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GLASGOW, KY (BP) – In Barren County, Ky., at least in the past two years, Easter has become a day of unification among four Baptist churches -- two with predominantly African-American congregations and two with mostly white members -- at a central location. They come together on Easter morning but the bond that these four pastors have forged make it more than a one-day show for the community. They are partners in Christ delivering the Gospel message together and individually to the Glasgow community. "Our hope is to expand that with other churches," said Ray Woodie, the pastor of Coral Hills Baptist Church, who introduced the idea two years ago of the four churches coming together for Easter. "We want to be able to see God do something in the body of Christ. The core of all we do is the Gospel." Woodie said the idea of bringing the four churches together was born three years ago when he invited sister church Immanuel Baptist to worship with them on Easter. The church typically had multiple services but wanted to combine them all on Easter. Curtis Woods, the co-interim director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, was the interim pastor at Immanuel at the time. "We worshiped together and had a great experience," Woodie said. "Curtis preached with me that particular service." It was after that service that God revealed a bigger vision to the pastor. Woodie had a strong relationship with pastors from two predominantly African-American churches in Glasgow -- First Baptist Church and Harlow's Chapel. "We approached them and they were excited," he said. "We've been working the past few years on being very intentional, not just having services once in a while (with each other) but having a unified heart with the core being of Gospel sharing." Woodie said it wasn't about racial reconciliation, although roundtables about those issues have sprung up through this partnership. It was about being "united under the cross. That's where we wanted our heartbeat," he said. Woodie, First Baptist Church Pastor Michael Rice, Harlow's Chapel Baptist Pastor W. Keith Rowlett and Immanuel Pastor Jeremy Atwood have become much more than pastors from the same area. They have forged friendships and relationships that are ironclad. The goal is the same: Spread the Gospel. "It's a genuine fellowship of pastors," Woodie said. "We dream about what God may do through this fellowship." What God has already done the past two Easters is bring churches with different cultural and ethnic backgrounds under the same roof with the same goal of reaching a lost community -- and world -- with the Gospel. On Easter, nearly 1,200 gathered at Barren County High School gymnasium in service full of the Gospel message. The congregations from the four churches worshiped and prayed together, they sang together. Nobody was introduced as being from a particular church, because it wasn't important. The choirs and praise teams were a combination of the four churches and each pastor spoke. "Here's the cool thing about the Easter service," Atwood said. "You cannot tell there's four churches in the worship service. We have been very intentional not to make it a showcase of four separate churches." All four churches made the sacrifice of giving up having Easter in their own buildings. But nobody seemed to mind because God was being glorified. "Last year would have been our first Easter in our new building," Atwood said. "I had just got here. Ray pitched the idea and everybody was 99 percent on board. It fits our vision as a church." Atwood said when he became pastor he was surprised with the lack of diversity as far as skin color in the church. "God put it on my heart to be intentional about being a multi-ethnic and multi-generational church," he said. "It fits in with our vision perfectly." The relationship bond between the four pastors keeps growing stronger and stronger, Atwood said. Harlow's Chapel had a revival services last week and each of the three pastors were scheduled to preach. "Each of those guys has been in my pulpit," Atwood said. "To see four guys from four different backgrounds pledge to partner together is something else. I think it has been helpful for the community to see. You don’t have to agree politically or have the same skin color. The Gospel can bring you together." Rowlett said the service has "brought the community together." Rice said his church has been blessed by the partnership with each of his pastor friends that is quickly becoming loving relationships between churches. "I think what we are discovering is that we're more alike than we are different," he said. "What the church does dictate to a great degree what the community does. As people of faith, we work with each other, we dine with each other, we see each other at shopping centers and malls. We are developing relationships outside our culture. The church has a key role in unifying communities and country." The total attendance of 1,150 on Easter may have been more than the four churches would have had combined, Atwood said. "People will go to the school that might not go to a church," Rice said. "It's a different kind of setup. They don't feel as pressured. When you come to a church for the first time as a visitor, everybody knows you're a visitor. All we're trying to do is share the Gospel." Rowlett said his church has their Easter service on Palm Sunday and then comes together for the service on Easter morning with the combined churches. "He said they evaluate the service and decide what can be done better. We look at what we can change. This year was pretty good. We had six or seven songs and four preachers, started at 10 and were out by 12." Rowlett has been at Harlow's Chapel for 23 years and his vision for the church is for it to be multi-cultural so the combined service works well for him. Woodie said he doesn't know how, or if, it's affecting the community yet. He said the congregations are learning to trust each other. The pastors are already there. "We want to impact the community, but the community will never change until the church gets things right," he said. "We have to trust each other and see each other has a heart for the Gospel." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark Maynard is managing editor of Kentucky Today (kentuckytoday.com), a news website of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. #May19

