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by David Thompson NASHVILLE, TN – There really is something about Mary. Mary was about to marry a man named Joseph, and suddenly found herself expecting a child. Yet she had never known a man intimately. It was her response to the angel that is almost as miraculous as what was happening to her. Let us remember that nothing like this had ever happened before—and surely has not since. Her response to this news is so classic and yet so timely and yet so perfect. Also keep in mind, Mary was just your everyday teenager that wanted to get married and have a family. But now her plans have been altered, immediately, drastically, unbelievably—ahh. But she does believe it! And her response is amazingly and overwhelmingly overlooked in most narratives and homilies concerning the incarnation of Jesus. Jesus—the co-creator, eternal, self-existent, second member of the Trinity, Son of God and Deity Incarnate! (That Jesus) What would you have said if given such life altering news? The Good news is that this was Good News to her and guess what—Mary nailed it! Here is Mary’s truly amazing response, “Behold—the bond slave of the Lord…be it done to me according to your word.” WOW! Mary got it right! (Some versions have it as the handmaiden of the Lord). In essence, Mary is acknowledging her relationship to her Lord. She is saying simply…I am your slave! A what? A Slave! Mary could not have known that no one in the 21st century would be a fan of that word. But her Son would. In fact, Jesus was a fan of the word when he noted, “Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin.” This young virgin named Mary understood that— she knew that she could be a slave to her selfish desires…Or whatever she wanted in life…Or she could completely and utterly surrender all that she was to all that God is. Now, in my own personal estimation, that’s exactly what it means to be in Christ and for Christ to be in you. So, here’s the rub, in a world where NO ONE and I mean NO ONE wants to be a slave!!! Absolutely everyone and I mean everyone is in fact a SLAVE! How do we know? Pretty simple really— we are all sinners. The proof is that we do two things…we cast a shadow (something angels don’t do) and we die! The facts are the facts—the proof is in the pudding—and of all people, Bob Dylan got it right when he wrote the song—“Gotta Serve Somebody”. The lyrics are simply—“you gotta serve somebody…it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord—but you gotta serve somebody.” So, in a world where everyone thinks they are always right and it seems almost no one is mostly right, let us take a cue from a young Hebrew girl, and let us for once in our lives say, “Lord Jesus—I totally and completely surrender everything to you…in essence…(I am yours)…And no one else’s. You see dear friend, God loves you just like you are and not like you ought to be. He understands all there is known and unknown about you. Yet he made you to enjoy life (by way of) your surrendered relationship to Him. Don’t be afraid to follow Mary’s example—trust Jesus unequivocally…give yourself completely without reservation to Him. Jesus will take it from there. He will make something so beautiful with the crumbs you give up. You will be amazed! And you will never, ever, ever regret it! 'Tis the season! Just try Jesus! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. David L. Thompson holds an undergraduate degree from Belmont University in Psychology and Religion, a graduate degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Education, and a doctorate in Counseling and Pastoral Psychology. He has served as a chairman of the Church Planting Group and Executive Committee Chair at the North American Mission Board for 10 years. He has been a Police Chaplain since 1991 and served as a Corporate Chaplain to the Coca Cola Bottling Company in Nashville, Tennessee where he resides with his wife. He has six children and five grandsons. #DECEMBER22

by Jason Livvix OSCODA, MI – 'Tis the season to be jolly, fa ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra! This is from one of my favorite Christmas movies, “A Christmas Story”. While the movie is full of silly humor it gives us the reality of what Christmas is all about to most people. I just want this material item that will make me happy. We know Christmas is much more than that. I want to encourage you to take advantage of the season. There are two things I want to encourage you to do. 1. Tell others the reason for the season. I know this is the “Sunday School” answer but there is not a better time of year than this to tell people about Jesus. If you are praying for someone for salvation, take them a small gift and then explain to them the gift of salvation. Wherever you happen to be, workplace, holiday gathering, even shopping, and a conversation comes up about Christmas, chime in and let them know about the real reason for the season. It may surprise you how many people might not know the real meaning of Christmas. 2. I encourage the Church to celebrate the Christmas season. At Fresh Start Fellowship we have a variety show. Some people sing Christmas songs, some read poems, we have comedy, and most importantly we have fellowship while giving praise to Jesus for the greatest gift of all, salvation. If you are thinking you don’t have enough people, just know that we have been very small in numbers some years, but it has always been encouraging and it is a great time to invite a friend. It has been a good way to get a spouse that does not come or a friend that is unsure about coming to church to rub shoulders with the church in the building and have fun. Each year I play the Charlie Brown Christmas scene where Linus explains the real reason for the season and then we take some time to pray for our community and the year to come. I will leave you with this. I am reminded each time I go on a mission trip to a third world country that material things are really not that important. I have been in homes where the roof does not keep all parts of the house dry, and it has a dirt floor. The walls are rough sawn wood, and the size is that of my shed out back. The family barely fits in the dry part to sleep, each is grateful that they have some kind of shelter at all. Despite everything, they have an attitude of gratitude for salvation and they understand that with it they have everything. They can look past the lack of physical possessions to that of eternal position. With Jesus they have hope, not for wealth or stuff, but for promises of His Word and eternity itself. Let this Christmas be the one where we forget about commercialism and get back to what Christmas is all about; sharing the greatest gift of all time, the Good News of Jesus. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pastor Jason Livvix is the Planter/Pastor of Fresh Start Fellowship of Oscoda since 2013. Serving with his beautiful wife Tracy and their four wonderful children, Madeline, Wyatt, Joel and Sophia. The oldest three have moved back to Illinois where he's from originally. #DECEMBER22

