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GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA (BP) – On an uncharacteristically warm day during the Winter Olympics, visitors to the train station were greeted by a number of different religious groups. The Mormons wore yellow vests. The Jehovah's Witnesses had their literature racks set up. Methodist Koreans were carrying yellow bags as they handed out literature. Among these were a group of volunteers from the SBC of Virginia distributing copies of the books of Romans and John in 24 different languages. "The world comes to one location, so this gives you an opportunity to share the Gospel and to give them something in their hand that they can read and follow up with even after they leave," said Steve Bradshaw, director of evangelism for SBCV. "We're to go into all the world, so it's really just doing the work of the Great Commission." The Virginia volunteers were just a few of the many Baptists, both from the United States and across the world, who traveled to South Korea to minister and evangelize during the Olympics. "There's a sense of unity in the games," said Mindy McCord, administrative coordinator at SBCV. "We're all cheering for our own people. It's all competition, but once you're outside of the venue or the event, there's not contention between countries. It's just so easy to strike up conversations with people who you wouldn't normally interact with." David Crim, a long-time Southern Baptist who serves as pastor of International Baptist Church of Manila in the Philippines, brought 14 of his church members to South Korea to seek opportunities to share the Gospel with people. Crim said his "disciple-makers" were trained to start "Gospel conversations" using the acronym "LOVE." They'll ask people what they "like" about the Olympics, what their "opinions" are about what the world needs most to experience the kind of unity seen at the Olympics, what is most "valuable" about the Olympics that can lead to peace and unity and then "engage" them in a short message about how they can be connected with God's love for them. International Baptist Church also established a website, godspassionconnected.info, where they could direct people they encounter who wanted more information about what it means to be a Christian. Those who respond through the site will be directed to a church in their community. Overall, Crim said his church's interactions had been positive. "There have been a few rejections and even a few unkind responses, but most people have been willing to engage," he said. "We are leaving the results of our conversations to God. We see our role as simply planting seeds of the Gospel." Randall Aldridge, an SBCV church planting strategist and part of the South Korean ministry team, went to the Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and connected with Outreach Bible Project, a ministry of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Acworth, Ga. (an American Baptist congregation). OBP is a ministry that takes short-term volunteers to Olympic host cities to help distribute Bibles, tracts and pins that are used as a means of sharing the Gospel. "We just wanted to see if it was something that our churches could get involved with, if it would be another opportunity that we could offer our churches to do ministry around the world," Aldridge said. "God always provides for us divine appointments and opportunities to share the Gospel and also to connect with other Christians." The SBCV group also spent time, in addition to the train station, at Olympic Park for the ice events and in Alpensia for the ski events. Bradshaw said they were already thinking about how SBCV churches might be involved in the 2020 Olympics in Japan and come alongside local churches there to assist them in sharing the Gospel. For McCord, the trip to South Korea was a trip home. The daughter of International Mission Board missionaries who served in South Korea, McCord lived there until she was almost 14. "For me to be able to come back home and do ministry where ministry began for my family is a pretty incredible opportunity," she said. "I love these people. I love this country. This is home. To remember that, to see that again 20 years later, is pretty special." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tim Ellsworth is a sports correspondent for Baptist Press and associate vice president for university communications at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. He is covering the Winter Olympics in South Korea for Baptist Press, previously having covered four Olympics -- 2008 in Beijing, 2010 in Vancouver, 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. #MARCH18

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Rev. Billy Graham has been described as the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history, according to the Associated Press. He traveled to 185 countries worldwide spreading the Gospel, but his first ever crusade took place in Grand Rapids. It should then come as no surprise his ministry had an impact on many right here in Michigan. Graham's famous televised "Crusades" had Michigan roots. Hudsonville couple, Wendell and Grace Leathead, in an interview with The Grand Rapids Press years ago, remembered a message they heard from Graham at a Grand Rapids rally in September 1947. "It was the renowned evangelist's first 'crusade.'" "That particular night impacted my whole life in terms of serving the Lord," said Grace Leathead. "He preached such a simple gospel message. I was really touched by that message, and opened my heart to the Lord and became a Christian." "He had a way of exciting you about the word of God when he preached and people responded to his message," Leathead said. "He was just a real inspiration to me and to so many thousands of people...He didn’t try to be showy or anything. He was just so convinced of what he knew to be the truth and expressed it very well." At the time, Wendell and Grace were teenage sweethearts, were among a group of kids from Grandville's Grace Bible Church who went to hear Graham speak at Calvary Church. They later married -- he worked in construction and she served many years as church secretary. Their souls are among the countless ones touched by Graham, who went on