A Cooperative Program ministry gladly sharing the truth and gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the stories of

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1 THE WEST VIRGINIA April 2014 VOL. 44, NO. 3 SOUTHERN BAPTIST A Cooperative Program ministry gladly sharing the truth and gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the stories of IMB President Tom Elliff Steps Aside AUSTIN, Texas (BP) IMB President Tom Elliff, today (February 26, 2014) asked the chairman of the mission agency s board of trustees to appoint a search committee for his successor. Elliff made this request during his report at the mission agency s Feb trustee meeting in Austin, Texas. He said he will remain president until the next IMB president is in place. A 15-member search committee was named to begin the process. Based on what (Jeannie and I) believe to be the Lord's clear leading, today I am asking our chairman to appoint a search team to seek my successor, he said in an open letter to IMB personnel, trustees and the Southern Baptist community. Though no date has been set, Elliff asked that the search team immediately begin our Lord s work in and through the churches of West Virginia Southern Baptists. and complete their work as soon as possible. I pledge my eager and devoted service as your president until my successor is chosen and in offi ce, he said. But I am urging the search team to act with utmost expediency... not with careless haste or abandon, but with all prayerful and tireless deliberation. We must work and pray together, just as we have these past years, to make this transition as seamless and effective as possible. The cause of our Savior and the welfare of our personnel deserve nothing less than our best. Elliff was elected president of IMB on March 16, 2011 after a lifetime of service as a missionary, denominational leader and pastor. He and his wife, Jeannie, served as missionaries to Zimbabwe in the early 1980s. He led the Southern Baptist Convention as president from and served as pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Del City, Okla., from 1985 to Elliff was also IMB s senior vice president for spiritual nurture and church relations from 2005 to It has been a humbling privilege to serve as your eleventh IMB president in our storied 168-year history, he said as he concluded his open letter. You may rest assured that we will run through the fi nish line of this course the Lord has set before us with wholehearted resolve and our eyes focused on Christ. COMPENSATION SURVEY A HANDY TOOL By Shelly Moon DALLAS Ministers and church employees are invited to participate in the 2014 SBC Church Compensation Survey: a tool used by churches of all sizes to determine fair wages and benefi ts. Participants will be entered for a chance to win an ipad. The survey and complete contest rules are available at www. GuideStone.org/CompensationSurvey. Survey results are not reported individually. Compensation and benefi t information can be contributed anonymously. Churches often don t contribute to salary surveys because they don t have time or receive enough valuable information in return. But according to Fausch, GuideStone s survey is worth the time because it provides customized reports to allow administrators, personnel/ fi nance committees and minister search teams, to better determine adequate compensation for ministers and staff. That can be essential information for April 2014 thousands of churches, which makes the survey worth the few minutes it takes to complete. Southern Baptist church ministers and staff have until May 31 to complete the online survey. Survey results will be released this summer. Survey participants will receive advance notifi cation of the results and can begin to access the data upon notice. Contact GuideStone Financial Resources with any questions or issues. Call toll free GUIDE ( ) Monday Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CST to speak with a customer relations specialist, or send an to info@guidestone.org. Shelly Moon is a marketing writer at GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. LifeWay announces 2014 VBS Theme By Polly House Nashville, Tn., (BP) -- Kids will become Agency D3 special agents during LifeWay s Vacation Bible School Agency D3: Discover. Decide. Defend. -- as they collect and log evidence about Jesus. VBS participants will look at daily questions, investigating to discover, decide and defend Scripture: Day 1 -- Is Jesus really God s Son? Day 2 Was Jesus more than just a good man? Day 3 Was Jesus death real? Day 4 Is Jesus alive? Day 5 What do I do with the evidence about Jesus? This VBS has probably the most evangelistic theme we ve ever had, Wooley said. You add that to the apologetics, and it makes for the opportunity for deep discipleship. Every year more than 25,000 churches host VBS, enrolling nearly 3 million children, youth and adults. Polly House is a writer for LifeWay Christian Resources.

