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by Mick Schatz ROSCOMMON, MI – Have you ever been stuck in the quicksand of ‘what if?” The more you ponder “what if” your mind seems to travel further down the road of endless and sometimes even bizarre possibilities. You feel paralyzed, unable to move and every thought seems to pull you down deeper and deeper until you are drowning in fear. This is, of course, the negative side of “what if” and if we are honest, most of us are usually quick to run to the scary side of “what if” versus the optimistic perspective. It’s how we are wired. It’s a good reaction when it gives us pause and caution, but not so good when it paralyzes us in fear. It’s a good question when it keeps us safe and stops us from making a regrettable decision. However, it can be very toxic to our spiritual life when it keeps us from obeying God. Personally, I have at times let “what if” keep me from obeying God and experiencing His grace, presence, and power in my life. “What if” has kept me from trusting the prompting of the Holy Spirit to pray for someone, share the gospel, give sacrificially, forgive, love, stand-up and speak out - the list could go on. Like Moses, reacting to instruction from God through the burning bush, I highlight all the reasons I’m not good enough, and all the reasons I’ll fail and look stupid. You see, pride is the real motive behind most of our “what if” dilemmas’. It’s me/you looking at the situation and how it will affect me/you. The goal is to stop defaulting to “what if” and start proclaiming “even if”. “Even if” means looking at God and how He will affect the situation. Just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responding to King Nebuchadnezzar II in Daniel 3:16-18 (NASB): Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we are not in need of an answer to give you concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up.” What an amazing example of faith, trust and worship! That’s the reality in which God is calling us to live. I like how Paul says it in Philippians 1:21 (ESV): "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus gave us the ultimate example of “even if” when He was praying to His Father in Matthew 26:39, “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Being able to say “even if” when our pride and ego is on the line can be difficult, but in surrender we experience God’s abundant grace and power to overcome our fear and follow Him along the path He is leading. “Even if” places our focus directly on the source of our strength and refuge and leaves the outcome in His hands - there are no better hands. What if we said “even if?” 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. #SEPTEMBER21

by Dan Russell SOUTHGATE, MI – A good question for pastors to ask is, “How can small groups help our churches?” Whether your church’s small group model is Sunday School, small groups in homes, or a combination of the two, these gatherings can make an awesome impact on the ministry of our churches! Here are some ways that small groups can help our churches ….. Discipleship – Small groups provide opportunities for new believers, as well as seasoned believers, to learn about the Christian life and how to be dedicated followers of Christ. (Colossians 2:6-7) Assimilation – Small groups give new members and regular attenders a way to get better acquainted with the church’s teachings and build relationships with others in the church, therefore increasing their long-term status in the church. (Acts 2:41-42) Evangelism – Small groups are safe and comfortable settings for believers to share their faith with unbelievers, thus being a place for friendship evangelism. (2 Timothy 2:24-25) Bible Study – Small groups are excellent places for in-depth study of the Scriptures and can be enhanced with a vast selection of study guides and video-driven series material. (2 Timothy 2:15) Accountability – Small groups can be close and confidential to the point of giving group members the option of being accountable to one another, which makes for more transparent relationships and personal ministry. (James 5:16) Hospitality – Small groups provide an atmosphere of close fellowship that opens the door to the “giving” and “receiving” of Biblical hospitality, whether the groups are happening in the church building or in homes. (1 Peter 4:9) Prayer – Small groups promote the opportunity to share prayer requests, praise reports, and to have conversational prayers that encourage everyone to pray. This can also include seeing answers to prayer as a group, which is a tremendous bonding experience. (Acts 12:12) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Dan Russell is the Executive Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Southgate, Michigan, a Church Strengthener for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan, and an adjunct professor in the Christian Ministry Department of Spring Arbor University at two campuses in southeastern Michigan. He has 36 years of pastoral experience, including lead pastorates in Missouri, Kansas, and Michigan. He and his wife, JoLinda, live in Brownstown, Michigan, and have three adult children, along with seven grandchildren. #SEPTEMBER21

by Heath Tibbetts MACHESNEY PARK, IL – You know God’s in the middle of something when your church experiences both its lowest year of attendance and highest year of giving at the same time. This was our experience in 2020, and the realization caused me to take stock of how he brought us here. Truly, I believe God is the great provider for the church, doing that work most often through the obedience of his people. Not an obedience of emergency, but of discipleship and partnership revealed in an unexpected moment. In my home church, tithing was taught as a rigid requirement for all believers. While I believed giving was important, parting with 10% of my income as a college student seemed like an impossible standard. When I did manage to tithe, I rarely felt any joy or worship in the effort. Even as I later settled into a place of consistent tithing, it usually felt like a “have to” instead of a “get to” moment for God. Fast forward to my early days as a pastor when I began to wrestle with a fuller understanding of giving from Paul’s letters to the churches. I’d previously been moved by statements that God wanted the law written on our hearts (Romans 2:15) and that physical circumcision never compared to heart circumcision (Romans 2:29). Then a fresh reading of 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 revealed to me the heart aspect of giving I had been missing. “…whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” For years I had given with cheerless compulsion, and I resolved to avoid that mistake in the congregation