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by Trennis Henderson KNOXVILLE, TN – How can your church start a missions group like Love World to help young women develop a heart for missions? Kim Cruse, a former International Mission Board collegiate church planter in the Philippines, insists the need is urgent. “If you can put missions into the DNA of a new believer or of a young believer early on in their Christian life, they will always see missions as important,” she emphasized. Cruse, who began serving last year as Tennessee WMU’s missions discipleship specialist, poses the tough, thought-provoking question: “Where are the future IMB missionaries going to come from and where are the future mission supporters going to come from if we're not able to engage and connect and get these younger women involved in missions? “This has been a burden of WMU for many years,” she said, “so I love what has happened at Wallace” Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville. Missions leaders there launched Love World in 2019 to reach and involve women from age 25 to 40 in missions discipleship and support. The response has been noteworthy. In addition to listening to missionary guest speakers and praying for missionaries, Love World participants are involved in such hands-on missions projects as hosting a monthly fellowship brunch for international moms and partnering with Welcome House Knoxville to serve refugee families. Those ministries are particularly fitting since Wallace Memorial is named in honor of Dr. Bill Wallace, a revered Southern Baptist medical missionary and martyr who served in China for 17 years until his death in a Chinese communist prison in 1951. Seven decades later, Wallace Memorial and Love World echo Wallace’s commitment to global missions service. “God put missions on my heart many years ago,” noted Kimberly Poore, a Love World team member. “As a mother of young children, it's not easy just to pick up and go somewhere, but there's so many opportunities locally that we are able to reach internationals. “God has opened that door for me to be able to do that even within our church,” she added. “He just opened the doors to the international moms group. Our kids are playing together and creating friendships and just loving on one another.” Love World’s quarterly gatherings “have given us the opportunity to be educated and to share mission opportunities within our area and also within the world that we can be a part of,” Poore shared. “A wonderful aspect of our Love World is just gathering together, praying for missionaries together and bringing awareness to the different mission opportunities within our world.” Cruse said in her conversations with other WMU leaders, “I frequently refer them back to Wallace’s Love World group. This is a group that has found a way that's working, that younger women are responding. “Every time they gather, they have 20 to 30 young women that are getting more and more involved,” she pointed out. “They're inviting their friends and some of them are really being engaged with missions for the first time.” Love World’s ultimate goal, Cruse concluded, “is really to draw the hearts of these young women into God's purpose of making His glory known around the earth and giving them opportunities to experience that firsthand.” To learn more about engaging young women in missions, contact Kim Cruse at kcruse@tnbaptist.org. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Trennis Henderson is the national correspondent for WMU (Woman’s Missionary Union). A Baptist journalist for more than 35 years, Henderson is a former editor of the Western Recorder of the Kentucky Baptist Convention and the Arkansas Baptist News state convention newsjournal. #MARCH21

by Cindy Truesdail Michigan Campers on Mission (MI COM) is busy! Praise the Lord! We are continuing work on the Faith Fellowship Housing Project in Lansing. It has been cold and even drafty in the house, but insulation is getting put in now and things are moving along. It will be a joyous day when we see the deserving families move in and feel the comfort of a home. Ladies gathered at Heritage Baptist Church in Grand Blanc for a sewing event and have made 26 fleece blankets, 18 hooded towels, and 20 bears to be donated to foster and refugee children in Michigan. Some are still making these items in their homes, desiring to minister to these children. What a blessed day we had together as we worked and fellowshipped together. MI COM focuses on mission projects in the State of Michigan. We are a fellowship of Christian campers who desire to use camping interests and skills in the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus and to assist churches of similar faith in planning projects to improve and support camps and churches. Many mission opportunities are available for us to be a part of, such as: campground ministries; construction projects; maintenance and lawn work; sewing projects; helping small churches hold Vacation Bible School; minister to and supply help to individuals, and families in their times of need; provide