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COMERÍO, PUERTO RICO (BP) – Even in the aftermath of Puerto Rico's devastation from Hurricane Maria, church planting missionary Jorge Santiago has been experiencing the truth of Romans 8:28 that all things can work together for good. In July, Santiago and his wife Rebeca moved to Puerto Rico with their two children, Sebastian and Sophia, to serve as North American Mission Board church planting missionaries in Comerío, a municipality of 20,000 about 30 miles south of San Juan. "Right after the storm," Santiago said, "we just focused on helping people. We started looking for resources, food and water so that we could take it to Comerío." Southern Baptist pastors on the island have rallied together along with some from other denominations to help one another in their mission to serve those in need. As Santiago prayed and ventured to find food and other resources, he noticed, both from personal experience and from others' stories, just how difficult it was to wash clothes by hand. Santiago saw different groups passing out food and water but no one was seeking to meet the need of helping people clean their clothes. "My wife's dad is a pastor whose church sent us some money," most of which Santiago used to buy three washing machines "by faith." They eventually were able to acquire three more washing machines that they've used to start a community outreach called Proyecto Mi Ropa Limpia -- My Clean Clothes Project. "God hasn't stopped giving to us," Santiago said, "and we haven't stopped giving to the people everything that comes our way." Santiago and his family have been hard at work ministering in Comerío, leaving for the town around 4:30 in the morning and not returning to their base in San Lorenzo, 30 miles to the east, until 8:30 or 9:00 at night. Rebeca manages the washing machines while Santiago travels around searching for food and water and distributing what he is able to find. Santiago received one of the pastor packs that NAMB's Send Relief ministry sent to Puerto Rico, and he said the package arrived at a time when he was having difficulty finding resources. Whenever he went to search, Santiago would pray and ask God to lead him to where the resources would be. After three days of not finding anything, he received a phone call telling him to go to the Send Relief warehouse. "Then, when I saw the pastor package, I started crying because I saw all the things they brought to us," Santiago recounted. The generator that was included in the package is being used to power some of the washing machines for My Clean Clothes Project, and the other food and resources have been a boost for his ministry to the community. "God gave us the privilege to show the people how committed we are to them and to God," Santiago said. "We get to live the gospel by serving the people." Initially, Santiago and his family had been planning to start church services in January. Hurricane Maria changed those plans, however, and Sunday, Nov. 12, Santiago had the opportunity to preach the Gospel and pray with a group of people as they gathered to share a hot meal. "It is good, all that we are doing right now to help serve people," he said. "It's important to the people, but more important than that is the need to share the Gospel." A passage from Mark 1:32-38 helped Santiago see that it was time to start preaching. The community was open. "People every day started asking me what my church is, but I don't even have a church yet," he said. "They kept asking me the time of the service, and they wanted to hear the Word of God." Their plan is to keep gathering with people every Sunday and preaching the Word. The way that Santiago and his wife served the community opened the door for the Gospel and has made him eager to preach the Good News. "We are not here to play or waste our time or God's time." Santiago said. "We are here with a mission, and we are here to accomplish our mission." Santiago continues to move toward an official launch for the church, but in the meantime, he and other churches like his will make use of resources that arrive through financial donations made through Send Relief. "As a pastor, I still need resources to help the people," Santiago said. "People don't believe in what you're going to say to them unless you prove to them that you love them. The way that they experience your love for them is by giving to them." Visit sendrelief.org to volunteer or donate funds to the continuing disaster relief efforts for men, women and children in Puerto Rico who still need aid as they recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board. #DECEMBER17

EDITOR'S NOTE: David Platt is president of the International Mission Board. This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 4-11 with the theme of "The Gospel Resounds." The theme undergirds the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. The offering, in tandem with Cooperative Program gifts from Southern Baptist churches, supports international workers in seeking to fulfill the Great Commission. Gifts to the Lottie Moon offering are received through local Southern Baptist churches or online at IMB.org, where there are resources to promote the offering. This year's goal is $155 million. RICHMOND, VA. (BP) – If you are reading this article, you are likely a part of one of more than 46,000 churches the International Mission Board partners with to spread the Gospel around the world, particularly among people who have never heard the Gospel. That's a pretty awesome thought: you and your church are joined with 46,000 other churches who say, "Together we want to get the Gospel to every person and group of people on the planet." And the primary way we do that together is by sending and supporting missionaries all over the world. Thousands of missionaries have been sent out from this coalition of Southern Baptist churches. These missionaries are not just sent out; they're also supported by the giving of our churches. God's Word shows us in 1 Thessalonians 1 why giving together like that makes sense -- and, even more, how giving in your church is resounding to God's glory around the world. First Thessalonians is the first letter Paul writes to the church that he, Silas, and Timothy had played a part in starting. These men had a close relationship with this church -- 15 different times in this letter, Paul calls them his "brothers," over and over emphasizing his love for them. And over and over again, he expresses thanks for them, for who they are, and for what they are doing. That's what draws me to this book when I think about you and your church: As a part of this