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by IMB staff EDITOR’S NOTE: This year’s Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Nov. 28-Dec. 5, with a theme of Together. The theme parallels the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Mission’s theme of Let’s Advance God’s Kingdom Together. The offering provides a significant portion of the IMB’s annual budget and 100 percent of the funds go to mission work on the field. Gifts to the Lottie Moon offering are received through local Southern Baptist churches or online at IMB.org/lmco, where there are also resources to help promote the offering. This year’s goal is $185 million. The mission strategy of Henderson Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma was forever changed when Mike, the missions pastor, read a statistic: “5 percent of missions work is done in North Africa and Middle East.” After reading this startling fact, Mike knew the Lord was calling him to lead his church in reversing the statistic in their own mission strategy. “As I read that statistic, it just hit me,” Mike says. “I looked at the missions team at [our church] and realized we weren’t even doing 5 percent of our missions work among NAME peoples. I knew that had to change.” Otis Neumann*, a missionary with IMB’s Northern African and Middle Eastern Affinity, appreciates the advocacy of Mike and his church. “His vision has inspired others, including Hispanic churches and the Oklahoma Baptist Convention, to make NAME peoples a priority for prayer and missions work,” Otis says. For two years Mike and the missions team prayed about a specific, unreached people group. Along with a team from their church, Mike and his wife traveled to Europe in 2012. They met an IMB missionary who gave them a glimpse into how God was at work among NAME peoples there. Otis says that coming to Europe first to connect with immigrants from NAME is a good way for churches to develop a love for the people and make them a priority in their mission vision. “Europe is a modern crossroads of people from Northern Africa and the Middle East,” he explains. “From Europe, SBC churches have the unique opportunity to partner with IMB and share the Gospel with people who come from some of the most difficult to access places in the world.” Two years after their trip to Europe, Mike and his missions team made their first trip into Northern Africa. Since that first trip, the church has sent multiple mission teams every year. They focus on building relationships, prayer walking and meeting community needs. In February 2020, the church sent a missionary couple from their church to Northern Africa to serve with the IMB. Even during the height of the pandemic when travel was restricted, the church looked for ways to support the work overseas through prayer and encouragement. Otis and other missionaries pray for more churches to be bold in their mission efforts. “When churches partner with IMB, we can do more together – and there is so much left to do in Northern Africa and the Middle East,” Otis says. “Today, there are many people groups living in places where we cannot yet directly engage them with the Gospel, but through prayer, we can press forward into new places and push back the darkness as the light of the gospel is proclaimed to every people group of NAME.” *Name changed for security #DECEMBER21

by Rick and Cindy Truesdail Are we the only ones who think time is passing by so quickly? 2021 is almost gone and Christmas is just around the corner. It is an exciting time of the year, getting our holiday decorations in place, lights glittering down our streets and in our towns, and sales promotions everywhere we turn. It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying gifts for others, making cookies and fudge, and celebrating the season with family and friends. But as Christians, we all know that the “reason for the season” is to be thankful and remember that Jesus came to this earth for our salvation – and for others. Let’s keep on mission to tell others about Him! We are so thankful for each of you and wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! As we plan for 2022, we are anxious to see what God has in store for each of you. We hope you will work a few of our activities into your schedule and keep involved with MI COM. This ministry is a blessing to many people, so many that we do not even meet or will not know how we have touched their lives until we are in Heaven. We have worked at camps and on houses in low-income neighbors. We have taught youth skills that have boosted their self confidence and given them ideas how they can move forward in adult life when it comes their way. And we have touched each other’s lives as we have come to work together and bond in the sweet fellowship of Christ Jesus. May God richly bless you! Sharing Christ as We Go, Rick and Cindy Saturday, December 4, 2021 from 1:00-4:00pm New Haven Baptist Church 1477 E. Bristol Road Burton, MI 48529 Tickets are $12.00 each Special Speaker • Special Singers • Group Singing Bring and ornament for exchange. Dinner will include Roast Beef and Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and all the fixings. 2022 COM National Rally June 7-9, 2022 North Florida Fairgrounds Tallahassee, FL This will be the Golden 50th Anniversary of Campers on Mission. "Renew in 2022" will be the theme. Mark your calendars, start saving your money for travel, and be ready to register when it's available. More information will follow as we get it over the next few months. Ladies Sewing Event November 13, 2021 Article from our MI COM Member Christmas, it's what God did by Larry Allen I spent last Christmas in the hospital. I don’t recommend it. My daughters flew in to Texas that day so they could be with me. My prognosis was very grim. This Christmas Mary and I will be flying off to Minnesota to celebrate with our daughters. We’ll be celebrating what God has done. If we are not careful as we celebrate Christmas, we get so caught up in all the trappings and traditions that we forget what it’s really about. Don’t get me wrong, I love all the trappings and traditions. I embrace them fully. But I also don’t lose my focus on what God did. I love how Paul put it in his letter to the Philippian Church. Speaking of Jesus, he said: “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. “(Philippians 2:6-8 NLT) This year God gave me life and I’ll be celebrating that all season long and beyond. Fifty-one years ago, He gave me eternal life. I’ll be celebrating that forever! So, this Christmas embrace your traditions. Sing the songs, watch the movies, eat all the goodies, and give and receive gifts. But allow every aspect of your celebration be a reminder of what God has done for you. Christmas is about what God did and continues to do in our lives every day. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Larry Allen is a retired pastor is still very busy working for the Lord, especially sharing his testimony of how God brought him through a double transplant. He and Mary are full-time RVers and an inspiration to all of us. Check out Larry and Mary’s blog at: www.secondchancevagabonds.com Chaplain's Corner Symbols are a part of life. And it is nothing less than yet another blessing from God that we can neither escape them, nor do without them. They are throughout all of creation, if only we will see with our eyes (Romans 1:20); they are everywhere in our Bibles, if only we will read with our minds (Psalm 119:18); and they are everywhere at Christmas time, if only we will look with our hearts. The Lights remind us that that Jesus, the Son of God came from Heaven as the Son of Man and Light of the World, the Tree that His light shown brightest at Calvary, the Wreath that on the cross there He purchased eternal life for us, the crimson red Poinsettia that it was with His precious and spotless blood that the transaction was made. So, brothers and sisters, during this Christmas season may our lives themselves be radiant symbols pointing to the Savior who came to die for us and ... To the Praise of His Glory, Chaplain Chip Prayer Requests & Praise Reports Prayer Requests Pray for MI COM often! We seek God’s guidance and will for what we do in 2022! Pray for one another! Praise Report Praise God for Tim and Gayle Jones recovery from Covid. Rick and Cindy both have dealt with heart problems, and each thank God for healing and His hand upon the doctors. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV If you have a prayer request or a praise report, please share it with us and we will post it on the website and include it in our monthly newsletters. MI COM Tees & Hats For Sale We have fun things and essentials for you to let others know you are a MI COMer!!! We encourage you to wear the tees whenever you are working or on a COM event. Tees are printed on the front and the back Patches are iron-on or easy to sew onto your shirts or jackets Key Chains are plastic on metal holder Hand-held fan is paper on wooden handle Hats are gray with embroidered logo, adjustable Lapel Pins are easily attached to a suit jacket or coat. Stickers to put on notebooks, computers, etc. Pens to accent your writing Contact Cindy for your purchase. MI COM Officers & Executive Board Presidents/Project Coordinator: Rick & Cindy Truesdail Vice-President/Project: Tony Morningstar Hospitality/Food Coordinator: Kim Norrington & Maria Hannuksela Sewing Project Coordinator: Cindy Truesdail & Terry Simmons Cleaning & Beautification Coordinator: Sharon Hessling & Ruth Farwell Secretary: Brandy Dyke Treasurer: Gary Hannuksela Chaplain: Pastor Chip Collins Historian: Cindy Truesdail Disaster Relief Liaison: Warren Hessling Networking Center Keep checking at our online Website and Facebook for announcements! Website: www.michigancampersonmission.org Facebook: Michigan Campers on Mission For more information, contact: Rick & Cindy Truesdail Phone: (810) 869-4716 Email: michigancampersonmission@gmail.com #DECEMBER21

by Tristan Clark GWINN, MI – “Do not be afraid,” the angel had told them, that fateful night in the fields. But how could they not fear; those shepherds whose peaceful evening had just erupted in a blazing fury of light and song? After all, it was only natural for their knees to quake and their heads to bow in the presence of the divine. Beyond the initial shock of the heavenly revelation, consider the words themselves, pouring forth from the lips of an angelic choir: “Good news of great joy” and “peace on earth!” Such acclamations are sweet to the ear, but what foreign thoughts and lofty dreams those phrases may have seemed to the bedraggled shepherds. They were poor and ostracized, Rome oppressed their people, the religious leaders—charged by God to teach, intercede, and care for the people—placed burdens on them they couldn’t bear (even as those same leaders fought tooth-and-nail amongst themselves). And what of God? His glory had left, and He had not spoken through a prophet for some 400 years… Much like today, the world was at war, life was hard, and God seemed distant. Perhaps as they quested toward Bethlehem the fear of disappointment knocked on the door of their hearts. Could the prophecies finally be coming true? Was the Redemption of Israel at hand? Really? So many false messiahs had already come and gone. “A hope deferred makes the heart sick,” and at times it feels safer to be a cynic. Still, the message had come straight from heaven. And lo…having arrived and turned their eyes from the faithful young mother, and her husband, Joseph, they found that the manger was not empty. In it lay the promised Child. There was Jesus. In the days that followed the birth of the Son of God, others shared in the shepherds’ wonder and joy. Simeon, a righteous and devout man, aged though he was, had banked on God’s promise that He would see the LORD’s Christ, and the day came when his wizened, old hands held the One he’d long hoped to meet. Likewise, Anna, a prophetess and widow who spent her days and nights in prayer and fasting in the temple of God, laid eyes upon the Lord. He was a baby, and she was old, but her hopes were fulfilled before her dying day. Like many of us, Simeon and