Every church (and every believer for that matter) needs to be inwardly strong while outwardly focused. We are called to grow deeper as Christ’s disciples even as we follow Him on mission. Jesus expressed this clearly in His call, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” He makes us (inner strength brought about by spiritual transformation) fishers of men (outward focus as we engage the mission). Inward strength and outward focus go hand in hand for us as Jesus followers. It’s not one or the other, but both at the same time. You’ve probably heard someone say about their church, “We are focused on quality, not quantity.” We understand and agree with their concern to grow disciples, but implied in the statement is the idea that you can’t have inward strength and outward focus at the same time. As churches, our mission is to make disciples, lots of them, as the Gospel is shared with every man, woman and child in our time and every time until Jesus comes again. We are called to grow stronger and larger. With that in mind, ask yourself two questions: What can I point to in my life that indicates I am growing stronger as a follower of Christ? What can I point to that demonstrates I am fishing - engaged in the mission? To be quite honest, I am not always happy with my answers to these questions. That’s probably the case with most of us. I was recently moved by the testimony of Pastor Ken Hale, one of our Michigan Baptist pastors. His words powerfully demonstrate the balance between inner strength and outward focus: “I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am that the BSCM held the Engage 24 Evangelism Conference. It has recharged my ministry, and our church has already experienced God working as a result. Tuesday evening while in my hotel room I wrote down 6 names for salvation. Sunday morning two of those walked the aisle accepted Jesus as Savior. A mother and her 15-year-old daughter both came forward. With tears in everyone's eyes, we had a celebration right there in church. God began to do more work in my life. Last night, I walked the neighborhood around the church asking God to give me just one person to share the gospel with. I came across a man named Ramon, and we struck a conversation with each other for 45 minutes. I wish I could tell you he trusted Christ, but a relationship was started, the seed was planted and I am trusting God for his salvation. While speaking with Ramon, I learned we have about 3 meth labs within a five block radius of our church. I learned much about our community. I am praying that each Tuesday night as I walk the neighborhood around our church that we can see many come to know Jesus. As I walked back to the church, I met a lady named Angela. She was needing prayer for her family. God is good as we can reach people, all we have to do is get out there. I am so glad I attended Engage 24 and got recharged!! Thank you BSCM and NAMB for helping renew and recharge this pastor so that Community Baptist can be a Lighthouse for Jesus and help Punch holes in the darkness in Hastings, MI.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Durbin is the State Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before joining the state convention staff, Mike served as Church Planting Catalyst and Director of Missions in Metro Detroit since 2007. He also has served as a pastor and bi-vocational pastor in Michigan, as well as International Missionary to Brazil. #May19

TEKONSHA, MI – After reviewing our family/church/school events Google calendar for the upcoming week, I wondered how I was going to get it all done. The week was full of sports practices and events for the older two kids, meetings at church for Roy, church functions, after school obligations, grades and paperwork deadlines. Before the week had even started, I felt that all too familiar feeling of overwhelming defeat. I began running scenarios of who would need to be where and when through my mind, and all the other “to dos” began to creep in. I thought about the laundry that had sat in the washer overnight and would need to be reran, the papers that I hadn’t graded yet, the pile of clothes that were yet to be delivered to a local charity, the grocery list that needed to be written, and so on and so on. Irritation and frustration began to set in. Then, my thoughts were interrupted by our 5-year-old, “Play with me Momma.” In my head I thought, ‘Play with you? How in the world do I have time to play with you? You haven’t any idea how much I have to do.’ With his big blue eyes pleading me again, “Play with me Momma.” With a sigh I acquiesced to our youngest’s request to play. As we played dinosaur superheroes in outer space (I love the imagination of a 5-year-old boy), my frustration and anxiety began to melt away. The smile returned to my face, joy flooded my heart, and tears filled my eyes. For a time, I let the to dos of this world interfere with one of the most important jobs God has given, Momma. For a time, I had forgotten that it is not in my own strength that I take on the days. I had forgotten that I am not enough for my children. I am not enough for my husband. I am not enough for my students. I am simply not enough, and that is completely okay. I am not supposed to be. Moms, despite what cute, flowery platitudes you read on Pinterest or Instagram, you are not enough for your children. When you’re operating on four hours of interrupted sleep for the tenth day in a row, your strength will not be enough. When your teen is testing the limits of their desire for freedom, your patience will not be enough. When the marriage of your thirty-something child begins to crumble, your kind words will not be enough. The truth of the Gospel is that you are not enough, but praise the Lord you aren’t supposed to be. Ladies, whether you are a mother, a daughter, a sister, a grandmother, an aunt, or a friend this message of a dependency on God and His grace is for you. This Mother’s Day, no matter if you have children of your own or not, draw near to the One for whom our strength comes. Foster a dependence on God for the grace and mercy to get through the day. Find rest in knowing you do not have to be enough because, “my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aryn Henry is a wife to Roy and mother to Isaac (13), Reagan (11), and Elijah (5). She is an avid sports fan, especially for anything that Isaac and Reagan are playing and the Michigan State Spartans, and enjoys exploring creation while kayaking and camping. #May19

SOUTHFIELD, MI – A Proverbs 31 woman is what many Christian women strive to be. Taking the time to read the scripture on your own, you will find this passage (Proverbs 31: 27-31): “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring praise at the city gate.” As a mother we can often view life as busy and overwhelming. After all, our kids have sports, science projects, birthday parties, melt downs and the list goes on. That list only encompasses us trying to keep up with our kids affairs as we try to maintain our own sense of self. Our lives alone can include dating your husband, working full time, being a part of a ministry, managing household duties, and finding time to have a hobby IF there is still time left. Take a moment to stop in the craziness. Look around you and notice the laughter accompanied with smiles, the love embraced with a hug, the moments that become memories. We are blessed. Our children are blessed. Our family is blessed. Our hard work and dedication to our children is not in vain. We are helping to mold minds, create disciples, and cultivate character. Trust God in the process and realize He has equipped us to be all the makings of a Proverbs 31 woman. Rest in knowing God will guide you in the moments you feel uncertain, comfort you in the moments you feel overwhelmed, and listen to your silent cries when you feel doubtful. Being a mother is not always going to be a perfect picture, but God has put you in perfect purpose. I am grateful that God chose me to be the vessel and steward of my now 6 and 4 year old children. Both of my children have tested my patience, and made me question my temperament. Kids have the ability to unknowingly reveal characteristics you did not know was dormant in you. It is in those moments that I have to step back and realize that God is trying to reveal something to me, the need to be more self aware and a better me. My children keep me on my toes, but I would not trade it as their brilliance, silliness, creative spirit, unconditional love, and`remind yourself that we are fulfilling purpose as mothers and the reward is great. Time passes by fast, enjoy it and thank God for it. Treat yourself this Mother’s Day for a job well done. Have a Great Mother’s Day! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tolice is a church planter. In 2016, Her and her husband planted Crossover Church in Southfield, Michigan. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University earning her master's degree in occupational therapy. She has been married to Pastor Ken Nether for 7 years in which they have a 6 year old daughter and a 4 year old son. In her spare time she enjoys family time, traveling, and searching for her next adventure. #May19

WESTLAND, MI – When we think about a mother, we usually think about the women who gave birth to us, the women who cooked us breakfast, lunch and dinner as a child. Let’s think about how much she sacrificed for us, from pain at child birth to those sleepless nights when you were a newborn baby. Our mothers have done so much for us in our lives, and many still do. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-5 says Love is patient and kind; doesn’t that sound like a mother to you? Verse 5 says Love is not rude, is not selfish and does not become angry easily, this also sounds like a mother. Our love toward our children can’t be rude because if it was, this wouldn’t be called love at all. God would not be pleased with our actions, if we didn’t show kind love towards our children and others. We show continuous unconditional love to our children just as Jesus Christ has shown to us. A mother’s love is pure, genuine and selfless. As a mother myself, I have had many days and nights of weariness, but the love that I have for my children is worth every minute of it. No mother is perfect and we never will be. The only perfect person who ever walked this Earth is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but as long as we leave everything in the hands of our almighty God, he will guide and direct us into the right path. The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9) Even if you are not a mother yet or you don’t have any maternal children, the Lord is still using you in his own distinct way. Motherly instinct is a gift from God, and I’m sure you are using this in some sort of way in your own life to care for others. On this Mother’s Day reflect on the pure hearts of those mothers around you who have given so much to allow you and everyone else to have life. Give thanks every day to the mothers around you, not only when Mother’s Day is on the calendar. We should praise and honor our mothers while they are here on Earth, and remember their love and sacrifices when they are gone. Without Jesus Christ where would we be? Without Jesus Christ’s love for us we wouldn’t be able to share our stories of his undeniable love, like the love that our mothers have given us. I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. (1 John 13:34) We wouldn’t be able to care with a pure heart if Jesus Christ didn’t love us enough to die for our sins. But because of Jesus Christ’s pure heart, I can be the mother that he wants me to be to the children that he has given me the amazing gift to be a mother to. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jessica Wimberly is the 1st Lady of One Mission Church in Westland, Michigan. Jessica and Pastor Antonio have 2 beautiful Children, Savanah 13 years old and Antonio ll age 5. Jessica is the Director of Children’s ministry at One Mission Church, A Nurse by profession, a Business owner and loves Art and other things related to the culture. Some of Jessica’s favorite things to do is spend time with her family, outside of that she enjoys studying the Word of God, writing and fellowship with her Church Family. #May19

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BP) – The efforts of state legislatures to protect unborn and born babies are experiencing different fates at governors' desks. Governors in Indiana, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Ohio and Utah signed pro-life bills in late March or April, while heads of the executive branches of Kansas, North Carolina and Wisconsin vetoed or pledged to veto measures adopted by the legislatures of their states. The legislative actions have followed pro-life successes in other states this year alongside, however, a substantial victory for the expansion of abortion rights in New York. The activity in the states comes as abortion rights advocates issue warnings about an apparently more conservative U.S. Supreme Court they fear could overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade opinion, which struck down all state abortion bans and legalized the procedure throughout the country. Meanwhile, pro-life legislators seek to enact further protections for women considering abortion and their unborn children that will be found acceptable by the high court. Actions taken by governors on abortion-related bills include: -- Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law April 25 a ban on dismemberment abortions, which involve the use of instruments such as forceps, tongs, clamps or scissors to cut off or rip off parts of an unborn baby or crush the child's body. -- Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed April 25 legislation requiring abortion providers to inform women that medication or chemical abortions may be reversed. A medication abortion is a two-step process that is possible to interrupt after a woman takes the first pill. In an attempt to reverse the abortion, a woman can take progesterone instead of the second pill, misoprostol, according to the National Right to Life Committee. -- Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a similar abortion reversal notification requirement April 22. -- North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed April 18 a measure that required health care for a child born alive during an abortion. -- Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has received a similar born-alive bill finalized April 16 by the legislature but has yet to act on it. -- Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers confirmed April 22 he would veto a born-alive bill. -- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed April 11 a bill prohibiting abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. -- North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed a prohibition on dismemberment abortions April 10 and an abortion reversal notification requirement March 22. -- Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law March 25 a bill that bans most abortions after 18 weeks of pregnancy. -- Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson likely will sign pro-life legislation finalized by the legislature April 4 that includes the requirement of a 72-hour waiting period for a woman seeking an abortion. -- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to sign a heartbeat bill finalized by the legislature March 29. The governors who signed or are expected to sign pro-life proposals into law are Republicans, and the governors who vetoed or promised to veto such legislation are Democrats, with Bullock also being a Democrat. Southern Baptist ethicist Russell Moore told Baptist Press, "Much of the work of the pro-life movement happens in state legislatures and governor’s offices throughout the country. This work is heroic and needed not just in advance of a future post-Roe world but also to protect the lives of our unborn children today. “Not every elected official sees the vulnerable life in the womb, as we know by the vetoes issued on sensible public policy like the born-alive bills,” said Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, in written comments. “Our work is to care for those whom society makes invisible so they are seen as our fellow human beings worthy of God-given dignity and protection under the law." Americans United for Life (AUL) is "very encouraged by the level of energy and engagement that pro-life legislators are showing in the states," said Steve Aden, chief legal officer and general counsel for AUL, which provides model legislative language and legal support for state pro-life efforts. Some of the pro-life activity "is a response to the extreme pro-abortion moves by states" such as New York, Aden told BP in a telephone interview, "and some of it is just a continued reflection of the strong pro-life commitment in the states that we've seen over the last several years." States have enacted more than 540 pro-life laws since 2010, according to AUL, but Aden said he would not be surprised if the organization finds "this has been the busiest spring session ever for pro-life legislation or close to it at least." The New York law enacted in January not only legalizes abortion until the moment of birth, but it permits the death of babies who survive the procedure, according to AUL. Other states are considering similar legislation. The current situation on abortion policy in the states "is a natural result of the political fray that the Supreme Court handed the American people in 1973 when it declared that the federal government -- and the Supreme Court in particular -- was the abortion control board for the entire country," Aden told BP. "So you've got a situation today where every law relating to abortion in all 50 states is subject to final review by nine members of the Supreme Court. That makes no sense." A reversal of Roe v. Wade by the justices would return the issue to the states. It would be better if the high court "reconsiders the raw exercise of judicial power that it engaged in in Roe and returns the issue back to the people, to the states where it belongs," Aden said. "Yes, there would be in some states continued debate, but that's where this debate belongs. You're not going to avoid the debate. "We're cautiously optimistic, and we hope that soon we'll see this Supreme Court overturn Roe versus Wade and throw it on the ash heap of history." Earlier this year, the governors of Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and South Dakota signed pro-life bills into law. Other pro-life legislation also has gained approval in at least one legislative chamber in such states as Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Proposals to affirm or expand abortion rights have gained approval this year in one legislative chamber in at least Rhode Island and Vermont. The Supreme Court affirmed Roe v. Wade in a 1992 opinion but also ruled states may regulate abortion to protect the lives and health of women. EDITOR'S NOTE: The third paragraph from the bottom of the article was updated with new information after originally being published on April 29. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Strode is the Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. #May19

Ronnie Floyd, president-elect of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, is the current president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. This year's National Day of Prayer is Thursday, May 2. NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – Many Christians are so disappointed and fed up with matters about America that they struggle even to pray for our nation. Is this right? Is this justified? Absolutely not! And many Christians struggle to truly love one another, while many are uncertain about our future as a nation and even the future of our churches. On the National Day of Prayer this Thursday, May 2, let's be sure to join together in fervent prayer because: #1: Christians need to pray for America Where America is today is the reason we need to pray. If all was perfect and unity abounded across our nation, we may enjoy praying for America more regularly, but whether we enjoy it or not, it is needed. Praying for America should be our first choice, not our last choice. God is our hope -- our last, great and only hope. Therefore, we need to pray like we believe this with all we are. The alarm clock is going off in our nation and this is not the time to push the snooze button. America needs to experience the next great move of God. That is why we pray. That is why we will prioritize praying for America on our upcoming National Day of Prayer. Will you join us? Prayer precedes every great movement of God biblically and historically. Therefore, we need to pray and ask God for a mighty, great spiritual awakening across America. That is why the National Day of Prayer is a nationwide movement of prayer for America. #2: Christians need to love one another Christians need to follow Jesus' teaching of loving one another, in obedience to Christ's command: "Love one another, just as I have loved you" (John 13:34). This what we are calling our nation to do on Thursday, May 2. We need a Love One Another movement that begins in the church of Jesus Christ. Christians should never take pride in being filled with skepticism or criticism of other people. We should love all people just like Jesus did and does: willfully, sacrificially and unconditionally. Love One Another needs to become a movement that also infiltrates every part of American life when the church is experiencing this movement within their own fellowship. Followers of Christ need each other more than ever before. While certain secondary doctrinal differences will exist, we need to unite around our belief that: -- The Bible is God's infallible Word; it is truth without any mixture of error. -- Jesus is the Son of God and the hope of the world; therefore, salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. -- We must focus our lives, churches and futures on taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in America and across the world. In our confessional statement, the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, we as Southern Baptists believe, "Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ's people. Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament" (Article 14). We need to stop fighting over secondary issues and rise up together to become the spiritual light in this darkening America and world. The church needs to model loving one another or we forfeit our right to speak into the future of our nation. It is time to come together in unity. #3: Prepare for the future What will the church become in the future of America? Will we lose our freedom or have it affirmed? We need to prepare for the future realistically, but also with great hope. Regardless of the present cultural tide that is rising in direct opposition to the ways of God, we are a Gospel people committed to Christ alone. Our future is not in the hands of the United States government; our future is in the hands of our sovereign God. Yes, our times are in His hands! We need to prepare future generations spiritually and vocationally for what God wants them to be and how He wants them to live for Him. That is why I believe our greatest hope lies only in Jesus Christ, His Gospel and the advancement of this Good News message reaching every corner of America and across this world. While we call out to God for His church to be revived by the Spirit and to love one another, resulting in coming together in unity, we need to simultaneously pray extraordinarily for the next great spiritual awakening in America, which is our greatest hope. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, was elected as president-elect of the SBC Executive Committee during a special called meeting April 2 in Dallas. Seven videos for use in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer can be accessed at https://nationaldayofprayer.org/articles/seven-new-videos-you-can-use-in-your-2019-national-day-of-prayer-observance-on-may-2/481 #May19

BIRMINGHAM, AL (BP) – Attendees of this year's Southern Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference won't just hear about the conference's "Kingdom character" theme. They'll learn how it's personally lived out as well. As conference preachers examine the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, each speaker will focus on a Scripture exemplified in his own life, said Pastors' Conference President Danny Wood. The Pastors' Conference will convene June 9-10 in Birmingham, Ala. "We as a convention, and really Christian ministries in general, have had some real struggles with some character issues," said Wood, pastor of Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham. "We want this to be a needed reminder to all of us about the character of Christ-followers, because we know our conduct grows out of our character." Evangelists Jay and Katherine Wolf will address what it means to be "poor in spirit," based on their experience of Katherine's massive 2008 stroke and subsequent paralysis. Ed Litton, pastor of Redemption Church in Mobile, Ala., will preach on "blessed are those who mourn," drawing from the experiences he and his wife Kathy each have of losing their first spouses in fatal car accidents. Other speakers include British pastor Martin Young ("blessed are the merciful"), who oversees a network of mercy ministries; Atlanta pastor and North American Mission Board vice president Dhati Lewis ("blessed are the peacemakers"), who has helped lead Southern Baptists in racial reconciliation; and Pastor Andrew Brunson ("blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness"), who was imprisoned for two years in Turkey on charges of terrorism and espionage. "I prayed through [the conference lineup] and was looking for men whose lives emulated those particular Beatitudes," Wood said. Along with preaching, the Pastors' Conference will feature worship and prayer to undergird the ministry of pastors and their wives. The sessions at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex will be held prior to the SBC's June 11-12 annual meeting there. Worship will be led by the Shades Mountain worship choir and orchestra, the sanctuary choir from Greater Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Birmingham, and the sanctuary choir from Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham. Additionally, the conference will include two roundtable discussions. A roundtable on racial reconciliation will feature discussion of how Birmingham churches helped foster healing in the city after police shot and killed an African American man at a local mall last Thanksgiving, sparking racial tension. The discussion also will note the importance of building friendships across ethnic lines and being a peacemaker when the racial diversity of a church increases. A roundtable on persecution will feature, among other participants, Brunson; authors and missionaries Nik and Ruth Ripkin; and Colorado baker Jack Phillips, who won a U.S. Supreme Court case after the state of Colorado attempted to force him to bake cakes for same-sex weddings. Speakers for Sunday evening (June 9, 6-9 p.m.) will include Robert Smith, a professor at Samford University's Beeson Divinity School; Jay and Katherine Wolf; and Litton. Monday morning (June 10, 9-11:30 a.m.) will feature messages from David Platt, pastor of McLean Bible Church in the Washington, D.C., area; Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; and Young, senior minister of Rising Brook Community Church in Staffordshire, U.K. Monday afternoon (1:30-4 p.m.) speakers will include Ben Mandrell, pastor of Storyline Fellowship in Denver; and Lewis, lead pastor of Blueprint Church in Atlanta. Monday evening (6-9 p.m.) speakers will include Brunson and Jimmy Scroggins, pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, Fla. Each Pastors' Conference attendee will receive a book approximately 100 pages long containing the conference program and stories of nine individuals "whose lives emulate each one of those Beatitudes," Wood said. The conference offering will go to Christian Service Mission in Birmingham, a ministry that connects resources with people in need. The Pastors' Conference is free and requires no registration. To learn more about this year's schedule, sponsors and theme, visit sbcpc.net. You can also access information about the conference on Facebook and Twitter. Child care for children ages birth through 12 years will be offered during all Pastors' Conference sessions. Children ages 4-12 may register for a conference provided by Children's Conferences International at www.childrensconferences.com. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief child care volunteers will offer child care for newborns through age 5 during the Pastors' Conference. ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Roach is chief national correspondent for Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention's news service. #May19