needs for foster and refugee children; and much more. Whether you are a tent camper, an RVer, or a trailer camper; a seasonal camper, a weekend camper, or a full-timer; a retired couple, young family or single individual; there is a role for you as a part of the COM family. A COM member does not have to have a camper, many projects we work with, such as Bambi Lake Baptist Retreat Center, offer rooms for the workers. We are praising God as we welcome new members to Michigan Campers on Mission. We have very few requirements for membership: that the person loves the Lord and is born again, that they want to be on mission for Him and wish to help. There is no fee to join and you are not asked to do what you are not able to do when on a work project. If you would like to become a member, to www.michigancampersonmission.org and sign up. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rick and Cindy Truesdail have been married for 27 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 currently active members at Heritage Baptist Church, Grand Blanc, and are eager to work with Campers on Mission in their retirement. #MARCH21

DELTA, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Shahid Kamal’s God is a living God—One who answers prayer. Shahid and his wife, Maroofa, spend their lives introducing Him to the more than 300,000 South Asians who call the Greater Vancouver area home. “Hindus have many visible gods, and Sikhs have many gurus,” said Shahid, who planted South Asian Community Church in Surrey, part of metro Vancouver. “In the midst of this complex situation, we are trying to help them to know, believe and receive Jesus Christ.” And over and over again, the Kamals see that transformation happens through prayer. “Our prayer ministry is one of the successful connecting points,” Shahid said. “Many came to our church for the very first time for prayer. They have specific prayer requests. And, praise God, God answered them and showed them that He’s a living God.” Prayer Requests For the church’s prayer ministry to continue to open doors for the gospel. For South Asians in Surrey to be drawn toward Jesus. For more information about the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and Week of Prayer for North American Missions, visit www.AnnieArmstrong.com. #MARCH21

by Tom Bradley GRAND RAPIDS, MI – As an urban church planting pastor on the northwest side of Grand Rapids, Michigan, I am immersed in an environment that reflects two constant realities — beauty and brokenness. To some degree, we all see this. Suburban or urban, our world is immersed in the throes of the Fall; however, in my previous years of suburban pastoral experience, the stark realities were just never quite as blatant. Brokenness is always present in our world, but it was better camouflaged in the suburbs. In my urban neighborhood, brokenness is in my face, every day. In my 30-plus years as a pastor in the suburbs, I never had someone arrested on my two-foot front lawn, had someone go through my trash for recyclable material, and never had someone accost my wife while she planted flowers in the yard. This is one way to look at my street. But that’s not the whole story, because with the gospel, the same street can take on a very different flavor. Our neighborhood during the pandemic Last summer, distress was particularly heightened in my neighborhood because of the COVID-19 pandemic. People increasingly looked to substances to manage stress, and the drug activity dramatically increased. One house on my street seemed like a fast-food drive-through—minus the food. Cars pulled up, the window rolled down and money and goods exchanged. I would look out the window and say to my wife, Merri, “Well, at least business is booming for somebody during the pandemic.” With the increased drug activity also came increased chaos, angry shouting and threats. Nonetheless we sought to love our neighbors in Jesus’ name, prayed with them and cared for them as opportunities came up. Sometimes it was doing something simple like running a hose or an extension cord next door when their utilities were shut off. Honestly, it was also awkward at times, and we often felt out of place, not knowing what to do. But wherever we confront spiritual darkness—in the suburbs or the city—we have a choice, and as people who believe the kingdom of God is forcefully advancing, that choice is clear. We choose to press into the discomfort, the awkwardness, that some may come to know Him. Neighborhood block party When Merri and I began the journey of starting CrossWinds West Side three years ago, we committed ourselves to being agents of change, to confront the darkness and proclaim the good news about Jesus with whatever abilities we have. During the stressful pandemic summer many in my neighborhood were feeling isolated, cut off, fearful and depressed. So, we decided to throw a block party. It was a little unusual during the pandemic to throw a party, but our city was starting to realize the stress of social isolation and celebrated our desire to get people together, while respecting social