Help Us Renovate this Building! Build Forward to Reach the Next Generation. Our Trip To Spain in June

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1 2009 June Help Us Renovate this Building! Build Forward to Reach the Next Generation This is the theme for the new Berea Free Will Baptist Mission in Battle Creek. The new building has been secured, but it needs a LOT of work. Can you help with the following? -Electrical -Plumbing -Painting -General Construction -Flooring (carpet, hardwood and tile) -Drywall Installation and Finish -Asphalt Sealing and Striping -Heating and Cooling -Windows and Doors -Audio/Video Installation -Landscaping -Concrete Work -Those willing to help cook for volunteer work crews As you can see there is much interior work to be done before we can move in. Your help is greatly appreciated. Please contact Home Missionary Jeff Isaacs and volunteer your services in one or more of the needed areas. He may be contacted by or pastorjeffisaacs@yahoo.com or by mail: Rev. Jeff Isaacs, 77 LaVista, Battle Creek, MI Our Trip To Spain in 2009 Pastor and Mrs. George Johnson It was a blessing to be able to visit with our children and see the work they, along with the Edgmons, are doing in Spain. It was our fifth trip there, and each time we see new faces added to the church in Alpedrete. 1

2 We arrived in Madrid on Friday morning, April 10. Tim and Kristi picked us up at the airport, and then from there we went to Alejandro and Ana s school to pick them up. We spent the first couple of days trying to recover the sleep we had lost. (Jetlag is terrible!) Saturday was our first time to see Alejandro play fútbol (soccer in English). By the way, his team finished in first place. On Sunday we went to the Alpedrete Church, where I (George) preached and Tim translated for me. We had a wonderful service. On Sunday evening we were privileged to attend Café y Algo Más, and it was a blessing to see people coming in with excitement on their faces. Many unsaved people heard the gospel for the first time. Thank you, Lord, for what is taking place in Spain! We did not visit any historical places this time since we had been to several in the past. We wanted to spend time with our children and grandchildren and just observe their daily routine. We found out that we could not keep up with their busy schedule. We wondered, Where do they get all that energy from? Alejandro and Ana were in school the first week we were there. This gave us an opportunity to visit their school and meet their teachers, who were very friendly and receptive to us. I (Mary) helped with coloring and hiding eggs at Ana s school. We enjoyed watching Alejandro play ball and Ana with her gymnastics. It was a joy to see them interact with the Spanish children and adults. We got to go and watch Tim play basketball and we also got to know some of the men he plays basketball with. Tim and Anthony meet on Monday nights with several of the men in the community and play basketball, looking for ways to be a witness to them. Tim and Kristi stay very busy teaching English, having Bible studies and prayer meetings, working with activities at the Center, and studying and preparing for Sunday services. It was a joy to be involved in some of these activities, too. One day we were walking in a park, when a couple of men came up and started to talk to me (George). Of course, I could not correspond with them, but Ana came to my rescue and explained that I was from the U.S. and could not speak Spanish. So she translated for me. We also had the privilege of visiting Safari Madrid, where we watched the llamas, zebras, deer, and other animals walk up to the vehicle and stick their heads in the window. Is the Llama kissing Tim or is Tim kissing the Llama? We were able to visit the new church building in Villalba. What a beautiful building that is being built (to God be the glory)! There are other evangelical churches in the northwest part of Madrid, but it is the only free standing evangelical church. We were also able to visit with some of the other missionaries the Edgmons and McVays. If you could go and see first hand, you would be encouraged at the work that is being done. We are continuing to praise God for allowing us to see the work and how it is progressing in Alpedrete, Spain. June 22 26, 2009 Theme: Basic Training Cornbread joins the Military Cost: $ per camper We need more workers counselors, kitchen help and one day volunteers to help with fishing and archery. Last year we were short on women counselors. We had 49 workers and 150 campers last year. Ages 7-13.