Anna waited, and waited, and waited, as the days which they faithfully hoped for seemed so far away. But God was faithful, and their hopes were not disappointed. The boy grew, and, over time, the mercy of God was revealed in His works of compassion. God’s holiness was made manifest in His life and teaching. The power of God was at work in His miracles. And, one day, the love of God dripped from His broken, pierced body. But that day was not the last day. No…He rose. Jesus had prophesied his own death, burial, and resurrection, and Jesus made good on His word. Brothers and sisters, He’ll do it again. His words did not disappoint Him, and His promise will not disappoint us. The world may rage, and bitter winds may bite, but the hearths of our hearts ought to blaze with the light of hope and expectation. The same Jesus who shepherds welcomed, Simeon blessed, and Anna praised, is coming back to make all things right. Our Joy is rooted in a hope that will not disappoint. Our hearts may groan, but our prayers are heard. And this is the Christian’s joy at Christmas: He is coming. He IS coming. HE IS COMING. For us. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tristan Clark is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Gwinn, Michigan. He and his beautiful wife, Jodi, love Jesus because He first loved them. They have been married for 10 years and have five wild children, and it's all of God's grace. #DECEMBER21

by Danisse Abberger ZEELAND, MI – I love nothing more than to open up my Instagram page and watch the stories and posts of my favorite fashion bloggers. I follow girls that are about my height and size and they let me know what’s new at stores and what’s on sale. The bloggers even have try-on posts where they describe the article of clothing and how it fits and feels. Better yet, they usually have a link that I can click to purchase the item from the comfort of my own home! They do all the work for me! As a busy mom of 4 and pastor’s wife, it’s been a game changer because I don’t always have the time to go shopping and try on clothing. My husband may not think it’s a Godsend, but I sure do! Mid October, I saw a trend that troubled me. Many of these bloggers were posting Christmas gift links early because they said that many of the items were going to be hard to find closer to December. The result of the pandemic were fewer products made over the past year, and half and cargo ships stuck at sea due to labor shortages. The bloggers were urging followers that if they needed an item for Christmas, they needed to buy early so that they could have it in time. They seemed to insinuate that your Christmas may be ruined if you were not able to fulfill your families’ wish list. I found this thinking so disheartening. As a people we have forgotten what we are celebrating. As nice as it sounds, Christmas is not about family and friends. It’s not about Santa Claus. It’s not about a naughty or nice list. It’s about the birth of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our God sent His one and only Son on Earth for us. Jesus dwelt among us and felt every feeling we have felt. Jesus experienced what we have experienced. “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering….” Isaiah 53:4. He paid the ultimate price and died for us so that we can have the gift of eternal life. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”). He is with us! Not only can we go to heaven but we were also given the Holy Spirit. Our God in His infinite wisdom knew that not only did we need saving, but we needed access to Him 24/7. We were given such a gift that is something to truly celebrate! So maybe it's not so bad that we won’t be able to find that special gift in the store? The lockdowns were not fun, and were very inconvenient for many families. But one nice thing from the lockdowns was that we were given the gift of time. Families were able to slow down and spend time together like never before. We were able to reevaluate and take notice of how busy our lives had become and take note of what really matters. Perhaps this supply shortage at Christmas can do the same. Families will stop and reflect on what’s the real reason we celebrate. Parents will be given the opportunity to teach their children that gifts are nice, but we have been given the best gift of all. It’s not a gift that could get stuck out at sea on a ship, and it’s not a gift that will ever run out. It’s our Savior. It’s our Jesus. It’s our Immanuel. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Danisse Abberger is a church planter’s wife (Hope Church in Zeeland, MI) and a mother of 4. Her favorite pastime is going to the beach with her family. #DECEMBER21

by Dr Tony L Lynn PLYMOUTH, MI – Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol is a story about the possibility of redemption. In the moving drama, we see the contrast of an isolated, stingy Ebenezer Scrooge against his employee, the loving, hopeful Bob Cratchit. Cratchit’s warmth is infectious invading his family members and the community, whereas Scrooge’s grumpiness makes everyone recoil out of fear of being hurt by the miserable, complaining miser. Scrooge’s transformation of redemption only occurs after a visit from the ghost of a former business partner, followed by the ghosts of Christmas past, Christmas present, and Christmas future, during Scrooge’s restless Christmas Eve at home. Visiting the scenes of his life revealed the importance of relationships, kindness, and generosity to Scrooge, so the next morning on Christmas Day Scrooge sets out displaying the obvious change in his outlook and pursuit in life. People are shocked, but rapidly embrace the newborn, compassionate Scrooge. In case anyone would miss the point of the source of all things worthwhile, Bob Cratchit’s son, Tiny Tim, though sick and feeble utters the famous words, “God bless us, everyone,” in the closing scene of the story. Author Charles Dickens even repeats the phrase as the closing words of his manuscript. In essence, author Dickens is saying “God bless us, everyone” whether we are rich or poor, feeble or well, small or mighty. God bless us, everyone! Let’s act like the Lord in all our interactions with everyone. This Christmas Season we have an opportunity to display our “Tiny Tim” outlook on life whether life is perfect or not. We can lead others toward redemption in Christ by celebrating God becoming man so that we might know Him more. Here are some practical ideas. 