distancing. I went around the neighborhood and shared our plans to throw a block party for everyone and got signatures from most of the neighbors to shut down the street. One of my neighbors — admittedly little rough around the edges — told me, “This is a good thing. Let me know if someone doesn’t want to sign your sheet, and I’ll take care of it.” I thanked him but didn’t take him up on the offer. The city then gave us a permit to shut down our street for two hours and even brought out barricades the day of the event. Our CrossWinds team came out with food and helped run games for the kids. Merri and I were nervous about whether or not our neighbors would come out, but slowly they did. From across the street, Luiz and her family dragged a large propane grill to the side of the street and made delicious pupusas, a thick flatbread common in El Salvador and Honduras. Others started coming with food and chairs and the party began. So, for a couple of hours my street — the neighborhood — came together. Some greet me on the street now as pastor. Another neighbor from one of the dealer houses broke down in tears and asked if I could pray for them. Another neighbor asked me last week if I do weddings — their daughter and boyfriend, who share two kids, want to talk to me about it. Relationships are being built, and conversations about the gospel are starting. This is the same street, but in some ways, it’s also becoming a different street. May it continue to become a road leading many families to know Jesus as Lord. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom and Merri Bradley planted CrossWinds West Side in Grand Rapids, Michigan three years ago. If you would like to learn more or receive their newsletter feel free to contact them at pastortom@windschurch.net. #MARCH21

by Carl N. Miller HARVEY, MI – Our church is small, just 22 members, but the heart of our people is meeting the needs of others. But no matter the size of the congregation, there are many things you can all do to serve God, one another, and your community. Harvey Baptist Church is entirely lay-led, unpaid volunteers from the worship team, to audio visual workers, leaders in every area, maintenance and janitorial staff, office and kitchen workers, and pastor. 2020 was a challenging year for individuals and churches everywhere. We closed for a month, spending one of those Sunday’s cutting and piling wood for a family with medical issues. Many of our ladies provided meals for families with various needs. But soon our people began asking if we could not meet since we had plenty of room to social distance. So, while many larger churches were still closed, we began to meet every Sunday. Yes, we still have some families who continue to self-isolate, but most feel the need to worship our Lord together. Many give to our Dollar-A-Week account where we encourage those who can, to put a dollar or more a week into a jar. This money has helped pay rent for a lady hospitalized, bought food for many, aided in medical expenses, paid some dental and medical bills, and provided a variety of ministries. In 2019 we gave out $1,721 and in 2020 an amazing $6,328. We have collected money in baby bottles for the local Care Clinic with $1,236 raised in 2020. This helps meet the needs of pregnant moms, counseling, etc. We are actively involved in helping the Gideons provide Bibles for local hotels and other ministries. In 2019 we provided $2,035 and in 2020 it reached $2,435. In 2019, we packed 172 Christmas shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse, and this past year we had 106. We provide a Thanksgiving Meal to those in our community every year around Thanksgiving. We usually have 75 people attend. Of course, we had to change plans this year and only serve those we have immediate contact with. Tables were set up where families sat together, and our Hostess,Sonja Hiller, arranged 3 servers to keep everyone safe. We had a much smaller group of about 30 but the fellowship was invaluable. In early December for the last several years, we have had a Kid’s Christmas Shopping Day. Up to 50 kids can sign up. Our people purchase gifts during the year, or give money for gifts so each child can bring a list of 8 family members they want to shop for. A shopper is assigned to each child, and areas are set up to wrap the gifts. The kids are served pizza and juice and have a place for crafts and games. There is absolutely NO charge. Obviously, this was a challenge this year, but kids have had so many disappointments that we felt we had to work something out. So, we extended our shopping hours to last from noon to 4:00. This allowed us to have kids come by family every half hour. No food or games were provided. We cut our workers down from 32 to 8 (and they worked hard!). Each worker took a child shopping and wrapped their gifts. We were able to provide for 27 children. Our congregation is small. And like so many Michigan churches, the challenges have been big. But that has not stopped our call to serve our community and to be a witness for Jesus Christ. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Carl N. Miller has served as volunteer pastor of Harvey Baptist Church in Harvey, Michigan in the beautiful Upper Peninsula since 2013. He is married to Leafa Miller who is a wonderful partner in the ministry. He loves the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the church's location on the south side of beautiful Marquette. #MARCH21