3 Fall Minister s Retreat Island Resort at the Legacy September 27-29, 2009 The Valley Plaza Resort was an excellent family vacation opportunity with many family activities available. Similar sites are being investigated for the 2010 setting of the Michigan State Association of Free Will Baptists. The dates for the 2010 Michigan State Association are May Faith Free Will Baptist Church Begins Expansion! Dr. Grady McMurtry 20 Years an Evolutionist 1 1/2 Years a Theistic Evolutionist 34 Years a Biblical Scientific Creationist Ordained Minister Church Elder A ground breaking ceremony was recently held at Faith Free Will Baptist Church. The church is located in Macomb County on Romeo Plank near 30 mile road in Ray, Michigan. Approximately 18 months ago the church began discussing the possibility of adding to the existing building in order to better minister to its congregation and surrounding community. After much prayer and clear direction that this was the will of God, the congregation worked together to develop a master plan to see the vision become reality. Among the many critical and important decisions made was a unanimous agreement that upon completion of the project there would be no debt. The capital campaign, conducted by the church itself with support from families and friends, has gone extremely well, is ahead of schedule and nearly complete! Praise be to God. Dr. McMurtry will be speaking in two sessions Monday and Tuesday mornings, and one on Monday night. Cost: $ Please send reservation to Gene Norris, 4166 Maplewood Meadows Avenue, Grand Blanc, MI 48439, or gnorris101@comcast.net. Re-Elected! Groundbreaking! Moderator Ron Helms, Assistant Moderator Joseph Jones, Clerk Allen West, Assistant Clerk Jeff Isaacs, Treasurer William Ferguson, Assistant Treasurer Steve Thrasher, Missions Board member George Johnson [2012], Youth Board member Steve Lemon [2012], and Bret Weaver [2012] to the Christian Education Board were all re-elected to their respective positions. Newly elected were Don Viers to fill the unexpired term of Calvin Brown on the Missions Board; James Williams to the Christian Education Board; Rick Dunn and James Caudill to the Master s Men Board. Congregation Attending the Groundbreaking Service 3

4 Construction Begins! Actual construction on the new 7,600 square foot addition began on May 6th. It will include upgrades to both vehicular and pedestrian egress and regress, a covered drop off / pickup area, new entry and foyer, kitchen, fellowship hall, storage rooms and education wing, including Sunday School rooms, children s sanctuary and restrooms. Because a good portion of the work will be completed by church members and other volunteers, the project will take approximately 1 year to complete. Simpson is a 1986 FWBBC graduate. He served 22 years with New Hope Free Will Baptist Church (TN), 16 years as senior pastor, as well as a term as vice president of the Free Will Baptist Foundation Board. North Carolina pastor Harold Webb, a 1989 FWBBC graduate, delivered the Thursday evening baccalaureate message titled, It s Not About Me, daring students to imitate Christ s example and minister as servants wherever they went. Webb has pastored Liberty Free Will Baptist Church (Marion) 17 years, and served two terms as moderator of Blue Ridge Association. Retiring FWBBC faculty member Barbara Riddle was honored for 33 years of service during commencement exercises. President Pinson said, Mrs. Riddle taught in the General Education Department where she was both a student favorite and a trusted member of the college faculty. Michael Walker, chair of the Business Department was named Academic Advisor of the Year. The college commends to you and to the work of the Lord the members of the 2009 graduating class. Lindsay Renee Conner Brownstown, Michigan Associate of Science In Early Childhood Degree Kristen Michelle Helms Allen Park, Michigan Business Administration May 2009 Graduates With Majors and Honors All students at Free Will Baptist Bible College major in Biblical Studies, in addition to other majors, minors, or ministry emphases listed. NASHVILLE, TN Free Will Baptist Bible College graduated 44 students from 15 states and Canada in commencement exercises on campus Friday, May 8, according to President Matt Pinson. Students completed degrees in six programs ranging from twoyear associate s degrees to four-year bachelor s degrees. Forty-seven percent of the class graduated with honors. Reverend Barry Simpson, director of development with Free Will Baptist International Missions brought the commencement address, challenging graduates to participate in the body life of the church and calling for unity and vitality in diversity in the Lord s work. He urged leaders to cultivate local churches that encourage members to discover their spiritual gifts and use them in the service of Christ, His Church and His world. Stephanie Reneè Swick* New Boston, Michigan Child Development and Learning Teacher Education Licensure Christina Joy Zink Belleville, Michigan English Daniel Michael Zink, Jr. Canton, Michigan English Cum laude FWBBC to Honor Bert and Dianne Tippett NASHVILLE, TN Free Will Baptist Bible College invites the extended Free Will Baptist family and other friends to participate in The Celebration!, an evening to honor Bert and Dianne Tippett for their ministry at FWBBC since The June 4 event in Memorial Auditorium will include verbal tributes, audiovisual features, music, and special presentations. A reception 4