coalition of churches who are sending and supporting thousands of missionaries around the world, I just want to thank you over and over and over again. I want to thank you for what you're doing, not just as a family of brothers and sisters there in your church, but as a family of brothers and sisters far beyond your church. In that sense, then, I want to say some of the same things to this entire coalition of churches that Paul says to the Thessalonians. Paul starts by reminding this church how the Gospel has affected them -- how the Gospel has changed their lives -- and how that Gospel has spread through them. First Thessalonians 1:8 tells us the Gospel has sounded forth from Thessalonica not just throughout Macedonia and Achaia (the nearby areas), but everywhere around the world. In the same way, then, I want to encourage you to stop and reconsider how the Gospel has affected you -- how the Gospel has changed your life. And I want to celebrate with you how the Gospel is spreading through you everywhere around the world. How the Gospel affected you Paul reminded the Thessalonian church that the Gospel is our foundation. He said, "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction" (1 Thessalonians 1:4–5, ESV). This same reality unites our coalition of churches, including your church. You exist because the Gospel came to you one day in power and in the Holy Spirit with great conviction. You exist as a church for one reason: God loves you. God brought you the Good News that though we have rebelled against Him and deserve His judgment, He has not left us to die in our sin. Instead, He has saved us from our sin. This is the greatest news in all the world: we have been delivered from the ultimate penalty of sin -- death itself! This Gospel is good, and it's the whole reason the International Mission Board exists. It's the whole reason this coalition of churches is working together to send and support missionaries around the world: the multitude of people in the world who have never heard this Gospel. We estimate that there are at least 2.8 billion people today who have little to no knowledge of the Gospel. In other words, no one has ever even told them the Good News of what God has done for us in Jesus. It's not tolerable for us that billions of people in the world still haven't heard this Good News, and together we want to change that. Paul also reminded the Thessalonians that the Gospel is our motivation. The Gospel was driving, compelling, motivating and changing the early Church (1 Thessalonians 1:3). It produced work marked by faith, labor driven by love, and endurance driven by hope. The Thessalonians not only believed the Gospel in their heads and their hearts; it affected their hands. Their love for God and for each other enabled them to endure through the persecution and trials they faced. The Gospel at work in you The same is true today. As you care for one another in the church, and as you love and serve the community around you, that's the Gospel at work in you. Last year, our coalition of churches gave the highest amount we collectively have given in the history of the IMB: $165.8 million (to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions). That broke our all-time record by over $11 million! And when I saw that number come in, I thought, "What a picture of God's grace." What a picture of the Gospel at work in the hearts of God's people, that you would be compelled to give $165.8 million together for the spread of the Gospel around the world. I praise God for your faith-driven work, your love-driven labor, and your hope-driven endurance. I praise God for your Gospel-driven giving. I praise Him that the Gospel is your ambition, just as it was for the Thessalonians, to sound forth God's glory not only in our communities, but around the world. Right now, because of your giving, there are missionaries going up and down the Amazon and proclaiming the Gospel to remote tribes. Right now, people in European cities who are being attacked continually by terror are also hearing the hope of the Gospel because of your giving. Right now, as a result of your giving, there are brothers and sisters spreading the Gospel across West African villages, sub-Saharan countries, Middle Eastern cities, South Asian fields, Central Asian mountains, and Southeast Asian islands. Your faith is literally resounding around the world for the glory of God. A couple of months ago, I was actually in Thessaloniki. The city has become a holding place for refugees fleeing Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran who want to get into Macedonia. I walked late at night on the Macedonian border, north of Thessaloniki, through a sea of refugee tents swimming in mud as freezing rain fell on them. I looked at lines of men and women standing and waiting for small rations of food in the freezing rain, listening to the sounds of their children crying and their babies coughing in these tents, children the same age as my kids. These are men and women just like you and just like me, living in semblance of hell on earth. But here's the good news. Right now, because of your giving, missionaries are living and working right in the middle of those refugees. People from Syria, for example, who have never heard the Gospel before, are hearing it for the first time, and they're responding. One Syrian woman said to our missionary, "I'm tired of being tied to a religion that doesn't offer me hope; I want to be a new person." She, her husband, and their friend all placed their faith in Christ that day and were baptized outside the camp. Two Kurdish brothers whose family had been killed by radicals in Iraq, including their parents right in front of their eyes, straight up said, "We don't want to be Muslim anymore. We want to follow Jesus." A Palestinian-born man who was raised in Syria because of conflict in Palestine, who was separated from his wife and children and not sure when or how in the world he will reunite with them, saw our missionary distributing water. He pulled him aside and asked him two questions. "Do you speak Arabic?" (To which our missionary said, "Yes.") The second question was, "Can you tell me how to become a Christian?" Because of your church's giving, right now refugees are hearing the greatest news in all the world. Or to put it in the words of 1 Thessalonians: because of the Gospel in you and your church, God's glory is sounding forth right at the border of Macedonia, and everywhere around the world. So I want to thank you. And at the same time, I want to encourage and challenge you. I want to encourage you to give all the more generously and all the more sacrificially and all the more cheerfully in the days ahead so that people who have never heard the Gospel might hear this Good News of what God has done for us in Jesus, that they might receive it, just as you have -- and that through them, this Gospel might resound all the more in the world to the glory and praise of God. Take the next step at IMB.org/LMCO. ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Platt is the president of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. This article originally ran in the Winter 2016 issue of SBC LIFE. #DECEMBER17