2 Executive Director Terry Harper When I was a Pastor, there were many things I enjoyed about serving in that capacity. Of course there were a few things that I did not enjoy that were part of my responsibilities as well (isn t that true of any job?). For the most part, I loved serving as a Pastor and never thought I would do anything else. I was refl ecting recently on what it was that I most enjoyed about serving as the leader of a fl ock and it came to me that the thing I enjoyed the most was preaching the Word. To pray, to seek the Lord, to prepare, then to preach the Word that I felt that God had given me for His people for that week. That was an exhilarating experience! THE WEST VIRGINIA SOUTHERN BAPTIST (USPS ) Greg Wrigley, Editor gregwrigley@wvcsb.org Published nine times per year by The West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists 28 Mission Way Scott Depot WV From the Executive Director: It is not an easy thing to do. No, it takes quite a bit every week to fi nd the passage, study it, prepare my own heart and then plan the sermon and then to get my mind in the right perspective, and then preach the Word faithfully. Not easy, but thrilling. To know that you have brought the message that you truly believe that God has spoken to you about and that He wants His people to hear and think on for that time period is truly an amazing thing. I mean the fact that God calls us as mortal men to do such a thing is more than amazing to begin with. But that is God s plan and His purpose in this world. I mean, it is so foolish, that a man would spend the better part of a week working and preparing, planning for the big moment to stand and speak the Word of God and a group of people sit and listen, take notes (hopefully) and then respond, as God would lead them. To most of the world this is just crazy. But God says, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him (I Corinthians 2:14). Yes, to the world this is crazy. And I am realizing that the further along we go, the more we will look crazy to the world for this work in which we are involved. They simply do not understand it, and that is okay. I mean when someone asks you how you spent your week and you say, well, I got a lot of studying done. To many, that is not very impressive, so we want to fi ll in the gaps and add to that in order to show that we have really done something of value according to the world. However, if you have spent time alone with God in the Word, then you have done the great work to which you were called. You simply cannot preach great sermons without time alone before God. Let no one diminish that for you or take away from that! It may not seem important to them, but to your calling it may be the most important time you spend. Get alone with God, read the Word, and read sources and inspiration and illustrations and examples. All of this goes into great sermons. Ask God to speak to your heart and to fi re you up for the sermon He has led you to preach and to prepare the hearts of those who will hear it. Pray that He will begin now to do a work in their hearts, cause them to have circumstances that bring this message to bear in their lives. God will do this and you will see Him work in power as you step in to the pulpit. God has called me away from the pastorate for now, and I am fi ne with that, but He has not called me away from preaching and for that I am very grateful. I pray that I will continue to prepare for the preaching of His Word and continue to enjoy the thrill of preaching it. Find out more about the Convention by scanning the qrcode below. Note: No paid advertising or subscriptions accepted. This paper is fully funded by Southern Baptists in West Virginia. Periodicals Postage Paid Scott Depot, WV and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: 28 Mission Way Scott Depot, WV The purpose of the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists is to Empower Kingdom Growth by assisting and encouraging affiliated churches and associations in fulfilling the Great Commission as given to us by our Lord in Matthew 28: We seek to be involved in the following: MATURING our congregations MOBILIZING our congregations STARTING new churches 2

3 *Notice of Address Change* The WV Convention of Southern Baptists would like to notify you of a change of address for our state office that was issued by the 911 Emergency Response System. Our new address is: 28 Mission Way, Scott Depot, WV as well to hear what God is doing in WV through church planting. I know that CLBC under Seth Polk have been instrumental in planting churches and would love to hear about the rest of the state. Look forward to talking and connecting with you soon! Brian McClure Many of your churches and church members have also been affected by these recent changes. If you have any such changes, please let us know immediately so we can update our records in order to ensure that you continue to receive your state paper and convention correspondence in a timely manner. from one of our international missionaries---- From: "Brian McClure" <mccluredb@ gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 Subject: McClure's STAS Aug-Nov 2014 Greetings, I hope that this fi nds you doing well. Our family is going to be in WV from the middle of Aug until the end of Nov and I am beginning to plan out our speaking and sharing schedule. I would like to make myself available to you and the convention during that time if that would be a blessing to the WV SBC. I am willing to travel through out the state to share how God is using SBC churches to further the kingdom in Prague. Most of Oct and Nov are empty right now so I am ready to fi ll it up as you can use me! Also I would love to connect with you April