FENTON, MI – I recently returned from a visit to the UP to connect with some pastors and their families. I always return home with a renewed gratitude for these men and women who are doing the Kingdom’s work in a place that at times proves to be difficult. Copious amounts of snow and vast distances can be isolating and treacherous, but the rewards are beyond value. During these treks to the northern parts of our state, I am reminded of how much hunting, fishing and outdoor life is so prevalent. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that 95% of the population is involved in and passionate about some lifestyle that involves outdoor recreational sporting. Being reared in West Texas I have done my fair share of hunting, fishing and outdoor living. As I have grown older and time constraints of my ministry have limited my abilities, hunting and fishing have diminished. I still love the outdoors and getting out in the woods, but my motivation is altogether different now. One of the pastimes that I took up in Florida and still love, is growing roses. Here in Michigan, it is not as easy as in the more Southern regions. For some reason, roses don’t like sub-zero weather. My love for rose gardening is a passion and trait that has been passed on to me from my grandfather, who has long since gone home to be with our Lord. He was a wonderful gardener, and had the responsibility of caring for the gardens of our local hospital. His rose garden, located in the courtyard of the hospital, was a retreat for the ill and well alike. It is this writer’s opinion that Granddad’s handiwork was responsible for a great deal of the healing that went on within those walls. Many times when I would visit him at work, I would see several patients walking through or just sitting in the midst of his gardens. At one time, I had over 30 different rose plants in my garden in Florida. They varied in type and style. Some were Tea Roses, Old Garden or Antique, Flora Grande, Floribunda, and Climbers. All of them were different, and each had unique characteristics. Some were very fragrant with sweet traditional scents while others had a more pungent perfume. Others were beautiful in shape and color yet were almost lacking in fragrance, but each could boast a particular attribute. I have come to understand what one old roseman told me some years ago when I began to try my hand at these scented beauties. “Roses are like children; they require a lot of time and attention.” No truer words were ever spoken. I remember one summer that was one of my more hectic seasons. I didn’t know if I was coming or going on most days, and as a result my “bedded children” were neglected. “Black Spot” attacked with a vengeance as did aphids, and of course, the dreaded “dollar weed” entrenched itself and covered every bed. When I could find a spare moment, I would quickly spray with fungicide and insecticide, but irreparable damage was already done. I lost quite a bit of foliage and some blooms, but for the most part they survived. The biggest obstacle I faced was those dumb “dollar weeds” because they were so difficult and time consuming to remove. So, in order to save time and effort, I mixed up a batch of systemic herbicide and carefully sprayed the infestation. Within a matter of days, the interlopers were dying or dead. I was happy and satisfied that I had taken care of the problem. It was not until the next week that I realized what had happened when leaf after leaf began to drop from my roses. The buds began to shrivel and die before maturing. Inch by inch, I watched hopelessly and helplessly as one by one, nine of my prized plants withered and died. My impatience and lack of attention had taken its toll. I had taken the easy way out, and was now suffering the consequences. Early that next Spring I replaced the dead plants with new ones. They did not produce at the same level as the previous plants for a few years, but at least I had the opportunity to begin again. I wish that were true with our children, but the fact of the matter is that we have only one chance with rearing them, and vary rarely do we have the opportunity to correct our mistakes. If we neglect to give our children the proper attention they need when they are young, and we do not put forth the effort to properly care for them, then we will suffer the ravages of our negligent actions. We must daily care for their needs, and make sure that the encroaching weeds of life do not get a stronghold that requires exhaustive labor and inordinate time to remove. Children don’t need big homes, new cars, designer clothes and large bank accounts. They need you and a warm, comfortable, loving climate that nurtures and nourishes them on a daily basis. Take care of them now, and they will provide a sweet fragrance to all who encounter them for ages to come. "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6 NASB) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tim Patterson is Executive Director/Treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Elected unanimously in May of 2015, Patterson formerly served for 9 years as pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He also served as trustee chair and national mobilizer for the North American Mission Board. #May19

Every church (and every believer for that matter) needs to be inwardly strong while outwardly focused. We are called to grow deeper as Christ’s disciples even as we follow Him on mission. Jesus expressed this clearly in His call, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” He makes us (inner strength brought about by spiritual transformation) fishers of men (outward focus as we engage the mission). Inward strength and outward focus go hand in hand for us as Jesus followers. It’s not one or the other, but both at the same time. You’ve probably heard someone say about their church, “We are focused on quality, not quantity.” We understand and agree with their concern to grow disciples, but implied in the statement is the idea that you can’t have inward strength and outward focus at the same time. As churches, our mission is to make disciples, lots of them, as the Gospel is shared with every man, woman and child in our time and every time until Jesus comes again. We are called to grow stronger and larger. With that in mind, ask yourself two questions: What can I point to in my life that indicates I am growing stronger as a follower of Christ? What can I point to that demonstrates I am fishing - engaged in the mission? To be quite honest, I am not always happy with my answers to these questions. That’s probably the case with most of us. I was recently moved by the testimony of Pastor Ken Hale, one of our Michigan Baptist pastors. His words powerfully demonstrate the balance between inner strength and outward focus: “I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am that the BSCM held the Engage 24 Evangelism Conference. It has recharged my ministry, and our church