1. Mixed Party Bring the skeptic, non-believing “Scrooges” to a fun, delicious December Christmas party in your house along with some Christ-followers. Mix them, 1 to1. Don’t make the night religious. Just let your Christian friends hang with the unbelievers with whom you share life and let them discover some commonalities. You’ll hear someone say, “My children and your children attend the same school.” Another will say, “I work there too, but in a different department.” When those who yet don’t know Christ discover that believers-in-Christ live normal lives being employed, taking their kids to sporting events, and have favorite restaurants, they will let their guards down and become friends with your friends. The only time you bring up the “religious” part is when everyone is leaving for home. Cue your church friends to say happily, “See you at church for Christmas Eve service. I can’t wait.” Let your church friends know that they have your permission to invite your unchurched friends, in a personal meaningful way to the big upcoming church service, to even sit with them. It will mean the world to those unfamiliar with church. After the mixed party, the Scrooges will feel confident that they have more friends at your church. Their fear of attending will be replaced with a feeling of belonging. That feeling of belonging usually moves toward believing in and behaving like Christ. 2. Shame Invite If you’re fortunate enough to have children or grandchildren in Christmas plays or musicals at your church meeting place shame those “Scrooges” who have put off coming to church with you by saying something like, “Charlie, you keep saying you will come to church with me, but you haven’t. Would you come to hear my daughter Rachel sing? It would mean the world to her just to know that you are there. She babysits your kids, so why don’t you bring the entire family and afterwards we can circle back to my house for some Christmas desserts.” Some people just need to get over the “roof will fall in” if I attend church with you, so feel free to maximize the value of your little ones’ influence over adults who need Christ. 3. Gift Your Story Pick-up something that your “Scrooge” neighbor, friend, coworker, or family member would enjoy for Christmas. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just something they would enjoy. The real gift is the personal letter you will write and put in with the gift card, tool, or baked-good. You can write starting off with something like this phrase, “I am so grateful for your place in my life and thrilled to give you this gift; but I just wanted to let you know about the greatest gift I ever received.” Then using your own words and your way explain your journey on how you came to discover Christ as your Savior. If you need an outline: Share about your life before Christ. Share about how your life is now that you follow Him. What you are looking forward to in the future because you are following Christ? Did you see what I did there? I replaced the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future with those three parts of your personal salvation. The interactions of God and you, in your personal story, is far more helpful than fictional ghosts. By the way, keep the letter to 2-3 pages maximum. I hope you found one or two of those ideas helpful. I hope even more that you will follow-up and accomplish one of them. I once was a Scrooge. Mom started me in church during the seventies. It was the teenagers who made me feel comfortable at church. It was the men who greeted me by name that made me feel valued . . . so I kept going until one of the messages from the pastor was as clear as could be, I needed to follow Christ! That gift of salvation is something I wish for the almost ten million people living within the state of Michigan. 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. #DECEMBER21

by Mike Durbin PLYMOUTH, MI – “I have had enough!” These are the words of the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19 as he runs from Jezebel after the spiritual showdown on Mt. Carmel between the prophets of Baal and God. It was a moment that left the people on their faces confessing, “The Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God.” It was also the beginning of a moment that led to a downward spiral in Elijah’s life. Elijah experiences a difficult season in his life. He reaches a point where he is emotionally distressed, relationally disconnected, physically drained, and intellectually deceived. He goes from faithful prophet of the living God in one chapter to a man who’s barely a silhouette of who he once was in the next. He’s depleted and on a path leading to despair. He gets to the point where he actually asks God to take his life. False expectations and struggles can leave us feeling overwhelmed, alone, exhausted, confused, and depressed. The last two years have stressed each of us to one degree or another. COVID-19, social unrest, racial injustice, political dysfunction, supply shortages and rising inflation are just some of the pressures adding to life’s stress. At the lowest point in his life, Elijah experiences a life altering encounter with God that changes everything. God graciously speaks to him in a still, small voice - a barely audible, breathless whisper. It’s a quiet moment with God that changes the conversation and gives Elijah hope for the future. It goes from Elijah saying, “take my life,” to him returning the way he came with God given assignments that transform his life and ministry. God continues Elijah’s story by giving him a wider glimpse of redemption’s story. God helps him see beyond himself to a successor who will accelerate Kingdom movement, to a school of the prophets, to