by Chad Wells That Coming Generations Would Know the Lord & His Work "All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (Judges 2:10 NASB) BATTLE CREEK, MI – Last year, my oldest son turned eighteen. The scope and scale of change we’ve experienced through his lifetime is mind boggling. Some of what his generation accepts as normative had not even occurred to us just 25 years ago. With the world and all its voices constantly available at their fingertips, this generation has been exposed to ideas and ideologies that contradict the truth we hold dear. How will our churches rise to the occasion? Will we intentionally convey the gospel to our children & their generation? Will we lovingly listen and answer the questions that arise from the influence of an increasingly hostile society? Will we prepare ourselves to give the reason for the hope we’ve found? Our Reasonable Faith is a conference designed to equip people from the pew and the pastorate as we strive to see rising generations know the Lord and His work. Join us as Tim McGrew equips us to engage in conversations without casualties while offering clear answers to the most common questions and objections to Christianity. Andy Giessman will offer his insights into ministry to those in the rising generation gleaned from experience on the university campus. Lydia McGrew will be pointing out the consistency of the gospels regarding the personality of Jesus. Tom McCuddy will encourage us to reconnect apologetics with discipleship to help believers be better prepared to engage those around us. The South Central Baptist Association is blessed to once again partner with the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM) to offer this conference. Join us at Faith Baptist Church in Battle Creek from 8:30am to 4pm on Saturday, March 13th. A catered lunch will be provided which is worth the price of admission, just $15 if you pre-register. Come as a group expecting to be encouraged and equipped for such a time as this. Share the promotional video available on the registration page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/our-reasonable-faith-tickets-124269534523 Anticipating that his ministry would soon come to a violent end, Paul writes to Timothy imploring him to faithfully pass on the truth by instructing reliable men who would also be able to do the same. We must also prayerfully and intentionally pass on the truth once and for all delivered to the saints that coming generations would know the Lord and His work. To register, visit bscm.org/register. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chad Wells is in his sixteenth year as the pastor of First Baptist Church of Portage. He also serves as the Associational Mission Strategist for the South Central Baptist Association. He & his wife Angela are blessed with five children. #MARCH21

by Tim Patterson PLYMOUTH, MI – In the early years of our marriage and ministry, Sabrina and I lived in the hamlet of Marathon, Texas at the edge of the Big Bend National Park. I worked in a small church as the associate pastor, which really meant that I was the personal slave of the pastor. It really was a great learning experience that I will value for the rest of my life. One of the perks of that ministry assignment was that I had the opportunity to travel that region quite extensively. While driving those roads, the beauty and expanse of the vistas that were afforded me were almost incomprehensible. Jagged peaks and desert valleys filled my view from one horizon to the other. There awaited me around every turn visual delights and windows of wonder into God’s great creation that those who have visited this part of our country will fully understand. In my first year there, I was taken in by the enormity of it all, but as I spent more time in the area I began to take notice of the small and more intricate beauties of the landscape. The small reptiles and the tiny rodents that dotted the desert floors were amazing, as were the various cacti and flowering plants. The rocks, sand, and variations in strata seemed to have been painted by some great imaginative artist. Something I began to notice as I traveled were mounds of rock and dirt at the base of mountains, knolls, and outcroppings. Their shapes and colors betrayed their manmade genesis and were somewhat out of place with their surroundings. I later discovered that these mounds of rocks and dirt were the results of men digging for gold ore in those desert hills. As I began to purposefully look for and observe these variations, it was obvious that hundreds of them could be seen across the landscape. Some were located high in the crevasses of lofty peaks while others were more easily accessible at the base of