4 Some Tips from Guidestone on Dealing With Stress 4

5 Love of Fishing Opens Door to Ministry Monday, Sep 23, 2013 By Lonnie Wilkey MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (BP) When Tony Sellars was a young boy he used to go fi shing with his grandfather, Calvin Helton, a longtime Tennessee Baptist pastor. I got hooked on fi shing, Sellars remembers. Fishing and the outdoors have been part of Sellars life ever since. He began fi shing in tournaments and professionally. Sellars, a member of Manley Baptist Church, has combined his love for fi shing and the outdoors with his love for Jesus Christ. In 1999 Sellars and his wife Sharon established Anglers for Christ, a ministry based in Morristown. The ministry was founded to bring Christ to lives through fi shing and the great outdoors, Sellars said. The gospel is presented through many events such as kids fi shing camps, wild game dinners and more, said Sellars, an ordained minister and full-time evangelist. The mission statement for Anglers for Christ is simple: Everyone needs Christ in their life. Knowing that some will not actively seek him, we want to use fi shing and the great outdoors to bring Christ to them. Therefore we are heeding God s call to minister to the lost and be Fishers of Men. Sellars said his ministry follows the example of Jesus. Jesus hung out with the fi shermen, not the golfers, he laughed. On the serious side, he observed that during Jesus time, fi shermen were considered the lowest of the low but Jesus had a special place for them in his heart. As part of his ministry, Sellars has hosted a syndicated fi shing show for almost 10 years. Each episode ends with the plan of salvation, Sellars said. The ministry continues to expand. Sellars has a heart for children and much of his ministry is geared toward reaching children for Christ through fi shing camps and events. Now, Sellars and his wife are in the process of constructing a camp for children on 22 acres they have purchased near Morristown. Through the camp, the Sellars desire to get kids away from TV, malls and video games into the outdoors, he said. The camp will include cabins, a dining hall, a three-acre lake and a fi shing pond. We want to get kids back to the outdoors and back to the basics, he said. During camps they will teach the kids how to fi sh and canoe, among other things. Most importantly we will teach them about Christ, Sellars pledged. He noted there are so many things in today s culture that compete for the attention of today s children and most of it is not good. We want to get kids back to the simpler life, he said, noting that the highlight of most camps they have conducted has been time around the campfi re at night. God commands us to be fi shers of men and to go out and spread the gospel. That s what we do, Sellars said. He said they hope to have the new camp in operation by next summer. For more information about Sellars ministry, visit ---Lonnie Wilkey is editor of the Baptist & Refl ector, where this story fi rst appeared. ST. CLOUD, Minn. (BP) -- Anne Schleper, a defenseman on the United States women's Olympic hockey team, is an Olympian with a plan. Schleper, 24, said she approaches her team's quest for a gold medal in Sochi, Russia, as a Christ follower who invites Him onto the ice with her. The U.S. played, but lost a heartbreaker, Thursday (Feb. 20) in the fi nals. "I'm a Christian and nothing happens in my life that isn't fi ltered through God's hands fi rst," she wrote Feb. 6 on her Twitter account. Hockey players who compete internationally, as Schleper has been doing since 2008, can struggle at times with trying to impress teammates, coaches, family and friends, she said. More than anything her walk with Christ helps her to overcome pressures that may come on the Olympic stage. The United States and Canada have owned the medal platform in women's hockey, winning all four of the gold medals, three silvers and a bronze since it became an Olympic sport in 1998 But "it's not about that," said Schleper, talking about the pressure of playing in the big game. "It's all about my Audience of One and playing only for God." She learned how to do that at an Athletes in Action training camp that "absolutely changed [her] life." She was raised in church but had missed out on having a personal, daily time with Him. "That was kind of my game-changing moment," Schleper said. "That's when I really got to know the Lord. I developed that personal relationship with Him which I was missing all along growing up." Born in St. Cloud, Minn., Schleper said she was a typical Minnesotan in that "you pretty much learn how to skate before you learn to walk." She won numerous honors with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers including: All-America; Big Ten Medal of Honor; all-conference all-academic team (three times); second all-time scorer for defensemen (114 career points); and a member of the national championship team as an assistant captain. She proved to be a durable player, never missing a game and setting the school record for career games played with 158. Though her play in Sochi could help her team earn gold, which would delight her friends and family back home all the more, Schleper seems to have a stronger desire to be a reliable presence that her teammates can trust. "I just constantly try to be a light to them," she said. "I want them to be drawn to me so that they are ultimately drawn to Him." Allen Palmeri is a writer from Jefferson City, Mo. The interview for this article was conducted by Baptist Press Sports Editor Tim Ellsworth. April

