The Broadcaster. Being Precedes Doing. In This Issue. Dr. Ritch Boerckel

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1 JUNE 2016 ISSUE 1013 The Broadcaster Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 In This Issue June Calendar Highlights 125th Anniversary Prayer Rally Bus Trip PrimeTime Fellowship Collingsworth Concert Women Helping Women Hats of Hope Summer Ladies Bible Study Coffee with the Elders Parent/Child Dedication Class Global Outreach Children s Ministry Page 8 MusiCamp 2016 Children s Musical Being Precedes Doing Dr. Ritch Boerckel Being necessarily precedes doing. Before a bird can fly, it must be a bird. Before a star can twinkle, it must be a star. Before Christ-followers can do God s work, we must be transformed people. Before the church can fulfill Christ s mission, we must be the church. God s first work in us as worshippers in our church family is transformational. God changes us from being a people who were spiritually blind into being a people who see the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:6). We are able to shine as lights in this dark world because of the inner work of God to make us new creatures in Christ. The truth that being precedes doing acts as a reliable guide for our priorities in our individual lives and in our church as a whole. This truth places our attention squarely upon God s work in us before we focus on God s work through us. As a pastor, I recognize that I am tempted to prioritize the doing side of God s call. Yet Scripture would tell us that being God s church is foundationally important. The church in Ephesus was commended for their works, toil, and patient endurance (cf. Revelation 2:1-4). Yet God was not happy with this very productive church because she had abandoned her first love. Still I find myself drawn to efficiency, productivity and action in church life. The doing side of church life sings a siren s song. We tend to be naturally juiced by the results that we can see and sum. The being side of church health is internal and invisible, while the doing side is external and visible. On the doing side, we can count the number of Continued on page 2.

2 Continued from page 1. 2 The being side of church health is internal and invisible, while the doing side is external and visible. baptisms, the number of Bible studies, the number of mission trips, the number of missionaries, the number of members, and the number of outreach events. How easy it is to measure church vitality with numbers. Yet Revelation 2-3 teaches us that God does not judge by numbers as He walks among His churches. God delights in the simple internal qualities of a local church: a deep love for Him, a committed love for one another, a passion for sound doctrine and a faith commitment to practical holiness. Being is the first measure that God considers when He looks at one of His churches. Perhaps I am drawn to the doing side of church life for another reason. The doing side of church life is far easier than the being side. Being is much harder than doing. The being side requires more than a commitment of time and money; it requires a commitment of my entire person. It calls me deeper into relationships and community. The being side is filled with a pursuit of love for people who sometimes are hard to love. The being side demands that I patiently listen and learn from others who disagree with me. The being side places high value upon sorrowful repentance for my own selfcenteredness. It invites me into the pain of humility. The being side calls me to forgive those who have hurt me... not seven times, not seventy times seven, but every time. The being side demands that I love beyond my natural desires and boundaries. It requires that I care more for people than for results. The being side calls me to make war with my flesh, to kill sin and to become a slave of righteousness. It asks me to rejoice in various trials since those trials are used by God to help me become more like Jesus. Being is much, much harder than doing!! In addition, the being side does not appear impressive from a distance. It is quiet and demure. Yet it is first. Of course, doing is also very important to a church. Jesus has given us a mission to accomplish. We have a work to complete. But first we are Jesus church, and then we do what Jesus commissions us to do. A church that attends to being without doing is a church that has lost her mission. A church that attends to doing without being is a church that has lost her meaning. God s glory in His church is on display as the church becomes what God created her to be and then as the church does what God calls her to do. How would this priority on being change our local church and us were we to embrace it? Let me share some practical ways we can prioritize being over doing: 1. We pray for God to help us see our own sin, to show us His love, and to sanctify us by His Spirit. Our prayers reflect our zeal to be the church that God designed us to be. 2. We delight to learn more of the Gospel, as it is the power of God to transform us into the people God created us to be. 3. We rejoice to listen to God s Word so that we can become the people that God designs us to be. 4. Each member embraces the value of pursuing deep, spiritual relationships in the church.