from speaking to 6,000 people in that initial crusade in Grand Rapids to lead rallies involving millions of people across the globe, and upward of 1 billion television viewers. Graham’s legacy also extends to the local chapter of Youth for Christ, an organization he helped create. "We stand on his shoulders as we continue to serve kids here in West Michigan," West Michigan Youth for Christ Executive Director Dan Kregel told 24 Hour News 8. "He started off as our first employee. He made $75 a week back in the day and we went all over the country at youth rallies, sharing the good news of the Gospel." Graham served as the first evangelist leader for the organization. Kregel said he set the tone for their continued mission. "It’s sad," Kregel said of his death. "Our world has lost somebody of such high integrity and such high character and just a deep calling to share the good news of the Gospel. His life purpose was to help every single person experience life in Jesus Christ and you know, that’s really the hope of the world." Billy Graham was 99 years old and will be laid to rest in Charlotte, North Carolina. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Tanda Gmiter serves as the newsroom leader for MLive in Grand Rapids. I have the pleasure of working with our wonderful staff of journalists and being immersed in West Michigan's news scene daily. I am proud of what we do here at MLive. Lynsey Mukomel joined 24 Hour News 8 from Cadillac, where she anchored weekends and reported at the 10 News. Lynsey grew up east of beautiful West Michigan, in Troy. Lynsey attended Columbia College Chicago, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and Latin American and Latino studies. Lynsey is thrilled to join West Michigan’s #1 news team and is passionate about sharing people’s stories, uncovering corruption and reporting breaking news. #MARCH18

DETROIT, MI – When I played basketball I would hear my coaches tell me all the time to “stop looking at the scoreboard.” Then when I became a basketball coach I told my players to “stop looking at the scoreboard.” Looking at the scoreboard can either make you lazy or discouraged, either way it does no good. If a team is “winning” they have a tendency to stop playing hard and to rely on their natural talents. If a team is “losing,” they become discouraged and no longer want to play the game they love. One of the most dangerous things athletes can do when they are engaging in their sport is to look at the scoreboard. Although the scoreboard is an indicator of what is happening in the game, it does not tell the whole story. It only gives you a brief snapshot, but it does not show you a picture of what will happen within the game in the future. As a church planter, I offer this advice to others pursuing God’s calling to begin a new church - Do not look at the scoreboard. We all know what the church planting scoreboard is. The ABCs, Attendance, Buildings and Cash. From the world’s perspective that may measure success, however it is not an indicator at all if we are being successful in the kingdom. If those are the measurements then Jesus would have been a failure! Leading a church is not a sport and the only scoreboard that matters is that we are being faithful to the assignment that Jesus has given us. Crossover Church was planted in September 2016, and we have come to realize that only He is in control of the outcomes. We are to live a life of faithfulness to Him. God has called us to focus on the field, not on the scoreboard. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. - Luke 10:2 (ESV) God wants us to focus on the field of people who are lost and who are waiting for laborers to share the gospel with them. The reason we can even dream about planting a church is because someone went out into the field and shared the gospel with us. The scoreboard lies, it doesn’t tell the whole story. No matter what it looks like, we are already victorious. We have already won the championship. We are on the winning team. Let’s stop looking at the scoreboard and start looking unto Jesus. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ken Nether was a typical teenager who “grew up in church but never grew up in Christ.” However, while he was playing professional basketball overseas, the God he heard all his life whispered “Go Home.” Ken decided to listen and has been following the path God has set before him ever since. Pastor Ken has been a teacher and basketball coach in the city of Detroit for the past 6 years. He is a dynamic communicator, insightful scholar who has the ability to connect with all people from all ages and backgrounds. On September 18th, 2016, Ken and his wife Tolice, alongside an incredible team, launched CROSSOVER CHURCH. #MARCH18

GRAND BLANC, MI – In 2002, I watched my parents plant a church in Hartland, MI. It was a fun experience, but I didn’t play a huge role. I had a couple years of high school left then I would be off to college. As I matured and my relationship with Christ grew, I started to feel a pull to working in the ministry. However, as I observed from afar my parents experience of planting a church, it didn’t look like anything that I wanted to be involved in. In fact, I remember telling several people in college that “I would never work for a church.” I graduated from college in April of 2009 and accepted a position working at a camp in Vermilion, OH called Beulah Beach. I never felt a clear call in college towards a particular occupation, but I knew I loved summer camp through my experiences as a counselor at SpringHill, so working full-time at a camp seemed like a logical destination. Working at Beulah Beach was extremely valuable- for the first time in my life I was truly on my own. My relationship with Jesus grew tremendously during those two years. I was given a substantial amount of responsibility; interviewing and hiring 60+ summer staff each summer, summer camp programming, managing facilities, preaching, and overseeing a large staff were just some of my roles. This was also the place where I started my marriage- I will forever be grateful for the foundation it laid for our marriage as we both served in full-time ministry (my wife, Andrea, served as the Day Camp Director). Fast forward to 2011, and God had led my wife and I back