God would give me. Giving cannot be about instant demands. When we demand a percentage based on Old Testament law, we lead people by judgment instead of joy in their giving. I realized that just as we patiently grow disciples in their reading of God’s word and prayer, so must generosity be treated as a spiritual discipline for people to grow into. Isn’t 1% with the heart better than 10% without it? When I arrived at First Baptist Church Machesney Park, giving had been significantly below budget for years. Convinced that a balanced budget was necessary, we entered a season of salary freezes and budget cuts until we finally accomplished it. We also began to see new attenders during this time, many of whom were unchurched or had been out of church for years. Some long-term members wondered why this influx of new people didn’t translate into higher giving. I responded that instant demands were not going to be more effective than steady discipleship. One mentor challenged me that if I wanted to see rapid progress in my church, I had to teach the tithe as a membership standard. I politely declined the advice, again stressing the need for discipleship. As our budget came into balance, God also provided me with vital insight through the Auxano church consultants on the discipleship and partnership of giving. Their four-step path to disciple members as investors and not just attenders was the language I had been seeking. Potential Giver: Teach that everyone can and should give something to support their church. Priority Giver: Lead the giver to commit that no financial distraction will interrupt their giving potential. Proportional Giver: Help them move from random generosity to strategic giving, perhaps even a tithe. Partnering Giver: Guide givers to be ready to additionally respond to unexpected kingdom investments. It would have been easy for our membership to divest through this season of Covid. Instead, they showed a tremendous care for the staff and ministry of their church. A time of great testing has produced a great testimony of people who decided in their hearts to live as disciples and partners for the sake of the church. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Heath Tibbetts pastors First Baptist Church, Machesney Park, Illinois Used with permission from the Illinois Baptist. #SEPTEMBER21

MONTGOMERY, AL (BP) – As more and more pastors are being asked to provide confirmation of a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine, they are drawing a range of conclusions about whether refusing the vaccine can be a religious liberty issue. When the vaccines became available, there was a feeling of “initial distrust and skepticism” among the congregation at Taylor Road Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. But “the mood has changed quite a bit” as 2021 has progressed, pastor Daniel Atkins said. Despite being in the least vaccinated state in the U.S., with 38 percent of the population fully vaccinated, vaccine opposition waned as church members concluded their Christian faith didn’t pose a reason to refuse the vaccine. Atkins himself moved from initial skepticism to taking the vaccine in April. Though he recognizes vaccination as a “matter of conscience,” he challenges Christians who claim their refusal to be vaccinated as a matter of religious liberty. “People are so quick to pull that religious liberty card,” he said. If “you can show me from the Scripture how your taking this vaccine or being forced to take it by your employer” has “Gospel implications and is against the Christian worldview, then maybe we can talk about religious liberty.” Atkins isn’t the only one facing such religious liberty questions. It’s a growing concern among evangelicals, including Southern Baptists. “The SBC Executive Committee has received numerous inquiries from Southern Baptists around the country about authorizing religious exemptions for vaccine mandates,” said Jonathan Howe, the SBC EC’s vice president of communications. “However, this is not an assignment given to the EC by Southern Baptists due to the autonomous nature of our Convention.” Evangelical ethicists and legal scholars agree that many followers of Christ object to the COVID-19 vaccines, but they’re split on whether any of the objections commonly articulated among believers constitute religious objections. The distinction between religious liberty objections and more general objections could become a key issue as more businesses require employees to be vaccinated. The SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission says the COVID vaccines are “safe and effective” and has cautioned pastors against endorsing hasty appeals to religious liberty by vaccine skeptics. “We must not allow or give support to mere personal or political preferences masquerading as religious liberty claims,” wrote Jason Thacker, ERLC chair of research in technology ethics. “Indeed, doing so is not only morally disingenuous but also can do long-term damage to the credibility of pastors, churches, and Christian institutions in our communities. At the same time, pastors should graciously and patiently consult with those seeking such exemptions or accommodations in order to determine whether the request is predicated on sincere religious grounds.” ERLC trustee Jon Whitehead, a Missouri attorney who specializes in religious liberty cases, expressed a similar perspective. “Most Baptists will listen to Scripture, facts, and experts they trust and decide to take the vaccine. I am among them,” Whitehead said. “Many vaccine objections are grounded in Constitutional interpretation, concerns about government power, or even about how to analyze data. Some of these concerns might be prudent, but not religious. “People who don’t understand religious liberty might fear that religious accommodation opens Pandora’s box. But that fear isn’t supported by the long legal record in the United States,” he said. “Baptists believe in protecting religious liberty for all…Baptists should remain united against government religious discrimination. And Baptists should oppose government retaliation against people who ask for exemptions.” If polling is any indication, the issue of vaccines and religious liberty isn’t just a theoretical concern. In June, 56 percent of white U.S. evangelicals said they had been vaccinated or planned to be as soon as possible, according to a study by the Public Religion Research Institute and Interfaith Youth Core. That’s up from 45 percent in March but lagging behind the 71 percent of Americans in general who either are vaccinated or willing to be. Southern Baptist bioethicist C. Ben Mitchell said biblical arguments for taking the COVID vaccine include “the healing ministry of Jesus,” “stewardship of the body” and “neighbor love.” Arguments against the vaccine concern safety, efficacy and the use of abortion-derived cells in design and production. An analysis by the Charlotte Lozier Institute concluded the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines rely more heavily on abortion-derived cells than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. A December 2020 analysis coauthored by Mitchell found that “no abortions occurred in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine” though “the cell lines involved in developing and confirming the viability of COVID-19 vaccines” resulted from previous abortions. Today, the objections “seem to have been answered, the evidence of which is that I’m not aware of a major pro-life group or Christian denomination that opposes vaccination against COVID per se,” said Mitchell, an ERLC research fellow and distinguished fellow with the Tennessee Center for Bioethics and Culture. When it comes to religious liberty, “I can understand a religious objection to being forced to get vaccinated, but I, frankly, don’t understand a Christian objection against voluntary vaccination,” he said. “I can defend someone’s right not to get vaccinated against their consent, but I have a very hard time defending their decision not to get vaccinated given what we know now about COVID and the safety and efficacy of the vaccines,” Mitchell said. “Every indication is that, unless advised against it by your physician, you should get the vaccine for your own sake, your family’s sake, and for the sake of those around you.” Still, concern over vaccines and religious liberty seems to be mounting. In Hawaii and Kentucky, pro-family groups sent emails to supporters in August reporting swells of concern over vaccine mandates by private and government employers. At least two Christian legal organizations – Alliance Defending Freedom and First Liberty Institute – have released guides to help believers navigate the issue of COVID vaccines and religious liberty. Rebecca Demaree, a Tennessee labor and employment attorney, said courts and employers tend to “give deference to someone saying they sincerely have a religious belief that they do not want to have the vaccine or wear a mask.” The key analysis is whether “the particular rule or law or requirement unduly infringes on that belief,” not whether the objection truly is religious in nature. If someone claiming a religious objection can be accommodated without undue burden on the employer, the objector possesses a reasonable likelihood of prevailing in court, she said. Winning a legal batter, however, is not the only issue to consider. Apart from the legal issues, Mitchell urged Christians not to entertain vaccine conspiracy theories in the name of faith or religious liberty. “The anti-science and anti-public health rhetoric in American political life [surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine] has been absolutely breathtaking,” Mitchell said. “I’ve never seen anything like it in all my years of working at the intersection of science, ethics and public policy. Instead of reasonable caution, some have turned to radical conspiracy theories. Instead of prudence, some have turned to presumption.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Roach is a writer in Mobile, Ala. #SEPTEMBER21

by Diana Chandler NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – Pastor Terry Dale Hudgins was in chapel at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary 27 years ago when he thought he heard God’s call to international missions. Tusculum Hills World Outreach Pastor Terry Hudgins, standing right, joins missionary Kori Bailey in teaching a life skills class to Karen children, showing them how to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as an economical, nutritious meal. “I heard a foreign missionary speak, and he talked about knocking on a hut and the children yelled ‘It’s the Jesus man,’” Hudgins said. “And I just felt God was calling me to become a Jesus man. Being diabetic, the mission board turned me down, so I thought I’d misheard what God would want me to do.” Decades later, as the world prepares to accept thousands of Afghans fleeing Taliban rule, Hudgins is seeing God’s call realized as he directs the Nashville World Outreach Partnership, a refugee and immigrant ministry based at Tusculum Hills Baptist Church in a diverse community with 20 nationalities and languages. “We were just talking about we need to get ready for Afghanistan, because more than likely there’ll be some making their way to Nashville,” Hudgins said. “We’re just assuming there will be because of when the Kurdish population was brought to America (in 1996), most all the Kurdish people ended up in Nashville, and we have the largest population of Kurdish in the country. Wednesday evenings, as many as 60 children from the diverse South Nashville neighborhood served by the Nashville World Outreach Partnership participate in the Freedom Children’s Choir at Tusculum Hills Baptist Church. “We don’t know that they are coming here, but we’re going to certainly prepare as though they are coming. Then we’ll see what happens.” In addition to Tusculum Hills Baptist, the partnership is comprises Forest Hills Baptist Church in suburban Brentwood and the downtown Nashville First Baptist Church. Both Forest Hills and Nashville First contribute to the ministry financial gifts, volunteers and administrative support. The Nashville arm of Urban Promise International and Legacy Mission Village are among community-based partners. “Tusculum is centrally located to all the refugees and immigrants coming into Nashville. … Just about everybody on Nolensville Road uses the big blue neon cross we have as the landmark,” Hudgins said. “Even when we meet Muslim individuals, they all know about the big blue cross.” Tusculum Hills hosts several international congregations, including Zomi from India, Karen from Burma and Thailand, Chinese and Sudanese. The most recent addition is a Spanish congregation birthed in cooperation with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Kori Bailey, center, a missionary to international families served by the Nashville World Outreach Partnership, poses with two Karen women among the 500 to 600 people the partnership serves weekly from about 20 different people groups. Forest Hills, about 10 miles west of Tusculum Hills, began volunteering in Tusculum’s ministry about 10 years before the partnership was birthed in 2017, said Chad Mize, Forest Hills associate pastor of teaching, missions and evangelism. “God opened doors there to where we began co-laboring in ministry,” Mize said, beginning with a summer international children’s choir camp that morphed into the Children’s Freedom Choir that meets