has already experienced God working as a result. Tuesday evening while in my hotel room I wrote down 6 names for salvation. Sunday morning two of those walked the aisle accepted Jesus as Savior. A mother and her 15-year-old daughter both came forward. With tears in everyone's eyes, we had a celebration right there in church. God began to do more work in my life. Last night, I walked the neighborhood around the church asking God to give me just one person to share the gospel with. I came across a man named Ramon, and we struck a conversation with each other for 45 minutes. I wish I could tell you he trusted Christ, but a relationship was started, the seed was planted and I am trusting God for his salvation. While speaking with Ramon, I learned we have about 3 meth labs within a five block radius of our church. I learned much about our community. I am praying that each Tuesday night as I walk the neighborhood around our church that we can see many come to know Jesus. As I walked back to the church, I met a lady named Angela. She was needing prayer for her family. God is good as we can reach people, all we have to do is get out there. I am so glad I attended Engage 24 and got recharged!! Thank you BSCM and NAMB for helping renew and recharge this pastor so that Community Baptist can be a Lighthouse for Jesus and help Punch holes in the darkness in Hastings, MI.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Durbin is the State Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before joining the state convention staff, Mike served as Church Planting Catalyst and Director of Missions in Metro Detroit since 2007. He also has served as a pastor and bi-vocational pastor in Michigan, as well as International Missionary to Brazil. #May19

ROSCOMMON, MI – It’s Springtime at Bambi Lake Retreat and Conference Center. At least it is trying to be. Barring any new “polar vortex.” Most of the snow has melted away revealing multiple shades of brown in its absence. The roads once frozen with ice and snow are now muddy and bumpy with potholes. To combat the potholes and keep our vehicles from bouncing apart we periodically drag the road and grade it so as to fill the holes and make the road as smooth as possible. This particular task is one I enjoy doing because I get to ride “Maggie” - the affectionate name we have for our old, yellow, Massey Ferguson tractor. She can be a little temperamental at times, but for the most part she tends to always get the job done. Over the past few years, I have discovered that no matter how many times I drag dirt into certain potholes, they always seem to form again in a few days. When you have spent several hours pulling dirt around and filling holes only to have them open up again within a few days it can be very annoying. On the surface it makes sense that if you fill the hole with dirt it should stay filled and level out with the rest of the road. Nevertheless, no matter how much dirt I put in the holes they always seem to form again. Being very curious about this phenomenon, I sought answers from some of the great minds that work with me. I was informed there was probably an old tree stump or trunk that had been buried years earlier and was in a constant state of decay. In other words, it was rotting slowly away underneath causing the hole to continually form. No matter how much dirt I put in the hole it would always sink away because of the rotten decay underneath. The hole will never fill up. This aggravating, hole-filling exercise has served as an object lesson for my heart to contemplate. The lesson being this: if we allow unconfessed sin to remain in our lives, it will rot and decay in our souls and produce potholes in our life. Our natural inclination is to cover-up or rationalize our sin and put on a pretty face so that on the surface we look great. We try to fill the pothole with anything that will take the focus off our sin and maintain appearances. We try to fill the hole with worldly pleasures, relationships, work, or even religious activity. The list could go on. How exhausting it is to keep filling a hole that will never stay filled. How exhausting it is to keep up appearances and continually display a fraudulent face. However no matter how much time and energy we expend filling the hole, it will never stay full. Confession and the forgiveness of Christ by His grace and mercy is the only permanent solution. Only He can forgive and only He can satisfy. Ephesians 1:7-8 puts it this way, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence”. It’s time to stop wasting our energy filling the hole - we need to receive forgiveness and start overflowing with the riches of His grace into the lives of others. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mick Schatz serves on the staff of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. He is the State Director of Spiritual Enrichment and Retreats and lives at Bambi Lake. #May19

RIVERSIDE, CA (BP) – Kimber Huff once was in Russia engaging in church planting in the nation's fourth-largest city, Yekaterinburg, with an estimated 1.4 million people. Today, Huff is in Northborough, Mass., writing and editing articles for the Baptist Convention of New England and its 360 churches. She also designs and updates the BCNE website and blog, creates posts for social media, keeps the convention's smartphone app updated, manages the monthly e-newsletter, and helps develop promotional materials to educate Baptists across six Northeast states about missions and ministries supported by the Cooperative Program and BCNE missions offering. The BCNE's lone communications worker had a few days of much-valued networking at the Baptist Communicators Association's annual workshop in Riverside, Calif., in mid-April. And Huff won three of the 200-plus awards in the BCA's multimedia competition -- including first place in a brochure category and third place among various website and video categories. "Being in an area of the country with less Southern Baptist resources, it's been fantastic to participate in the training and, even more importantly, to make personal connections with others who are in Baptist communications," said Huff, who was attending her second BCA workshop following last year's gathering in Washington, D.C. "It's a real encouragement to learn from their experience, to be challenged in my own thinking, and to be able to bounce ideas off of people who really get what I do." Terry Barone, communications team leader for the California Southern Baptist Convention and a former BCA president who joined the organization in 1980, described BCA as "a tremendous blessing in my life." "The most important aspect of membership is getting to know other members on a personal, spiritual and professional level," Barone said. "Professional development through workshops and keynote speakers can't be diminished, but many times the most productive time is sharing a meal with a group of members and discussing the challenges each face and possible solutions based on their experiences in other Baptist organizations. Some of my closest friendships have