to Michigan. For the next four years I worked in medical sales, a job I excelled at, but as time continued to pass, I couldn’t help but think, “is this seriously what God has designed me to do?” In the summer of 2015, Andrea and I took a trip to see friends that serve as full time missionaries in Guatemala. The entire time I was there I felt so jealous, jealous of what my friends were doing with their lives and the perpetual feeling that I was wasting my life. I started begging God to move in our lives, to whatever the next chapter was because I refused to believe I would work in medical sales for the rest of my life. It was shortly after returning from that trip that I called Travis Whittaker because we hadn’t spoken in about a year. As soon as he answered, he remarked, “You’re calling me to come help me start this church.” Travis was right. Over the next couple months, God made it abundantly clear that we were supposed to help start Mile City, a new church in Livonia, MI, but also showed us that it was not our “final stop.” Throughout 2016, God continued to put people in my life and grab my attention in ways that made it very clear that church planting was a part of our future. Grumlaw Church is God’s dream, not mine. It’s ironic that I once said “I would never work for a church.” God has clearly changed my heart and pushed me forward on a mission that I can’t ignore. Each day, I am excited and terrified, but more than anything, I’m humbled that God has chosen me for this purpose. Planting a church has been the most challenging endeavor of my life, and it constantly puts me in a place that if God doesn’t come through, you’re in trouble. But my goodness, is it rewarding and incredible that God chooses to use ordinary, sinful idiots in His plan for redemption. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shea Prisk is Lead Pastor of Grumlaw Church in Grand Blanc, MI. His wife is Andrea, and they have two children. Grumlaw Church meets at Genesys Conference & Banquet Center, 805 Health Park Blvd, Grand Blanc, MI 48439 on Sunday mornings at 10:30am. #MARCH18

IRONWOOD, MI – A number of weeks ago, I asked my congregation if they were arrested and charged with being a Christian, what in their life could a court use to convict them? This question has nothing to do with a works based salvation and everything to do with the reality of the past. For the past 2,000 years many Christians have faced that question and been found guilty. They were guilty not for what they believed, but for the results of those beliefs. It is easy to say we believe. It is easy to claim the mantle and name “Christian.” But what is the outward expression of that faith, what is the result? As Paul described to the Ephesians in Chapter 4: 17, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” This is a call to action by Paul, reminding the Ephesian church they are no longer who they were, they are now Children of God, in Christ, which we see in verse 24, …” put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Our new lives in Christ result in our being separate from that which we were. As such, there should be an obvious difference between the old and the new. If there isn’t, we have to ask why? What are we doing to reject the call and separation from our old life? We are accepting of grace and eternal life, which we did not pay for, but slow to change on our end and live as called. Are we making good choices and living righteously so our deeds rise to God’s throne as a pleasant aroma or are we continuing as before? So I ask again, what in your life could be used to convict you of being a Christian? Church attendance? I think not. Many who do not believe go to church and many who do have stopped. What about regularly tithing? I think not, many tithe without belief for status, family, and economic benefit. So, what in your life could be used against you because a judge and jury cannot see what we profess, but they can see the results. So what might be enough for conviction? If there was evidence of care for widows and orphans, this would count against you as Christian behavior, but who does that anymore. What about loving your neighbor as yourself? This would be easy to figure out. Let the prosecutor interrogate the stranger we met last week. Their words might be enough to convict, although for most of us, we did not do anything but exchange empty platitudes. The Good News of Jesus went undelivered. If we remember John 13: 35, all people will know we are disciples of Jesus if we have love for one another. So we must reflect on our lives again, what evidence in my life could be used to convict me of being a Christian? Is there evidence I have love for others? Most of us will need very little space to write those things in our life that a court could use to convict us of our faith. This is a major hole in our faith today and something we should immediately want to rectify. It is an easy fix; we just have to be willing to freely love others, without an expectation of return, to the glory of our Lord and Savior. Challenge your spouse and kids and church to live radical Christian lives, just as we are called. Often the only thing necessary for change is one person willing to be the first. This is our call, it is not a burden, it is a blessing to us and those around us, and a pleasing aroma to God. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ian Minielly is a church planter and pastor of Catalyst Baptist Church, Upper Peninsula Association of Southern Baptists in Ironwood, MI. #MARCH18