This article first appeared in The Alabama Baptist Newspaper on Nov. 16, 2018 BIRMINGHAM, AL – Church shootings are becoming more commonplace in today’s society. Keeping church members safe from active shooters has become a new concern for Southern Baptist pastors and staff. Recently, on Sunday, November 5, the small congregation at First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs Baptist Church, in Texas fell victim to an active shooter who walked into the church about 11:30 a.m. He killed 26 church members, including the pastor’s 14-year-old daughter, and wounded about 20 others before he died from gunshot wounds. The event was an overwhelming tragedy for this close-knit community, home to about 400 residents. Like most small Southern Baptist churches, First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs has minimal church and grounds security. In the wake of such terror, many pastors and church leaders are asking how they can protect their church members against this kind of unexpected violence. Here are some ways to protect your church: (This list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it suggested a church needs to act on all of these recommendations) Hire security guards as a first line of defense. Train volunteer church greeters to be watchful for those who are suspicious and may cause violence. Provide them with two-way radios to report possible danger to an appointed church person. Meet with local police and learn their strategy for responding to an active shooter. Give police a detailed blueprint of every room in the church to be used if they might need to secure the building. Ask police for up-to-date contact information in case of a church crisis and distribute to church leadership/staff. Ask law officials about a lockdown policy for your church to avoid the chaos of an unexpected evacuation. Train your deacons to be watchful before, during, and after church worship services and events. Teach them to be actively aware of people/things that seem out of the ordinary. During worship services, place deacons throughout the sanctuary, balcony, and building. Most church shootings take place after the worship service begins. Consider locking some church entrances after services begin, but use doors that allow members to leave the building if necessary. Put greeters or a security guard outside entrance doors left unlocked to meet latecomers. Establish an emergency plan in the event of an act of violence and practice it regularly. Equip church leaders and staff with information on how to respond to emergencies, as well as how to get police and medical assistance. Create a list of counselors in your area who can be contacted in case of an emergency. Hold a disaster leadership workshop. Ask a local police chief to train appointed key leadership/people in your church to deal with active shooters. Also plan for a post-incident course of action: evacuation and assembly points, witnesses speaking with police, prayer time and counseling, etc. Make the congregation aware of all emergency exits in the building. Ask members to report any concerns and/or anything out of the ordinary to the appointed central person. Teach them what to do in case of an emergency. This can be done with the congregation as a whole or through newsletters and brochures. Practice emergency procedures together as a church on a selected day. In your children’s ministry area, organize a safe system of drop off and pick up for each child. Make sure each volunteer worker with children has passed a criminal background check. Station security volunteers or professionals at the entrance of the children’s area. Report any suspicious persons. In case of an emergency, alert your members to places they can take cover and hide, as well as a designated rally point inside or outside the church. Know your church members, especially those people who have criminal records, a history of violent behavior, or a grudge against the church and/or leadership. Establish a good method to communicate among church leaders, staff, and security teams. Install closed-circuit televisions, alarm systems, and good lighting for church grounds at night, especially in parking lots. When reporting an active shooter, call 911 immediately. Tell first responders the following urgent information (if you know it): The estimated number of shooters The shooter’s location in the building The type of weapon shooter might be using The immediacy of the threat The location of nurseries, children’s ministries, and other sensitive areas Stay on the line to keep police informed about happenings, etc. While church shootings are rare, shooting violence is escalating. Taking preventive measures: carefully-placed safeguards, designated security teams, and a practiced plan of action/evacuation can help Southern Baptist churches avoid the tragic results of active shooters and other acts of violence. Note: To help your church guard against violence and other disasters, you can order a church safety toolkit through GuideStone through a partnership with Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company at this website: www.guidestonepropertycasualty.org. The Definition of An Active Shooter An armed person(s) whose action is immediately causing death or great bodily injury. Why the Church May Be Targeted By An Active Shooter Churches are welcoming to strangers, inviting them inside to join worship services and church events; Most churches have no pre planned emergency guidelines or established safety precautions; Security is limited and/or non-existent at many churches; Church members are often too trusting of those who pass through the church doors; Churches may not conduct professional criminal background checks before they allow or hire volunteers to work with children, nurseries, etc. Church worship services provide a shooter with open opportunities to enter church sanctuaries and the greatest number of people to kill or injure at any given time and space. Most outside and inside doors are unlocked and easily accessible. Oftentimes church doors may be left unlocked