5 will follow The Celebration! Childcare provided for children ages 2-5, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Mark this date, and plan to attend. THE CELEBRATION! An Evening to Honor Bert & Dianne Tippett June 4, :00 p.m. Free Will Baptist Bible College Memorial Auditorium Followed by a Reception In the event your schedule does not permit you to attend The Celebration! and you want to share a special memory with Bert and Dianne Tippett, send a letter or an to them and be part of this once-in-alifetime occasion. celebratetippetts@fwbbc.edu Wait, I have to make another confession. I do get really picky about certain things. The things I am most particular about are those that are most important to me. Can you relate to that? I can also imagine it's hard to live with someone with this personality quirk. An unfortunate trait in our society today is apathy. So many people do not care... about anything! It seems all they care about is what's in it for them. They do their job that way, they live their lives that way, and they serve God that way. How sad that we have so little respect for God that we simply go through the motions of going to church. We spend a few hours a week in a building and consider ourselves good Christians. What about worship? Worship is not just showing up, it is not just putting money in the offering plate or singing a song. Worship is honoring our Savior. It's being there because you want to be there; it's giving because you want to give, and it's a lifestyle that doesn't just come on Sundays and Wednesdays. It's about a relationship with someone who is perfect. I guess there are worst things than being called a perfectionist, like being one, but worse than that is being someone who doesn't care at all. None of us are perfect, but we can all do better than we are. I'm not perfect, but I know the one who is. How about you? On-Going Project Call the office for details Build - A - House Benton, IL Father's Day Offering, June 21 West Michigan Free Will Baptist Youth Camp Ken s Comments A Life With Purpose Do you know someone who is a perfectionist? You know the type, everything has to be a certain way, in order; it has to look, sound, smell, or taste perfect. I hate those people! No, I really don't hate them; I just don't relate to them. But, I must make a confession; I'm married to one. I often wonder what God had in mind when He put us together. I believe it must be done right, but nobody is perfect, right? Today, I was accused of being a perfectionist. Just because I saw something I didn't like and pointed it out, I was accused of being a perfectionist. To me, that's like being called a dirty name. All you have to do is look at my desk; well what's on top of it since you can't actually see the desk. I AM NOT a perfectionist! August 3 7, 2009 Evangelists: Seniors Tommy Swindol Juniors Byron Trimble Cost: $ per camper Ages: 7 18 For More Information: Gordon Brad