EDWARDSVILLE, IL – Do churches ever misrepresent themselves? Sure they do! Ask most pastors within their first two to three years of being on a church field. “They told me they were mission-minded. They said they really wanted to grow and reach this community….” are just two common comments I have received in the past nine years of relating specifically with pastors and staff. Do churches intentionally misrepresent themselves? Probably not. Or at least, I pray that is not their intention. One thing of which I am keenly aware - churches often say they are ready and willing to change, hoping they will experience the anointing of God upon their church, but once the change begins to affect the church they know and love, they begin to push back. This is a major blockade to revitalization. From the information I gathered, it was Mark Twain who made the statement "The only person who likes change is a wet baby". I wonder if Mark Twain ever changed a baby's diaper. None of our five children seemed to enjoy the whole "changing" process, especially when they had diaper rash. They would cry, kick and scream throughout the entire process. I can’t fathom why either. They were in an “awful mess” and inundated with an “awful aroma.” Change is not always pleasant, but when a church is in an “awful mess,” it is the only solution to the unpleasantness and pain. The Lord desires us to be followers who present a “sweet-smelling aroma” by the conduct of our lives in this present environment (Eph. 4:17–5:17, esp.5:2). Therefore, change is a model and a regular practice we are obligated to submit to for the glory of God to be revealed in us and in our assemblies. Hold all ministry and programs with a loose grasp, allowing the Holy Spirit to evaluate and adjust everything for its greatest effectiveness. Change and pain need not be synonymous, if we come to realize that who we are, and everything we are steward over, is HIS! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Tracy Jaggers is the Associational Director of Missions at Gateway Baptist Association, Edwardsville, IL #MARCH18

MONROE, MI – Seven Michigan Baptist leaders attended a national Vacation Bible School (VBS) Institute at Ridgecrest Conference Center in January. Along with Southern Baptist Leaders from across the eastern United States, they received training to plan, to prepare, and to conduct VBS. Commenting on the event, Megan Line said, “It was a blessing to be surrounded by men and woman at Ridgecrest who not only love VBS, but that had a passion to make it better, to reach children for the Glory of God. It was great to get pumped up, trained and equipped to teach others how to provide an amazing VBS for their communities!” Another team member, Betty Ward, observed, “I enjoyed being at Ridgecrest and seeing people from other states getting as excited as I am about VBS. That they were willing to take time out of their busy lives to come and learn and go back to their states to teach others.” The training equipped the team to return to Michigan, and lead VBS Institutes for local church leaders in our state. Shar Durbin commented, “VBS gives a huge boost of excitement and an urgency to prepare for VBS. Although it is in the dead of winter, and VBS will be in the heat of summer, it is not too soon to get our hearts and materials ready. This year ‘s songs are super loaded with Scripture and catchy tunes that will find their way into the hearts of children and leaders for years to come. They are already in mine.” The Michigan VBS leadership team members come from churches across Michigan. The team includes Shar Durbin, Megan Line, Nickol Mearnic, Carla Saunders, Debbie Turner, Betty Ward and Bob Wood. Please contact any of the team members for VBS information or assistance. Michigan VBS Institutes will be April 28, 2018 at Merriman Road Baptist Church, Garden City and May 5, 2018 at Bambi Lake Retreat and Conference Center. VBS Institutes are on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A LifeWay VBS bookstore will be available at both locations. Each VBS Institute starts with a worship/pep rally, and core leadership workshops for all VBS leaders in the morning. Lunch is provided. Breakout enrichment workshops are offered after lunch. Carla Saunders describes one of the breakouts, Gospel-centered Children’s Ministry, “We learned that the Bible stories we read and teach are truly centered around Christ.” Core leadership workshops feature LifeWay’s VBS theme. Most of the breakouts are curriculum-neutral; they are applicable to VBS no matter which curriculum you choose to use. You can register online at www.bscm.org/register. Vacation Bible School continues to be one of the most effective outreach and evangelism tools your church can use. VBS Training enhances your evangelistic effectiveness. Research has shown that on average we baptize one person from VBS for every worker we train for VBS. Receive inspiration and training for your VBS leaders at one of the Michigan VBS Institutes sponsored by the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob Wood is pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Monroe, Michigan. He also serves as a VBS consultant for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before coming to Heritage Baptist Church, he served as a state missionary for the BSCM. #MARCH18

“For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” (2 Timothy 1:7) ORLANDO, FL – The small church is the beginning of our early American Religious Heritage. We started our religious foundation with the creation of small churches. Even during the early days of the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, the small church was in existence. Many things can be said about the small church. The small church is unique from all other sized churches. Paul Madsen says it so well, "The small church has no different mission than any other church of the land, regardless of size. It may use different methods to achieve that mission, but the mission of proclamation, fellowship, ministry, and service is the same for all.” It is astounding to realize that 90 percent of all churches today are not growing, and that churches with 101-200 total members 50 percent of them have plateaued. Another 19 percent have declined, leaving only 31 percent of these churches that are growing. A more recent series of studies (The State of the Church) was conducted by Bill Day; Associate Director of the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health, who serves the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as the Gurney Professor of Evangelism and Church Health in his sequential studies on church health and growth of 2003, 2007, and 2010 where he reports that currently there are less than seven percent (6.8) of our SBC churches which are healthy growing churches. That means 3,087 of our 45,727 SBC churches are healthy. Abraham Lincoln said about the small churches in America, "God must love the small church. He made so many of them.” Carl S. Dudley, professor of church and community at