Search Results

CLAWSON, MI – 1 Timothy 1:2 says, “To Timothy, my true son in faith.” They are growing, maturing, and sharing their faith. They are inviting friends and family to church, and some have taken that next step and led friends and family to put their faith in Jesus Christ alone. My wife, Cindy and I resonate with the Apostle Paul. At 23 years of age Cindy and I had our first child, and while in many ways we were ready, we definitely needed the help and wisdom of our parents. I’m so glad my mother-in-law was there for the birth of our child. She was parenting us, grand-parenting our child, and sometimes parenting her grandchild. As we serve at The Church in Clawson, we feel we are filling that same role as my mother-in-law did with us. Two years ago we participated in a large car show that is hosted every year by the Clawson Lions Club. The city closes a half mile of Main Street, including a stretch where our property is located, and they park around 400 cars up and down the street. At the event I was able to meet Janet and Patty, a mother and daughter. At that time Janet was battling throat cancer, and I was able to pray with her in the church parking lot. Janet and Patty said that they would come be our guests one Sunday very soon. That one Sunday very soon turned into a Wednesday night some 8 months later. Patty came for a little while before visiting on a Sunday. A few Sundays later, she brought her mother with her. Then she invited another friend, Jenny, who we also met at that first car show. Janet then invited several of her friends who now attend our church regularly. Patty was then able to invite her Father, Janet’s husband to church. A couple of months ago we baptized, Patty, Janet, Patty’s son Josh, and another friend of the family, Chris. Patty and her friend, Jenny led our car show outreach this year. We have another new family attending through that outreach, and the father was saved in his second week attending. Anthony DeMonaco, who I met through door to door canvassing is now one of the core members of our team. He led his daughter to the Lord who now sings every week on our music team. He oversees the financial department of our church, and started Champion Sports Ministries which provides weekend services and discipleship for players and coaches of the United Shore Professional Baseball League which plays in Utica, Michigan. He also serves on The Church Strengthening Team for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM). At times we feel like we are just learning how to parent, yet we are helping our “kids” parent their own “children.” There’s nothing like being a parent, and even still further there is nothing like being a grandparent. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob grew up in a Christian Home. From an early age he knew that God had called him to be in the ministry. He enjoys bringing truth from God’s Word and making it practical and relevant to our every day lives. He met his wife Cindy while attending college. They have 3 children: Bobby (15), Tyler (12), and Jaydon (10). #OCTOBER19

I have been feeling such thirst, and I don’t want to be thirsty anymore,” Eugenio told me after our Bible study at breakfast. Eugenio and I were introduced by a local language school to help us learn each other’s language. We hit it off well and discovered that we had much in common. We were close to the same age and shared similar experiences in business. We were just two men talking about life experiences, trials, and life in general. We drank a lot of coffee, shared some meals, played some basketball, and hung out regularly. We were becoming friends. We quickly began to share deeper struggles, concerns, and beliefs. He shared some personal history and experiences about Mexican culture, religion, and many other things. I shared my testimony of how my brokenness brought me to God and how God’s sufficient grace through a personal relationship with Jesus transformed my entire life, my marriage, my desires, and the trajectory of my future—leading me from the business world and into international missions. There was a wrestling match going on in Eugenio’s heart. He already knew there was more to life than money, success, and whatever comes next. Having seen transformation in the life of his sister, who had heard the gospel and put her faith in Jesus last year, Eugenio was very interested in hearing more. He was searching for truth. Eugenio was discovering the difference between religion and a personal relationship with Jesus. We began to search the Scriptures together and meet for breakfast on Wednesday mornings with the pastor and other local Christians from an IMB church plant. We studied the book of John together, and through discipleship and Eugenio’s own personal study, Jesus revealed himself to Eugenio as the way, the truth, and the life. Through discipleship and Eugenio’s own personal study, Jesus revealed himself to Eugenio as the way, the truth, and the life. After breakfast with Pedro—a new believer—and me, Eugenio said, “I have been feeling such thirst, and I don’t want to be thirsty anymore.” Then Eugenio prayed to receive Christ, right there in the coffee shop. A few weeks later, after another breakfast chat, our new brother in Christ said, “I always felt like God was way up there, so distant from me, but now I know that he lives in me.” Thank you, Southern Baptists, for your continued prayers and support. God is working here in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shelton Johnson is studying Spanish so he can serve IMB workers in South America by helping to meet their families’ logistical needs. #OCTOBER19

