txb. Issue 3 FALL / WINTER 2015 life

Transcription

1 txb. Issue 3 FALL / WINTER 2015 life

2 Hello, Texas Baptists! We serve a God who appreciates rhythm. He has placed an obvious rhythm to our lives, and with it comes many blessings. The sunrise and sunset prove there is rhythm to our day. Sunday, or the Sabbath, declares rhythm to our week. Twenty-eight to thirty-one days signify rhythm to our months. And seasons bring rhythm to our year. With each season there are different rhythms, but rhythm nonetheless. The transition from summer to autumn brings with it significant changes in rhythm, and change brings newness. As you and your church begin to adjust to the new rhythm of a new season, Texas Baptists prayers are with you. Sunday school classes are shifting, Wednesday night programs may be settling back into normalcy, small groups may be meeting more regularly, students are heading back to school, new jobs are being started, and the myriad of other changes, adjustments and autumn-like rhythms are setting the beat for the months ahead. I want to ask you to pray for your Baptist Student Ministry as they ramp back up for the fall semester. BSM is making a huge impact on campuses across our state. If there are students from your church looking for a place to connect and belong at their schools, please send them to texasfreshmen.com. They will not regret being part of this group of believers. Also, if they are looking for a home church, send them to texasbaptists.org/churches. There are churches waiting to welcome those students with open arms! The Annual Meeting will be taking place November 8-10 in Frisco. This year we are celebrating our deep roots as Baptists. In God s work through you, your church and the ministries you are involved with, a living legacy carries on. We have so much to be thankful for, so let s come together and worship the Lord for all of His blessings together! Go to texasbaptists.org/annualmeeting to learn more. Thank you for your continued support of Texas Baptists! We cannot do what we do without you. Sincerely, David Executive Director Texas Baptists 2 FALL/WINTER 2015 txb.life

3 txb.life Where life and faith are just a click away. table of contents 4-8 Event Calendar 9-12 Featured Events 13 news What is your growth plan? 14 great commission College connection for your high school grad 15 profiles Connect with your Collegiate Ministry Team 16 faith Operation Giver church office How the Affordable Care Act affects your church txb.life Magazine Editors and Writers Joshua Minatrea, Associate Director of Communications Kalie Lowrie, Publications Manager Rachel Hendricks, Web Content Manager Leah Reynolds, News/PR Manager txb.life FALL/WINTER

4 event calendar AUGUST SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT Campamento DFW CEDAR HILL, TX YEC Southeast Texas BEAUMONT, TX Childhood and Family Ministry Summit ARLINGTON, TX Empower South SAN ANTONIO, TX Shalom Builders Home Build TBD Introduction to Interim Training CONROE, TX YEC West Texas LUBBOCK, TX Hispanic Men s Retreat WOODLAKE, TX Hunger Offering 5th Sunday YEC is a conference that is excellent in all it does. Your students will leave encouraged, enthused, and inspired to grow spiritually and reach others for Christ. Jeff Holloway YOUTH MINISTER FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, CROSBY 4 FALL/WINTER 2015 txb.life

5 SEPTEMBER event calendar SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT Black Preaching Conference SAN ANTONIO, TX Labor Day National Boomer and Senior Adult Ministry Conference SAN ANTONIO, TX Special Friends Retreat FLOYDADA, TX Hispanic Men s Retreat GLEN ROSE, TX AND CEDAR HILL, TX Engage LIBERTY, TX Equippers Workshop EL PASO, TX Chaplaincy Training Event WAXAHACHIE, TX Seasoned Saints & Family Conference DESOTO, TX Hispanic Men s Retreat MENARD, TX Worship Summit, West PLAINVIEW, TX See You at the Pole Worship Summit, South SAN ANTONIO, TX Equippers Workshop CORPUS CHRISTI, TX The Black Preaching Conference has been very informative and helpful to me in my own ministry. It is a wonderful opportunity to connect with Texas Baptists and to create better networking contacts. It has helped me as a pastor in Houston quite a bit. Steve W. Hall PASTOR BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH, HOUSTON txb.life FALL/WINTER

6 event calendar OCTOBER SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT Special Friends Retreat CEDAR HILL, TX Equippers Workshop WBU PLAINVIEW, TX Retirees Retreat KERRVILLE, TX Youth Ministry Conclave ARLINGTON, TX Engage24 Childhood Certification DALLAS, TX I was just blown away by the efficiency and knowledge available to me [at Conclave]. I learned new things and also gained a different perspective on many different issues related to ministry. It was also very encouraging to meet and connect with other youth ministers and share with them! Charles Washington YOUTH MINISTER TEXAS BAPTIST CHILDREN S HOME, ROUND ROCK 6 FALL/WINTER 2015 txb.life

7 NOVEMBER event calendar SUN 1 MON 2 TUE WED THUR FRI SAT Hispanic Leadership Conference DALLAS, TX Fiesta Ring SAN ANTONIO, TX Annual Meeting FRISCO, TX Thanksgiving Hunger Offering 5th Sunday This year at the Annual Meeting, we ll examine Baptist distinctives and share the reasons we choose to be Baptists. Together we ll explore our deep roots and celebrate our living legacy through inspiring worship, enlightening workshops and educational exhibits. Kathy Hillman 2015 TEXAS BAPTISTS PRESIDENT MEMBER OF COLUMBUS AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, WACO txb.life FALL/WINTER