by Brent Leatherwood Earlier this month, I had the privilege of traveling to multiple state conventions as they hosted their annual meetings. To say it was a joy to be with our SBC pastors and leaders in person is an understatement. There is something to be said about being in the same room with these brothers and sisters with whom we’ve linked arms for the purpose of the Great Commission. Two months ago, the trustees of our entity turned over the reins to me as president of the ERLC. Since that time, I have been busy calling and connecting with pastors from all across the country to––first and foremost––listen to their ideas, challenges, and experiences. In doing so, I believe this foundational work ensures that the ERLC will be able to keep speaking from our churches, just as it has since its inception. The ERLC is an institution that dates back over a century, and it belongs to Baptists––the pastor, the minister, and the individual in the pew who faithfully and sacrificially gives to the Cooperative Program. But this heart isn’t unique to me. It comes directly from our mission statement. The ERLC exists to speak with and assist our churches in understanding the moral demands of the gospel and, at the same time, to speak from our churches about the pressing policy issues that we all face in the public square. This includes issues such as the dignity of life, religious freedom, protection of conscience rights, the sanctity of marriage as God has defined it, and the defense of human dignity. This ensures that, even as we work alongside a number of partners and peers in our work, we’ll continue speaking with a thoroughly Baptist voice about the issues important to the SBC. What matters most As we reconstitute and rebuild this team, I know that if my vision for the ERLC is not aligned with what our churches actually need right now, it won’t work. So as new staff members are brought aboard, new initiatives are designed, and new resources are created, know that each of these steps are undertaken so our entity is fashioned in such a way as to address the feedback we are receiving from our churches. One thing that will not change is our ministry assignment; one that we are privileged to carry out. This specific task has been given to us by our convention, so that means where our churches have spoken, this Commission will also speak without wavering. This is vital because a deep, abiding, and consistent voice of moral clarity is needed in the confusing times we find ourselves in. That’s what will set us apart. While there are other organizations in this space with competing motivations, this ministry will be firmly rooted in Scripture and guided by our Baptist Faith and Message. What’s next? It’s natural to wonder: What will this new version of the ERLC look like, and what comes next? There will be many updates to come on that front. I’m eager to tell our churches more in the weeks and months ahead. The best way to stay informed is by joining us at ERLC.com/updates. Signing up for email updates allows you to hear directly from us about our work and ways we are serving you on the issues that matter most to Southern Baptists. You’ll learn about our advocacy in our nation’s capital, exciting new partnerships with our state conventions, and the ways we are working across the SBC with our sister entities. As we move forward in this next chapter, know that our churches are first in our hearts and at the top of our minds. We are taking each next step with a Mark 10:44 mindset: to be a servant of all. I cannot wait to hear from you and be alongside you as we take the gospel to a chaotic public square that is in desperate need of the hope and peace that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brent Leatherwood is the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. #DECEMBER22

by Jane Rodgers FORT MYERS BEACH, FL – One Hurricane Ian survivor found dealing with the pressures of the storm and the storms of life almost unbearable … until she spoke with Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief chaplains at Fort Myers Beach. Fort Myers Beach, an oceanfront community on Estero Island—an insular strip in the Gulf of Mexico some 16 miles south of the city of Fort Myers—was a thriving vacation spot before Ian hit in late September. On Saturday morning, Oct. 22, SBTC DR chaplain Lowell Warren of Mexia, director of missions for the Bi-Stone Association, arrived to serve survivors. He learned from the county sheriff’s department that Estero Island would be closed to outsiders for two days, beginning Monday, Oct. 24, so that major cleanup operations could occur. Homeowners who elected to leave Sunday evening would not be permitted to cross the bridge from the mainland to access their damaged property until Oct. 26. By order of local, state, and federal authorities, the only people allowed on the island for two days, besides residents already there, would be city contractors, first responders, health care workers, recovery workers, Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel, and representatives from other social service agencies, Warren said. Then FEMA officials recognized needs among the survivors that even the most helpful social service providers could not meet. A ‘high demand’ for prayer “There was such a high demand for prayer. People were asking, ‘Is there anyone here who could pray with