ONTARIO, CA (BP) – When you think of the mission field, what comes to mind? Perhaps a foreign country or exotic locale, plane tickets and passports? In the Great Commission, Jesus says the mission field is "all the world." Let me encourage you to remember that college and university campuses are an important part of the mission field -- a mission field ripe for harvest. They exist in your town or city. You may even drive by one on your way to work. Many of us spent years on the collegiate mission field. As college students, some of us were born again in college, reached by a Christian roommate, college ministry or local church. Others of us wandered from Christ while in college or experienced a crisis of faith. For good or ill, college is a life-changing experience. Consider the size of this mission field, encompassing roughly 20 million college and university students enrolled in the United States. By one count, there are 235 countries in the world -- only 59 of which have a population of more than 20 million people. That means there are more college students in America than citizens of 75 percent of the world's countries. About 1 million of these students are international students, many of them from countries with little Gospel witness. Humanly speaking, their best chance of hearing the Gospel and coming to faith is during their time at college in America. Here at Gateway Seminary in California, I recently went to lunch with a new student from Japan. He had never heard of Jesus before coming to America. While attending a college in Southern California, he was invited to an event at a college ministry where he heard the Gospel and came to faith. Today, he is training to go back to Japan as a pastor. We must not forget the mission field in our backyard. On or near these campuses, there are Southern Baptists ministers leading groups of students to reach other students with the Gospel, disciple new converts, connect them with local churches and lay a foundation for a lifetime of faith. More than ever, the collegiate mission field is a large, diverse and often hostile environment for many Christians. On some campuses, open mockery and bullying of Christians and Christianity is tolerated and, in some contexts, encouraged or sanctioned. Yet on these campuses are men and women coming to faith, growing in faith and clinging to faith against the torrent of social pressure and spiritual opposition often masked as academic criticism. Having noted the size, diversity and challenges of the collegiate mission field, allow me to suggest the following actions steps: First, pray for college ministers. Find out the names of the college ministers on a campus near you and pray for them and the students in their ministry. Second, investigate how your church can support college ministers. In some states, college ministers are self-funded missionaries. See how you as an individual or your church can support these missionaries or sponsor their outreach events. It may be as simple as opening your home to some college students for a cookout. Yours could be the only "American home" an international student is invited to during their time in the United States. What a privileged opportunity. Third, if your church is near a college or university campus, consider how you might take a direct role in campus outreach. Find out if there is a Baptist collegiate ministry (sometimes called Baptist student ministry or Christian Challenge) and support it. But if none exists, then see if your church can stand in the gap. Years ago, a church I attended in the Los Angeles area started a collegiate ministry. It was a small group, but we saw several students come to faith in Christ and many more grow in their walk with Christ. Lastly, do not forget about Baptist colleges and universities and other Christian schools. Every year, young men and women come to faith at schools like California Baptist University. These campuses draw unbelieving students, introduce them to the Gospel and graduate new Christians into the workforce. Let me share a personal story. My wife grew up in a non-Christian home in Southern California. She received a scholarship to a private Christian school and for that reason decided to attend. While a student, she was faithfully and lovingly evangelized by her Christian roommate, and she eventually accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She became the only person in her immediate family to graduate from college and the only Christian. Colleges and universities are mission fields. Lives are being changed. The stakes are eternal. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adam Groza is a vice president and associate professor of philosophy of religion at Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention in Ontario, Calif. He is a contributing author to such books as "Marriage in the New Ministry Culture" and "Idealism and Christian Philosophy." #OCTOBER19