McCormick Theological Seminary, in Chicago, Illinois, states that the break-even number (small church congregation) would be around 175 participants in the Sunday School structure of the church. He does give us one careful delineation, he says that in the Mennonite denomination a congregation of 75 would be considered quite large. Small Church Defined Number of members now Worship attendance A comparison with past days when the congregation was much larger The image projected by the pastor's definition of comparative church size The physical size of the building or buildings The size of the budget as compared to the past A full workload for the minister or ministers An individual's previous experiences in other congregations The quality of caring relationships among the members The size, number, and variety of fellowship circles or primary face-to-face groups which together constitute that congregation Most definitions of the small church are misleading. In most mainline denominations, at least 60 percent of the congregations are included among the "small" churches. One stunning report comes from James E. Lowery as he describes the Churches of his particular denomination where he states: "43 percent of the clergy are serving 18 percent of the people in 62 percent of the churches in a situation which is programmed for failure.“ You ask ten leaders of small churches today you will get at least ten different lists of characteristics of a small church. There are at least fifteen characteristics of the small church today. Regardless of denomination, these fifteen elements appear predominantly throughout the small church in America. The Small Church acts as: One big family and is one cell A close niche family Casual in its character Displays marvelous devotion and compassion Allows for faster participation and connection Significantly relies on volunteers to lead the church Knows when you are not there instantly Practices careful financing and management Is involvement-focused not quality-focused Has few entry points initially Places the center of attention on a single event at a time Pastor may or may not have impact Is guided by a few committed lay leaders Growth blueprint is small group and clusters designed Draws participants for a variety of reasons For the small house of worship there are various impediments to expansion that need to be defeated if it wishes to break the hurdle in church renewal. What is of significance, is that some of the small churches strengths can also be their weaknesses. I see at least eight growth impediments for those small churches desiring to break through in church renewal. Here are the eight enlargement obstacles: The small church plant has partial or incomplete programming. The small church plant has very little outreach or evangelism. The small church plant can rear smallness if it does not keep a growth mentality clearly before the people. The small church plant can exhibit swift and steady pastoral transition after the initial funds run out to launch the church. The small church plant can begin to grow a tough crusted leadership team. The small church plant dictates mere existence financial practices. The small church plant exhibits to their target area insufficient amenities and services. In the small church plant, familiarity of small group becomes too familiar. Since one quarter of the Protestant churches in the United States and Canada average fewer than thirty-five at worship, what can we find are the strengths of these congregations? I believe there are at least nine strengths: The strength of a high degree of lay ownership The strength of possessing a vision for reaching the community The strength of having a hard working and dedicated pastor The strength of a supportive pastor's wife The strength of dedicated lay leadership investment The strength of ample facility for the present and near future The strength of correct methodology The strength of fellowship The strength of baptism There are at least eight major factors that influence the capability of the small church to survive. The small church: Is not a branch office It reinforces community It's subsidies increase vulnerability It is a socialization factor It displays the Importance of shared experiences It shows distinctively the centrality of worship It is a lay-dominated institution The members institutional commitment is directed as a whole rather than toward any one component For the small church aspiring to crack the barrier to church enlargement there are at least 7 intentional actions to be considered. Requires changes in pastoral leadership patterns Requires changes in organizational formation Requires changes in how new members are incorporated into the work Requires changes in the new church's outreach strategies Requires changes in the budget and financial policies of the new church Requires changes in the way the new church functions in regard to business procedures Requires changes in the new lay leadership patterns One important ingredient when just starting out to renew your church: Seek to Continually Build Momentum in Your Church. Prayer is the often overlooked revitalization tool! It ought to go without saying but here is the first thing you need to do. Pray and teach your people to pray Stop talking about it and start actually praying at prayer meetings Keep preaching about prayer and model prayer during your preaching Have a prayer list and pray through it Develop a ministry that prays for all other ministries Be a leader that models prayer For most denominations the small participant church, though it is tenacious, does not have the willingness alone to break the barriers needed for church revitalization. A church revitalizer should be deployed. Yes, the small church is vital to the American heartland and by and large will not die. Yes, they do not experience great shifts in membership, but they do not have the willingness to take the actions needed to break the barriers necessary for church revitalization. There are at least nine characteristics of the church which is beginning to stall and face plateau or decline. Achieving original goals Peaking attendance & membership The good ole days Stagnant population Community in transition Not making correct transitions Senior influence Befuddled building