weekly. “God opened door after door after door,” he said. “… It’s been amazing to see people come to Christ.” Sharing the Gospel is the partnership’s ultimate goal, but Hudgins describes the outreach as a marathon that begins with building relationships, providing education, food and clothing, and includes help in basic life skills that refugees need to survive in a foreign land, such as navigating government offices, medical facilities, utility companies and apartment living. Volunteers from partnership churches help in all areas of the ministry. “Everything we do, that is our end goal is to share the Gospel and then enable them to share the Gospel with their family and friends, whether they’re here or they get to go back to Burma or Thailand or Iraq, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan,” Hudgins said. Frank Lewis, senior pastor of Nashville First Baptist, said partnering in the ministry helps the church fulfill scriptural mandates to help those in need. Tusculum Hills World Outreach Pastor Terry Hudgins, standing left, and missionary Kori Bailey, right, shown with a Karen refugee, are among those helping prepare the Nashville World Outreach Partnership for the possibility of serving Afghans fleeing Taliban rule. “From the Old Testament, we are reminded that God’s people are to treat the foreigner in our midst with care because once we were foreigners in a strange land,” Lewis said. “By ministering to these individuals who are refugees, we are caring for the hungry, naked, and neglected stranger in our midst. When we do this faithfully, Scripture says we are doing it unto Christ. “Toward that end our Missions Committee has committed a very generous amount of money from our Missions Budget,” Lewis said. “We continue to support the Cooperative Program as our primary missions budget line item, but with this international mission field in our backyard, we have prioritized this ministry as a critical need.” In preparing for Afghan refugees, the partnership will first look for a leader or pastor who knows the culture and speaks the various Arabic dialects. Mize sees opportunity in the partnership to use all of the gifts God has placed in the church body. “It’s been a joy to link arms with Tusculum and with First Baptist, and it’s just neat to see how God uses all of our gifts as churches,” Mize said, “and to see the Gospel go to the nations who God created and for whom He died and longs to redeem, from every tongue, tribe and nation. “It’s the heart of God, and we want to mirror His heart in the way we serve our neighbor.” Hudgins believes refugee and immigrant ministry is accessible to many churches, even those with limited resources. He wants others to know that refugees are here legally, and have passed a detailed vetting and application process through the U.S. government. He describes refugees as hard workers who have fled violence and simply need friends who can help them navigate life in their new home. Many are not familiar with such things as changing lightbulbs and securing utility service. Tusculum Hills often relies on children of refugee and immigrant families as interpreters, as they are enrolled in English classes and are also familiar with native dialects. Google translates is also helpful, Hudgins said. “There are internationals in every community, for the most part,” Hudgins said. “It’s so simple. If they see that you care, they’ll open up and you can find out what their needs are. We’ve found that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. “It’s taken a long time to earn their trust. We’ve had one of our Kurd children who is now a young adult tell us she wants to go back to Thailand to the refugee camps and tell others about Jesus. They can reach people that we never will.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer. #SEPTEMBER21

by Timothy Cockes NEW ORLEANS, LA (BP) – After spending time this summer volunteering at the Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans, medical school student Megan Duggins knew she had to take a proactive approach to the issue of human trafficking. Currently a student at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Duggins spent multiple days a week volunteering with the Friendship House this summer and assisted with caring for survivors of trafficking. She soon realized her training was lacking. “It was very glaring to me that I wasn’t necessarily the best prepared to adequately respond to the situation,” Duggins said. “It showed me the level of care we need to provide for those victims, and it just really put two questions in my head: How am I as a future physician and my colleagues preparing to respond to these really delicate situations, and what can I do about it?” Duggins started From Red Flags to Freedom, a non-profit whose purpose is to “educate and empower future health care providers to identify the red flags of human trafficking and how to care for victims with dignity.” All of the paperwork and non-profit tax information was filled out by Duggins herself, and she assembled the board of advisors (made up of counselors, physicians, ministry workers and government leaders) through networking. She had it completed within two months of her time with the Friendship House. Duggins serves as the president of From Red Flags to Freedom and said the first goal is to create a training program, complete with videos and assessments, for future or current health care providers. The organization’s leaders will begin meeting this week to plan out the first training curriculum with a plan to launch early next year. Duggins said health care professionals are not completely unequipped to handle situations involving trafficking, but hopes that additional training will help rising physicians feel more confident in dealing with situations when they arise. “It’s better to be overprepared and know how to respond, than to say it’s never going to happen to you and deal with it poorly,” Duggins said. After initially resisting the call to From Red Flags to Freedom, she said her faith compelled her to take action. “I didn’t want to initially do it and it was kind of scary, and I thought that I was just a medical school student so what do they care what I have to say,” Duggins said. “But I don’t think it was a mistake that this need kind of came into my thought process. I’m really just trying to be faithful to the fact that I see a need and I want to meet a need with a level of integrity and care. “I’m learning as I’m going. I’m not the expert, but if I can be the person that brings the experts to my fellow students then that’s what my role is supposed to be.” One of Duggins’ main influences during her time with the Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans was executive director Kay