"Replanting a church becomes a platform to display God’s glory. By the power of the gospel, that which was once dead is now alive” – Mark Clifton CLIO, MI – I received a text last May from a pastor on the FBC Clio Legacy Team. They asked me to pray about coming back to Michigan to replant the church I grew up in. I laughed. I’m not sure if it was a nervous laugh, an “are you kidding me” laugh, or a God’s got a sense of humor laugh, but it was one of those. Rachel, our kids and I at that time had been serving at a non-denominational church in Rossville, Indiana for almost 5 years. We had seen God do amazing things there. Lives changed by the truth of the Gospel, and people growing as disciples of Jesus so why would we consider a move? A few years before this text, Rachel and I had a conversation about ministry, and we agreed that we would not look to leave our church family, but if someone reached out to us we would pray about it. So… we prayed and sought God’s will and as we prayed, and waited for God to show us His will. He led us to move back to Michigan as re-planters. So we surrendered with no NAMB support in place at the time, and no other churches committed to support us yet. We had a home to sell and a home to buy. It was one of those moments of waiting and trusting our Lord to work, and He did. God supplied our support from NAMB, other churches and individuals, and sold our home and provided a new one. After our move we spent the first several months vision casting and building relationships with those who had been a part of FBC. Then on January 6th this year we launched as a re-plant. What was once dead or dying, now has life. What was once without focus, now has vision, and we give God the Glory for His work. We have seen great growth in the church in both numeric numbers, and spiritual growth. God has also opened many new ministry opportunities for us in the Clio schools and in the community. This re-Plant was desperately needed. With hundreds of SBC churches closing yearly there is a greater and greater need for re-planting. There are 32,000 people within 5 miles of the building our church meets in. Think about if the church had come to an end. Thank God for His work though NAMB and SEND Network Michigan, and the new focus on re-planting churches. There are many challenges to replant a church, and much support and prayer is needed. For a dying church to be replanted, there has to be a humbling of the church to see the need, and willingness to surrender leadership and tradition to start anew. There is a need for other churches to help support the pastors and partner in ministry with them. There is a need to create a new reputation, and a need for refocus on discipleship, gospel proclamation, and call to “be the church” not just go meet with the church in worship. God has worked or is working in great ways to accomplish each of these in City Church. We continue to need your support and prayer, and we want to say thank you to those that have already come alongside us. It is a testament to the power of the gospel to see what was once dead, now alive and growing. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rick Marcus serves as Lead Pastor of City Church in Clio, Michigan. City Church is the Re-Plant of FBC Clio and launched on January 6, 2019. Prior to launching City Church, Rick served in pastor and youth pastor positions in Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky. Rick and his wife Rachel both grew up in Michigan SBC churches and both surrendered their lives to Jesus at Bambi Lake as teens. #OCTOBER19

PLYMOUTH, MI – Her story was gripping. The country where she was born and raised had entered into a crisis that continues to this day. She was near the end of studies in college and facing forced service in the military - a situation that for her was untenable. This woman in her early 20’s told how she waited for the right moment and fled - fled everything for Argentina with only $300 in her pockets. I was moved by the inner strength she possessed to make such a courageous decision. Her words only faltered when she shared how difficult it was to leave her family, especially her mother behind. She started her new life. Starting over in a new country is filled with challenges, but she was thriving in her adopted homeland. She was doing so well that she managed to save enough money to get her mother to move in with her. Her new life was taking shape, but things started to change after a chance encounter on a bus. She met a man who offered her a job. It sounded interesting so she shared her resume and contact information with him. A pleasant first encounter quickly turned sour. The phone calls started immediately, and grew in frequency and intensity. He started to stalk her and followed her on the bus to work. She realized that she had made an incredible mistake. As she shared, my mind feared that the story was heading toward human trafficking. She knew her situation was precarious, and made the decision to flee again. She got on the metro and waited until the last possible moment. She stepped out and the door closed before he could follow. We met her in Mexico, just across the Texas border. She has a valid passport and is following the process to present her case to legally immigrate to the United States. Her story was riveting to hear. Two things stood out to me as she shared. First, this intelligent, courageous, and hard working woman will be an incredible addition to any country that accepts her. Second, I am extremely grateful to the brothers and sisters in Christ in the River Ministry who are meeting needs in the name of Christ. Bob Wood, Sue Hodnett, David Roberts and I were able to see the River Ministry firsthand during a vision tour in the border town of McAllen, Texas. Because the River Ministry missionaries were gathering for their annual meeting, we were able to meet them and hear about their work. We were inspired by their passion, dedication, and creativity to serve people and share Christ. Doctors, dentists, pastors, church planters, and others shared how lives were being touched by Christ. About our time in Texas, Sue Hodnett shares: “The needs are so great and opportunities to minister are limitless. It was enlightening