me?’” Warren said he learned from the FEMA representative, who asked the chaplain if the Southern Baptists would establish a spiritual counseling presence at Fort Myers Beach, both during the two-day restricted period and after. It was a deal no chaplain could refuse. “He asked us to be available to provide spiritual guidance to people who are struggling to make some sense of what life looks like for them after the storm. He asked us to be here to pray for those who come in seeking prayer and encouragement,” Warren said. Five SBTC DR chaplains set up a table with Bibles and tracts in Spanish and English and began praying and talking with survivors at the FEMA site on Fort Myers Beach on Oct. 24. “They aren’t handing out tracts and Bibles, but they are making them available for people to pick up,” said Sue Robinson, a SBTC DR administrative volunteer from Huntsville who is onsite at McGregor Baptist in Fort Myers. “We expect to stay here as long as needed,” Warren said. “People are very receptive. The fields are white unto harvest,” he added, noting that the chaplains talked to 25 people on Oct. 24 and prayed with 15, supplying Bibles and tracts to all who asked. They prayed with struggling first responders, survivors, and even agency personnel. They also spoke with Paula (name changed), who came into the FEMA tent after speaking with chaplain Colin Hext, a retired firefighter. Another fireman had brought Paula to meet Hext, saying, “I need you to talk to this lady.” “[Paula] was ready to give up,” Warren said. “She had even thought about ending her life. She said she had stood on her fourth-floor balcony contemplating suicide.” Chaplains learned that Paula was a believer. “Life had just been dumping on her before the storm,” Warren said. After visiting with several chaplains for a while, Paula recalled the joy of her salvation. “I would start a Scripture and she would finish it,” Warren said. “The Lord started bringing it back. All of the stuff going on in her life she just couldn’t handle anymore. The Holy Spirit took control. She left with a sparkle in her eye and hope in her heart.” Paula agreed to return to pray with the chaplains the following day and as often afterward as needed. FEMA has requested chaplains in the past during other disasters, SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice said. But DR chaplains were busy even before the FEMA request. Warren told of meeting Pat Marchan, a Fort Myers Beach resident and joyful Christian who proudly displayed a devotional book miraculously preserved from her flooded home. The book had comforted Marchan following the death of her son six years before. Its survival without any water damage reminded her that God had protected her family although all else was destroyed. Recovery work goes on Disaster relief work continues in Florida as Southern Baptist teams from across the nation serve. After preparing more than 73,000 meals distributed by the Texas division of the Salvation Army, the SBTC DR mass feeding unit operating out of McGregor Baptist in Fort Myers ceased operations begun nearly three weeks ago, on Oct. 4. “Yesterday [Oct. 23], the final meal count for the day was 1,950,” Stice said. A quick response kitchen unit manned by Dee and Doug Cates of Pampa is serving DR workers housed at McGregor Baptist in Fort Myers, as are shower and laundry units from Calvary Baptist in Beaumont, Arkansas DR, and Florida DR, Robinson said. Some 100 families from McGregor Baptist were directly impacted by Ian, Robinson said. “They’ve lost homes and roofs; some have been displaced. Even though it’s a large church, 100 families is a significant number.” Even so, “this church has just opened their arms to everybody. It’s just been amazing,” she added. SBTC DR teams have joined other SBDR crews to help with the massive clean-up efforts needed after the storm. Volunteers are committing to two-week stints. Among these, Mike Phillips led an SBTC DR chainsaw and recovery team from First Baptist Bellville. David Dean continues to direct a recovery team from First Baptist Pflugerville while a team from Spring Baptist Church under the leadership of Bill Zaffos is also working out of McGregor, Robinson said. To date, SBTC DR volunteers served 754 volunteer days and contributed 7,054 hours of service, rotating in and out of Florida, doing a variety of tasks from feeding to mud out to chainsaw work to chaplaincy, Stice said. Other state Baptist DR teams involved in Florida have included California, Arizona, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas Baptist Men, Stice confirmed, adding that additional teams from Hawaii, Mississippi, and Kansas/Nebraska are expected the week of Oct. 31. Donations for Hurricane Ian relief efforts can be made here. #NOVEMBER22

by Jerome Taylor BURTON, MI – I’m about to admit something awkward. It may not be easy to digest so you have your warning now. There are portions of Scripture that I have had a tendency to gloss over from time to time. At points in my life, they seemed rather pointless. This seems quite strange since all of Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17). So how is it that certain segments of Scripture can be so easily dismissed in their importance during certain points of our lives. I submit for me; this was due to a lack of understanding the immense kindness God shared through his providence of true brothers and sisters in Christ. Take Romans 16 for a prime example. The apostle Paul, in writing to the church at Rome under the authoritative direction of the Holy Spirit, writes of the glorious gift of the gospel with such passion and purpose. But in this same letter, he mentions no less than 28 people for whom he is thankful in how they have played a significant role in his life and ministry. Some of these have no other introduction or narrative in the unfolding revelation of Scripture than here. This is not the only place you can find mention of people who have been influential instruments of grace in the mission of the church, some named and others not so much. However, in our case and for the sake of brevity I only point to Romans 16. God has used this and other often dismissed lists of names in the Bible to remind me of a gracious and glorious treasure