6 Update from Spain Dear Michigan friends, We are gearing up for a busy summer. Here are some of the highlights of our upcoming activities: We will soon be ending our English classes with various families here in Alpedrete. Of course, this means several special parties and good-byes! June 23rd is the last day of school for our kids. Alejandro will be finishing Third Grade and Ana will complete her last year of (public) preschool. Ana has had the same teacher all three years, Lourdes, and we will be sad to see this time come to an end. (Not to mention, our little girl is growing up and will be in First Grade next year!) On June 17th, E-team Spain will arrive for their short-term mission trip. During their stay, they will be involved in culture classes and work/ministry projects, as well as several excursions to experience life in Spain. Please pray for these 7 students and 2 sponsors as they prepare to travel and have opportunities to witness during their time here. July will continue to keep us busy as we host a VBS in the Alpedrete Church. This year our theme is "Crocodile Rock" (in Spanish, of course!) We are excited about the possibilities for this year's VBS and are already praying that God will bring unbelievers each night, along with our regular church kids. This month the Alpedrete Church is focusing on families. Each aspect of our services reminds us of the value of family...songs sung, Scriptures read, and even sharing times by various families. Today while the adults were listening to a sermon on how to have better communication, the preschool class learned about Abraham and Lot's decision to divide up to find pasture for their sheep. We, too, have a lot of sheep! You can see the preschool class in their sheep masks in the photo below. Thanks for your prayers for our family! Tim, Kristi, Alejandro, and Ana Website Redesigned, Interactive Antioch, TN Free Will Baptist International Missions is pleased to announce a redesigned, interactive, and customizable website. The refreshed site experienced a soft launch April 17, The new design is fresh, clean, and exciting said Deputy Director of Stateside Development Mark McPeak. We want our website to work for all segments of our denomination and deliver the tools individuals and churches need to be involved and informed. An uncluttered front page, as well as new graphics and a fresh color scheme, immediately alerts visitors to the changes. One of the most exciting features to me, 6

7 stated Kiley Hawkins, the Mission s development manager, is the new MyIM settings. Each user can customize the material fed to his home page by setting up a MyIM account and choosing the information in which he is most interested and missionaries he wants to follow. Preferences and demographic information can be changed and updated at any time. Online giving and ordering is simplified for MyIM users. Missionaries have more tools to add content to their pages. Streaming video, interactive features, and the personalized settings for each user (MyIM) take international missions communication to the next level. Weekly prayer updates, the latest news from missionaries, and creative ways to be involved are at visitors fingertips. Mission history can be read and written on the interactive FWBIM Timeline. Videos about recent mission initiatives, events, and celebrations can be streamed or downloaded. In addition, the site contains basic information about the organization, with links and contact information to help users stay connected to missionary personnel at home and abroad. I urge everyone to visit fwbgo.com and set up a MyIM account, browse missionary pages, watch a video, and send us feedback, encouraged Deborah St. Lawrence, communications manager. Michigan All-Boards Meeting The following individuals are requested to meet at the Southgate Free Will Baptist Church Activities Building, Tuesday, June 9, 6:00 p.m.: Moderator Rev. Ron Helms; Assistant Moderator Rev. Joseph Jones; Clerk Rev. Allen West; Assistant Clerk Rev. Jeff Isaacs; Treasurer Mr. William Ferguson; Assistant Treasurer Rev. Steve Thrasher; Attorney Gary Howard; Promotional Secretary Rev. Gene Norris, and the following Board Members: Mission Board Mike Trimble, Chairman, George Johnson, Don Viers, Larry Hendricks, Ron Meadows Youth Board Tommy Swindol, Chairman, Steve Lemon, Scott Caudill, Gene Hurley, Patrick McDaniel Christian Education Board Gordon Edwards, Chairman, James Williams, Bret Weaver, Don Myers, Bill Wieckowski Master s Men Board Rick Dunn, James Caudill, Rudy Taylor, Dennis Curtis, Tom Sienkiewski Moderators: Michael Trimble [Fellowship]; George Johnson [Liberty] Keith Hyvonen [Metropolitan]; Rick Dunn [New Hope]; William Hughes [West Michigan]; Gene Norris [Wolverine]. Pizza and soft drinks will be provided before the meeting. Maude Cooper Obituary RICKMAN Funeral services for Maude Cooper, 79, of the Rickman Community of Overton County were held on Monday, May 11, at One-Eleven Fellowship Church. Burial was in Okalona Cemetery in Overton County. Mrs. Cooper died Thursday, May 7, 2009, in Cookeville Regional Medical Center. She was born June 14, 1929, in Overton County to the lat Bob and Tillie Hyatt Wilson. Mrs. Cooper was a charter member of One-Eleven Fellowship Church. She was a former member of Troy Free Will Baptist Church in Troy, MI for more than 36 years, where she served in the music ministry. Her family includes her husband of more than 60 years, Rev. Charles C. Cooper [whom she married August 14, 1948, in Rossville, GA]; a daughter and son-in-law, Joan and Steve Brown of Rickman; three sons and daughters-in-law, Rev. Roger Sr. and Inis Cooper, Curt and Kim Cooper, all of Cookeville, and Greg and Sue Cooper of Madison Heights, MI; a sister and brother-in-law, Ova Lou and A. J. Looper of Rickman; and two brothers and sisters-in-law, Cleophus and Anna Lee Wilson of Livingston and Edward and Juanita Wilson of Anderson, IN; 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Karen Cooper, and a brother J. C. Wilson. Pallbearers were Mrs. Cooper s grandsons. Memorial donations may be made to One-Eleven Fellowship Church, P. O. Box 49311, Cookeville, TN Revs. Curtis Lilly and Eugene officiated the services Michigan State Association Rev. Ron Hunter did an outstanding job of developing the theme: Building a D6 Family and a D6 Church. Attendance 20 ministers 14 delegates 29 visitors 64 total There were 21 competitors at the Michigan Youth Conference. 7

