Baptist. The Mid-South

Transcription

1 The Mid-South Baptist May, 2018 Vol. 14, Issue 5 Dr. Mitch Martin Executive Director of Missions Art Groomes, Ron Roy, and I attended the MLK 50 Conference April 3-4. Here are some of my thoughts. Fifty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we still have a race problem in America. On that we can all agree, but what do we do about it? In addition to the transformative work of Jesus, some emphasize education, others talk about justice. Some say that family is the key, while others stress the importance of good-paying jobs. There is some truth in all of those approaches, but one thing that was emphasized at the MLK 50 Conference was the importance of relationships. Very simply put, I cannot be a friend to someone and hate them at the same time. When I develop a relationship with someone different than me, I discover they are a real person from a real family. I learn that neither they nor their people are bad. Relationships lead to understanding, and understanding leads to compassion. Our Moderator Derrick Joyce is challenging us to do three things in 2018 to strengthen cross-cultural relationships. 1. Pentecost Sunday this year falls on May 20th, and that seems like a great time to ask MSBA churches to do a pulpit swap. Our association has Black, White, Asian, and Hispanic churches. Why not consider swapping pulpits with another pastor? And if you can t do it on May 20th, do it another time. 2. Memphis is the poorest big city in America, and there are plenty of outreach projects needed all around town. Reverend Joyce is encouraging churches to do a multi-cultural community project this summer. Get with another church of a different ethnicity and jointly host some kind of service project. Spending time together ministering will melt away hatred and suspicion. 3. Finally, Derrick and his team are planning a multi-cultural worship service on Mud Island on September 30. Watch the newsletter for more details as they become available. As I listened to the speakers at the MLK 50 Conference talk about the importance of relationships, I was pleased to remember our association s mission statement, Connecting diverse churches by becoming a relational hub. Our mission statement is written with the conviction that in this large association, the best thing we can do is help pastors become friends with other pastors. Churches can learn from one another and help one another. A secondary benefit of connecting diverse churches is how it kills the dragon of racism. In this year that we honor Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., please reach out and befriend a sister congregation. Important Dates for May 1 Tune Share - 10:00 a.m. Collierville First Baptist Church 3 TN Men s Chorale - 7:00 p.m. Ellendale Baptist Church 7 Ministers Conference 11:30 a.m. Charles Ritchie, speaker 8 Coffee and Conversations - 8:15 a.m. Faith Baptist Church Ken Hemphill, speaker 14 Ministers Conference 11:30 a.m. Bill Gruenewald, speaker 15 Worship Conference - 6:00 p.m. Cordova Baptist Church Travis Laws, speaker 16 Focus Church Training - 10:00 a.m. Berclair Baptist Church 17 Bivocational Pastor Dinner - 6:30 p.m. Egypt Baptist Church 20 Pulpit Exchange 21 MSBA Executive Board - 11:30 a.m. 22 Church Starting Team Meeting 1:00 p.m. - MSBA Office 28 Memorial Day - MSBA Office Closed 29 MSBA Staff Meeting - 1:00 p.m.