we all may call to mind as reasons for thankfulness. We have been granted the gift of brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the past, now in the present, and in the days the Lord is pleased to provide us for the future. As I type this article, my mind recalls those who have been instructive, encouraging, and formative in my conversion, discipleship, and ministry. I am also amazed that in the last 9 years of my pilgrimage within the land of Michigan, God has brought alongside a band of brothers that I honestly don’t know how I could have persevered without their prayer, edification, co-labor, and shaping. And I would not do justice by attempting the full list today, but I am no less grateful for each of you. Think about the people you can thank God for and in your remembrance of them in prayer (Philippians 1:3), be renewed in encouragement towards the Lord Jesus who has brought people into your life so that the good work began in you would be brought to completion. Then, seek the Lord’s help for you to be that same person in the life of another. You may not ever have your name recorded on some semi-significant list for all posterity. If not, you are just as valued by the Lord Jesus and can be used by His grace to be influential and memorable to those whose good He means to cultivate by your brotherhood or sisterhood. Be blessed my brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ for whom I am so thankful. Let us labor on together by His grace, through His gospel, and for His glory. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jerome Taylor is the pastor of Eastgate Baptist Church, Burton. He is the husband of Melinda and father of Abigail, Jackson, Hannah, and Naomi. He is the current Recording Secretary for the BSCM, a leader in the Genesee Baptist Association, the Michigan trustee for Gateway Seminary, and a Past President of the BSCM (2016-2018). #NOVEMBER22

by Matt Carter HOLT, MI – “Why am I even here? I just want to go back to bed.” It was early and I hadn’t had any coffee. Worse, it was Saturday: the one day free of hustling school-aged kids out of the door in the morning, usually reserved for sleeping in. But not today. On that morning I was awake, busy, and grumpy. What pulled me from my cozy bed and put me in such a splendid mood, you ask? I was in the kitchen at our church building, cooking breakfast casseroles as a gesture of appreciation to our volunteers. In about an hour, these faithful saints would arrive, and I would speak to them about-you guessed it- the joy of serving Jesus. Pastor-of-the-Year, right here. Somewhere between chopping bacon and loathing the inventor of alarm clocks, the Lord graciously convicted me. He brought to mind the words I was about to teach in 1 Peter 4: if we are serving the Lord (and not ourselves) we can do so without grumbling because we serve in His strength, for His glory. It was as if the Lord asked me, “Who are you really serving right now?” I stopped what I was doing, repented, prayed, and asked the Lord to give me a heart of thankfulness as I served Him. I desperately needed that reminder that it is a privilege to serve the Lord Jesus and His people. Psalm 100 calls us to “Serve the LORD with gladness…Enter His gates with thanksgiving.” When we are thankful to serve God and others, we are living like Jesus. After all, Jesus came not to be served, but to serve His people by giving His life for them (Mark 10:45). Jesus did not go to the cross grumbling about you and me. Quite the opposite. Scripture tells us that it was for the joy set before Him that Jesus endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). Joy, gladness, and thanksgiving. These are the marks of Christlike service. When we serve the Lord with gladness, He fills us with His joy. Serving the Lord with gladness and thanksgiving draws us closer to Jesus. On the one hand, it reminds us of His greater service to us. When we think of the cross and empty tomb, the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with overwhelming gratitude. That Jesus would serve a sinner such as me by dying in my place is simply stunning. “Thanksgiving” almost feels too feeble a response. But it isn’t. It is the God-honoring response. On the other hand, we can serve with thankfulness because Jesus gives us the strength to serve (1 Peter 4:11). Serving makes us more like Jesus because it connects us to His power. Serving deepens our love for Jesus because He carries us through it. Getting more of Jesus is reason to give thanks, indeed. Serving the Lord with gladness and thanksgiving is worth it, because when we do, we get the blessing of His presence and grace. Even early on a Saturday. Press on, my friends, in thankful service to the Lord. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Matt Carter serves as the Lead Pastor of Cedar Street Church in Holt. Prior to coming to Cedar Street, he served in various roles at several churches in North Carolina. He holds an MDiv from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Matt and his wife Anna have four kids and one marginally tolerable dog. #NOVEMBER22

by Timothy Cockes LAS VEGAS, NV (BP) – For Hope Church Las Vegas, planting churches throughout the city has always been a priority and a passion. Even before he became president of the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) Send Network, Hope’s founding pastor Vance Pitman viewed church multiplication as a priority, he told Baptist Press in written comments. “God sometimes builds His Kingdom in the most unlikely places, and He invited us to simply join in His activity in Las Vegas by being obedient to engage that city with the Gospel,” Pitman said. “As disciples were made, churches were born.” Pitman joined Send Network in March 2022, but not before leaving a generational legacy of church planting in Las Vegas. One particular branch stemming from Hope Church is in the process of sending out its fourth church in the city. WALK Church has benefited from the support of both Send Network and the Cooperative Program. Heiden Ratner is the senior pastor of WALK Church, which he planted in the very town where he grew up. After becoming a Christian during his freshman year of college, Ratner felt an immediate