to see that it is possible to make a difference in the lives of these families seeking refuge. From the news stories reported, it seemed as if coming to help would be met with great difficulties and challenges. I don’t see that as the case. There are many pipelines to serving, and it is a very organized ministry.” Bob Wood writes, “The ministry at Senda la Vida stands out to me. The director left a profitable job in Plano, Texas, and returned to Mexico to minister to the needs of migrants. Senda la Vida has a compound where they provide a clean and safe place to live and sleep, regular meals, and a daily worship service where they can hear the Gospel. They minister to people in transition who have nowhere to live, but on the streets. There are many who are awaiting immigration hearings in the U.S., or who have been deported from the U.S. While we were there, we met people from Venezuela, Cuba, and Central America. David Roberts challenges Michigan Baptists to: “Pray about whether God would want you to be on a team going down there to do things such as medical clinics, feeding ministry, first aid training, evangelism, construction, VBS, sports camps, church leadership training, etc. Consider whether you would go together as a group from your church, association, or go with a group made up of Baptists from all over Michigan. There is a huge need there providing almost limitless opportunities for service. Texas Baptists desire for us to serve alongside them, to learn from each other so that, by working together, God will open doors and amplify and multiply the work He is already doing there.” I am grateful that this team and I had the opportunity to see this incredible ministry and the needs. There are multiple ways Michigan Baptists can serve Christ through the River Ministry. Two areas stood out to me; the Colonias and the shelters. Colonias are communities, often on the edge of cities, where hundreds and sometimes thousands of people live. As we drove by row after row of houses, the need for churches to proclaim the Gospel was obvious. Numerous opportunities exist for Michigan Baptists to partner with church planters as they start new churches, and with pastors to strengthen existing churches. The shelters or Respite Centers meet the needs of people in transition. We discovered many ways for mission teams to make a difference: Family festivals, job training, soccer tournaments, crafts, and worship services. The opportunities are endless. If your church is looking for a great place to serve people and share Christ, contact any member of our team. This is an excellent mission opportunity and is part of our partnership with Texas Baptists. 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. #OCTOBER19

BIRMINGHAM, AL (BP) – As Southern Baptists, we have one thing that unites us. At our core is the passion to take the Gospel of Christ to those who have never heard. We work together toward that common goal. As a child and young adult, my heart was sealed for missions. I am a product of the Cooperative Program. The CP is Southern Baptists' unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state convention and the Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries. Nearly 40 years ago, my tiny Southern Baptist church participated in a World Missions Conference (later called On Mission Celebrations). That was my first opportunity to be up close and personal with missionaries. More than 70 percent of your national CP dollars are at work in the United States and around the world supporting missionaries. A new pastor's wife introduced our church to Acteens and, through missions education as a youth, my life was changed forever. National WMU does not receive CP allocations; however, many state WMU offices are funded through state CP dollars. I felt God's call on my life as a youth while serving on the missions camp staff of a state Baptist camp supported by the CP. Statewide youth events helped me mature as a Christ follower. During this time, I met many who served through our state convention office. They took an interest in me. Those heroes of the faith called me by name. It made a difference. In college, I participated in a CP-funded Baptist Student Union ministry. It was one of the greatest discipling influences of my life. During this time, I also served on an associational WMU council. I developed as an associational WMU leader by attending statewide training events sponsored by the CP. Every semester of seminary, a receipt showed a portion of my tuition was subsidized by a gift to the CP. As a newly appointed North American Mission Board missionary, I was challenged to always express appreciation for gifts to the CP. I needed no convincing. For nearly 20 years, I served on state convention staffs in Arkansas and Illinois. I saw firsthand how gifts to the CP meant people had the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel of Christ. Southern Baptists, I am grateful for the difference you made in my life through gifts to the CP. Thank you for your partnership in my home state, the United States and the world to proclaim the hope found only in Christ. As we read Jesus' words in Acts 1: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Father, stir our hearts. May we have a passion for taking the Gospel to the lost. Free us from distractions. Give us the energy and resolve to work together to declare Your glory to the nations. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sandy Wisdom-Martin is executive director/treasurer of national WMU. #OCTOBER19