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7 call , xt 301, to register; or wvcsb.org April

8 WVCSB Calendar April 5 - State Sunday School Builders /Church Directors 6 - SBC Seminaries Sunday 12 - WVCSB Executive Board Mtg 13 - Cooperative Program Sunday (SBC) Baptist Doctrine Study 18 - Good Friday 20 - Easter 20 - Life Commitment Sunday Ministers Wives Retreat 26 - Youth Sing Celebration May 3 - Children s Bible Drill 4 - Senior Adult Sunday (SBC) 11 - Mother s Day Christian Home Week Missions Celebration 17 - Children s Choir Training 17 - Youth Pastor Training Baptist Association Emphasis (SBC) 26 - Memorial Day (Office Closed) June 6 - Men & Boys Golf Tourney 7 - Crossover, Baltimore, MD National WMU Annual Mtg Southern Baptist Convention, Baltimore, MD 15 - Father s Day 15 - Baptist Men s Emphasis (SBC) Mission Trip to Tyrone, PA SonPower Trip 29 - Citizenship & Religious Liberty Sunday July 4 - Independence Day (Office Closed) 13 - Missions Camp Volunteer Orientation Missions Camp 20 - LoveLoud Sunday (SBC) August 3 - Social Issues Sunday: Christian Persecution (SBC) 10 - Student Evangelism Day (SBC) Music Training Week Worship Music Week-SBC 8