foothills. Their locations seemed to have little to do with logic or reason and did not seem to follow any pattern. At one time this region boasted some profitable silver and quicksilver mines, and I have been told that very few true producing gold mines ever existed. Pioneers, adventurers, and travelers from across the globe came to this barren region of West Texas to find their fortunes and build the empires that obviously, only existed in their minds. With all their worldly possessions in a few bags and bundles, they left the comforts of cities, towns, and villages to live the solitary life of a prospector. The future would hold unbelievable loneliness and isolation, and conditions that would make even the residents of Hades happy to live in the abyss. It was a hard life, yet untold numbers of men gambled their livelihoods and very lives for the almost nonexistent chance at riches. Today, I see person after person doing the same thing as those wishful prospectors of the past. They leave all that is good and right to stake a claim on nothing more than a fantasy that has about as much substance as the dreams that produced them. Instead of building their lives on that which is real and lasting, they scurry about poking holes in barren soils that offer nothing but misery. And just like the abandoned mines and shafts of the Big Bend of Texas, this present life is pocked with the desperate diggings of disappointed men. All they have to show for their efforts are empty holes. It has been my experience, and now my conviction, that fulfillment, happiness, and peace are found much closer to home and it is unnecessary to traipse across the barrens of this world to possess them. In fact, those wonderful states of being can only be found in one's heart. Not the muscular pump that delivers life-giving blood to our bodies, but the inner Soul and Spirit of the human being. And here is the good part, all of this peace and fulfillment is a free gift. Peace, fulfillment, and complete satisfaction are ours for the asking. All He asks for in return is our hopeless and hapless lives. It sounds like a good trade to me. Besides, it is my understanding that when we get to heaven they use gold instead of asphalt to pave the streets. What a deal! Stop digging and start believing. Empty holes or full–filled hearts? It’s your choice. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) "My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice." (Proverbs 8:19) "There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labors, Nor is his eye satisfied with riches. But he never asks, “For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?” This also is vanity and a grave misfortune. (Ecclesiastes 4:8) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tim Patterson is Executive Director/Treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Elected unanimously in May of 2015, Patterson formerly served for 9 years as pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He also served as trustee chair and national mobilizer for the North American Mission Board. #MARCH21

by Tony Lynn PLYMOUTH, MI – “Plays well with others,” marked with an “S,” made my parents smile in 1964. The “S” stood for “Satisfactory.” The report card, from my kindergarten teacher, meant that with other classmates I shared, took turns, and helped others in the classroom. My newly expanded community for the next years of my life was Stalker Elementary School in Flint. I easily recall those sweet years of expanded relationships and new rules. White milk and chocolate milk crates were poised on angles so that we could help ourselves to the tiny half-pint cartons. The aroma of Dutch windmill cookies is still fresh in my mind. Nap times meant each child retrieved his or her own colorful woven rag-rug to rest on the cool tile floor, while the teacher relaxed at her desk yet watching us and gently hushing us when we whispered to one another. In addition to eating and sleeping, I did learn some things. Today, I enjoy working with adults for whom I would mark an “S” when it comes to “plays well with others.” I like over-achieving kindergarten-adults. Two such outstanding, generous pastors are Matt Carter of Cedar Street Church in Holt and Ed Emmerling of Westside Baptist Church in Flushing. These men led their established churches to share their structures, resources, and energy to benefit two new church plants in Michigan. Matt Carter and Cedar Street Church “played well” with The Commons Church in East Lansing which is led by church planter and pastor, Austin Wadlow. The Commons Church is only seventeen months old. During these past COVID months, when restrictions hindered The Commons Church from meeting in-person, it was Cedar Street Church who flung their doors wide-open to The Commons Church. When Carter was thanked for assisting Wadlow, Carter replied, “No thanks necessary. We love helping the new church. It’s nothing more than what we’re called to do. Our congregation wants to be on mission with God.” Recent breaking news is that The Commons has been gifted a free, 5-acre piece of