calling to reach Vegas with the Gospel. “When I became a believer, I felt like I caught a passion for evangelism, specifically in my hometown of Las Vegas,” Ratner said. “I wanted to be the change that I didn’t see and didn’t have growing up.” Upon a recommendation, Ratner would start attending Hope Church during the summers when he was home from school. Ratner had never been to church before and wasn’t even aware there were churches in Vegas. But he soon discovered that Hope Church met on Sundays in the very same gym where he played high school basketball. Pitman began mentoring Ratner, who would begin a two-year church-planting apprenticeship with Send Network in 2013. “I felt like God was calling me to plant a church one day, and I wanted Hope to be the sending church,” Ratner said. “Pastor Vance invited me into his life in discipling and mentoring me for several years, and the Send Network apprenticeship was an opportunity for me to learn what it means to be a pastor and grow my understanding of church planting and disciple-making.” In the fall of 2015, WALK Church was launched. A few years later in the fall of 2020, Ratner would step into a new position as the NAMB Send City missionary for Las Vegas. He said neither the planting of WALK nor the overall planting work of Send Network would be possible without the generous partnership of Southern Baptists through the Cooperative Program. “What I’ve seen in my couple of years being a Send City missionary is just a culture of unity among the planters in our network,” Ratner said. “There is not a competitive vibe, but it’s more of a celebration vibe. We’re seeing the great work of not only our lead church planters, but also the spouses of our planters using their gifts in the church-planting journey. “We believe in giving to what you believe in, and we believe in Send Network. We are not just talking about planting churches, but we really are planting churches. The dream is not just a theory; it is practitioner based, and it’s been a blessing to have resources to help met planter needs. “It’s not a burden to give to the Cooperative Program, it’s actually a joy because we know that the guys at Send Network are getting the job done. This wouldn’t be possible if people didn’t give. I’m not just a recipient of Send Network funds, but I’m actually a satisfied customer.” The multiplication legacy was also part of WALK Church from the beginning, Ratner said. “From our very first days we had church planting in our vision and timeline,” he said. “We believe that this isn’t a new way, it’s the New Testament way. You can find in the book of Acts that the pattern of Kingdom expansion has always been churches planting new churches.” “I want Vegas to transform and be less known for being the city of sin and be more known as the city of Him. I want the world to know that God is alive and at work in Vegas, and I believe the only way we are going to see that is through churches planting churches. WALK church alone couldn’t reach the city, but a lot of churches could.” One Vegas church planted by WALK is Favor City Church, pastored by Joseph Gibbons. Ratner met Gibbons in 2019 while guest preaching at Dayspring Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala., where Gibbons was the student pastor. “I could sense that Joseph had a calling on his life, and I wanted to try to call out the called so I began to talk with him and his wife about considering church planting,” Ratner said. Gibbons went out to visit Vegas several times. He and his wife developed a burden for the lostness in the city and realized the rate of new churches was “not even close” to keeping up with the growth in Vegas. “Pastor Vance always said that the Kingdom of God runs on the rails of relationships,” Gibbons said. “There is such as great need to get the Gospel out in Las Vegas, and we can’t do that with one single church. It takes different churches to reach different people. It’s strategic to be able to lock arms together in a unique way in the same city.” The couple would decide to move to Vegas to do a residency through WALK and Send Network. Favor City launched in October of 2021 and has grown to more than 100 people. And once again, the multiplication DNA was passed on to Favor City. Over his years serving in Alabama, Gibbons developed a relationship with Jack Diven, a fellow graduate of the University of Mobile. When Diven began feeling the call of the Holy Spirit toward church planting, Gibbons was there to talk him through the process. Diven and his wife moved to Vegas to be a part of Favor City, where they will complete a residency with plans to plant another Vegas church upon completion. “The way that God has threaded all of this together between these church plants is insane,” Diven said. “God placed me in this moment with these people, and this brotherhood between us has been a byproduct of this commitment to church planting.” In his role with Send Network, Pitman hopes to replicate the pattern of the planters he has influenced by prioritizing the relational strategy of churches planting churches. “For a biblical missiology, the sending church is critical,” Pitman said. “For this reason, the sending church is essential to our strategy at Send Network, and something that my own experience showed me needs to remain a high priority. This is why we do not allow a planter to be endorsed through Send Network without a sending church. “I believe by conviction that individuals don’t plant churches, denominations don’t plant churches, networks don’t plant churches, but churches plant churches.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Timothy Cockes is a Baptist Press staff writer. #NOVEMBER22