at night. Who Are the Shooters? Most shooters are in the 19-50 age bracket. Few shooters are under 18 years old. [Church Mutual Insurance Company] More than 90% of shooters are male. The day most shooters choose for violence is Sunday after the worship service begins; the second choice is Wednesday. Although violence can happen at any time, most active shooters choose the hours between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Most shooters kill themselves after inflicting violence, or are stopped through internal intervention. Few shooters are killed by police because most incidents end before police can arrive on the scene. Primary motive for the shooter: revenge Other motives might include: Physical/mental illness Mad at the world Domestic and/or marital problems Child custody disputes Congregation disputes and/or denied services Hatred, anger against church leadership ABOUT THE AUTHOR Denise George, author of 30 books, is co-author of the new Penguin Random House book: The Lost Eleven: The Forgotten Story of Black American Soldiers Brutally Massacred in World War II. She is married to Dr. Timothy George, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, AL. #DECEMBER17

IRONWOOD, MI – A parishioner in Catalyst Baptist Church gave me a poem from Ruth Prentice called God’s Gift.” The poem is: This is a message lost in much of our modern world. Christmas is not a season about hanging a Christmas tree, or stockings around the fire. Christmas is not about what we can give, how early we can shop, or how long we can put it off. Christmas is about the gift God gave to mankind 2,000 years ago that is still working, does not need batteries, will not break no matter how rough we handle it, and we can’t lose it. But, we can give it away. This is Christmas. Let us not forget, Luke 2: 11-12, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” The greatest gift man has ever known. Be sure to give Jesus as your gift to others. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ian Minielly is pastor of the Catalyst Baptist Church in Ironwood, MI and a regular contributor to the Baptist Beacon. #DECEMBER17

DEWITT, MI – “Pastor…This might have been the only time some of these kids heard the Gospel!” That statement rings loudly in my head every year as we approach the Christmas season, and it makes me very conscious of the various ways to share Christ during this time. Have you ever considered how many opportunities the Christmas season gives us for evangelistic sharing and encounters? Before I became a pastor I hadn’t given it much thought other than just the celebration of “our dear Savior’s birth.” But over the years, I’ve discovered that December gives us a wide variety of ways to broadcast the Good News of great joy. Before we returned to Michigan, I heard about a church in our association in Virginia that was having a “Hanging of the Greens” service. I was unfamiliar with this service at the time. But once I obtained a copy of the service after our move, I shared it with our church leadership. We decided it was something we wanted to include in our annual schedule. We print invitation cards three weeks before the service for our people to distribute. We also announce it on Facebook and in our local newspaper. “Hanging of the Greens” is usually observed on the first Sunday evening of Advent. It is a decorating service with narrations explaining each decoration in relation to Christ. Following each narration a Christmas carol is sung as church members put up particular decorations—wreaths, window candles, the Advent wreath, and candles, etc. The climax of our service is the lighting of the Chrismon tree. Chrismons are Christian symbol decorations that remind us that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birthday. Children and their parents come forward to help decorate the tree before we light the tree. Then I give a brief talk about the Christmas story. Soon after we started this tradition, we talked to our high school’s choral director about having the select choral group come and sing some Christmas songs prior to the “Greens” service. She was delighted at the opportunity. (We give the group an honorarium for coming.) Every year our service has approximately 25 high school singers who come and share their talents. And many times their parents come, too. One year in particular, we were reminded of the significance of inviting those young people. That was the evening the young lady from the group, a Christian, walked up to me during our fellowship/reception afterwards and said, “Pastor, thank you for inviting us. This might have been the only time some of these kids heard the Gospel!” Wow! I was overwhelmed, almost to tears, because I realized there are kids (and adults) in our midst today who do not know the real story of Christmas. So I make it a point in early December to remind myself, our members, and attenders of the importance of the meanings behind our Christmas decorations. They can use that information to share the Christ story in their homes with unbelieving family members, or neighbors, or even out there in the marketplace when folks are admiring a wreath, a tree, or a poinsettia. It’s true that without Easter, Christmas would be meaningless. But thank the Lord the days leading up to Christmas give us plenty of opportunities to share the greatest Gift of all - Jesus. Want more background info? Check out lifeway.com/Article/Christmas-traditions-rooted-in-ancient-culture. For more on chrismons: umcs.org/chrismons. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Dan Wilkinson is pastor of First Baptist Church in DeWitt, Michigan. Dan and Denise, his wife, are products of Michigan Baptists having grown up in Detroit area churches. #DECEMBER17