CODY, WY (BP) – Cody Cowboy Church brings the "Wild Wild West" into the 21st century with its video recording ministry at each summer night's rodeo in the famed Wyoming town. It's a ministry that started as a result of the discerning eye of church planting pastor Pat Alphin's wife, Renee. "We started out [recording] behind the bucking chutes," said Alphin, a former bull rider. "One of the contestants asked me to video his ride one night, so he could watch himself to see how he could improve. "Renee told me later that night, 'If we had a camera, what a ministry that would be.'" Athletic skill improves when riders watch video of their performance and see what they did wrong, Alphin said, which is as true for rodeo contestants as for football players. "When we first got up here [in 2016] we could see the multifaceted ministry we could do here, in the community, with ranchers, at the rodeos and with tourists," Alphin told Baptist Press. "We get opportunities to share the Gospel with people from all over the world." Cody, an hour from the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park, claims its moniker -- Rodeo Capital of the World -- because it has one of the world's longest-running rodeos and is the only place in the nation that hosts a rodeo every night of the summer, from June 1 through Aug. 31. In addition to its nightly video ministry, the church plant hosts rodeo riders in its all-male, 10-bed bunkhouse, and ministers in various ways to the community, tourists and ranch hands. The Alphins were given a video camera by East Mountain Baptist Church in Gilmer, Texas, and bought a 32-inch television they set up where the contestants congregate under the bleachers. "We started videoing the rough stock riders, the bull riders, bronc and bareback riders," Alphin said. "Started coaching them. Then someone [from the bleachers above] spilled a beer on the TV." Now Cody Cowboy Church has a 65-inch television screen and computers in a big blue tent behind the bucking chutes. Two video cameras positioned around the rodeo grounds log each contestant, who can view replays, slow motion and multiple views for on-the-spot analysis as well as next-day coaching. At 9 a.m. each day, contestants gather in the church's bunkhouse to watch the previous night's rides. Alphin was providing some coaching, but "the PRCA [Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association] caught wind of this, this year, and they've been coming up through the season and helping us coach," the pastor said. Alphin's ministry roots date to high school when he rode bulls in Mesquite, Texas, and then competed on the professional -- PRCA -- circuit from 1974-1980. "I was raised Southern Baptist but just had the religion part of it," Alphin said. "When I got into a relationship with Jesus, all my bull riding friends fled." The Alphins, who had planted two cowboy churches in Texas, arrived in Cody in May 2016 and began building relationships with townspeople, officials and participants in the nightly rodeo. Four people were present for the first worship service in January 2017, including the Alphins, but soon there were 20, and by summer 2017 there were as many as 50. "When winter hit we stayed at 40 to 50 and one Sunday this summer we had three baptisms and 103 people in service," Alphin said. "We average 60 to 70, though." Financial stats tell of similar growth. In 2017, Cody Cowboy Church received $23,534 in undesignated offerings, and gave $807 -- 3.4 percent -- to missions through the Cooperative Program, the way Southern Baptists work together in state conventions and throughout the world. In 2018, the church received $41,530 and gave $2,696 -- 6.5 percent -- through CP. "We believe in the Cooperative Program," Alphin said. "It is an opportunity to be a part of the greater global plan even though we are a mission church with limited resources." Church members park cars during the weeklong Cody Stampede Rodeo June 30 through July 4, assisted this year by mission teams from First Baptist Church in Atlanta and Mobberly Baptist Church in Longview, Texas. Cody Cowboy Church and the two mission teams also fed breakfast to participants at each of three parades -- July 2, 3 and 4 -– and served three meals a day to all the contestants and workers at the rodeo between June 30 and July 4. Cody Cowboy Church also ministers to area ranches, recently baptizing five people from the Moon Crest Ranch near Cody. Last spring the church hosted an appreciation dinner for teachers at Cody's junior and senior high schools. "We came to Cody with no preconceived ideas on what this ministry would look like and let God define the ministry and mission field," Alphin said. "He does an amazing job at that when we let Him have the control. We have been so surprised and in our wildest thoughts could not have come up with or implemented this plan we have seen unfold." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen L. Willoughby is a national correspondent with Baptist Press. #OCTOBER19