property with a 20,000 square foot building because a smaller congregation wants to unite with the mission of The Commons Church. Matt Carter and Cedar Street Church helped The Commons Church continue their momentum of praying, gathering and worshiping which led to a breakthrough in church planting. Ed Emmerling and Westside Baptist Church “played well” with Union Flint Church in Flint Township which is led by church planter and pastor, Jason Loewen. Union Flint Church launched during February 2021. It’s a newborn church plant. The collaboration between Emmerling and Loewen is startling when you see that the established church is on the north side of the Flint River and the new church plant is on the south side of the river, minutes away from one another. Some established pastors might see the church plant as a threat, but not so with Emmerling or Westside Church. Emmerling said, “I’ve reached a stage in my life where I don’t care who gets credit, I just want to see people saved.” Westside Baptist Church gathers on Sundays while Union Flint Church gathers on Thursday evenings. The common facilities are shared while the outreach to the surrounding community is doubling due to the heroic partnership of two pastors and two congregations. The mutual respect and support between Emmerling and Loewen is evident to anyone who watches their interaction. The background for the word “kindergarten” is interesting. It comes from the German language and literally means, “a children’s garden” or more precisely “a garden of children.” Can you see the beautiful picture those words create in the imagination? Diversity. Differing colors, heights, aromas, shapes, formations. Each one flowering or blooming at their correct time. Gardens of spiritual children can be similar. The pastors of these four churches are partners, and they are harmoniously tending to gardens of children for the Lord. Would you join me in praying that God will give us more kindergarten-adults who would receive an “S” when it comes to “plays well with others” on their report cards? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tony 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. #MARCH21

by Mike Durbin PLYMOUTH, MI – A small group of pastors from across Michigan gathered at Chapel Pointe Church in Hudsonville. Months of pandemic separation were quickly shaken off as they caught up with old friends and made new ones. They were drawn together by the compelling vision of "Be The Church: Healthy leaders strengthening and starting churches to advance a gospel movement.” “Be The Church” was born out of Chapel Pointe’s prayer to see the spiritual leaders of today and tomorrow equipped through authentic leadership development, to foster relationships that weather any storm, and discover the massive impact they can make in churches and communities for the kingdom of God. Tim Patterson, Executive Director of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM), quickly recognized a kindred spirit when he met Chapel Pointe’s Pastor, Joel Wayne. Both men are driven by the passion to advance God’s Kingdom by strengthening existing churches and starting new ones. Patterson says, “When churches and pastors come together for the advancement of the Kingdom and for mutual encouragement and benefit, we then have the Spirit empowered opportunity to truly Be The Church.” Biblical leadership presentations and engaging round table discussions filled the encounter. Questions were energetically discussed like: “What is the one thing we should be learning from you and your church?” “What does your church get most distracted by?” “If we were to start over today, what would we continue doing? What would we stop doing?” “What are you learning? Who are you learning it from?” The lively table and large group discussion vividly demonstrated that great ministry is happening in churches of all sizes all over Michigan, that there is much we can learn from each other, and that we are better together. “The 'Be The Church' encounter was well worth the trip. It was insightful in its practical approach and inspirational in its outlook and vision. Pastor Wayne and his staff were wonderful hosts, and I would strongly encourage any Pastor to be a part of this ministry initiative” (Billy Walker, Calvary Baptist). “I am highly excited about a greater collaboration of churches for the further advancement of the Gospel, more fruitful Kingdom work, and brighter ways to be the light of Christ to our dark world. “Be The Church” is an extraordinarily providential channel in the hands of the Lord in these days through which the work of many churches can flow with exceptional effectiveness” (Jerome Taylor, Eastgate Baptist). Biblical Leadership Traits Be honest and have Biblical relationships with other leaders. Mature leaders invite accountability. Focus on Christ. Be “helpable”—let other people help you. Labor together. “If you’re doing it alone, it’s by your own choice.” Recruit and invest in the spiritually motivated (Ephesians 3:20-21) Surround yourself with leaders who can do what you’re asking better than