Bennett. The Friendship House has served the New Orleans community for more than 75 years. Bennett is also a Send Relief missionary and helps the Friendship House partner in ministry with Southern Baptist entities such as the North American Mission Board (often through its Send Relief Center in New Orleans) and the Woman’s Missionary Union (often through on-site training relating to trafficking). Bennett said Southern Baptists have a huge role to play in the prevention of trafficking in their local area. “If we as Southern Baptists could become educated about human trafficking so that we can take preventative measures, such as reaching out to people that are vulnerable, maybe living in poverty, folks that are experiencing homelessness, or folks that are just vulnerable because of abuse or things like they may have experienced,” Bennett said, “if we can be preventative in those ways then we can help to stop human trafficking.” Duggins said Bennett noticed signs regarding human trafficking situations that she was not able to pick up on, which is one reason she asked Bennett to serve on the advisory board of From Red Flags to Freedom. Duggins said the fact that every person is loved by God is what drove her to begin praying about human trafficking and then ultimately, to becoming part of the solution. “When you pray bold prayers, don’t be surprised when God gives bold answers and be prepared to do something,” Duggins said. “Don’t pray big and then not respond, because that’s a lack of faith. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. It’s one thing to pray but another to take practical steps of obedience. “God made every person with intrinsic value and loves everyone without partiality. That should transform how we view each and every person, and the things that would break Jesus’ heart should break ours.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Timothy Cockes is a Baptist Press staff writer. #SEPTEMBER21

by Tom Strode NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – Christians are not without means of effective ministry while religious freedom is under siege in countries such as Afghanistan and China, speakers said Thursday (Aug. 26) in a Southern Baptist-sponsored online conversation. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) brought together specialists in missions, international relations and religious freedom in a webinar titled “Baptists & the Nations: Religious Freedom Challenges Around the Globe.” Video of the event is available here. The discussion took place only hours after terrorist bombs killed 13 American troops and at least 90 Afghans outside the Kabul airport, where a massive evacuation effort is under way following the Taliban takeover of the country. The extremist Islamic group reportedly is already targeting Christians and other religious minorities, as well as Afghans who aided the United States the last 20 years. “This has been one of the greatest setbacks for international religious freedom that we’ve lived through,” Paul Miller told the webinar audience. The Taliban “will not respect religious freedom or any human rights,” said Miller, professor of the practice of international affairs at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He previously served as director for Afghanistan and Pakistan on the White House National Security Council. Todd Lafferty, executive vice president of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (IMB), said, “There are posters of believers now across the city of Kabul, and we know that [the Taliban is] going after them.” In addition, young daughters of Afghan Christians have already been taken from their families and given to Taliban fighters, he said. IMB is “doing everything” it can “to try to help facilitate getting people out of the country,” Lafferty said. “We hope and pray that our government on the ground will help facilitate that as well.” Chelsea Sobolik, the ERLC’s acting director of public policy, said the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities “will continue to increase as the United States falls back.” The Taliban’s treatment of women and girls also is “deeply, deeply concerning,” she said. In response, IMB is working to help with the refugee crisis caused by the Taliban’s takeover, Lafferty told participants in the webinar. “[T]here is a great opportunity for the church to rise up and minister and serve” during these crises, he said. “This gives us an opportunity as the church to reach the nations that have come among us. “So we need to pray that Christians here would receive them with open arms and see this as God’s appointed time … where we actually have an opportunity to minister to people that we would never be able to touch because they are behind closed borders and hard-to-reach places.” Southern Baptists have given generously recently through Send Relief to help Afghan refugees, Lafferty said. Send Relief is the SBC’s compassion ministry conducted through the cooperative effort of IMB and the North American Mission Board (NAMB). Send Relief has seen “a strong, continuous and generous giving response from hundreds of churches and individuals in a matter of days,” a NAMB spokesman told Baptist Press. Sobolik told the audience, “[I]t can be tempting when we see these images and videos to feel utterly, utterly helpless, but we’re not. As Christians, we can get on our knees and pray on behalf of vulnerable people in Afghanistan and around the world who are facing persecution.” Christians also can pray “that people would share the Gospel” with the persecutors, in this case the Taliban, and “that they would come to know Christ as their Savior as well.” It is “appropriate to focus on the immediate need” by seeking to help through IMB and other charitable organizations or to aid in resettling refugees, Miller said. In addition to meeting immediate needs, Christians should focus beyond the headlines, he said. “There are a lot of other emerging and important issues that may not feel like today’s crisis and yet they are deeply concerning, deeply worrying,” including the rise of China as a world power, Miller told the audience. China has exercised oppressive practices against Christians and other religious groups for decades, but it has turned its attention in recent years toward Uyghur Muslims and other religious and ethnic minorities in the far western region of Xinjiang. The United States has declared the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) campaign against the Uyghurs as genocide. The CCP’s policies have included detention in “re-education” camps, forced labor, coercive organ harvesting, and forced abortions and sterilizations. “I think it’s important to keep in mind that the way a government treats its people reveals its