WASHINGTON, DC – In his third letter, the apostle John instructs his friend Gaius about the importance of supporting itinerate missionary evangelists. In the process, he gives us a number of biblical principles that should shape the way we think about our own missionary sending and support. Calling himself “the elder,” John writes, The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth (3 John 1–8). There are several direct implications for missions in this short passage. Let’s consider five. 1. Concern for missions and missionaries is normal (3 John 3, 5, 8). John asserts that his friend Gaius is “walking in the truth,” and that it is “a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers.” He concludes that “we ought to support people like these [missionaries].” Scripture is clear that a desire to support the spread of the gospel to those who haven’t heard is a normal part of basic Christian health. 2. Cooperation among local churches is encouraged (3 John 3, 7). Likewise, cooperation in missions among multiple local congregations is taken for granted as a good thing. These gospel workers went out from another church, likely John’s. They were “strangers” to Gaius (v. 5), so clearly not from his congregation. And yet John says Gaius “ought” to support these people so that together John’s church and Gaius’s church may partner together for the truth. Mutual support of missionaries is a real gospel partnership that brings honor to Christ. 3. Knowing whom we ought to support is crucial (3 John 6–8). But how can we know whom to support? The apostle John narrows it down for us considerably. Certainly we hope Christians share the gospel as they scatter because of persecution (Acts 8:4) or travel in pursuit of business (James 4:13). But John describes a special moral obligation to support those who’ve been sent out “for the sake of the name.” These are the ones to whom we “ought” to give material support. “Missionaries aren’t just self-styled free agents. They should be accountable to a specific local church.” Despite globalization and mobility, until Christ returns there will always be a need for churches to train, send, and financially support intentional missionaries. What’s more, when John notes that these missionaries were “accepting nothing from the Gentiles,” he seems to mean they weren’t earning money from the gospel; so the church should supply their needs. Lots of people share the gospel. Praise God! But only some have a moral claim on the local church’s financial support. These are the men and women we call missionaries. Missionaries aren’t just self-styled free agents. They should be accountable to a specific local church. The missionaries mentioned in 3 John are probably accountable to John’s church in Ephesus. Did you notice the church connection in verse six? John tells Gaius these missionaries “testified to your love before the church.” After having been supported by Gaius, they returned and reported back to the church that sent them. John’s letter, among other things, seems to be his church’s commendation of these missionaries as their own approved workers. Biblical missionaries are connected to a local church. It’s always been that way. 4. Support should be abundant (3 John 6). John doesn’t leave us to wonder what our support for missionaries should look like. It should be lavish, abundant, and provided “in a manner worthy of God.” “Our support for missionaries should aim to see that they lack nothing, as if we were supplying Jesus himself for a journey. It’s a high bar.” This concern that Christian workers be amply supplied is echoed elsewhere in the Bible. As Paul instructs Titus, “Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing” (Titus 3:13). Our support for missionaries should aim to see that they lack nothing, as if we were supplying Jesus himself for a journey. It’s a high bar. 5. The motivation is love for the glory of Christ (3 John 7–8). Finally, we see the motivation that should drive all this going and sending and supporting: love for the glory of King Jesus. This is the engine of the missionary enterprise—for the sake of Christ’s name. The needs of those yet unreached by the gospel are great, but John presses us to send for the sake of Christ’s fame and the glory of his truth. “Love for the glory of King Jesus. This is the engine of the missionary enterprise—for the sake of Christ’s name.” These five principles from 3 John are clear. Obedience to them should revolutionize how some of us think about supporting missions from our churches. Through the Lottie Moon Missions Offering you and I can do just that, care and support those called to go and serve. Editors’ note: This is an adapted excerpt from Andy Johnson’s new book Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global(Crossway, 2017). ABOUT THE AUTHOR Andy Johnson earned a PhD from Texas A&M and now serves as an associate pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. #DECEMBER17

WASHINGTON, DC (BP) – Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders from the U.S. and Israel joined Museum of the Bible board chairman Steve Green to dedicate the eight-story attraction in Washington on November 17 in advance of the public opening. The more-than-$500-million structure, located blocks from Capitol Hill at 400 4th St. S.W., opened exclusively to the media Nov. 14 and 15, and held a special dedication and ribbon cutting from 8 a.m.–noon today. The museum doors opened to the general public 9 a.m. on Saturday. While admission is free, timed tickets are required and entry is restricted to 15-minute intervals. "We only have one mission: that's to invite all people to engage in the history, narrative and impact of the Bible," Museum of the Bible President Cary Summers said during an October panel discussion the museum hosted. "It's a nonsectarian approach, and you draw your own conclusions after visiting here." On average, visitors would have to spend nine eight-hour days in the museum to read every placard, see every artifact and experience every activity offered, according to an official museum fact sheet. Guests enter the museum on the first floor through the nearly 40-feet high Gutenberg Gates, comprised of 118 brass panels inscribed in Latin with the first 80 lines of Genesis. The script is written in reverse to encourage guests to create souvenir rubbings, according to the museum's website. Also on the first floor, children can "walk on water" in the nearly 2,200-square-foot Courageous Pages children's exhibit. Walking on Water, one of 13 Courageous Pages areas of interest, technologically creates the illusion of a watery surface where children may stand and inspect animated marine life below, according to museum publicity. The second floor's 27,000 square feet of exhibit space demonstrates the Bible's influence "on nearly every aspect of life," according to museum promotions. A 254-foot-long tapestry telling the Bible's place throughout American history is a focus of the second floor, which also showcases the Bible in worldwide culture, government and contemporary news. "The Bible is the best-selling, most-translated book of all time and is arguably history's most significant piece of literature," Green has said of the Bible. "It has had an unquestionable influence on science, education, democracy, arts and society. This book has profoundly impacted lives across the ages, including my own." Successive museum floors include a wide array of attractions, including walkthrough theatrical exhibits immersing visitors in Bible stories, Bible