by Tim Patterson PLYMOUTH, MI – The question I have is, where did it go? You know, Thanksgiving. Back to school sales were displayed in every store beginning in August, and then came the adornments for Halloween. The next thing I saw was Christmas decorations and those came up before the jack-o-lanterns came down. In many retail establishments Halloween and Christmas are displayed simultaneously. My question is, what happened to Thanksgiving? I have diligently searched for Thanksgiving specific items, (not Fall) and when I did find some decorations or advertisements for this great national celebration most of it had nothing to do with giving thanks. A few turkeys, cute pilgrims and fall colors or leaves, but little or nothing proclaiming our thanks to our God and Creator for His benevolent provision. Apparently it is not politically correct to give thanks to God. Happy holidays is as close as they come. With all that has transpired over the past two and a half years, it seems to me to be a “no brainer” that we need to give thanks to God now more than ever. We need to be thankful to God for His wonderful provision and protection. We need to thank Him for our health and His healing. We need to thank Him that He is on the throne of heaven and controls the affairs of man and not our politicians. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) Many want to play the part of historical revisionist and deny the intent and purpose of this holiday but the fact remains it is a call for the people of our great nation to pause and be thankful to a benevolent and gracious God. Just as a reminder, Thanksgiving Day in the United States is an annual day of thanks for the blessings of the past year. It is observed on the fourth Thursday in November in each of the states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It has its historical roots as a national, and religious holiday that began with the Pilgrims. After the survival of their colony through the first bitter winter, and the gathering of the harvest, Gov. William Bradford of Plymouth Colony issued a thanksgiving proclamation in the autumn of 1621: "Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience. Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all blessings." That first Thanksgiving lasted three days, during which the Pilgrims feasted on wild turkey and venison with their Indian guests. Days of thanksgiving were celebrated sporadically until, on Nov. 26, 1789, President Washington issued a proclamation of a nation-wide day of thanksgiving. He made it clear that the day should be one of prayer and giving thanks to God. It was to be celebrated by all religious denominations, a circumstance that helped to promote a spirit of common heritage. It would be another 100 years and the end of a bloody civil war before President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November Thanksgiving. The year was 1865. It might surprise you to learn that it took still another 40 years, the early 1900’s, before the tradition really caught on. The origin, purpose and history of the Thanksgiving holiday is complete and without question. This day was established for the sole purpose of giving thanks back to God for what He has given us. As with so many of our religious holidays, Thanksgiving seems to have lost its meaning and purpose, or at least the way it is celebrated. As a nation, it would behoove us to return to a humble gratitude toward our Father who is our source and supply. What if He were to cease being our source? I remember one such story illustrates this well. “One day the sun did not rise. Six o'clock came and there was no sign of dawn. At seven o'clock, there was still no ray of light. At noon, it was as black as midnight. No birds sang and only the hoot of an owl broke the silence. Then came the long black hours of the afternoon. Finally, evening arrived but no one slept that night. Some wept, some wrung their hands in anguish. Every church was thronged with people on their knees. Thus they remained the whole night through. After that long night of terror and agony, millions of eager, tear-streaked faces were turned toward the east. When the sky began to grow red and the sun rose, there was a loud shout of joy. Millions of lips said, "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" because the sun had risen after one day of darkness.`` The very consistency of God's blessings sometimes seems to dull our gratitude. We take for granted and assume that these blessings are deserved and will naturally occur. The wonderful thing about the mercies of God for a Christian is that they are fresh every morning and new every evening. We don’t deserve them nor His gracious provision yet because He is God and He cannot do that which is contrary to His nature, we are the blessed recipients of His divine favor. Let us remember to be constantly thankful to our gracious God. There is a story in Luke 17:11-17 that tells of 10 lepers who were healed: Now it happened  as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice  glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a  Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” We must never forget it is always a good and godly thing to be thankful. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tim Patterson is Executive Director/Treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Elected unanimously in May of 2015, Patterson formerly served for 9 years as pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He also served as trustee chair and national mobilizer for the North American Mission Board. #NOVEMBER22

by Tony Lynn PLYMOUTH, MI – Last month during two warm and sunny October days in Alpharetta, Georgia, approximately 275 field personnel of the Send Network of the North American Mission Board (NAMB) gathered with eager anticipation to hear about the changes and the refined focus that the President of the Send Network, Vance Pitman would share. Six from Michigan were part of the mission force: Tony Lynn, Wayne Parker, Ken Nether, Matt Thompson, Barry Martin, and Dan Carty. Pitman introduced one word to the most often heard and repeated phrase within the mission organization. Mission personnel in the past often said, “Planting churches everywhere for everyone.” Pitman added one word to remind all of us that congregations are the leading force in the mission, so from now on the mission force will say, “Churches planting churches everywhere for everyone.” Pitman took the time to display and explain five new guiding values. Pitman said during his presentation, “As a family of churches planting churches everywhere for everyone, we want to be clear about the values that drive our decisions. These values impact everything we do.” Here are those five Send Network values: Seek