EDITOR'S NOTE: October is Cooperative Program Emphasis month in the Southern Baptist Convention. Learn more about CP at sbc.net/cp. RICHMOND, VA (BP) – As I near the first anniversary of being elected president of the International Mission Board, I am incredibly encouraged about so many aspects of the Great Commission work of Southern Baptists. At the top of the list are our missionaries. Over these months, my wife Michelle and I have met with more than half of our 3,700 Southern Baptist missionaries and their 2,880 children. I recently received a message from one of them that communicates the sentiments I've found in all of them. The missionary wrote: "Dr. Chitwood, I am leaving language class and am so humbled as I type this. There are so many people who allow me the opportunity to study at the seminary, serve, and now share the gospel here in this country. I am so appreciative of the SBC faithful who sacrifice so I can follow Jesus here. 'Thank You' for being a mouthpiece for the gospel so faithfully and stressing the importance of CP & LMCO [Lottie Moon Christmas Offering] giving so [unbelievers] can hear the Good News. I love you and I am forever grateful to be a Southern Baptist. To God Be the Glory!" Not only does this missionary's message communicate the deep appreciation of all of our IMB personnel, it also communicates how the Cooperative Program provides for a holistic Great Commission effort. For example, this brother mentions language class. Language learning is essential for the effectiveness of most cross-cultural mission efforts. So are things like a place to live, a means of transportation, a ministry budget and immunizations -- all provided by the generosity of Southern Baptists who give their tithes and offerings to the Lord in a local church that is committed to cooperative missions. The missionary also mentions the privilege of studying "at the seminary." By God-given wisdom, Southern Baptists not only have established six seminaries delivering the highest quality of theological education and ministry training, but they also have supplemented each seminary budget with Cooperative Program scholarship dollars. This generous investment by Southern Baptists keeps the cost of tuition low enough even for students hailing from lower socio-economic backgrounds to have access to a seminary degree without accumulating a mountain of debt that would, at the end of the day, prevent them from going to the mission field. Though not a cross-cultural overseas missionary, I've personally benefited from three degrees paid for, in part, by "the SBC faithful who sacrifice so I can follow Jesus" where He calls me to serve and lead. What I also know about this particular missionary is that he went out from a healthy church where he served under a pastor whose ministry was blessed and strengthened by state convention staff members. The ministries of the state convention, funded by the Cooperative Program, helped equip and encourage the pastor, his staff and the church family as they sought to be effective witnesses in their Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. No wonder he's grateful to be a Southern Baptist. And so am I. To God be the glory ... among the nations! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul Chitwood is president of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board. #OCTOBER19

NEW ORLEANS, LA (BP) – Brenda Lomax-Brown received a surprise visit from television personality Mike Rowe, who showed up with a film crew to give her a $20,000 check and a new playground for the local ministry she directs in the Hollygrove-Dixon neighborhood of New Orleans. During the Aug. 5 Facebook-based episode of "Returning the favor: A forgotten neighborhood fights back," Rowe, former host of the popular TV show "Dirty Jobs," accompanied Lomax-Brown for a tour of her neighborhood, while a team -- without her knowledge -- built a $30,000 playground in fewer than four hours near the Life Transformation Center. The center is a ministry of Celebration Church, a Southern Baptist church with campuses in the New Orleans area, Baton Rouge and the Northshore. Rowe then brought Lomax-Brown back for a surprise unveiling. "All day, driving around with you, was an absolute blast," Rowe said in the episode. "And the more I got to know you, the more I thought, 'this really is a woman who will go to city hall and get out the hammer and start making all kinds of trouble.' But we really don't want you to have to do that. We really want to do something for the community, and we really want to thank you for everything you've done so far." Nearly speechless, the retired Air Force officer gave credit to Christ for the unexpected blessing. "Oh, Jesus, thank you," she said moments after seeing the new playground. "Lord, have mercy." She finally managed to say, "Keep believing in your dreams because they can become a reality." Since Celebration Church opened the Life Transformation Community Center in 2017, the ministry center has helped improve a community marked by poverty and violence. Volunteers from Celebration Church and other local charities have provided tutoring and mentoring for children and teenagers, and job and life skills training for adults. The congregation also has spruced up yards, performed home renovations, cleaned up abandoned lots and helped dismantle abandoned homes. "The residents will tell you Celebration Church has made quite a difference," pastor Dennis Watson told the Baptist Message. "We came in to serve and help. People see children, teens and adults being helped on a regular basis by Celebration members -- at the Life Transformation Center and throughout the community. The community has become a safer place and a community that people are now willing to move into. We've been able to help children and teens become better students; and, then we have had adults who have said, 'I have hope for my family because of Celebration Church's efforts in this community.'" Watson said the Life Transformation Community Center has helped give his church members a renewed passion for service. "They have an outlet in helping the inner city community they never would have had before," Watson said. "We are seeing people's lives touched and transformed in the community. And we are seeing the lives of our people changed as they go down to Hollygrove/Dixon to serve." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brian Blackwell writes for the Baptist Message (baptistmessage.com), newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. #OCTOBER19