9 West Virginia Prayer Focus Your state convention staff meets each working day for a brief time of prayer. We pray for missionaries, campuses, associations, churches, and church plants by name each day. We invite our readers to pray as well. Date Apr. 7 Apr. 8 Apr. 9 Apr. 10 Apr. 11 Apr. 14 Apr. 15 Apr. 16 Apr. 17 Apr. 21 Apr. 22 Apr. 23 Apr. 24 Apr. 25 Apr. 28 Apr. 29 Apr. 30 May 1 May 2 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 Association Coalfields Greater Huntington Immanuel Monongahela Mountain State Pioneer Potomac Highland Tri-County Upper Ohio Valley Allegheny Coalfields Greater Huntington Immanuel Monongahela Mountain State Pioneer Potomac Highland Tri-County Upper Ohio Valley Allegheny Coalfields Greater Huntington Immanuel Monongahela Campus Marshall Univ. Shepherd WVU Morgantown Bluefield State Concord Univ. Marshall Univ. Shepherd WVU Morgantown Bluefield State Concord Univ. Marshall Univ. Shepherd WVU Morgantown Bluefield State Concord Univ. Marshall Univ. Shepherd WVU Morgantown Bluefield State Concord Univ. Marshall Univ. Shepherd WVU Morgantown Bluefield State Church Beaver Creek, Meadow Bridge Berean, Morgantown Berkeley, Berkeley Springs Big Spring, Mallory Borderland, Williamson Bradshaw Mountain, Paynesville Brenton The Bridge Comm., Matoaka Brooksville, Big Bend Brushfork, Bluefield Burke Memorial, Princeton Calvary, Belington Calvary, Bluefield Calvary, Bolair Calvary, Chapmanville Calvary, Follansbee Calvary, Grafton Calvary, Meadow Bridge Calvary, Morgantown Calvary, Ravenswood Calvary, War Camden Flats, Glenville Cameron Canaan, Mill Creek Church Plant Marland Heights, Weirton Marshall Comm. Fellowship Messiah, Christiansburg, VA Ministry of Salvation Mountain Ministry Chapel New Heights, Milton New Vision, Berkeley Springs Salt & Light, Clarksburg South Wheeling Urbancrest, Beverly Abundant Hope, Barboursville Carpendale Cherry Grove Cherry River, Richwood Church at Three Rivers, Hinton The Church at Winchester Cornerstone, Berkeley Springs Crossroads, Burnsville Dawn s Light, Harrisville Dayspring, Charleston Exalt Comm., So. Charleston Friendly Frontier Comm., Morgantown Grace Ch. of Pleasant Valley Winter Olympics: Baptists Trek to Sochi to Share Their Faith Saturday, Feb 8, 2014 By Evelyn Adamson SOCHI, Russia (BP) -- Amid tight security, the 2014 Winter Olympics commenced with impressive opening ceremonies, while Baptist volunteers from across the United States arrived to be part of the international festivities. Inside Sochi's "ring of steel," consisting of 40,000 armed Russian troops, antiaircraft weapons and a myriad of military surveillance tactics, the fi ve Olympic rings welcomed thousands of athletes, fans, diplomats and dignitaries to the Sochi Games. President Vladimir Putin ushered in the Games during the opening ceremonies at Fisht Olympic Stadium -- stirring a sense of competition, camaraderie and inspiration. Among those present was a select group partnering under the name Engage Sochi. Their purpose was simple: to make a difference for Christ before, during and after the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Southern Baptist volunteers journeyed thousands of miles despite persistent media attention to fears of terrorist threats. Engage Sochi was a network of Southern Baptists seeking to create opportunities for meaningful conversations with those living and working in Sochi or who were attending the Games. Volunteers hail from across the United States, including Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado, Georgia and Alabama. Scheduled to perform were the Singing Men of Oklahoma, Woman's Missionary Union drama teams and ministry teams from Missouri and Colorado intent on sharing the love of Christ. Volunteers engaged people throughout the community, walking in the knowledge that thousands around the world are praying for them. As people respond and ask questions, steps were taken to ensure that once they returned home, they were connected with a local community of believers, regardless of where they live throughout the world. Evelyn Adamson is an International Mission Board writer based in Europe. [above] Randy Spurgeon [L] and Gerry White [R] stand with Lewis Miller [C]. Spurgeon travelled with Miller to several places across the state for deacon training seminars. Lighthouse Baptist Church in Hurricane, Faith Baptist Church in Mason, Monongahela Baptist Association, and Potomac Highland Association, all hosted the speaker. Greater Huntington Baptist Association and FBC Fairlea were scheduled, but snowed out. [below] The group at Potomac Highland. April

10 News from West Virginia Churches FAIRLAWN BAPTIST CHURCH, in Parkersburg, Pastor Greg Varndell, held their third Wildgame Dinner and Expo. About 650 people attended the event, including workers, vendors, and guests. The dinner was sponsored by the Men s Ministry of the church. Reed Doughty [far left] of the Washington Redskins shared how Jesus made the difference in his life and career. Brent Henderson [R] gave the main message. Vendors included ATV dealers, some taxidermists, the DNR, a couple of deer farming operations, an Ohio outfi tter, and the Wild Turkey Federation. Door prizes were given out just before the main speaker. The four big prizes were awarded after the guest speaker presented his message. The 2014 state Vacation Bible School clinic was held at Freedom Baptist Church, in Nutter Fort. [James Sanders, pastor] The state team led the sessions on Saturday to give the association workers ideas for leading their association clinics. And, on Friday night, the attendees got to make and see some of the crafts and some of the snacks. They also received some pointers for decorating for VBS. Participants were able to check out the recreation ideas that have been planned for this year, too. INFORMATION WE HAVE FOR ASSOCIATION VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL CLINICS COALFIELDS MARCH 29 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM EAST WILLIAMSON GREATER HUNTINGTON APRIL 17 MOUNTAIN STATE MARCH 24 7 PM IMMANUEL BAPTIST PIONEER MAY 5 6:30-8:30 PM GOOD SHEPHERD BAPTIST POTOMAC HIGHLANDS MAY 9 5:30-7:30 PM OLDFIELDS BAPTIST CHURCH TRI-COUNTY APRIL 12 9 AM WESTVIEW BAPTIST CHURCH UPPER OHIO VALLEY APRIL 5 9 AM - 3:30 PM OPEN DOOR BAPTIST CHURCH 10