first the kingdom Deepen devotion Stick together Think multiplication Engage your city (community) During one of the sessions, Pitman introduced five men as members of the Send Network executive team who will serve alongside him with specific tasks assigned to each man. Pitman spoke of the respect he had for each man regarding their personal lives and ministry service. In turn, it was obvious that each man had responded affirmatively to Pitman’s invitation to serve the Send Network because they believe in the mission and are confident in Pitman’s vision and leadership. The members of the executive team are: Vance Pitman, President of the Send Network Travis Ogle, Executive Vice President Felix Cabrera, Vice President of Send Network Español Matt Carter, Vice President of Mobilization Michael Crawford, Vice President of Strategies & Development Bryan Loritts, Vice President of Regions The field personnel were touched by the humility of each vice president who accepted an important role in the Send Network while simultaneously continuing in his personal, vibrant ministry. Today’s Send Network mission personnel are continually impressed and inspired by those who actively practice ministry while offering administrative and visionary leadership in larger mission collaborations. The two day event marked a renewed focus on the urgency and sacrifice it is going to take to see churches planting churches everywhere for everyone. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Tony L. Lynn is the State Director of Missions for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before coming on staff at the BSCM, Tony served as lead pastor for more than six years at Crosspoint Church in Monroe, Michigan. He and his wife, Jamie, also served with the International Mission Board in Africa and in Europe. #NOVEMBER22

by Mike Durbin PLYMOUTH, MI – Michigan Baptists are making church revitalization a priority in 2023. The entire Frances Brown State Mission Offering for 2022 is being given by Michigan Baptists to help churches seeking revitalization and will continue to be received through the end of the year. Churches helping churches is just one of the many benefits our network provides. Why revitalization? Every year approximately 900 Southern Baptist Churches close their doors forever. It’s an alarming number! Rob Peters, founder of a revitalization focused ministry called Corpus Vitae, points out that the need for revitalized churches is becoming more urgent. If 80% of American churches are in some stage of decline or plateau, that means around 38,000 Southern Baptist churches fall into that category. “We need a new wave of church revitalization to sweep across America,” says Peters. “We need to see something in God’s churches that we haven’t seen in our lifetimes. And that is a renewal and revival that only God’s Spirit can do.” Multiple state conventions and churches in several countries are using the six-step biblically based process Peters developed to come alongside churches seeking revitalization. It is a resource that the BSCM is making available to Cooperating Michigan Baptist Churches that see the need to revitalize ministry for the days ahead. The Corpus refocus process equips pastors and church leaders to lead their church to experience renewed mission and ministry. The goal is to help restore purpose, vibrancy, and health to the ministry. With the tools the ReFocus process provides, pastors and church leaders evaluate the current state of the ministry, consider how to reposition it for maximum impact, develop all the directional aspects of ministry, create a custom plan for disciple making, tailor a leadership development strategy, and build a custom plan for implementation (www.CorpusVitae.org). This plan incorporates six Biblical steps of church revitalization: Discovery A multi-step process designed to synthesize data and discoveries, helping you to accurately evaluate the current state of the church. Convergence We look together at your church’s purposes, your leadership’s passion, and your community’s potential. As we look at these three areas and where they meet, it helps us to identify where to position your church’s ministries for maximum impact. Pyramid An in-depth series of exercises designed to develop all the directional elements for the church, including mission, strategy, vision, values, annual plans, and goals. Path A process that helps develop a customized plan for evangelism and discipleship through your church. Ladder Creation of a customized plan for leadership development and deployment through your church, using a four-fold framework (character, competency, chemistry, and concern for the mission). Toolkit Practical resources and ideas (provided throughout the year as you implement your plan) to help pastors and church leaders launch the new vision and build momentum toward its fulfillment. For more information or to sign up for a Zoom call with Rob Peters, contact Mike@bscm.org. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Durbin is the State Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before joining the state convention staff, Mike served as Church Planting Catalyst and Director of Missions in Metro Detroit since 2007. He also has served as a pastor and bi-vocational pastor in Michigan, as well as International Missionary to Brazil. #NOVEMBER22