you, not ones who are just like you. Evaluate Desire vs. Design. Are we doing what we desire to do? Or are we doing what we are designed for? Pursue Biblical Metrics: Have people share stories of transformation; How many does your church have in small groups? Are they multiplying themselves? How long does it take before someone is serving in your church? How many and who are we sending out? Pastor Ed Emmerling of Westside Church captured the potential of the movement: “Be the Church" will bring churches and leaders together in a way that we have not seen in our lifetime. Partnering, in the trenches to punch holes in the darkness of Michigan. It will raise up leaders to a new level and in turn launch our churches into greater impact than we have ever dreamed or even thought to pray for.” For more information, visit BeTheChurch.org. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Durbin is the State Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before joining the state convention staff, Mike served as Church Planting Catalyst and Director of Missions in Metro Detroit since 2007. He also has served as a pastor and bi-vocational pastor in Michigan, as well as International Missionary to Brazil. #MARCH21

by Mick Schatz ROSCOMMON, MI – Now, I realize “CONTAGIOUS” is a dreaded word right now however, for the Christian it should be a way of life. Have you ever met someone for the first time and you just knew they were a Christian, and their witness made you want to be a better Christian? Maybe you know someone who, no matter how many rotten tomatoes this life throws at them, they just make more ketchup. It’s contagious! Hang around them long enough and you learn how to make ketchup too. It’s contagious! There have been several prominent friends in my past who have infected my life with theirs. To me they seemed so tuned in to God there seemed to be a telephone line connecting them directly to heaven - as if they were constantly talking and listening to God. Sometimes I feel like I’m trying to talk with God via Zoom with two hundred other people on the chat, and everyone is talking at once. I digress, but my point is they have impacted, inspired, and infected my life with their relationship with God. In Scripture, in the book of John we see an amazing encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. Jesus was sitting by a well when she came to draw water from it. After much questioning and conversation, Jesus reveals to her who He is, who she is, and what she believes. What happens next is amazing… "So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 'Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?' They went out of the town and were coming to him… Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony…" (John 4:28-30,39). She was infected, and she was contagious. Who Jesus is and what He did for her was just too great to keep to herself - she had to tell everyone. Contagious! As Christians, as the church, we should feel the same compulsion. Who Jesus is and what He did for us is just too great for us to keep to ourselves. Our contagious infection gives Life. Our infection does not make people sick or put them in the hospital, it brings Hope, Love, Joy, abundant Grace and Mercy. Our contagious faith - Jesus - is the cure for sin and all of its diseases. In a world suffering from a pandemic of pride, selfishness and greed, Jesus is the 100% effective vaccination. As Believers this is our call, this is our mission: infect our neighbors with the love of Christ, the only cure for this world - be contagious! 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. #MARCH21

by Dr. Tony L Lynn PLYMOUTH, MI – Darren Greer, after eleven years of service with the North American Mission Board (NAMB), resigned January 2021. Greer’s career with NAMB started on January 20, 2010. This month, Greer pivoted from his former role with NAMB, as a church planting catalyst, to an increased role as the associational missionary strategist for Northwest Baptist Association in Michigan. Greer’s early life was in Lebanon, Missouri. During the 1980’s, he pursued a university degree in criminal justice administration, and subsequently experienced a call to Christian ministry while assisting as a teammate with a church plant in Branson, Missouri. Greer recalled, “During those days, church planting teams were given a double-wide trailer and a pat-on-the-back when they started new churches. We’ve come a long way compared to the support, training, coaching, and encouragement we give now.” During the eighties, Greer devoted himself to ministry by attending Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky and by serving in ministry roles as minister of education and youth. It was during those same years that Greer explored Michigan, first as a summer missionary then he later returned to Michigan to serve the Lord in various ministry roles by permanently moving to Michigan in 1987. With the Lord’s help, Greer has faithfully made it through other transitions in his life. His first wife passed away three-months after giving birth to their