history displays comprising 600 artifacts and 50 media programs, a 472-seat World Stage Theater, a 3,000-square-foot biblical garden, and a café offering Bible-inspired fare. Smithsonian.com has described the venue as one of nine "must-see" museums opening in 2017. Among those who gathered alongside Green, a Southern Baptist, are Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington; Rear Admiral Margaret Kibben, a Presbyterian and chief of chaplains of the U.S. Navy; Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, president of the Rabbinic Cabinet of the Jewish Federations of North America; U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black, a Seventh Day Adventist; U.S. House of Representatives Chaplain Pat Conroy, a Jesuit priest; Ron Dermer, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Israel's Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin and others, according to a museum press release. More information and tickets are available at museumofthebible.org. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' general assignment writer/editor. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. #DECEMBER17

NASHVILLE, TN – I am often asked what I find to be most lacking in training for churches serving cross-culturally. Sadly my answer is that they simply aren’t doing it. As harsh as that may sound, I regularly hear things from churches I train for short-term engagement like, “I wish I had known all of this before I went on my first trip,” or “I wish we had been using this information all along.” With an estimated two million people participating in short-term mission trips every year, a conversation is warranted to help them be more effective—not destructive—during their brief time in their country of service. Short-term missions is also a means of discipleship—that is, crossing cultures for the sake of the gospel inevitably changes believers, as well. It grows us in various aspects of our own faith. Leaving our comfort zones for a foreign context means we can’t rely on our familiarity. The result is a deeper reliance on the One who sends us. “Short-term missions is a means of discipleship—that is, crossing cultures for the sake of the gospel inevitably changes believers as well.” This is by no means an exhaustive list, but below are six vital areas for preparation prior to a short-term mission trip. Prayerful Trust “Missions is the joyous work of informing the world that it is loved.” —Calvin Miller It is easy to be overwhelmed with the logistical details of an international mission trip. Don’t get me wrong; logistics are a must. But even more important is connecting to and hearing from God. Only he knows the spiritual state of the peoples in the places you are entering. You need to be able to respond as the Holy Spirit leads. Trusting that he is in control of every situation gives you confidence, avoids confusion, and keeps you from being rattled when unexpected things happen on the field. Prayer is, therefore, essential for each team member to build spiritual dependence on the Lord as they join him on mission. It is in prayer that we discern the will of God, break down barriers, and are strengthened to carry out his will through obedience. Prayer will help prepare us for God-given opportunities to share about him. Team Dynamics and Resolving Conflict Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35, ESV). Conflict can arise when a person’s needs or expectations are not met. What is perceived as someone being difficult or uncooperative may simply be the fact that he or she is struggling in the current environment. For example, introverts tend to become drained around large groups of people and need time alone to recharge. Extroverts, on the other hand, gain energy from people, so they will thrive and struggle in different ways than introverts. As you prepare for your trip, consider taking a free personality profile, such as DISC, to learn your team members’ strengths and weaknesses. Once you identify these traits, leverage them by allowing team members to use their strengths and grow in their areas of weakness. Crossing Cultural Divides We all have cultural biases—things that are ingrained in us from our own experiences and surroundings. Those biases affect how we interact with others, so they need to be understood and minimized as much as possible in order to avoid barriers to good communication. Be a learner, and let people show you what they believe. Then engage them with the gospel in ways that are relevant to their specific worldview. Practically think through your own life and create a timeline, whether mental or physical. List things that have shaped you, such as family structure, faith journey, education, where you’ve lived (rural or urban), media, technology, world events, etc. Have your entire team develop their own lists and talk through how your cultural biases will be different from those of the people among whom you will be working. Discuss how those differences will shape the way you engage with them. Preparing for Culture Shock Most things we do every day are done without much thought. They are routine. Once you leave your familiar surroundings and enter into another culture, however, virtually everything will be different. Everything requires thought and everything can potentially be a trigger for culture shock—language, transportation, food, cleanliness, personal space, and even bathrooms. To help limit the disorientation you may feel, try these things before you go: Eat at an ethnic restaurant and order something unfamiliar Brush your teeth with bottled water Keep a bucket of water beside your toilet and use it for flushing Learn a few basic phrases in the local language of the country you are visiting Research cultural do’s and don’ts from websites or travel books Spiritual Warfare Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Pet. 5:8, ESV) This is a subject that isn’t talked about very often, but it is real and deserves your attention. It can come in subtle forms like health problems, relationship struggles, physical illness, and many others. As Chuck Lawless recently wrote on the topic, “We face three enemies: the world, our flesh, and the devil (Eph. 2:1–3). In some cases, the three are so interwoven that it’s difficult to tell them apart.” Recognizing who is our enemy, and who isn’t, is the first step to victory. Both before and during your trip, through Bible study and prayer, prepare yourself and your team to face an enemy who does not want to see you produce fruit in your work. Safety and Security Although safety is not the number one concern of those engaging in global mission—obedience to Christ’s call and command is—it would be foolish not to consider it at all. In today’s world, we cannot rely on any “safe” places. Expecting the unexpected and having contingency plans will help you and your loved ones at home rest easier. Understand the potential risks of global travel and learn best practices to minimize adverse situations. Again, this is far from an exhaustive list. However, these six considerations are a great starting point for churches and individuals looking to maximize effectiveness in short-term missions. If interested to learn more - Equipped To Go provides an online training session o n staying healthy and keeping everyone secure while traveling abroad through minimizing risk and managing potential or real crises. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Debbie Stephens lives in Middle Tennessee. She is the founder and president of Equipped To Go, which provides training and coaching services to those desiring to be culturally adept while traveling, living, and working in foreign countries. She also leads the Jet Set division of the Upstream Collective. Follow her on twitter @equippedtogo. #DECEMBER17

ALPHARETTA, GA – Many churches would love to serve veterans and soldiers, but feel ill-equipped or think they cannot do so because they’re not in a “military town.” Below are 12 practical ways churches can minister to those who have served or are serving in the U.S. military: Pray for veterans, service members and the military chaplains who minister to them on bases at home and abroad. Encourage emotionally and spiritually healthy parishioners to take time to listen to the military personnel in your community. Ask those in your church who have served in the Armed Services to come alongside the church as it seeks to serve the veterans, service members and their families. Find ways to recognize Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day at your church. You could even consider honoring the various military branches on their birthdays. Realize that your church does not need to be near a large military installation to minister to veterans and service members. Veterans and service members who are not near a large base may feel isolated and need greater local community support. Draw 10- to 15-mile circle around your church, and locate any Veterans Affairs (VA) offices, VA Medical Centers or military installations. Reach out, and ask about their specific needs. Network with military chaplains in your area. Host them, and help them set up a military veteran and family network. Your church can then become a referral any time needs arise in the military community in your area. If your church is near a large base with a military population where the majority of people stay two to three years, host special events (such as special dinners or welcoming Bible studies) that help service members and their families connect as quickly as possible. When a service member is deployed, send letters and care packages that let him or her know she is thought of and prayed for. Help the families of deployed service members with routine tasks: prepare meals, help with car maintenance, offer to do yard work or offer to tutor or mentor the kids. Encourage the church to see themselves as a family who are there to support military members and their families while the spouse is deployed. Advertise that your church is a safe place. Find a trusted, Christian counselor in your area who is professionally equipped to handle moral injury, suicide ideation or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This list has been adapted from conversations with retired Maj. Gen. Chaplain Doug Carver, retired Brig. Gen. Chaplain Carlton Fisher and Pastor Jeff Streucker. For more information about serving our Armed Services personnel and their families, contact the chaplaincy office of the North American Mission Board at chaplains@namb.net. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board. #DECEMBER17

LOUISVILLE, KY (BP) – Dec. 18, 2014, Sam and Stephanie Patterson changed four lives forever as they adopted three sisters and a brother who came into their lives through foster care. Now, three years later, the family is eager for another Christmas together. Carrie, Carissa, Austin and Kali were first welcomed into the Patterson home in October 2013. These four years have been a time of growth and adjustment, yet the children "have changed our lives completely," Stephanie said, hardly remembering "what life was like pre-kids." The family's journey was atypical from the challenges often involved in foster care and adoption, Stephanie acknowledged. "I don't think that we had a normal experience. I honestly don't. Ours was the best possible experience we could have. They loved being in our home, they were wonderful children to take care of and we connected with them immediately. "Within six months parental rights were terminated. Within one year they were ours. Adoption was final Dec. 18, 2014," Stephanie said. "That is not the norm. Normally it takes three years and for us it took one. So we're very, very thankful." Despite how everything fell in place for the Pattersons, they are just like any other family. "We have ups and downs, it's not roses all the time," Stephanie said. The day before she met their children for the first time, a friend asked Stephanie if she had any idea what she was getting into. To which she answered, "No, I sure don't." But the love and support they received from friends and family was overwhelming. "One thing that parenting has taught me, in having four all at once, is that parenting is very humbling. When people ask you if they can help, always say yes no matter what it is.... People were so willing to help and I'm forever grateful for the help we received." As the Patterson's approach the third anniversary of the adoption, they can't help but look back on how things have changed and how much their children have grown. "It has gone by so fast ... they're growing up right before our eyes," Stephanie said. Carrie, now 14, loves to serve others. "She will willingly do acts of service for you, she is kind of like that caregiver, being the oldest." Carissa, now a lively 10-year-old, is said to be a princess who loves to laugh and snuggle. She is the leader among her friends and loves to plan activities with them. Austin, now 7, is quite different from his sisters. He loves playing with trucks and anything with wheels, yet most of all he loves playing with his little sister Kali. "His greatest joy is making [her] laugh," Stephanie said. Kali, now 5 and the youngest of the four siblings, has needed some help adjusting. "She had