complex Not involving new members Lack of pastoral discretionary time Declining attendance Comfort turning inward Key Insights Remember from “0-50”-ish members, your people helped you grow to that level! To get the next 50 people the pastor will have to get them and personal evangelism will be a key contribution to that cause! Member will usually not help with growing the church due to comfort restraints. However, as you get to 125 participants church members begin bringing new people again! Discovery #1: Growing and declining churches actually do the same things! Discovery #2: Growing and declining communities do not statistically correlate with growing and shrinking congregations! Discovery #3: Growing churches have a clear sense that God is active within them and is using them to change lives! Discovery #4: In both growing and declining congregations the emphasizing of money and programming is a mistake! Discovery #5: Growing congregations that have turned things around have experienced a spiritual renewal. Discovery #6: Nothing happens without that spiritual renewal first and foremost. Discovery #7: All renewed churches were outer focused and other focused. Discovery #8: All renewed churches were willing to change! It was not lip service but real commitment. The overall discovery from the report is that these factors are the distinctions between growing and declining congregations. It concludes all of these must take place for revitalization and growth to happen. Church Revitalization Is A Long-Term Many Year Process! Plan on investing a minimum of three or four years at the outset. Do not allow oneself to become distracted in the process. Remember you are called to do God’s thing not a good thing! Beware of a short attention span within yourself and your congregation. New is not always the best or right answer, it is just new and can contribute to failure. Be sure the new things you do match the main thing you are doing to revitalize your church. ™Lastly, Prayer is the glue that holds everything together! So keep praying! It will be the very thing that hold the church together during difficult times. If you're interested in knowing more about church revitalization, check out the upcoming Renovate Conference! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Tom Cheyney is founder and Executive Director for RenovateConference.org and ReproducingChurches.com located in central Florida. #MARCH18

WINDSOR, ONTARIO – As our small church began to take form, and God began to save sinners by His grace, we ran into a problem. These new believers wanted to share their faith, but didn’t know how. They were excited about their new life, they were glowing with the light of Christ, but they were unsure how to share this good news, and frankly, I didn’t know how to help them. The temptation can be to hold back sharing the Gospel until we “know enough.” But I knew there had to be a simple, reproducible and faithful way that a newly baptized believer, still dripping with baptismal water, can faithfully begin sharing the Gospel, but how? The Gospel is not a religious doctrine, as much as it is good news. It’s easy to baptize the Gospel in religious rhetoric and forget that its ACTUAL news. The Gospel is history, it’s flesh and bone! The Gospel is front page current events news. Then it hit me, “That’s it! It’s news!” In that moment God saturated my mind with ideas. It was as if a flood gate opened and I couldn’t stop the creative energy of the Holy Spirit from consuming me. The world is sharing their “gospel” everyday through every means and medium possible. The Church needs to do the same. God led me to create a ministry called, “Good News for Windsor.” The goal of this ministry was to start a grassroots movement that would embolden Christians to live as domestic missionaries. We created simple, clear, and easy to present resurrection pamphlets so that even new believers could open them up and share with anyone. We created drop cards that pointed people to our website, where they would see a professionally produced proclamation of the Good News as well as other resources for those wishing to dig deeper. We made T-Shirts that said, “Ask Me for Some Good News” in order to prompt people to begin conversations with us! It’s always nerve wracking to start a Gospel conversation, but it’s much easier when someone else ASKS YOU for the Gospel! The results have been nothing short of miraculous. We were able to share the Gospel with over 50 people, face to face, at a local festival last summer using the materials we created. But more importantly, our congregation is reporting an increase of Gospel conversations with their family, friends and even strangers! I was able to personally share the Gospel with a Muslim woman at the grocery store and give her a resurrection pamphlet. However, in the providence of God, the next week at the gym she saw me, and I was able to witness to her again at the gym. We chatted for 20 minutes about the resurrection and eternal life, and this time her Muslim friend got to hear the Good News as well. All because I wore a shirt that said, “Ask Me for Some Good News!” If we truly believe that God came in the flesh, died on a cross to cleanse us from all our sins, and rose from the dead to grant us eternal life, then we ought to go to extreme measures to share this news. We are strongly encouraging the Saints in our fellowship to become living, breathing, Gospel billboards. After all, isn’t that what Church Planting is all about? Bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to every living soul on this beautiful planet? Charles Spurgeon said, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” Every believer on mission is normative Christianity. Pew warming and consumer Christianity needs to become the oddity among us, not the norm. So think, how can I begin to clearly and simply share the Good News of Jesus of Nazareth? And then GO and DO IT! Don’t wait for permission, don’t look to see what others are doing, GO! This news is too wonderful to wait!!!! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alin Patularu is the founder and Lead Teaching Pastor of Life-Giver Church in Windsor, Ontario. Alin has been married to his wife Shelly for 7 years and they are expecting twin baby boys. #MARCH18