the anointing of kings and ultimately to that moment in the fullness of time when the Gospel will be birthed in the person of Jesus. An encounter with God changes everything and gives him hope for the future. Elijah is not one of the traditional characters of Christmas, but his story has much to teach as we enter what many call the “most wonderful time of the year.” Christmas is filled with decorations, dinners, music, and gifts. It’s a wonderful time, but not for everyone. Some are entering this season with deep losses and disappointments. Christmas will be hard. While the people of God were celebrating renewed faith after the events on Mt. Caramel, Elijah was in a dark place. Perhaps that describes you this holiday season. It’s hard, but it will not last forever. Elijah was only one encounter with God away from new hope. Elijah was only ONE encounter with GOD away from new HOPE. God was there for Elijah and He’s there for you. A breathless whisper from God in a dark, lonely place started Elijah’s renewal. It gave him the strength to put one foot in front of the other and start walking away from the darkness. Christmas is the ultimate celebration that God is with us - that He is Immanuel. The cries of baby Jesus that first Christmas are a declaration that God is for us. That He is for you. Christmas is not about what is happening around us. It’s about what is happening in us. Christ in you. The Hope of Glory. 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. #DECEMBER21

by Coye Bouyer LANSING, MI – Jesus teaches, “if someone slaps you on the cheek, turn the other to them also” (Matt. 5:39-40). Paul says we are to “bless those who persecute us, to never pay back evil for evil to anyone and not to take revenge; rather if our enemy is hungry feed them, if they are thirsty to give them a drink” (Rom. 12:14,17,19-20). In other words, Paul echoes Jesus’ words for us to practice the spiritual discipline of turning the other cheek or to patiently persevere with people. For clarity purposes, it is necessary to mention that Paul nor Jesus are addressing times of war or the protection of another. Rather both illuminate one’s response when being personally attacked by another. Both admonish us NOT to retaliate or seek revenge. But how in the world are we supposed to overcome physical abuse, verbal assaults or actions from others who seek to do us harm? For not only do such actions hurt, they often leave us in physical pain or psychological and emotional instability. While Jesus’ statement is direct, Paul gives more insight to the practice and application of ‘turning the other cheek.’ Paul says, “we are to overcome evil, with good” (Romans 12:21). Paul makes it plain that the only way to practice ‘turning the other cheek,’ is to commit to a practice of doing good, even to one’s enemies. Since doing good is not something that just happens, Paul gives us practical principles to live by to assist us in the execution ‘turning the other cheek.’ Paul says, bless instead of curse; never pay back evil for evil (wrong for wrong or offense for offense); Furthermore, he instructs us to live at peace, when possible, with everyone (Rom. 12:14,17,19-20). Biblical responses like this take time, patience, and practice. Any successful athlete, actor or professional would agree that they did not get to the heights of their career without putting in long hours of practice, persistently trying to get it right. In the same way, you and I will never ‘overcome evil with good,’ if we don’t first spend much time practicing the spiritual discipline of patience with people, not returning wrong for wrong. To better deal with larger or more public attacks appropriately, we must first practice and perform in private; learning how to overcome the smaller, less offensive acts of others as it prepares us for greater and even more public execution of this biblical principle. Secondly, we must learn how to take heed to Paul’s words, “Beloved leave room for the wrath of God.” In short, instead of executing our own judgement and consequences for being wronged, we let the LORD decide a person’s punishment. Wow, this is nothing short of a miracle, as the human heart not only desires to make sure our wrongs are made right, but we tend to want someone to suffer because they have offended us. But what if we took to heart Jesus’ words to turn the other cheek; what if we took seriously the idea of surrendering our imbalanced sense of justice for God’s perfect sense of justice? You see too often we vindicate ourselves because we want Justice, and we want it now. We want the offender to deal with the consequences of offending us. But both Jesus and Paul are asking us to appeal to a different type of justice. A justice that says, I am okay with God deciding the fate of the one who has offended me, even if that means their punishment is one of grace and mercy and not vindication and wrath. Isn’t this what happened to us on the Cross? Didn’t we offend the God of the universe? Don’t we deserve the penalty and consequence for our actions? After all, we are guilty, aren’t we? While it is true that God’s justice often ends with His wrath it is also true that it always starts with His grace and mercy. Finally, Jesus’ and Pauls’ teaching on this subject is critical to every believer because it teaches us to be more like our Lord. It reminds us of the mercy we should demonstrate because of the mercy we have received. The biblical philosophy to ‘turn the other cheek’ or ‘patiently persevering with people’ can be experienced if we are willing to make the decision to commit to doing good, even to those who do evil against us. Furthermore, this approach is made easier when we let God be both judge and vindicator not just for our lives, but also over our lives. So go forth my brothers and sisters practicing the spiritual discipline of ‘turning the other cheek,’ ‘patiently persevering with people’ as we ‘overcome evil with good. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pastor 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. #DECEMBER21