character,” Miller said in reference to China. “And that character will eventually also be revealed in how it treats other nations.” When the CCP treats the Uyghurs and other groups “as disposable without any rights or dignity, you can bet that sooner or later the Chinese government will also take that same attitude and apply it to its neighboring countries,” he said. Regarding the human rights/religious freedom crisis in Xinjiang, Sobolik said, “Christians should be on the forefront of advocating for dignity and human rights of all people, and we cannot remain silent in the face of injustices.” Lafferty told the audience, “[P]rayer is one of the biggest ways that we can continue to impact the Chinese government, the Chinese world at this time. But I tell you what, it’s exciting what God is doing across that land. That work is not stopping. The Chinese believers want to see their group grow by 10 fold in the middle of this persecution. They know that it’s coming.” Other countries that are not drawing as much attention but raise concerns about religious freedom and human rights, speakers said, including Belarus, Cuba, India, Nigeria and, as Miller described them in a follow-up email, “countries in which populism and nationalism hold sway, like Hungary, Poland and Brazil.” During the webinar, speakers also addressed inter-country adoption, guidance for missionary personnel during crises and the Great Commission’s effect on their work. Brent Leatherwood, the ERLC’s chief of staff, moderated the discussion. Among the resources on the crisis in Afghanistan produced by the ERLC is a prayer guide, which is available here. The SBC Executive Committee partnered with Send Relief to issue a prayer guide Thursday on Afghanistan. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. #SEPTEMBER21

by Clayton Knight But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.” 1 Kings 22:13-14 WARREN, MI – The older I get and the more seasoned I become in ministry, the more I am convinced that I have nothing to say to people. Now, what do I mean by that? I mean that I don’t have the necessary insight, life experience, or wisdom to help people. Oh, did I mention that I’m a pastor? Does that seem counter-intuitive? If that does, let me break some news to you: the fact that I’m a pastor doesn’t mean that I have all the answers. I’m not a professional Christian. I don’t claim to “hear from God” regarding our church’s 5-year plan. I’ve stood in my pulpit on a Sunday morning before and said, “I don’t know.” I’ve told people in counseling sessions, “I will do my best to help you, but there are certain times when I may say to you, ‘I don’t know what to do in this situation.’” To make matters more complex, I’m a sinner. I live and work and worship around other people who are sinners. So not only do I lack necessary words and wisdom, sometimes my words, opinions, or beliefs on a matter that I do have are sinful. Moreover, we’re all swimming in an ocean of ideas, opinions, and worldviews. Just try being dogmatic about “God,” “truth,” “morality,” “life,” “identity,” or “meaning” on a public online forum and see what happens. Any 10-year-old with access to Google is forming opinions about these massive realities as we speak. So, what is my role as a pastor living in this kind of wikipedia-style, pluralistic, relativistic age? And what do I do as a pastor who recognizes his own need to peel away the bad ideas he has imbibed from a lifetime of living in this broken world? And what hope do I have for effectively shepherding people for whom I will one day give an account? The short answer to that question is this: Go to the Word of God. The current state of affairs in 2021 America is not reason to retreat from Scripture. It is motivation to embrace it even more. Saturate your mind with the Word. Don’t settle for a vague familiarity with it, but grapple with the phrases, the inspired logic, the therefores, and the thus-es. Don’t settle for simply knowing the stories, but wrestle with what the stories mean. Don’t herald the indicatives (who you are in Christ), without proclaiming the imperatives (who you must be now that you’re in Christ) with equal tenacity. More than anything else, our churches need the Word of the Lord. We need to become churches filled with men and women and children who are growing in their knowledge, articulation of, and application of Scripture. What other source of wisdom is greater? What other word offers better comfort? What else lasts in this life? When people have been ripped apart by loss, they need to hear God. When a kid has no idea who they even are anymore, they need to hear God. When someone gets a dreadful diagnosis, they need to hear God. When conflict invades the church, they need to hear God. When life is good, we need to hear God. When life is hard, we need to hear God. The prophet Micaiah was resolved. “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.” May we likewise feel bound by the beautiful confines of the Word of the Lord, and may we model its relevance, power, effectiveness, timelessness, and sufficiency in our churches, homes, and workplaces. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Clayton Knight is husband to his best friend, Sarah, and daddy to their sweet daughter, Aubrey. The Knights recently moved to metro Detroit so Clayton could serve as the Senior Pastor at Warren Woods Baptist Church in Warren, Michigan. #AUGUST21

by Cindy Truesdale GRAND BLANC, MI – Michigan Campers on Mission (MI-COM) celebrates our 1st Anniversary. Amid Covid, we persevered July 31, 2020 at Bambi Lake Baptist Camp, Michigan Campers On Mission became chartered as a National COM Chapter. National COM Coordinators, Jerry and Renee McGovern, came from Florida to administer the oaths of commitment. Don and Jan Kragness, COM Region 4 Representatives, came from Illinois to support and uplift us. Pastor Tim Patterson, Baptist State Convention of Michigan’s Executive Treasurer, offered a charge to the 28 charter members. We were busy before we were chartered, and continue to look for mission opportunities. We began this chapter knowing that Bambi Lake Baptist Camp is our “core” center to work and to support their efforts. Little did we realize then that we would be able to work with inner-city churches on their housing projects, too. Our most recent opportunity was for the month of July 2021. We worked with the Jachin Baptist Church ABC Program in Flint. This amazing program is open to boys and girls ages 7-17. It teaches the youth skilled trades (electrical, plumbing, carpentry, cooking, sewing, character) and life skills. The older youth worked on a house that Jachin purchased from the land bank. They ripped off siding and resided the home, installed windows, flooring, and much more. The younger children built lamps, benches, flower boxes, shelves, and other fun projects. Some young ladies learned to sew and made curtains for the home. The home will be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to support the program next year. Campers on Mission appreciate Pastor Derrick and Christine Watkins for giving us the opportunity to work with this project. MI COM plans to make it an annual project because of the immense value and impact ABC makes on the local youth in Flint. Would you like to be a member of MI Campers on Mission? There are no membership fees. To join MI COM, go to our website: www.michigancampersonmission.org and click on Membership, and fill ill in the blanks. Or call Rick and Cindy at (810) 869-4716. We’d love to tell you more! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rick and Cindy Truesdail have been married for 29 years. Together they have 5 children and 14 grandchildren. During their early years together, they worked as leaders of a Single Adult Ministry. Rick is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a licensed SBC minister. He served as Associate Pastor with a Spanish-speaking church in Flint for 10 years and Cindy served as the Pastoral Assistant. They are active members at Heritage Baptist Church, Grand Blanc, and Presidents of Campers on Mission in their retirement. #AUGUST21

by Brandon Elrod SAN ANTONIO, TX (BP) – With reports of increasing numbers of pastors leaving the ministry in recent months following increased pressures from the pandemic, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) has joined with state Baptist conventions to host Timothy + Barnabas Getaways for pastors and their wives. “We are, in a very real sense, on the frontlines of a very real battle,” Sagemont Church pastor Matt Carter said when addressing pastors at the Timothy + Barnabas event in San Antonio earlier this summer. “I’m convinced that Satan knows the name of every pastor,” Carter said as he explained that faithful pastors who share the gospel, preach the Word and make a difference can expect spiritual pushback in their calling. NAMB hosted the San Antonio in cooperation with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC). It was the first in a series hosted across the South. NAMB invited pastors for a two-day getaway for encouragement and equipping in Mississippi with events planned for the fall in Virginia and Louisiana. “It is part of our desire that no pastor or wife would ever be alone in the state of Texas,” said Tony Wolfe, associate executive director of the SBTC. “We want to be more than just a network of churches pooling their resources together for the advancement of the Great Commission. We want to actually pull our relationships together to serve and encourage one another.” That heartbeat to serve pastors has been the impetus for Johnny Hunt, NAMB’s senior vice president of evangelism and leadership, since he launched Timothy + Barnabas 27 years ago. “Timothy + Barnabas started out a deep conviction and desire to come alongside pastors to provide them with encouragement and instruction to help them flourish in their ministries,” Hunt said. “What started as a personal ministry now belongs to NAMB so that it will outlast me and serve pastors for many, many years.” To better serve pastors across North America, NAMB began working with state convention partners to host these events to provide a time for pastors to be encouraged in their ministries. These getaways are shorter than a typical Timothy + Barnabas Retreat and hosted in a location that is accessible for pastors who are served by the state convention. Texas pastors who attended the Getaway in San Antonio shared that one of their greatest challenges has been a sense of aloneness. So, the chance to come together with other pastors and hear from other leaders encouraged them. “I think the nature of the pastorate inclines all of us toward isolation. When things get hard, we tend to withdraw more rather than gather with others,” said David Norman, pastor of University Baptist Church in San Antonio. “Hearing stories and rubbing shoulders with guys who are facing the same difficulties, running into the same struggles and just realizing you’re not alone—that’s encouraging.” Russell Smiley, pastor of Pleasant Run Baptist Church in Colleyville, Texas, shared the same sentiment about how easy it can be for pastors to feel detached. “It’s been very encouraging to sit amongst other leaders of other churches and not only commiserate but also encourage one another about how God is moving through all of these things,” said Smiley. Preaching from Matthew 13:15, Carter cautioned attendees about the dangers of a dull heart, deaf ears and dim eyes that might lead a pastor to go through the motions of ministry. To combat complacency and feelings of weariness, Carter encouraged pastors to remember the beginning of their calling, learn to be content in their calling and to maintain focus on the end of their calling, which will yield an eternal reward in Heaven. In reflecting on his years of pastoral ministry at First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., during a session with the pastors, Hunt described the urgency and impact of living a life centered on the Kingdom of God. “I’ve really attempted to, in leadership as a pastor, to build a church that is a Kingdom church,” Hunt said. “I’ve got one life. One day, I’m going to appear before the King who changed my life. I’m going to have to give an account of what I did with what He gave me.” Kathy Litton led sessions for the pastors’ wives. Litton, who serves as NAMB’s director of planter spouse development, has helped with Timothy + Barnabas events for six years. “The Timothy + Barnabas Getaways are such powerful, life-giving opportunities for wives,” Litton said. “The chance to disconnect with their husbands from the demands of ministry and connect with other wives can encourage them deeply. These women pour into their churches and people, and these gatherings allow us to generously pour into them.” The Timothy + Barnabas Getaway in San Antonio took place May 17 – 18. The following week (May 24 – 25), NAMB hosted a second Timothy + Barnabas Getaway for the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB). “After this difficult year of ministry during the pandemic, the Timothy + Barnabas Getaway was such a blessed time of encouragement, refreshing, and instruction for our pastors and wives,” said John Pace, director of pastor and leadership development for the MBCB. Timothy + Barnabas Getaways with the Louisiana Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia will take place in the Fall of 2021. For more information, contact info@namb.net. There is also limited availability for the Timothy + Barnabas Retreat in Branson, Mo. NAMB will announce the 2022 Timothy + Barnabas Retreat dates in September. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board. #AUGUST21