I first met Khalid* through an online follow-up request, a way some people seek answers for their troubled souls. We have seen our opportunities to share the gospel in our area gradually change over the past couple of years, with a new openness that has not been present for many generations. We are now increasingly having open conversations in coffee shops, malls, or while sitting on park benches, about the hope that lives within us and how that allows us to live and serve with joy. We have seen that there are two distinct thresholds in a Muslim’s decision to follow Jesus—the point of accepting that Jesus is Lord, and the “all in” point of baptism. Both are critical statements in their lives, with baptism being the “no turning back” line in the sand. Discipleship looks very different here. It is extremely rare for a person of a Muslim background to just up and “accept the Lord as his Savior.” The much more common route is through watching YouTube videos or television programs, establishing a relationship with a believer, either a foreigner or another national, and then probing that believer with questions about Christianity. We are often meeting with people like this for months or even for years as they weigh the cost of leaving everything behind and taking up the cross to follow Jesus. Let me use Khalid as an example. Before we first met, I had heard about him and his walk of faith up to that time. I was told that he was a new believer who was looking for someone to help him grow in his faith. He had been on a three-year faith journey that spanned three countries and encounters with several believers. The first time we met, I asked him to tell me his story. He was a delightful young man who was sincere about knowing more about Jesus and what it looked like to live as a Christ follower. Together with other believers, we dug into the Word each week and answered his multitude of questions—some of which I had never been asked before. What caught me off guard was his proclamation that he didn’t actually become a true believer until after several months of our discipling him. As the weeks turned into months and the questions and discussions got deeper, we could see Khalid’s faith growing. It was not long before he was pleading with me to baptize him. On that momentous day, as Khalid gave his testimony to the small group of believers gathered in the room, he outlined his walk of faith in coming to Jesus. What caught me off guard was his proclamation that he didn’t actually become a true believer until after several months of our discipling him. The faith walk from Islam to Christianity is most often a long one. We may be given the privilege of fifteen minutes of sharing our faith or fifteen months of discipleship time. We are not his or her whole story. We may get to see them baptized, but most often we will not. We desire to use every moment and opportunity that the Master gives us to share the hope that is within us, with gentleness and respect. The rejoicing will be in heaven. It is now up to Khalid and others who have taken the plunge and gone all in with their faith to do any future baptisms. Someone else planted the seed, and I got to water it. God can now make it grow into a vibrant and healthy fruit-bearing tree. * Name changed ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mick Mocha has lived in several countries in North Africa and the Middle East for the past 25 years. He enjoys scuba diving, tennis, and sitting in coffee shops with the locals talking about life. #OCTOBER19

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (BP) – After 17-year-old Perry participated in Bring Your Bible to School Day in the seventh grade, he started a Bible study for classmates and grew closer to God during his mother's cancer diagnosis in his junior year. "I think that if you take one step, one action at a time, and just take your Bible to school," Perry said in advance of the 2019 observance Oct. 3, "then whether right there or way later on in your life, you realize that that was exactly what [you] needed in that moment." The impact of Scripture in Perry's life anchors a promotional video for the 2019 event and its motto "Bring It. Share It. Live It." Event founder Focus on the Family (FOTF) encourages students of all ages not only to bring their Bibles to school Oct. 3, but to live their faith with targeted events scheduled throughout the year. "For the first time this year, Focus on the Family will challenge Bring Your Bible to School Day participants to put into practice the 'Live It' portion of the event's 'Bring It. Share It. Live It' motto," FOTF said in a press release. "Students and their families will be equipped with monthly challenges -- specific, tangible actions they can take to live out their faith at school and in the community throughout the year." More than 650,000 students participated in 2018, FOTF said of the event that drew 8,000 participants in 2014 in its first year. "Live It" events will be announced in 2019 and 2020, FOTF said. Endorsing Bring Your Bible to School is veteran stock-car driver J.J. Yeley, whose car for the Sept. 20 and Sept. 28 Xfinity Series races in Richmond, Va., and Charlotte, N.C., respectively, is emblazoned with the Bring Your Bible to School logo and colors. "Navigating a racetrack at high speed may take courage," Yeley