by Mick Schatz ROSCOMMON, MI – Greetings from Bambi Lake Retreat and Conference Center and Merry Christmas! As I am writing this the snow is lightly falling and there is a quiet hush and calm over all the camp. I imagine it is much like the night (no snow or course) the shepherds were gathered around a fire swapping sheep herding stories and keeping watch over the sheep. This is one of my favorite scenes in the Christmas story. The gospel of Luke records it like this – “In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11. Now I don’t know about you, but I have been in a field at night when all you can see and hear Is the fire and the wood craklin’ and every sensory receptor in your body is on full alert. If an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared before me I’m sure I would have lost full control of my faculties and died right on the spot. At best I would have “freaked out” like the shepherds and been paralyzed in fear. Wow! What an entrance! However, Imagine the relief when this glorious angel said, “Do not be afraid; for behold I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people…”. I love the fact that God the Father chose lowly shepherds to be the first hearers of this Heavenly announcement. This message of hope was not restricted to the religious elite, socially favored, or financially secure. It did not single out only those who dressed to impress or looked the prettiest. This clarion call did not resound for those of a particular ethnicity, skin color, privileged background or ancestry. THE GOOD NEWS AND GREAT JOY OF JESUS CHRIST WAS ANNOUNCED FOR ALL PEOPLE! HE WHO IS EVERYTHING CAME FOR EVERYONE! All people have been invited to join in and celebrate Christmas. Right from the beginning of our Saviors life here on earth we witness the banner of love for all being heralded across the sky. We hear the heart of a loving heavenly Father calling out to His creation declaring a provision of hope and redemption through His son, Jesus. As Christians we bear the responsibility of continuously declaring this Good News and Great Joy. In a world full of selfishness, fear, confusion, and sadness we have Good News and Joy to bring to those around us. In a culture filled with noise and hopeless messages, the Gospel is the only announcement loud and powerful enough to stop people in their tracks and captivate their hearts and minds with a love and joy that changes everything. Celebrate Christmas by sharing the Good News and Great Joy of Jesus Christ! 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. #DECEMBER21

by Tobin Perry LAS VEGAS, NV (BP) – When Heiden Ratner started WALK Church in Las Vegas, he had an ideal model for reproduction in his sending church. Las Vegas’ Hope Church has started more than 60 churches since its 2001 founding. Ratner served as an apprentice at Hope Church before planting WALK Church in 2014. “It was in that season where I got to learn under Pastor Vance Pitman about the kingdom of God and how the kingdom of God is so much bigger than just one church,” said Ratner, who also serves as the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) city missionary for Las Vegas. “He showed me that it’s going to be churches planting churches that actually reaches the city. That shifted our thinking. We didn’t come to start something. We came to be a part of something God was already doing in Las Vegas.” Ratner and WALK Church clearly learned what Pitman taught. Since its launch in 2014, WALK has planted two churches and supported another eight in just seven years. Outreach Magazine recently recognized the church as one of its 100 Reproducing Churches. At least a quarter of the magazine’s list of reproducing churches came from Send Network, a Southern Baptist network of churches committed to reproducible church planting. Send Network churches include both long-standing, established churches and relatively young church plants. The list is one of three published in the magazine’s September/October issue. The magazine also highlighted the fastest-growing and largest-participating churches. Outreach Magazine partners with Lifeway Research to create the three lists. “It’s easy to focus on larger churches, but we are committed to looking at churches that plant churches,” said Ed Stetzer, editor-in-chief of Outreach Magazine. “We know that church planting, done well, is about reaching people. We know statistically that new churches reach more than established churches. So, at Outreach Magazine, we want to celebrate churches reaching people – and you can’t do that without church planting!” Noah Oldham, whose St. Louis church, August Gate, appears on the list, said reproduction is a critical part of NAMB’s strategy to reach North America. “It’s the task Southern Baptists have given us,” said Oldham, who serves as senior director of church planter deployment with Send Network. “We have the collective calling of taking the Gospel to every man, woman, girl and boy in North America. We believe that happens not only in evangelism, not only through compassion ministries like Send Relief, but it happens through church planting. It is healthy churches planting healthy churches. Great Commission churches planting Great Commission churches.” Oldham said August Gate has served as the sending church for six new plants in its first 12 years of ministry and helped to financially support another 12 plants. Even the name August Gate symbolizes the church’s commitment to planting new churches. August, Oldham says, is the month when farmers prepare for harvest, and St. Louis has long been known as the Gateway City. “If you put those two things together, you get harvest St. Louis,” Oldham said. “So, we gave it that name because we wanted, from the very beginning, every time someone asked, ‘Hey, what’s your church about? What’s the name about?’, we could tell them God called us not just to plant a church, but to plant a church that would plant many churches.” Shades Mountain Baptist Church, an established church founded in 1910 and a Send Network church in Birmingham, Ala., also made the Outreach 100 list. The church has served as