2 Opportunities Within Our Churches Pastor Rosemark Baptist Church, Millington, TN Send resumes to Rosemark Baptist Church, Attn: Pulpit Committee, 9037 Kerr Rosemark Road, Millington, TN Bi-Vocational Pastor Providence Baptist Church, Alamo, TN Send resumes to Providence Baptist Church, Attn: Pulpit Committee, P. O. Box 69, Crockett Mills, TN 38021, or to Associate Pastor of Students and Missions New Prospect Baptist Church, Olive Branch (F/T) resumes to Bi-Vocational Music Director New Prospect Baptist Church, Olive Branch (P/T) resumes to Bi-Vocational Preschool/Children s Dir. New Prospect Baptist Church, Olive Branch (P/T) resumes to rcurtis@newprospect.net. Student & Contemporary Worship Pastor Mulberry Baptist Church, Houma, LA (F/T) To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, at least one video leading worship and one leading a Bible study or preaching and other supporting materials to brad.simon@mullberrychurch.org. Youth Pastor Berclair Baptist Church (P/T) Call or if you are interested. Carriage Hills Baptist Church, Southaven (P/T) Send resumes to Carriage Hills Baptist Church, Youth Search Committee, 8352 Farmington Drive W., Southaven, MS 38671, or to carriagehills@att.net. Highland Heights Baptist Church (P/T) Contact Mickey Nardin at Nursery Worker/Childcare/Preschool Leawood Baptist Church (P/T) Contact the church office at to schedule an interview. Pianist Gracepoint Baptist Church Send resume to rredd@me.com. Magnolia Baptist Church Call Chuck Mann at if interested. Need is for Sunday mornings only. Range Hills Baptist Church Call (901) if interested. Special Needs Ministry Director Longview Heights Baptist Church (F/T) Send resume to alan@lhbc.me. Secretary Ardmore Terrace Baptist Church (P/T) Send resume to Sb1young@yahoo.com. Focus on Church Starting Art Groomes Church Starting A New Season for Starting Churches The historic winter weather of 2018 is giving way to the bright sun rays of springtime and a season for planting and growing. All across the country seeds and plants will be placed in the soil for the purpose of producing a harvest. It is not only a great time for starting a new crop in your garden or field for a harvest; it is also a great time to consider starting something new that will produce a spiritual harvest. Perhaps there is a need in your community that your congregation could meet which could lead to a new church start. Perhaps there is a ministry opportunity not being fulfilled because no one has decided to bring it up for discussion. What are some of the challenges facing the people you come in contact with from week to week? Is there an opportunity for you to start a conversation that could lead to a new ministry or the start of a new church? This new season could be the perfect time to start that conversation that will lead to an exciting new work that transforms people s lives for the glory of God. Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that in the mystery of time, there is a time for everything. Please take time during this spring season to consider how the Lord wants to involve you as a member of his body in a new church start. Contact the Mid-South Baptist Association for information on church starting. Executive Board Meeting Monday, May 21 11:30 a.m Appling Rd., Cordova Vertical Worship Conference The MSBA will be hosting a seminar on Vertical Worship at Cordova Baptist Church, 1126 C Street, Cordova, Travis Laws, Collierville First Baptist Church Worship Pastor, will be the speaker. The seminar will take place on Tuesday, May 15. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m., and the program will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. This will be a wonderful time for worship leaders and pastors to learn how to engage their churches in vertical worship. Make plans to attend this free seminar. Let s Do Lunch! Every summer mission teams travel to Memphis to serve inner-city children through the Street Reach ministry at Brinkley Heights. We need area churches to provide a simple lunch for these mission teams! This is a great opportunity for Bible study groups, youth groups, WMU groups or an entire church to be involved in serving others. If you can provide lunch for any of the following days, please contact Jamae Zarshenas at or jzarshenas@aol.com. June 4-8 (157 People) June (168 People) June (124 People) June (227 People) July 2-6 (65 People) July 9-13 (207 People) July (173 People) July (105 People) July 30-Aug. 3 (45 People)

3 Church Strengthening Through Kingdom Advancement Ron Roy Church Strengthening Coordinator Celebrating Strengths, Assessing Next Step Options for Healthy Church Life No one likes to see the yellow engine light come on while driving their car. What is worse, the red warning lights start blinking, letting us know attention is needed. I am sure most of us know the value of preventative maintenance and are careful not to let vital repairs go too long without being attended to. The consequences can be costly and even dangerous in some cases. Many men have the reputation of not being intentional with regards to our own physical well-being. The priorities of life are such that slowing down for an annual physical or even one every other year, doesn t get accomplished, even with the gentle encouragement from a spouse. On the other hand, it seems that women are much more in touch with their need for regular health checkups. Both these word pictures paint a picture for me that concerns church life. There are churches who are pro-active in their desires to celebrate victories while at the same time are intentional in learning areas where improvements are needed. Unfortunately, some churches do not see the value of assessing their strengths and areas where there needs to be adjustments. Still other congregations are like many patients who hear from their doctor what needs to take place for better health: exercise more, eat nutritiously, get more sleep, etc. However, the response many times from the patient is, One day I will get around to a healthier life style. When was the last time your church leadership took the initiative to have an assessment that pinpointed areas of strength and areas where attention is needed? The warning lights are flashing. MSBA is here to serve churches and see what preventative maintenance needs to be accomplished for healthier church life. Contact MSBA if you are interested in learning more about using a Healthy Church Assessment that can assist in determining, next steps toward a healthier church life. Pray901 Text Alerts Dr. Mitch Martin, MSBA Executive Director of Missions issued a 901 challenge for prayer. This includes praying at 9:01 a.m. and 9:01 p.m. You are encouraged to pray for your pastor, your church and the 901 area. If you would like to receive a text reminder to pray, to or go to remind.com/join/ pray901 to be added to the list. Prayer changes things and the 901 needs to be changed. Thank you for joining this prayer effort! Minister s Conference Schedule for May The Minister s Conference takes place every Monday at, 2000 Appling Road, Cordova, Lunch is $5.50 and begins at 11:30 a.m. The program follows at noon. Enter through the West Entrance and proceed to the Fellowship Hall. The speakers for May are listed below. May 7 Charles Ritchie Agape May 14 Bill Gruenewald TBC TN Baptist Men s Chorale in Concert Thursday, May 3 7:00 p.m. Ellendale Baptist Church 3861 Broadway Road Bartlett, May 21 MSBA Executive Board May 28 Memorial Day No Conference