been forged as a result of BCA." Among the breakout sessions during this year's workshop were "Reporting when Sensitivity Counts," "Telling Your Story in Social Media," "Dealing with Hot-Button Issues," "Journalism Is Not Dead," "Making a Compelling Image in Today's Marketplace," "So You Want to Write a Book" and "How to Communicate to Your Church So They Keep Coming Back." Mary Ann Pearson, in a session titled "Building Collaborative Teams with Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X'ers and Baby Boomers," described her research into the generations' general characteristics and offered advice for embracing their diversity. Pearson, professor of communication at California Baptist University in Riverside, suggested that organizations experiment with mixed-age teams along with "reverse mentioning," such as Baby Boomers who tend to prefer in-person meetings learning from Millennials who live in a social media environment, and vice versa. "When individuals work together, they can double their strength and get much more done as a team," Pearson said. "They also can reap the value of having worked in unison, thus creating harmony instead of disorder." Also during this year's meeting, Bob Terry and Leland Webb were named as BCA lifetime members. Terry is the retired editor and president of The Alabama Baptist newsjournal whose career spanned 50 years with the Alabama, Missouri and Kentucky state Baptist newspapers. Webb is the retired editor of The Commission magazine formerly published by the International Mission Board, which won multiple awards and, at times, competed with National Geographic for various media honors. Webb was The Commission's editor during 15 of his 30 years with the magazine. Reflecting the range of the 60-plus participants at BCA's April 11-13 workshop: -- Several were media entrepreneurs from oneMISSION.tv, Innovative Faith Resources and Dogwood Solutions who work with various state conventions and Baptist associations, as well as SBC entities, in creating video, website, podcast and other resources. OneMISSION.tv was founded by Doug Keesey and Paul Wynn 13 years ago after they had worked for the North American Mission Board. Innovative Faith Resources, represented at BCA by Brandon Pickett, Ishmael LaBiosa, Bobby Puffenberger and Sarah Ramalho, was founded in 2011 with ties to the SBC of Virginia state convention. Dogwood Media Solutions officially began in January of this year when Harris Media Solutions led by Brian Harris, formerly of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, merged with Dogwood Design led by Thomas Jones. Keesey, who sports a Santa-like beard with mild-mannered joviality, arrived in California a day early to go to the Hollywood costume shop Adele's for a "continental robe" addition to the Santa suit he wears as a professional Santa from the first weekend in November until Christmas, handling about 40 events the past four years. -- Shawn Elledge, art director for the North American Mission Board, in leading a session on creativity in annual campaigns, mentioned with fondness the PBS artist Bob Ross, who died in 1995 but is still seen via YouTube and DVD. What was so special about Bob Ross? "Hard to say," Elledge reflected, "maybe his perfectly quaffed Afro, his gentle smile or the melodic mild-mannered statements he is known for like 'every tree needs a friend' and 'there are no mistakes, only happy little accidents.' ... But it's probably because of what he could do in less than half an hour starting with an empty canvas and ending with a tranquil scene of God's creation. He ended every episode by looking into the camera, giving a little wave to the viewer, saying, 'Happy painting and God bless.'" Elledge and NAMB's creative team garnered one of the BCA competition's eight grand prizes for a video titled "First Baptist Church Sutherland Springs: One year after the shooting." -- Trennis Henderson, who is traveling in an RV with his wife Pam as national correspondents for Woman's Missionary Union, told friends of venturing to an "RV Entrepreneur Summit" at an Alabama state park in March. Other RVers had a tad of puzzlement, Henderson said, when he spoke of focusing on missions as compared to entrepreneurship. In the BCA competition, Henderson won first place in a category for feature articles under 750 words: "God's Love from a Diaper Bag" about a ministry to single mothers, unemployed families and others in eastern Kentucky. "Similar to a BCA gathering -- except targeted specifically for RVers -- the summit provided workshops, networking and informal fellowship time," Henderson said. "It has been helpful and encouraging to enjoy both [BCA and RV] settings in recent weeks as we combine our missions calling and an RV lifestyle in our freelance partnership with WMU." -- Nick Burt, assistant director of communications for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, recounted around a table his work as a college intern for the 2015 film "War Room" by the Kendrick Brothers. Among his roles as a production assistant, or PA, he worked with extras, at one point making sure that 300-400 extras wore the same clothing and sat in the same place over three days of shooting a school jump rope competition. From the first day of his internship, Burt said he "quickly found out in filmmaking the days are long, the work is challenging and time off was almost nonexistent." Elected as BCA officers for 2019-2020 were: president, Jim Veneman, visiting professor - journalism/new media at California Baptist University; president-elect, Doug Rogers, communications coordinator, Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions; membership vice president, Brandon Elrod, public relations specialist, North American Mission Board; communications vice president Bobby Puffenburger, creative director, Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia/Innovative Faith Resources; professional development coordinator, Doug Rogers; treasurer, Elizabeth Young, director of communications, Arizona Southern Baptist Convention; program chairpersons (2020), Marc Ira Hooks, director of communication, Collins Baptist Association in metro Dallas, and Marilyn Stewart, assistant director for news and information, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; program chair-elect (2021), Amy Whitfield, director of marketing and communications, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; awards chair (2020), Joshua Minatrea, director of communications, Baptist General Convention of Texas; awards chair-elect (2021), Brooke Zimny, director of communications and marketing, Ouachita Baptist University; and historian, Cam Tracy, web development agent, Union University. BCA's 2018-2019 president was Mike Ebert, executive director of public relations for NAMB. BCA's 2020 annual workshop will be April 8-10 in New Orleans. BCA is online at baptistcommunicators.org. A full list of BCA award winners can be accessed at www.baptistcommunicators.org/awards/2019.pdf. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Art Toalston is senior editor of Baptist Press. #May19