the sending church for two church plants and has supported 16 church plants in strategic cities throughout North America. A little more than two decades ago, recently retired Pastor Danny Wood began raising the value of missions and church planting through a five-day missions conference that introduced the congregation to church planters from around North America. Church planting became a part of the church’s fabric as the congregation learned to love, care for and resource church-planting missionaries. “The church has grasped the conviction that multiplication is a biblical mandate,” said Tim Wheat, Shades Mountain’s missions pastor. “We are not only called to multiply disciples but to multiply leaders and multiply churches. As a living entity, the church follows the path of life of all living things. Things that are alive are to reproduce things that are alive, of like nature, so therefore, we have sought to make support and engagement with church planting a priority.” The church leverages its Sunday School system and small groups to “reproduce disciples” and uses Send Network’s Multiplication Pipeline to reproduce “missional leaders.” Both are key elements to its church-planting strategy. Church That Matters, another Southern Baptist church on the Outreach list, credits Send Network for helping to spur even greater multiplication efforts within the church. Oklahoma and Send Network announced a partnership in August 2021 to form Send Network Oklahoma. “Send Network jumping into Oklahoma has been a game-changer in terms of the tools available through them to support the multiplication taking place,” said Rusty Gunn, pastor of Church That Matters, who also serves as a church-planting catalyst in the state. “It has inspired us. I was driving a lot of the church planting in our first eight to 10 years. This is really giving us a shift to a much larger involvement, belief and buy-in from other people in our church. It has given us a framework, something we can latch onto to continue to discover, develop and deploy more and more planters.” Send Network’s Multiplication Pipeline is a free resource that is designed to help churches reproduce by discovering, developing and deploying its members to help start new churches throughout North America. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tobin Perry is a writer living in Evansville, Ind. #DECEMBER21

by Dr. David Thompson NASHVILLE, TN – There is one thing—that everyone can give…. from the penniless pauper to the wealthiest magnate—that one thing is “Thanks”! Tis the season for some but ‘tis always the season for one that knows God. Followers of Jesus should always and forever be the most grateful folk this side of heaven. Some may have more “stuff” or be more “noticed” or possess more talent—ahh but nobody should be better at giving thanks—than you. Here are a few of the ten million reasons you should be grateful: You are completely and unequivocally and forever—“Forgiven”. My favorite author C.S.Lewis puts it so succinctly,” to be a Christian is to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you”!! WOW! Chew on that. You can choose and control little—but you can always control your level of thanksgiving. “We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong—the amount of work is the same” …. so says Carlos Castaneda. Is that true? Is he right? Two words—“YOU BET”! Bet you didn’t know it takes twice as many muscles to frown as it does to smile. A grateful heart cannot help but smile. You have a vehicle in gratitude that propels you “UP”. The great motivator Dale Carnegie taught this lesson often—says he, “develop success from failure…. discouragement and failure are two of the biggest stepping stones of success“. I submit to you that the only way that is true (and it is true), is if you have an attitude of gratitude for all the good God is doing in you. Thanksgiving shoots you out of where you are to exactly where our Lord wants you to be. You genuinely are able to “Love “more and be “loved” when thankful. “When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves “William Arthur Ward points out. You see true love is always promoting others—not self. Is it even remotely possible to do that with an ungrateful spirit? NO! The Jewish hymn scribe was correct—“It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord… and to sing praises to your name… O Most High” (Psalm 92). You can see the invisible when giving thanks! Before he was ever famous on the world’s stage, he was just a fiery Baptist preacher—and he preached, ”you don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.“ Reverend M.L.King lived it—What’s that have to do with being thankful? Everything! If you have never thanked God for something in advance—just try it! Ultimately, the Lord does what the Lord wills to do; however, your own personal gratitude has everything to do with how you experience each day—and eventually how you love Jesus. You can accomplish great things when you are a grateful person. Norman Vincent Peale noted, “There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment”. You my dear friend were put here on earth to accomplish something that only you can and that for the glory of God. The only way to rightfully do that is to first accept the mantle of responsibility of complete and utter thanksgiving to God with all your heart. Just try it for 30 days and I promise you your life will never be the same. And all those around you will also be changed into grateful beings. Only once does the apostle Paul in his final letter say these emphatic words, “this is the will of God, that in everything you give thanks“! You are welcome—says The Lord! 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. #DECEMBER21