4 Hope Fellowship Church Memphis Reaches Out to the Hickory Hill Community Pastor Tim Jackson and the members of the Hope Fellowship Church Memphis held a community fair to minister to the residents in the Hickory Hill neighborhood. There were community partners, food, and fun for the entire family. Focus on Prayer by Dale Gravatt Prayer is hard work. It s hard, because it requires time, effort, focus and most of all, submission. Jesus prayed often. His prayer life is the best insight and example as to how we should be men and women committed to prayer. Let us consider some of the things Jesus prayed about. * The hidden and the revealed: At that time Jesus prayed, I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. Matthew 11:25,26 * At Lazarus gravesite: So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You heard Me. I know that You always hear Me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so they may believe You sent Me. John 11:41,42 * The Father s glory: Now My sould is troubled. What should I say - Father save Me from this hour? But that is who I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name! John 12:27,28 * His High Priestly Prayer in John 17. * Three times in the garden. * Three times on the cross: Father, forgive them, My God, My God, and Father, into Thy hands. * At His baptistm in Luke 3:21. * When He withdrew from the crowd in Luke 5:16. * Before sunrise in Mark 1:35. * Before walking on the water in Matthew 14:22. * Before choosing the twelve in Luke 6:12. * Before Peter s confession in Luke 9:18. * At His Transfiguration in Luke 9:29. * Before teaching the Lord s Prayer (the Disciples Prayer) to the disciples in Luke 11:1. * For Peter s faith in Luke 22:32. * Before meals: Feeding the 5,000, at the Last Supper, at Cleopas home. So, is it not safe to say that Jesus prayed about everything? He prayed early in the morning and, at all times, all night. Prayer was a priority in HIs life. But why? Why did Jesus pray? After all, He was and is the Son of God. He is God! He said, I and the Father are one! Jesus prayed because of His relationship with the Father. He prayed to intercede for His disciples, then and now. He prayed because of His dependence upon and HIs obedience to the Father. He prayed in complete submission. I can do nothing on My own. I judge only as I hear, and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 5:30 Jesus prayed to teach us that, as children of God, our obedient submission to the will of the Father will bring us spiritual victory, power and blessings! Therefore, prayer is hard work, because prayer requires submisison! Lord Jesus, not my will but Thy will be done!

5 happenings Baptist Hospital Auxiliary For more than 60 years the auxiliary has given baby Bibles to the newborns. There are now over 400 babies being born at Women s Hospital every month! Churches in the association have always supported this ministry, but lately, donations have not kept up with the demand. Please consider sending a monetary gift to the auxiliary so this vital ministry can continue. Checks can be mailed to the Auxiliary Treasurer Suzanne Jones at 155 Sunflower View Road, Piperton, TN Bi-vocational Pastor BBQ Thursday, May 17 6:30 p.m. EgyptBaptist Church 4454 Raleigh Millington Road Memphis, All pastors, wives and children are invited to attend. Please let the MSBA office know how many are coming. Weekly Pastor Prayer Time Monday mornings at 10:45 a.m. Fireside Room A 2000 Appling Road, Cordova, MSBA 2018 Directory of Churches is Online The 2018 Directory of Churches is online for you to view or print. Go to midsouthbaptist.com and you will find the directory under the About tab at the top of the page. Directories weren t printed and mailed to the churches. If you need a directory printed and mailed to you, please contact Ashley McCollough at You can also request one by at ashley@midsouthbaptist.com. To register as messengers, go to sbcannualmeeting.net. Program information is also available.

6 The C2M Conference on April 9 was a wonderful time of missions and learning. Booths were available for the attendees to connect with mission opportunities. There were numerous breakout sessions where participants were challenged in revitalization and discipleship. Several missionaries were on hand to invite teams to work in partnership with them. Dr. Kevin Ezell brought a powerful message. First Baptist Church in Millington was a wonderful host and provided numerous volunteers to help with the event. Make plans to join us next year on Monday, April 29 at Faith Baptist Church in Bartlett. America needs God now, more than any time in our generation. America is broken. Division is undeniable and unity is missing. Racial tension is alarming. Lawlessness abounds. Reconciliation appears impossible. Government cannot fix us. Politics will not heal us. There s at least one thing we can all agree on today: America needs prayer. The National Day of Prayer is biblically based, Jesus-centered and Holy Spirit empowered. While this has a national focus, it also has a global impact. It could lead to a national spiritual revival. Gatherings will be held in churches, schools, businesses, government offices and outdoor venues. While each gathering and observance is different, all will be forwarding the theme for unity. Free resources are available at nationaldayofprayer.org including a digital toolbox with prayer guides and videos.