8 The Michigan State Association of Free Will Baptists Hayes Road Clinton Twp., MI accomplish a greater task that is beyond the capacity of any of the individuals involved. FWBIM Board Adopts Purpose Statement and Core Values Antioch, TN At its annual meeting April 27-29, the International Missions Board adopted a new purpose statement and a set of core values. This is an extremely significant step for us as we clarify our organizational purpose and the values that will guide us as we do our work, said board chairman, Danny Williams. As we continue to develop global strategies and partner with national churches, Williams continued, this clarity becomes increasingly more important to all our workers. The new purpose statement is: We exist to facilitate Church Planting Movements among unreached peoples. The eight core values are as follows: Integrity. We value diligence to live in the Truth and to do what we promise, striving for authenticity and transparency in our relationships with God and others. Trust. We choose to trust and assume positive motivations over the natural tendency of suspicion and negativity in our relationships with fellow workers. Our motto is to fill the empty spaces in our relationships with grace, meaning when we lack information or fail to understand our fellow workers, our default setting is basic trust in one another. Interdependence. We believe God desires that we work together in the spirit of unity as team players, partnering together to embrace a larger vision and Accountability. We value the biblical principle of accountability because we believe it is vital for every worker and will help us to be more effective in accomplishing our objectives. Flexibility. We are called to take the truth of the gospel, through the inerrant Word, to those who are in spiritual darkness. Our passionate desire is to lead them to Christ. Therefore we value the flexibility of our personnel to be culturally relevant and effective while maintaining biblical integrity. To enhance effectiveness, we give one another permission to try new approaches in our driving passion to bring people to the knowledge of the Truth and to stimulate church planting movements. Affirmation. We will work diligently to create a culture of encouragement and edification by intentional and consistent words and actions of affirmation. Life-long Learning. We believe that workers who finish their lives and ministries well continue to learn throughout their lives; and for that reason value the cultivation of a corporate culture that encourages lifelong growth and learning Michigan State Association of Free Will Baptists May The Michigan Free Will Baptist Menorah is a monthly publication of the Michigan State Association of Free Will Baptists, Rev. Gene Norris, editor, Hayes Road, Clinton Twp., MI News is to be received by the 25th of the month. Telephone: ; gnorris101@comcast.net. 8

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