlining their operations so that at least 50% of it goes to the national convention, while at least 30% of the in-state remainder goes to in-state church planting and renewal. At the same time the NAMB reorganizes, ceasing to become a mission-funding organization and instead becoming a small, sleek, and efficient group of church planting and renewal consultants who provide resources for the state conventions (as the state conventions focus primarily church planting and renewal themselves). This is a radical suggestion, for sure, but radical ideas are needed for our future effectiveness. All options need to be put on the table for careful and deliberate consideration.

What will be the role of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission in a 21^st century context? Southern Baptist churches have long been involved in public square issues, and the ERLC was formed to serve our local churches in that facet. Three challenges in particular lie ahead for the ERLC as it serves our churches in the 21^st century. First, the ERLC, alongside of our churches, must stand strong in the midst of an increasingly relativistic culture. Nowhere is such relativism more evident than the controversies surrounding life, death, and sexuality. Second, it must seek to bear witness to the gospel, and to the implications of the gospel for our society and culture, in a way that is gracious, prophetic, and compelling. It must be prophetic in its willingness to point out evil and its consequences. It must be gracious, or else it will contradict the very message of grace. And it must be compelling, seeking to win and persuade our society to what is true and good. Finally, we must not tie ourselves to any one political party, because to do so would distort and domesticate the gospel: “Inappropriate is the only adequate term,” writes Paige Patterson, “to describe purely partisan politics or the use of the pulpit to endorse personalities running for political office.” Likewise, I (Danny Akin) have argued: “Our hope is not in Republicans or Democrats, Congress or Capitol Hill. Our hope, the world’s hope, is in Calvary’s hill and a crucified and risen Savior…." The gospel cannot be domesticated to fit the agenda of any one worldly political party.

What are some of the challenges facing local associations in upcoming years? In the years of horse-drawn buggies, local associations provided resources for pastors who could not travel to the state convention offices for assistance. In the ensuing years, local associations have also become facilitators of fellowship for pastors in the local associations. For some churches, their closest ties are to their local association. In the 21^st century, however, many pastors and churches are able easily to find resources outside of the local association and look for fellowship based on affinity as much as geography. In light of the present situation, perhaps we will see local churches choosing their associations rather than having their associations chosen for them. In addition to county seat-based associations, will we see the creation of voluntary, affinity-based associations, formed for the sake of mission? This would give local churches the freedom to align with an association that best fits their needs, or to align with multiple associations. One could easily see a larger church that is part of a national megachurch network (that ministered to the unique needs of larger churches) as well as a local association with churches of all sizes (that is focusing on planting churches in a tri-county area, for example). The upshot of this discussion is that local associations, like state conventions and national entities, exist to serve the local church and further her mission.

The original article with footnotes can be read here and here.

I'm sure the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force will deal with some of these very issues in their report next June, but it's good to start thinking about them even now.

Related posts:

• Pastors: the key to a Great Commission resurgence
  
• SBC needs to get back to the basics

Good news from Central Asia

To kick off our Week of Prayer and December Southern Baptist Missions Offering, here's an encouraging story from the International Mission Board...

“You could be killed for talking about Jesus around here.”

That’s what a Muslim named Bershi* told missionary Luke Jenkins* after Jenkins shared the Gospel with him.

Bershi was an illegal immigrant looking for work when he came to the Central Asian nation where Jenkins serves as a church planter. But his warning didn’t stop Jenkins. He continued to discuss Jesus with Bershi, and as the young man’s interest grew, they began studying the Bible together. Eventually Bershi gave his life to Christ and was baptized.

Since that time Bershi has begun to actively share his faith, and even baptized three others he led to Christ earlier this year. He’s also returned to his own country, a place with severely limited access to the Gospel and very few believers.

Bershi’s baptism is among the more than 506,000 recorded by the IMB (International Mission Board) in 2008 — about one baptism per minute. Southern Baptist missionaries and their partners also reported starting more than 24,650 new churches last year, as well as engaging 93 new people groups with the Gospel for the first time. The total number of overseas churches broke records again, topping 204,000, continuing a steady climb from 111,000 just five years ago.

The numbers are evidence of the powerful way God is using Southern Baptists to complete the Great Commission task.