3 Continued from page Spiritual leaders care more for God s glory than for external results that impress the community. 6. Spiritual leaders spend more time encouraging each other and growing in relationship with each other than they do in planning next year s agenda. 7. The church evaluates the effectiveness of her ministries on the basis of internal transformation and relational love. 8. Joy is more than a nice accessory to church life. Joy is the center of church life. 9. We make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in our church family. We willingly work through conflict with one another even though it is painful. We yearn for the Gospel s promise of reconciliation to be fully realized in our lives and church. 10. Exhaustion from overwork in the church is considered a serious problem to remedy. 11. We each ask, Am I helping or hindering my church family from being a true family where we care for each other in authentic relationships? 12. We ache over our own sin more and take aggressive action to turn from it. We press our lives more deeply into Christ Jesus for sanctification. Jesus is the center of all our efforts. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14 16 ESV) June Calendar Highlights June 1 Jr./Sr. High Mt. Hawley Bowling & Golf, 6:15-8:00pm June 2 Ladies Bible Study at church, 9am June 5 Worship Services, 8:15 & 11:00am Sunday School/ABCs, 9:45am Coffee with the Elders, 9:45am Summer Camp Send Off, 1:30pm June 6-10 MusiCamp, 6:00-8:15pm June 9 Ladies Bible Study at church, 9am June 12 Worship Services, 8:15 & 11:00am Sunday School/ABCs, 9:45am Kid s Musical & Cookies on the Patio, 6pm June 16 Ladies Bible Study at church, 9am June 19 Worship Services, 8:15 & 11:00am Sunday School/ABCs, 9:45am June 20 Women Helping Women, 7-9pm June 21 Hats of Hope, 6-9pm June 22 Jr./Sr. High Field Games at church, 2-4pm June 23 Ladies Bible Study at church, 9am June 26 Worship Services, 8:15 & 11:00am Sunday School/ABCs, 9:45am 125th Anniversary, 4:00pm June 29 Jr./Sr. High SummerFest #1 at the YMCA (7000 N. Fleming Lane, Peoria), 6:15-9pm June 30 Ladies Bible Study at church, 9am Find the complete calendar online at The Birthday & Anniversary List is available at the Welcome Center. Being precedes doing. Both are for God s glory. 3

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5 Women s Ministry Work Nights Women Helping Women Monday, June 20 at 7pm Join us as we prepare products and kits for keepsake boxes that will help parents through the difficulty of losing a child. Sewing skills are not required. Contact: Nicole Pepper, Hats of Hope Tuesday, June 21 at 6pm Use your gifts and talents in sewing and knitting, or simply cut fabric and make fabric flowers for hats for cancer patients. Yarn and materials are supplied for you if you desire to make hats at home. Contact: Holly Miller, Tuesday, June 14 Bus Trip From Bethany To Springfield Prayer Rally A few seats remain on this free bus. We will depart from Bethany at 9am. The event is from 12-1 pm. Bring a snack/lunch if desired. We will make a fast food stop following the event and plan to return by 3:30 pm. To sign up, please call the church office at The Decision America Tour is visiting all 50 state capitals this year to challenge Christians to pray for the United States and its leaders, and to live and promote biblical principles at home, in public and at the ballot box. Ladies Bible Study Carol Beakley and Lisa Lueken invite all ladies to a Summer Bible Study of the book Galatians. This six week study will meet on Thursdays from 9-11am at church, June 2 to July 7. Childcare will be provided. Sign up online at PrimeTime Fellowship Monday, June 13 11:00am in the Sr. High Room All those age 55 and up are invited to join us for a delicious lunch and sweet fellowship. Come prepared to share your favorite church memories. We will be previewing a bit of Bethany s history in anticipation of our 125th anniversary later this month. To sign up, call the church office at Parent/Child Dedication Class Sunday, June 26 at 9:45am Parents wishing to have a child dedicated should attend this class. We will cover what child dedication is, basic parenting principles, and an overview of resources Bethany offers. The next dedication will be held on Sunday, July 10. Collingsworth Family Thursday, June 23 at 7:00pm at Bethany Baptist Church Hosted by Midwest Food Bank. Tickets are available in the church office. Coffee with the Elders Sunday, June 5 at 9:45am A regularly scheduled opportunity to speak with the Elders. The first Sunday of even months in the Library area by the fireplace. 5