some developmental delays," Stephanie said. "When we got her she could not hold her head up. She'd never been on her tummy and she had obviously been neglected. She goes to a specialty pediatric daycare and receives all the therapies [she needs] and has improved so much." Kali is the most stubborn of the siblings, Stephanie noted. "Her stubbornness is what gave her the strength to learn to walk, to learn to crawl, to learn to talk.... She's a very happy little girl, and one of my greatest joys is listening to her laugh." The journey through the foster-to-adoption process, and now adapting to life as a family of six, has been "wonderfully exhausting," Stephanie said. "Even though I didn't physically labor for my children, believe me I labored for it. There's so many hoops to jump through.... We labored for our children, just in a very different way." Despite the laborious times they have faced, the Pattersons have remained grateful that God brought them together. "I have come to understand just how amazing God's grace is for us," Stephanie said. "Because as a parent it's not discipline all the time. As a parent you have to parent with grace because your kids make mistakes and it's your job to teach them.... God's grace just pours over daily, and in return I need to show that grace to my children." And at Christmas, Sam and Stephanie get to share precious memories with their children every year. One of their favorite memories took place two years ago, when Carissa was in the second grade. Stephanie watched as her daughter and the second grade class got up to share what their greatest Christmas gift was. When it was her turn Carissa said, "My greatest Christmas gift is that my mom and dad took me in and adopted me, and now I have a forever family." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Savannah Lewis is an electronic media assistant for the Kentucky Baptist Convention. #DECEMBER17

MONROE, MI – For more than 12 years Dale Beal has been the chaplain in jail ministry in Monroe County. He ministers in two locations. One is the Main location which houses maximum security prisoners, and the other is the Dorm facility which houses minimum security prisoners. The dorm also houses Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Detainees. He goes to the Main House every other Tuesday and into the Dorm House every Wednesday. Two different men travel with Dale, and together they preach God’s Word. Just like many churches do today, they flash the words and the pictures of different hymns on the wall while they sing. In the Main House, they are locked in a room with a maximum number of 15 prisoners. They are given a two-way radio, and cameras monitor throughout the room. Most of the men they encounter are headed to prison. Prison will be far worse for them than jail. Every night Dale and his volunteer are thanked for giving up their time to come and minister. The chaplain team focuses their time on the Gospel, sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ each week. Beal says, “I have seen some of the hardest guys break down and cry. God is breaking down the hardness of their hearts. Last month, a guy, who is on his way to prison, came up to me after the service asking to talk. With tears in his eyes, he said “Thank you.” It was obvious the Holy Spirit was doing a mighty work in this man’s life and so many others. Only God knows how much he needed to hear the words of salvation in Christ that I talked about that night. We are so amazingly blessed by the privilege of sharing with these guys each week.” During his time of serving in the jail, Beal has been able to perform three weddings in the Main House and four in the Dorm House. When he officiated his first wedding, a guard told him he was the first to perform a wedding in the Main jail, and that he was the only one who had permission to do so in the Dorm jail. In another rare sign of trust, he is also allowed to bring cookies and pop into the Dorm for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The women of CrossPointe Church Monroe bake the cookies in another form of volunteer help for the ministry. Beal adds, “This simple act of caring means so much to the men in the jail. It is easy for society to forget about them and yet their need to be loved is greater than ever when isolated from friends and family.” More than 65% of the jail inmates are alcoholics or drug addicts. Beal shares, “I know all too well since I was once both of those. Thanks be to God I have been sober 26 years. This is one reason the guys like coming to my service, I used to be just like them, but Jesus changed me. We have an instant connection where God took something bad in my life and now uses it for good.” Jesus is doing some mighty things in the Monroe County jails. But Chaplain Beal says so much more can be done if more Michigan Baptists come to be a part of this important ministry. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chaplain Dale Beal, leads the Freedom Jail Ministry for CrossPointe Church Monroe. Former biker, addict and troublemaker, now transformed and on mission with God to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. #DECEMBER17

FENTON, MI – Lottie Moon dedicated her life to the people of China, living out the Good News before them. It was seldom easy living in a vastly different culture and little support, but she always found a way to be faithful. Her early efforts have paved the way for thousands of missionaries since and one of those is how she provided a blessing which in turn opened a door. As a way to earn the trust of the people in China, Lottie Moon made tea cakes for the children in her village. She would then be invited into homes where she could share the gospel with their mothers. The children began calling Lottie “the cookie lady.” Plain Tea Cake (As made by Lottie Moon) 3 teacups of sugar 1 teacup of butter 1 teacup of sour milk 4 pints flour 3 eggs, well beaten 1/2 teaspoon of soda Flavor to taste, roll thin, bake in a quick oven. Adapted recipe: 2 cups flour ½ cup butter 1 heaping cup of sugar 1 well-beaten egg 1 tablespoon cream Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Add the flour and cream. Dust a board with flour. Roll the dough very thin. Cut cookies with a round cookie cutter. Place on a buttered or nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 475 degrees for about 5 minutes. Contact Sue Hodnett, sue@bscm.org, your state WMU director for LMCO Week of Prayer guides and Lottie Moon Offering Envelopes. Visit the International Mission Board website Imb.org, to learn more about Lottie and the missions of Southern Baptists worldwide. #DECEMBER17