Praise the Lord! Our church's goal this December is to raise $1500 for global missions. Together with thousands of other SBC churches, we hope to raise a total of $175 million for International Missions. Will you join us in giving for the spread of the gospel and God's glory among the nations?

*Names have been changed for security reasons

Jerry Rankin on a Great Commission Resurgence

In light of new missions cutbacks, Dr. Rankin made some excellent comments last week to the IMB trustees:

“If you define the Great Commission as anything and everything we do as a denomination, an increase in baptisms, more healthy churches, greater cultural impact on our society, there’s not going to be a lot of change because we will just continue to do anything and everything the best that we can,” Rankin said. “But I am convinced that God has blessed Southern Baptists, He has raised us up in numbers and resources, not to take pride in being a great denomination and how many programs we can implement and how well we can do them but to be His instrument to reach a lost world and fulfill His mission..."

“...We must be very careful of how we speak of other entities in our denomination. I know the leadership of our state conventions, our SBC entities, how conscientious they are, how sincerely dedicated to serving the Lord ... and the wonderful job they are doing. That’s not the issue,” Rankin said. “If we are to have a Great Commission resurgence, we’ve got to be willing to ask, ‘How does it all stack up in relation to reaching the nations and getting the Gospel to the ends of the earth.’”

That last statement is so critical. The real question is how it all stacks up to reaching the nations. As SBC entities, state conventions, associations begin to think about radical reform, reallocation, and restructuring, we won't be talking about good programs vs. bad programs. We'll primarily be talking about good programs vs. the best programs.

There will be some very hard decisions in the months and years ahead. We will need to ask, "What are the best and most effective ways to plant and strengthen churches, and to bring the gospel to those who have not yet heard?"

News from the IMB in the last week has been disheartening, but the very fact we are admitting there is a problem and have bold leaders in place who are addressing the issues is reason to be thankful and encouraged.

You can read more of Rankin's comments here.

Heartbreaking news about missions

Lest we need more proof that the SBC is in trouble and that a major overhaul is going to be necessary, the IMB has released this heartbreaking news:

In a day of unprecedented global missions opportunity and great harvest, Southern Baptists will be forced to draw down their overseas missions force in 2010 by as many as 600 missionaries, IMB (International Mission Board) trustees were told Nov. 10...

...Because economic realities are forcing IMB to retrench its efforts, the organization must deliberately plan to have fewer missionaries — with implications for a lost world that should distress Southern Baptist church members, said Gordon Fort, IMB vice president of global strategy.

“When doors are swinging open all over the world, when our work force is finding great harvest in some of the most difficult places in the world, we are drawing our force down from 5,600 to 5,000. It just shouldn’t be,” Fort told trustees. When Southern Baptists collected $11.1 billion in offering plates in 2008, according to the denomination’s Annual Church Profile, and 2.77 percent “finally arrives to support the vision of reaching a lost world, and when [Southern Baptists] are structuring ourselves in a way that guarantees we will fail in our mission, it just shouldn’t be,” Fort said.

You can read the whole article here.

May God give great wisdom to the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force and our own California State Convention as we seek God's face and look for more effective ways to cooperate and do missions in the 21st century.

Missions rummage sale

This weekend, our church is hosting a rummage sale to raise money for missions. Every penny will go to support global missions and disaster relief. It's been such a blessing to watch the Body of Christ come together and support the Great Commission.

The rummage sale idea began to take shape a few months ago. I remember meeting with our missions committee to discuss different fund-raising ideas. I felt burdened that we needed to do something this fall to help our International Missions Board get families on the field who are ready and just waiting for support.

We tossed around a lot of fund-raising ideas like bake sales, car washes, and sponsorships, then finally agreed a rummage sale would probably be best. It involves no overhead costs and has allowed us to tap into an income pool outside our own church. As an added benefit, it has drawn many unchurched people to set foot in our sanctuary, thus raising awareness and making initial contact with our church. (Plus, it's given some of us an excuse to clean out our closets!)

Today is the second day of our sale. Praise the Lord, we've already raised $800, and would be thrilled if we could break a thousand. There will be a lot of clean up needed this afternoon to get the sanctuary back in order and ready for worship tomorrow morning, but all the labor has been worth it if more people around the world are hearing the good news of Jesus Christ.