by Jay Anderson MONROE, MI – This Christmas season, we will all certainly sing what can rightly be called “an accidental song for the season.” Joy to the World is among the most beloved Christmas hymns ever written by one of the most blessed hymn writers to ever live. However, when Isaac Watts published this hymn in 1719, he did not intend for it to point to the first advent (coming) of the Lord. Rather, Watts intended to reflect the truth of Psalm 98 and thus, he wrote this hymn to point to the joy of the second advent of the Lord…the time when the earth will permanently receive her King…the time when all will recognize that the Savior reigns…the time when the curse of sin is no more…the time when the world finally experiences the truth and grace of His rule. So, should we sing Joy to the World during the Christmas season when Isaac Watts was writing about the second advent? Absolutely! In fact, at the beginning of Jesus’ first advent, the angel announced, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). Joy to the World may be an accidental song for the season but it is perfectly fitting because that is the good news that was proclaimed and celebrated by the heavenly host! Let us never forget that our joy in looking forward to the second advent of King Jesus is grounded in the joy of His first advent as the Savior. Without the first advent, there would be no good news. We would all remain dead in our sins and we would all continue to dwell under the just wrath of God (John 3:36; Ephesians 2:1-2). However, there is good news of great joy because God became man in order to save sinners (Matthew 1:18-24; Galatians 4:4-5)! The angelic announcement is the most joy-filled news ever proclaimed; but surprisingly, it came first to shepherds. They were generally poor and powerless. They were often uneducated and ceremonially unclean. Their names are not even recorded in the biblical record. And yet, the good news of great joy was for them as well. The Savior has come for all people regardless of nationality or political position or social standing or ethnicity or historical setting. The Savior came to pay the penalty for sin for people from every nation, all tribes and peoples and languages (Revelation 7:9-10)! Certainly, let us sing Joy to the World during the Christmas season because the Savior has come for all people. However, perhaps we should also remember to sing Joy to the World during every season because the Savior is coming again! Grace and Peace, Jay ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jay Anderson serves as Lead Pastor at CrossPointe Church in Monroe, Michigan. Jay and his wife, Kristie, are blessed with four children (Noel, Deacon, Anna, Selah). Prior to coming to Michigan in November 2016, the Andersons served as church planters in Iowa and cross-cultural workers in East Asia. #DECEMBER21

by Karen Blanchard SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MI – We are now in the middle of the holiday season. When kids think about Christmastime, they think of presents, time out of school, and all the fun things they get to do. There is a wonder that comes along with Christmas. As adults, we may feel that way some, but oftentimes the holidays can bring anxiety. We start creating lists, right? Lists of items we have to bake. Lists of presents we need to buy. Lists of the parties or events that we have to attend. We feel pressure to find time to fit holiday obligations into our already busy schedules. The pressure leads to feelings of being overwhelmed, which then robs us of our peace. One of my favorite verses during the holiday season is Isaiah 9:6… For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Jesus is our Prince of Peace. He is where we get our peace from. When we are in a busy season of life, such as the holiday season, it is so easy to rush through our time with God and move on to the tasks of the day. However, when we do this, we will not be filled with all we need to handle the situations we will face. This holiday season, I want to encourage you to find time to REST in Christ. This isn’t the type of rest we typically think of such as a nap, a massage, or lounging on the couch watching a Hallmark Christmas movie or a sports game. No, this type of rest is for our souls. Psalm 61:2 says, My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. The following acrostic is a great way to remember how to REST in Christ. R – Resist the desire to be in control. Trust that God is working in your life and surrender your plans to him. Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. – Proverbs 28:26 E- Escape to a quiet place to be alone with God. Jesus modeled this to us several times in the Bible. After a long day of ministry, Jesus told his disciples they needed to get away to a quiet place. The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:30 - 31 S – Sit, be still, and listen to God’s voice. Once you have found that place to escape, now it is time to be quiet, sit before the Lord, and listen for his voice. “Be still and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10 T – Talk to God. After you have escaped to a quiet place and taken time to be still and listen, then God wants you to talk to Him. In this place, I am not referring to praying down a long list of prayer requests, even though you should do that. This is the time where you pour out your heart to God. Share with him the things you are struggling with as well as your desires and your dreams. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7 When you take the time to REST in Christ, the overwhelmed feelings that you were carrying are then transferred to Him. In return, God will give you the peace your soul craves. Nothing else in the world can do this! It is only when you spend time in God’s presence that you find his peace. How would your attitude change this holiday season if you built in time to REST in Christ? It makes all the difference! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen is married to Scott Blanchard, pastor of Lakepointe Church, and moved from Florida to Michigan in the summer of 2009 to plant Lakepointe Church in Shelby Township. She enjoys mentoring and discipling women and also leads women’s life groups through her church. She is passionate about helping women find their purpose in who God created them to be. She is on staff at Lakepointe Church and loves being part of what God is doing in the Metro Detroit area! #DECEMBER21