son Cameron. His second wife, Sharon Fishell-Greer and he married in October 2010. Sharon was the state convention’s elected president of the Woman’s Missionary Union for five years and the first woman in state convention history to serve in the roles of second and first vice-president. Both Greer and Sharon, will continue to serve the Lord as partners in the ministry with each of their distinct callings and gifts. They have set up their home in Kalkaska, Michigan. When asked what he enjoyed while serving with NAMB and the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM) as a church planting catalyst, Greer replied, “I loved seeing what God did across the entire state with men like Josh Tovey of Redemption Church, Grandville and David Hiser of Antrim Community Church, Bellaire and many others. God never ceases to amaze me at what he does and how he does it.” Greer was asked what he is looking forward to doing in his role as an associational missionary strategist. His voice displayed his excitement when he said, “I am looking forward to working at a closer level with the churches in the association. I want to discover places where we can plant new churches with NAMB. I want to continue, with joy, my more than thirty years of service in the northwest region of the lower peninsula of the state.” State Director of Missions, Tony Lynn, said of Greer’s former service and new transition, “Greer has always and will always be a friend to all of Michigan’s Great Commission Baptists regardless of the role he serves. Greer’s desire to see the Good News of Christ advance, disciples trained, churches strengthened, and churches planted is evident by the humble manner in which Greer serves others. I was blessed to have worked closely with Greer which allowed me to appreciate him even more as a brother in the ministry.” Northwest Baptist Association consists of ten churches, of which three were planted or replanted within the past five years. The churches are located in Bellaire, Frankfort, Traverse City, Cadillac, Lake City, Alanson, Cheboygan and Kingsley. If you’re interested in discovering ways in which you can partner with Darren Greer and Northwest Baptist Association you can write to Greer at GreerDarren@hotmail.com. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tony 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. #MARCH21

by Rick Marcus CLIO, MI – There is something about food, it’s enjoyable, satisfying, comforting and nostalgic. It connects people, cultures, families, friends, and brings people together. Many of our celebrations and traditions are surrounded by specialty foods… Cake for Birthdays, Turkey for Thanksgiving, Candy for Easter, Valentines, Halloween and Paczki’s for Fat Tuesday. The list keeps going. If there’s a tradition, there is a food. We all have a favorite and we all need it to live… but sometimes we live for it. The joke has been for years that we as Baptists have taken this food thing to the next level… with a good ole pot-luck. Food also creates problems, with the fact that it is necessary for life, food can easily become an addiction. If we are honest food has become an acceptable addiction and with that acceptance and the necessity, it’s a very hard addiction to step away from. A good thing has become too much of a good thing. I personally know this struggle and the freedom God can bring from this sin. I could go deeper with this, but I want to look at food more on the spiritual side as the church. Scripture many times compares food and the Word of God. We read this in passages such as: 'Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I bear your name, LORD God of Armies." (Jeremiah 15:16) "How sweet Your word is to my taste — sweeter than honey in my mouth." (Psalm 119:103) "...nourished by the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed." (1 Timothy 4:6b) Church, with the comparison of food and God’s Word, I want to ask us a few things. How is our food consumption? Are we in the Word, allowing it to nourish us? Has the Word become tradition? We consume it as we gather together and we consume it on our own, but is consumption as far as it goes? Do we take in more and more of the Word, but do nothing with it? Does It produce little to no energy, do we consume and then sit actionless? Are we spiritually obese? Of course, the Word is to be consumed. However, we are to do something with it. We should be fed by the word, propelled and energized to take action. "But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22) Church, may we not be spiritually obese, but fit in Jesus! May we not be known for our potlucks and knowledge about food, but may Jesus be made known by a church that is taking action in response to His Word. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rick Marcus is Pastor of City Church in Clio, where he serves alongside his wife Rachel and their 4 kids. City Church is 1 of 3 Re-plants in the BSCM. God is at work in Re-planting Churches all over North America through your NAMB support. For more info about Re-Planting please reach out to Tony Lynn. #MARCH21