by Mickey Gross GARDEN CITY, MI – Why should I attend a Women's Retreat? Do I even need a retreat? What would happen to my to-do list if I went away for a whole weekend? These are among the first thoughts that run through my head when the invitation to sign up for Harvest Retreat rolls around every year. Don't get me wrong—I LOVE God, His people, and camp ministry. But my life is also very full of work, family, household chores, and even church commitments. It doesn't feel wise to take time away from all of that for an optional experience. Then, memories of my first camp experience come flooding back. My parents, being wiser than I was at 8 years old, decided that it would be a good idea to send me away to GA camp at Bambi Lake for a whole week in the summer. I had never heard of such a thing, but my friends were going and I liked them. Despite the butterflies in my stomach from trying a new thing, I willingly packed my bags and went. The ride up to camp felt like an eternity, but once there, I was able to have an abundance of experiences that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. Five decades later, I still have vivid memories of that week: practicing sign language during rest time that Gina and I had learned in a mission-focused lesson watching the flag raise in the morning, presided over by none other than Ms. Frances Brown herself purchasing a daily Milky Way from the snack shack on the path developing an appreciation for nature that was not available on the eastside of Detroit, and being taught by Godly women who were committed to faithfully planting the Word in the hearts of the young. Attending camp for the first time set the groundwork for my love for God, His people, and camp ministry that is still firmly planted today. My decision to go to Harvest Retreat 2021 flowed from these precious memories. I will put aside my "normally occupied position" to experience God in His nature, His people, and His Word. I will go, because after being apart from faces for more than a year, it will be refreshing to see smiles, to hear laughter, and to connect in person. I will go because I will come back refreshed by Biblical insights, giving me a fresh perspective for ministry here at home. I will go because being there will help me to run and finish the race well. At whatever age and stage of life you are in, you too can gain a renewed sense of your purpose in Christ, worship alongside and learn from one another, and most of all, enjoy God and His good gifts. Harvest Retreat 2021: Love God, Love People October 15-17 Registration: https://bambilake.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/507983 CHECK IN: Begins at 3:00 pm Friday Retreat Ends at 11:00 am Sunday following worship Bambi Lake Retreat & Conference Center The Harvest Retreat Leadership Team is anticipating a full retreat, so sign up today! Using CDC guidance, we have an excellent plan to minimize COVID risk to guests and staff. We are adhering to regulations while still maximizing the opportunities for women to connect. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mickey Gross lives in Garden City, MI and is a member of Resurrection Church in Lincoln Park. She has devoted years in church leadership as a children's ministry director, praise team member, pianist, facilities coordinator, and event planner. Mickey loves camp ministry and has had the privilege of spending time at camp as a camper, serving as a volunteer, and operating on the leadership team for Harvest Retreat. #AUGUST21

by Eli Garza DETROIT, MI – Before going to bed in the very early morning hours of Saturday, June 26th, we heard a high pitched squeaking sound coming from the air vent in the kitchen. This led me to go to the basement to investigate the cause of the sound. I was shocked to see that our basement was flooding fast with approximately close to a foot of water filling the entire basement. My son and I quickly tried to rescue boxes, books, personal belongings and place them in our main floor rooms. The water finally stopped rising at 1.5 ft and slowly receded over the next two hours. We lost so much of our personal memories through pictures, books, and mementos. In addition we lost all of our appliances and book cases and suffered some electrical damages. I asked for prayer for our family over Facebook because of the unprecedented flood. Pastor Tim Patterson responded by notifying the BSCM Disaster Relief team to include us in their list of homes to assist. On Friday July 9th, the team, led by Don Bezeau, did a great job of removing many of our damaged goods, cutting out the damaged drywall, and wood paneling and sanitizing the basement. The team's work helped us save thousands in cleaning and removal costs. They were also a physical testimony in our neighborhood since we are very likely the only evangelicals in a two block radius of our neighborhood in East Dearborn. Our Muslim neighbor understood who the team was and represented, and thanked them for helping our family. Chaplin Jim Ellsworth was a great encouragement to me while the team worked as we discussed our hardship and the ministry needs of our city. We are so grateful for the Disaster Relief Team's hard work, joyful disposition and friendly contacts with our neighbors. An unexpected disaster will shake up one's life, routines, outlook and cause one to grieve deeply over financial losses and the loss of meaningful personal belongings. I felt like what David wrote in Psalm 61:1-3 as the waters receded in our basement in the middle of the night: "Hear my cry O God, listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you. I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe." Yet, the Lord provided unexpected love and help after the flood through a gift, offers for help,and the work of the Disaster Relief team. After the team left, I was encouraged by Paul's words in Romans 8:35-39, especially through the answer to the rhetorical questions of verse 35: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" The answer to these rhetorical questions is that nothing can. Paul makes it clear in verse 39: "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord". We are grateful for the Lord's care demonstrated in various ways and through the Disaster Relief team's work. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pastor Eli Garza was born in Detroit, MI and worked as a structural engineer for 20 years before serving as associate pastor and senior pastor of First Spanish Baptist Church. He attended First Spanish for 57 years. His family lives in Dearborn, MI. #AUGUST21