God is a missionary God. He is a sending God. His plan from the very beginning has always involved sending His people do His work. FLINT, MI – The Latin term missio Dei is a common term used to describe God and it has often been translated as the “sending of God” or the “mission of God” which comes from the very nature of God Himself, “encompassing everything God does in relation to the kingdom and everything the church is sent to do on the earth.” (McIntosh, John A. 2000. Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions, ed. A Scott Moreau, s.v. “Missio Dei.” Grand Rapids: Baker.) The nature of God and the understanding of the missio Dei reveals to us that God is not only a supporter of missions, but that He is actually the initiator of missions. Missions exists because God exists. Church planting exists because God exists. When people engage in church planting or other missionary activity it is not like they are doing something for God. They are actually simply joining God in what He is doing. The nature of God and the mission of God cannot be separated. In contemporary society today, it seems that the majority of Christians don’t connect theology to church planting. It seems that most simply compartmentalize the faith saying that theology is what we believe and church planting or other missionary activity is what we do without any continuity or connectivity between them. This is a flawed view as the right thinking always precedes the right action. In order to be faithful in our church planting we must have a Biblical understanding of theology. Upon studying the Trinity, we see the pattern of relationships as it relates to church planting. In the plan of redemption, it is revealed to us the unique role that each person of the trinity plays. There is a division of labor even within the Godhead. In salvation God the Father is the sending God. He sends the Son and the Holy Spirit. He is the master planner of redeeming the elect. When Jesus was carrying out His ministry He often explained that He was sent to the earth in order to do the will of the Father. God the Father is the sender. Jesus is the sent one. He was sent to carry out a specific ministry of living the perfect life that none of us could live and then dying the death that we should have died. Then on the third day He was resurrected unto newness of life making man’s redemption complete. He was the one sent. The Holy Spirit was finally sent as a support to Jesus. His main mission is to carry out the work of Jesus. Herein we see a model for church planting. In order for church planting to exist there must be a sending church. Just as there is a sending church there is also a sent one, the church planter. This is the church planter that is called to fulfill the specific assignment of planting a new church. No church planter can do his work alone so there must also be a support team sent to surround him. That is a group of people that come along side of the church planter to fulfill the task. Literally the sending God gives us a model of what church planting relationships should look like. Our ecclesiology is vitally important as it relates to missions. What is the purpose of the church? Is the church an end unto itself, or is it the means to carrying out the missionary task. It is my persuasion that each local church should form into a missionary agency with one of its chief concerns to send believers out on mission with the chief mission being planting new churches. The goal is to not just grow the seating capacity of the church, but to grow the sending capacity of the church. It seems the Apostle Paul made this extremely clear when he gave instructions to the leaders at the church in Ephesus, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-12). These verses teach us that the leaders of the church are called and put in place in order to equip the saints to carry out the ministry. What better ministry than church planting. The church should have a primary focus on equipping those in her midst to take up the call of planting other churches that plant other churches. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Eric Stewart married his wife Lori in October of 2006 and they now have three beautiful children. Pastor Eric received a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science and Religion from Liberty University and has since begun working on a Masters of Divinity degree. In the fall of 2014 Eric along with others from the Flint area started ONElife Church which Pastor Eric now serves as the Lead Pastor. #MARCH18

SARNIA, ONTARIO – As the clouds darkened the skies over the city of Sarnia I was reminded it was expected to be a colder winter and the snow would pile up. The cold winter is what birthed the idea to hand out retired winter wear along with with the gospel message, thanks to the Ayton family. This year we had over thirty people participated in reaching the unchurched people of Sarnia. The winter wear had been collected diligently and coats were ready to be handed out to anyone who had a need. Not to be put off by the foreboding sky, this little band of Christians gathered along the side of Bayside Mall to hand out hot chocolate, coffee, winter coats, boots, hats and mitts. Along with these acts of kindness were people ready to talk about the love of our Saviour. Gospel literature was available and tracts were intermingled in the pockets of all the coats. We were all gathered to give a cup of water in Jesus’ name. The spirit of spontaneity, adventure and resourcefulness all came to fruition on a particular Thursday morning. As the raindrops hits my windshield I decided to turn around and go home to gather plastic tarps and my sunshade. Before long we had constructed a “tent city” to keep the garments and shoppers dry as they looked for something that might fit their children or themselves. One single mom remarked how thankful she was for these coats because she did not know what she was going to do for her kids. Our church planting team (The Bridge Gathering) put together eighty “blessing bags” filled with colorful homemade hats, many personal items and a New Testament. We added a special event prize filled with Christmas delicacies, bus passes and other practical helps for anyone who filled out a ballot, which