6 Steve Hornbrook One of the encouraging characteristics of Bethany has been your generosity when there is an urgent need. I was reminded of that once more when you were recently given an opportunity to give toward earthquake relief in Ecuador! Our benevolence offering on May 1 was designated for this purpose, and we received over $10,000 to share through the ministries of Pablo and Judi Perez and Cesar and Nancy Cortez. Both families are very grateful for your generous gift and are able to help many hurting people with the message of the Gospel and a helping hand with physical needs through your giving. Cesar and Nancy have two children in the U.S. that were both graduating from post -high school studies in the month of May. Cesar was able to make a quick trip to the earthquake damaged area to repair water systems so that people would have access to safe drinking water before heading to the US for the graduations. There is much more work to do when he returns in June to maximize access to water, and your gift will help that to move forward. Pablo and Judi are part of a team that is using donations like ours to help respond to the emergency efforts as well as rebuilding. Following is a message Judi sent me to share with you. Thank you for your demonstration of love and generosity toward the people of Ecuador! 6 Pablo & Judi Pérez will be with us from June 1 5. They will be giving an update in the Living Stones ABC class on Sunday, June 5 at 9:45am. You are invited to attend, even if Living Stones is not your normal ABC. View pictures from the relief effort on the Bethany Baptist Church Facebook page. Dear Bethany Baptist Church Family, We thank you so much for the donation you sent towards recovery efforts in view of the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit Ecuador on April 26. We are in this for the long haul--at least three years. The decision has been made to concentrate efforts in three towns, Simón Bolivar, La Chorrera and possibly Tosahua. (We have not been able to find these towns on internet maps, but they are all near Pedernales). Wednesday, May 12 a strong aftershock leveled what was left standing in Simón Bolivar. For logistic reasons, Simón Bolivar will be the center of operations. The team we work with includes the mission Operation Mobilization (OM) plus our church, Renacimiento, as well as other churches and Christian organizations in Ecuador. This week, the advance planning team will decide on the specific place in Simón Bolivar to set up a semi permanent base camp. An Ecuadorian volunteer task force is also slowly coming together. Volunteers need to have a place to stay and provide for their own needs everything from water and food to toilet paper in order to not be an added burden to those who are already suffering. Ecuadorian volunteers like our co-worker, Claudio Naranjo, include people with ministries and families that will be left behind who also need support. So far 150 basic family food kits have been delivered as well as tents for 15 families. The reconstruction effort is in the process of dealing with the governmental census, ground studies, and federal and municipal permits. With your donation we have also been able to purchase tents and water tanks to provide for the base camp as well as emergency victims, and provide for travel expenses for our coworkers. Our son, Paul, arrived May 21 and he and Pablo will join the team in the disaster zone to set up the base camp, digging latrines, setting up showers, and helping with cleanup/demolition. In Quito we personally are working with developing the donor contact communications and administration of the funds that come into the UWM Ecuador Earthquake Relief Project. A main concern is also that the Gospel be shared as an integral part of the relief efforts. Thank you again for your prayers and donations. In Christ, Pablo & Judi Pérez

7 Children s Ministry Ginny Smith ginny@bethanycentral.org How can we help the next generation know God and make Him known as glorious and real? I think that it must begin with us, as parents: 1. Humbly pray that God will draw you, as a parent, close to Himself and show you Himself as never before. Pray that His Word (the most important element in knowing Him) will become alive to you and that prayer will become a vital connection with Him. Pray that your children will seek Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. 2. Make daily time in the Word and talking to the Lord in prayer the first priority in your schedule. That doesn t mean you have to be in the Word first thing in the morning, however, many find this beneficial, before the rest of life provides all sorts of distractions. Do this, especially in the midst of busy family life. This example will speak volumes to your children. 3. Ask those who seem to have a vibrant relationship with God what inflames their souls what impassions their hearts toward the Holy One. I just recently talked to one pastor who told me that reading theologies that made him take God out of the box was key to impassioning his heart. I know for myself, it is similar, but often it occurs through the words of music these words focus my thoughts and make me see God as bigger, as more worthy of worship, as greater than I usually see Him. 4. Keep a record of prayers that God has answered. During a very hard time financially, as a family, we kept a record of prayers that God answered for specific needs in a book that we entitled Ebenezer Book of Testimony because we wanted our children to know that God is real. Show your children the Living God show them He is exceedingly, abundantly beyond what they can even imagine or think! Share answers to prayer with them, that would only be possible because God intervened. Make Him real! Make Him beautiful! Take Him out of the box when you talk to your children. Make it the passion of your heart to know Him and make Him known. May He become so desirable to you, that your children catch this and want to seek Him as well. VBS Is Coming July :00-11:45am Day 1 Stand For God! on God to help us stand for Him. Day 2 Obey God! on God go help us obey Him, no matter what. Day 3 Trust God! on God to help us trust Him with our lives. Day 4 Thank God! on God to help us thank Him in everything. Day 5 Fear God! on God to help us take Him seriously. Register your students and sign up to volunteer or at 7

8 Bethany Baptist Church 7422 N. Heinz Lane Edwards, IL NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE P A I D PEORIA, ILLINOIS PERMIT NO. 917 Address Service Requested MusiCamp 2016 JUNE :00-8:15pm For kids who have finished K 6th grade. Cost is $10 per child (for t-shirts). Everyone is invited to attend the kid s musical BACK TO THE CROSS Sunday, June 12 at 6:00pm In the Sanctuary The musical will be followed by Cookies on the Patio. Join us! Vacation Bible School July :00-11:45am Kids entering Kindergarten through kids entering 6th Grade this fall are invited. Register online at