by Coye Bouyer LANSING, MI – Suddenly, out of nowhere she was consumed with thoughts that led her to believe she was functioning in selfishness. Had she somehow extricated herself from all her responsibilities? Would her husband really be able to handle a full-time job along with managing the home front? What about work, can I really afford to be so completely out of the loop at such an important time at the office? What about the girls; I am the mother of two teenagers who have their own share of high school dramas, and what if I am not there. Overwhelmed by such questions, Martha pondered, as she sat in silence, suddenly feeling ambushed by her own fears. She asked herself, “Do I really have the right to pull away completely to attend a silent retreat in order to give God my undivided and uninterrupted attention?” Often, when we allow ourselves to become aware of such concerns, we feel anxiety, we sense and experience overwhelming questioning of our behavior and even our motives when all we really want is simply break-away and spend some much-needed time with the LORD. In the Bible, Abraham is invited to the desert to experience God. Moses requests that Pharaoh allow the Israelites to go out into the wilderness to celebrate a feast and spend time with Him (Ex. 5:1). God will also request that three times a year the men of Israel go up and meet with Him (Ex. 23:17). We find David in the shepherd’s field or in some cave running from Saul. He is alone, in silence and solitude, taking time to pray, reflect, write, and simply spend time with the LORD. Even Jesus (God in flesh) will arise early in the morning, find a secluded place so that He might pray (Mark 1:35). So why do we feel guilty when we take time to stop our regular daily lives in order to spend what is probably much needed time with the LORD? Martha, sitting there in the airport wrestling with her thoughts and the overwhelming sense that she was so selfish to even have considered this time away for a retreat with the LORD, began to sense a gentle voice from the inside asking her, “Will you trust me to care for these things? Can you trust that I love your family, friends, co-workers, etc. more than you do and I will care for them while you are giving this time and attention to our relationship? Will you trust Me? Will you trust Me to keep working to bring forth my good intentions in our life without your direct involvement, at least for a few days? In that very moment Martha took a deep breath, closed her eyes and simply said, “Yes Lord, I trust You.” For the first time in a very long time, Martha let go of her cares and concerns, she relinquished her responsibilities’ and decided to let God be God. Why don’t you and I make a concerted effort to spend some alone time with God. To separate ourselves from the busyness of life, the stress of work and the chaos that is often in our homes. But not simply a vacation, although they are nice, but a retreat with the LORD, a time where we can sit in silence, pray periodically and simply rest in the presence of our God. But how do we do this when life seems to have so much that we must do? Isn’t that selfish to fall back from our responsibilities? No, in fact we should not only want to do this, we need to do this because it is when we take time away from what we do to allow God to do what He can do that we really begin to TRUST Him even above ourselves. We are not selfish when we do this, but we are selfless as we not only begin to trust God to take care of them, but we also allow God to take care of us. God Bless! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Coye L. Bouyer is the founding pastor of Kingdom Life Church in Lansing, MI where he has served since March of 2010. Pastor Bouyer recently stepped into the Diversity Ambassador role for the BSCM and firmly believes that he was not only called to Preach the Gospel as part of the process of reconciliation of man to God, but also using any platform as a bridge of reconciliation of man to man, and even more so amongst the brethren. Pastor Bouyer and his lovely wife Keturah (Gen. 25:1) have been married four over 20 years and have four children; Sierra, Seth, Cayla and Coye II. #NOVEMBER22

by Mick Schatz ROSCOMMON, MI – Here at Bambi Lake we have a sign in our lobby that reminds us “there’s always something to be thankful for”. On multiple occasions reading this sign has altered my attitude and changed my down-look to an up-look at our heavenly father in thankfulness. So since this article is for the “Thanksgiving” month of November I felt compelled to write down a few thoughts of thankfulness. Maybe you and I can both be encouraged and reminded that “there is always something to be thankful for.” I am thankful - for life, for my heavenly papa, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, the Bible, the power of the Gospel - my wife Jackie, my kids-Julia, Noah, Emily, Grace (Noah’s wife), my dogs, my job, my church, my parents, my brother and his family, all my relatives, my too many to list friendships from multiple ministry assignments in multiple states, my Bambi family, my BSCM family. I am thankful - for the family of God, for being chosen to be a son of God, for the salvation of all my children, for being called to serve the Body of Christ, for all the pastors and fellow ministers I’ve served with who have taught me much, and still continue to do so. For death and new life, for the life-giving, victorious, redemption power of Christ’s blood shed on my behalf, for amazing Grace and endless mercy lavished on me by Jesus just because it brings him glory, and pleasure and He loves me so much! I am thankful - for miracles, God’s divine healing and interventions in my life, for the journey and the process of becoming more like Christ, for the smooth sailing and turbulent seas, for circumstance beyond my control and blessings I don’t deserve, for givers and takers in my life, lovers and haters because they teach me humility and how to show grace. I am thankful - for material stuff I can share with others, for money, for food-especially barbecue and pizza and low country boils and bacon, for modern technology, cell phones and face-time, for air conditioning and heat, for fast cars, for fun hobbies, for music, for musical instruments especially cool guitars I can’t play well but love to look at, for a good book, for my house, a warm bed, a big TV that I won for free, for my clothes, for my shoes, for a good winter coat and waterproof boots, for snow (except after march), for beautiful lakes, for the ocean, sunrises and sunsets, for starry nights and full moons, for bonfires in the fall and s’mores, for wildlife and wildflowers, for the colors of fall and the green of spring - the magnificence of God’s creation is beyond human words! WOW! Thank-you Jesus for how much you love us - because of You “there is always something to be thankful for”! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mick Schatz serves on the staff of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. He is the State Director of Spiritual Enrichment and Retreats and lives at Bambi Lake. #NOVEMBER22