would be drawn at a free Christmas dinner in two weeks. We gained contact information for future events and asked if they would check off an interest in life skill classes like cooking, finances and parenting. Many responded positively to this initiative and we look forward to maintaining email and phone contact to continue our ministry to this community in the days ahead. Over the next three-hours, we witnessed to more than two hundred people, enrolled them for future follow up and handed out Christmas dinner invitations to which one hundred actually came two weeks later. And just when you think you’ve done everything, I had my first turkey cooking experience as I spent the day putting three of those big birds through my kitchen oven. At the event, volunteers mixed and mingled during the dinner to indicate that we are interested in a relationship, not just helping them out. Children were kept occupied with a craft while parents enjoyed the delicious turkey and ham dinner. Someone even set up a photo booth and took family pictures, printed them off and delivered them to the families. One person remarked, “this was the first family picture they had taken in years.” At the end of the day, here is what we learned: If we are going to ask someone to consider a personal relationship with our Saviour, we had better be ready to establish a personal relationship with them first. We cannot talk about a relationship with Jesus Christ and not be prepared to engage ourselves in relationship with others. This is the gospel connection we must make if we are going to reach our lost neighbours. This is what it means to be “On Mission” and it is the most exciting thing we can do as Christians. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cecil Cogswell serves The Gathering Church as Director of Community Outreach for Sarnia-Lambton. Cecil and wife Jayne planted a church in the Greater Toronto Area years ago and pastored that church faithfully until relocating to Sarnia. Cecil and their team plan to develop small groups within the area as a strategy for reaching people with the Gospel. They are extremely hospitable and enjoy having people into their home. They have two married daughters. #MARCH18

RICHMOND, VA – David Platt, president of the International Missions Board (the sending arm of the Southern Baptist Church), has announced his intention to resign from that position and focus his efforts on the local church. Platt has expressed his commitment to continue serving as president of IMB until a suitable replacement can be found. Taking on the role of president in 2014, Platt has led the organization through a significant time of transition due to budget constraints. In 2015, Platt led the organization through a lot of cutbacks due to a $21 million budget deficit. IMB ended up losing over 1,000 missionaries and staff. In addition to the changes due to budget constraints, Platt also made other changes to the qualifications for those who can serve as missionaries. The most head-turning of those changes was lifting the ban on speaking in tongues. The Local Church Wins Out in David Platt’s Decision In September 2017, Platt was confirmed into the role of teaching pastor of McLean Bible Church (MBC), McLean, Virginia, by a 95 percent approval vote from the congregational members. Platt and his family are members of the Washington, D.C., area church, where Platt also serves as elder. When he took on the role at McLean Bible Church in September 2017, Platt said, “I am all in as IMB president,” he shared. “Me teaching God’s Word in the local church is not in any way indicative of a desire to do less at IMB. I am not changing anything when it comes to my commitment to the IMB.” However, he also expressed the reason for taking on the teaching pastor role was because of his feeling that “he wasn’t using his role and gifts in a way that shepherds and mobilizes as many people as possible on mission.” BSCM Reaction Tim Patterson, the Director of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan, recently spoke with David at the annual meeting of State Executives in Galveston, TX. He asked David if he and his wife had peace about the decision. Plat said that he had complete peace but still felt a heaviness about IMB. Patterson responded to him saying that he understood and would be praying for him and his family as they make the transition. David Platt Announced His Intentions to Trustees of IMB On Monday, February 12, 2018, Platt spoke to trustees of the IMB about his decision to transition from the role of president. Platt requested the group begin searching for his replacement immediately, but assured them he would continue in the role until a suitable successor had been found. According to a statement on IMB’s website, Platt gave this explanation to the trustees: “I have come to the realization that it is not viable long-term for me to lead as president of the IMB while serving as teaching pastor in a church,” Platt said. “This realization has been sobering, for I don’t believe I can choose between preaching and leading in the local church, and mobilizing and shepherding people in global missions. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that if I am going to serve in this way in the local church, then I need to serve in different ways for the cause of global missions.” “I love this IMB family, and I want to encourage you continually with God’s Word, I want to mobilize limitless missionaries to join you, and I want to work with you overseas in any ways I can help you,” Platt said. “In short, I want to do anything I can to see missions succeed across and beyond IMB and the SBC for the glory of God.” Before serving as president of IMB, Platt was pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, from 2006 to 2014. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Megan Briggs is a writer and editor for ChurchLeaders.com. Her experience in ministry, an extensive amount of which was garnered overseas, gives her a unique perspective on the global church. She has the longsuffering and altruistic nature of foreign friends and missionaries to humbly thank for this experience. Megan is passionate about seeking and proclaiming the truth. When she’s not writing, Megan likes to explore God’s magnificent creation. #MARCH18