said in an FOTF press release, "but in today's world, it can take far more courage to be a student and publicly share and live out your faith in school." New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, also endorsing this year's event, defended his faith after an attack accusing him of hatred against the LGBT community in New Orleans. "There's been a lot of negativity spread about me in the LGBTQ community recently, based upon an article ... that led people to believe that somehow I was aligned with an organization that was anti-LGBTQ," Brees said in a Sept. 5 YouTube video linked in FOTF's press release. "I'd like to set the record straight. I live by two very simple Christian fundamentals, and that is, 'Love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.' ... That means love all, accept all and respect all." FOTF President Jim Daly applauded Brees' support of the event. "Like Scripture teaches and Drew Brees referenced," Daly said, "as Christians, we believe we're called to love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind -- and love your neighbor as yourself." Candi Cushman, FOTF's director of education issues, founded Bring Your Bible to School to educate students about religious freedom. "We were hearing from students and their families about how kids were told they couldn't read their Bible during free time at school, or that they should hide their Bible away in a locker because it might offend someone," Cushman has told BP. "We were also seeing that same sentiment echoed in the national headlines. "We wanted to create a fun, empowering way to remind students of their basic religious-freedom rights and let them know that they don't have to hide their faith, or be ashamed of it, when they walk in the school doors," Cushman has said. Bring Your Bible to School "resonates because it is something that's an easy, proactive and positive way for students to express their faith and start conversations." Event information and promotional materials for students, parents, teachers and churches are available at bringyourbible.org. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' general assignment writer/editor. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. #OCTOBER19

PHOENIX, AZ (BP) – The Arizona Supreme Court last week rebuked states and municipalities that overzealously enforce anti-discrimination laws. The state's highest court said the city of Phoenix cannot apply a nondiscrimination ordinance to the designers of custom wedding invitations. In a 5-3 decision, the court found Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski, owners of Brush and Nib Studio, have the right to decline to create custom invitations for same-sex weddings. Justice Andrew Gould, writing for the majority, put forward a sweeping defense of free speech and religious liberty. See related Baptist Press story. "The rights of free speech and free exercise, so precious to this nation since its founding, are not limited to soft murmurings behind the doors of a person's home or church, or private conversations with like-minded friends and family," Gould wrote. "These guarantees protect the right of every American to express their beliefs in public." Duka and Koski, who are Christians, have clients sign a contract with language noting that the calligraphers will not do work "that communicates ideas or messages … that contradict Biblical truth, demean others, endorse racism, incite violence, or promote any marriage besides marriage between one man and one woman, such as same-sex marriage." In 2016, they filed a preemptive lawsuit against the Phoenix ordinance, which levies jail time and fines to places of public accommodation for violating a nondiscrimination mandate that includes sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. Gould dismissed attempts to portray the case as primarily about discrimination. Dissenting justices compared Duka and Koski's concern to historic examples of prejudice, from the Jim Crow laws of the South to Phoenix shopkeepers posting "No Mexicans allowed" signs. Gould called such arguments "a one-sided analysis that effectively deprives plaintiffs of their fundamental right to express their beliefs." He added, "No law, including a public accommodations law, is immune from the protections of free speech and free exercise." The decision offers persuasive reasoning to other courts, said Alliance Defending Freedom's Jonathan Scruggs, who represented Duka and Koski. "The freedom the court upheld for Joanna and Breanna today is good for everyone," he said following the announcement of the ruling. "Americans disagree about many issues, but we should agree on the freedom to disagree." Scruggs said courts hearing similar disputes have already cited the decision -- including the case of Hands On Originals, a print shop that declined to design and print T-shirts for a gay pride festival. That case is pending before the Kentucky Supreme Court. Attorneys have also cited the decision in the appeal of florist Barronelle Stutzman's case to the U.S Supreme Court and a third lawsuit involving Colorado baker Jack Phillips. "Duka and Koski's beliefs about same-sex marriage may seem old-fashioned, or even offensive to some," Gould wrote in his ruling. "But the guarantees of free speech and freedom of religion are not only for those who are deemed sufficiently enlightened, advanced, or progressive. They are for everyone." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Steve West writes for WORLD Digital, a division of WORLD Magazine (www.wng.org) based in Asheville, NC. Used by permission. #OCTOBER19