11 GOD S GREAT OUTDOORS Ministry Conference August 23, 2014 Grace Baptist Church Fayetteville, WV charge: $25 per person News from West Virginia Churches FROM THE MISSIONS DIVISION--- On April 2, 2014, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, the church planting department will be launching their fi rst WV Church Planter Network Fellowship meeting at Blackwater Falls State Park for all Southern Baptist Church Planters that live in the northern part of West Virginia. To register, please go to guest speakers How to conduct a ministry for outdoorsmen. How to host an outdoorsman s banquet. Why be involved in an outdoorsmen s ministry. Different aspects of an outdoorsman s ministry. Some tools and resources for an outdoorsman s ministry. Prizes and giveaways. MISSION TRIP to Tyrone, Pennsylvania June space is limited call or Greg Wrigley for more information: XT 314 gregwrigley@wvcsb.org Please watch our website for Information on our WV Church Planter Network Fellowship for all Southern Baptist Church Planters that live in the southern part of West Virginia. May 7-10, 2014, Pastor John Reed, at Cherry River Southern Baptist Church in Richwood, WV, will be holding a revival. Matt Shamblin, State Director of Evangelism and Dr. Gerry White, State Director of Missions, will be preaching during the revival. If you live in the area, please mark your calendars and plan on attending. Disaster Relief Update: if you are interested in assisting people who suffer from disasters, we need your assistance. In April, we are updating our Disaster Relief website at www. wvcsb.org. You will be able to read or download all manuals for training and contact your local Blue Hat (Unit Director) for training and certifi cation. We have purchased a trailer for training and communications. If you are interested in purchasing Yellow Disaster Relief clothing, please visit or call Cajun Printing has a large selection of clothing and can add West Virginia to each logo. Dr. Gerry White State Director of Missions A THOUGHT ON THE TRAILERS--- Now is a good time to schedule the trailers for use in your summer or fall activities. Emphasize your VBS with the Block Party Trailer; use the tents for revival or a community event; host a disaster relief training; or hundreds of other ways your church can utilize the trailers. Call Kim Koleta ( xt 301) or her at kimkoletka@wvcsb. org to fi nd out how to sign up, or visit the web site for more information. Does your church have Royal Ambassadors for your boys ages 6-12? Talk to Randy Spurgeon or Greg Wrigley for information. The Snedden-Slaughter Scholarship applications will be mailed to the churches soon. [above] The Block Party Trailer comes with some tables, chairs, a bounce house, a hot dog cooker, cotton candy machine, popcorn popper, a crock pot for nacho cheeze, a variety of games, and a sound system. [right] The Disaster Relief Trailer is used for training and in times of need when called upon. [below right] The tent is kept in this handy trailer. Everything to set up the tent is present. The tent is about 40 X 40 and is quite heavy and needs several people to set it up. April

12 [above] Pastor Timothy Marr welcomes people to North Charleston Baptist Church s Valentine Banquet and dessert auction. [below] Associate Pastor Chris Carlton auctioning the desserts. The money raised goes toward the cost of sending the youth to camp. The annual event has raised thousands of dollars for the youth. HOPE IS FOUND IN JESUS Life can sometimes be really diffi cult to fi gure out. We could all tell a story of an event that does not make sense or does not seem fair or could have been very different with just some good decision making. Maybe you are the story. Spring and Easter are messages of hope and life and the wonder of starting over after the winter season. But maybe you see your life as still in the winter---lifeless, colorless, cold, and with no chance for life. Jesus is always available to bring life to lifelessness. A new hope begins with Jesus. But it quickly moves to your response. Jesus lived, died, was buried, and was raised to life again--the Easter story. Jesus did this to overcome sin, the sin that keeps you separated from God. You must admit to God that you are a sinner and that you have failed Him. Jesus died on behalf of your sin penalty. Do you believe He died for you? Tell Him. Confess to Him that you have failed and that you need Him to forgive you. Commit your life, talents, treasures, and time to Him; tell Him that He is now boss in your life. Do this, and you will have hope and life!