8 event calendar DECEMBER SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT Christmas Open House TEXAS BAPTISTS DALLAS OFFICE Christmas Eve Christmas New Year s Eve It was a special treat for my husband and me to drive down to Dallas last Christmas and be a part of the Christmas Open House at the Texas Baptists Building. It was great to be able to visit with the staff on a personal basis while we were there. We are looking forward to going again this year at the new location. Come and join us! 8 FALL/WINTER 2015 txb.life Rynell Novak EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER MEMBER OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, DENTON

9 Great Commandment Events to serve and love others Christmas Open House The Texas Baptists Dallas office is opening its doors to celebrate Christmas with the surrounding Baptist family. Come for refreshments and a Christmas photo opportunity! Dallas; December 10. texasbaptists.org Hunger Offering 5th Sunday Texas Baptists are working together with many Baptist partners in Texas and around the world to show Christ s love and generosity by meeting immediate hunger needs and helping people escape the devastation of poverty. The Texas Baptist Hunger Offering seeks to empower those in need by funding relief and development projects that are holistic and sustainable. August 30, November 29. texasbaptists.org/hungeroffering Shalom Builders Home Build Shalom Builders is a Texas Baptists Disaster Recovery initiative that sends trained construction workers to areas affected by disaster. Workers will build two homes from the foundation up on this trip. The goal is to continue rebuilding until God s shalom returns to the affected area. TBD; August texasbaptists.org/shalombuilders Special Friends Retreat This retreat is hosted by Texas Baptists Childhood Ministry and caters to the mentally challenged of ages 12 and up, their parents, chaperones and those who work with the mentally challenged. Plains Baptist Assembly, Floydada; September Mt. Lebanon Baptist Encampment, Cedar Hill; October 2-3. texasbaptists.org/childhood txb.life FALL/WINTER

10 featured events Great Commission Events to train and develop church staff and leaders Annual Meeting Deep Roots Living Legacy, this year s annual meeting for Texas Baptists, will focus on Baptist Distinctives. This is a time for church ministers and Baptist leaders from around the state to come together for fellowship and learn more about Texas Baptists ministries. Elected messengers will also vote on convention business. Dr Pepper Arena, Frisco; November texasbaptists.org/annualmeeting Childhood and Family Ministry Summit This ministry summit provides an opportunity for professional development for those in family, children, preschool and weekday ministry, or anyone who works with or is impacted by children s ministry. Registrants have the opportunity to attend breakout sessions, which include topics on safety, child development, music, curriculum, special needs, technology and more. Weekday teachers required to complete continuing education throughout the year can earn CEU s for attending. First Baptist Church in Arlington; August 7-8. texasbaptists.org/childhood ENGAGE ENGAGE offers regional opportunities for leaders to receive inspiration and training in a wide variety of strategic evangelism models. Liberty; September texasbaptists.org/engage National Boomer & Senior Adult Ministry Conference This conference is designed to train pastors, volunteers, ministers and anyone who works with boomers and senior adults. Volunteers and leaders will be equipped to be more effective in reaching out and ministering to these age groups. Breakout sessions will be aimed at helping reach boomers and senior adults, with specific tracks from the Hispanic and African American churches that will help clarify the generational differences within each ethnic group. Trinity Baptist Church, San Antonio; September texasbaptists.org/boomer Worship Summit Texas Baptists Worship Summits are events for worship pastors that focus on current trends in music and worship. These one-day events include training, music reading sessions, round table discussions, networking and more. Wayland Baptist University, Plainview; September 22. San Antonio; September 24. texasbaptists.org/worshipsummit 10 FALL/WINTER 2015 txb.life

11 featured events Youth Ministry Conclave Youth Ministry Conclave is a conference for adults who work with youth. Keynote speakers include: Dennis Wiles, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington; Michael Evans, senior pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield; Ed Newton, Bible communicator; and Tim Elmore, founder and president of Growing Leaders. Worship will be led by The Digital Age. Arlington Convention Center, Arlington; October conclave.texasbaptists.org Cultural Events to equip and support cultural groups Black Preaching Conference This conference aims to celebrate the art of Black preaching and is designed to enrich, train and motivate pastors to love, teach and proclaim the Word of God. Baptist University of the Américas, San Antonio; September 1-2. texasbaptists.org/bpc Equippers Workshop These workshops are designed to help multiply and produce strong-willed individuals for kingdom growth. El Paso; September 12. Corpus Christi; September 26. texasbaptists.org/aam Hispanic Leadership Conference The Hispanic Leadership Conference is designed to train and equip leaders to turn around and empower their church members to maximize their leadership potential. Dallas Baptist University, Dallas; November 6-7. texasbaptists.org/hlc2015 Hispanic Men s Retreat These regional retreats are designed for Hispanic men and their teenage sons in partnership with Compañerismo Hispano de Tarrant. Pineywoods Camp, Woodlake; August Riverbend Retreat Center, Glen Rose; September Mt. Lebanon Baptist Encampment, Cedar Hill; September Menard; September texasbaptists.org/hmretreat txb.life FALL/WINTER

12 featured events Students Events for youth and college-aged students Engage24 Engage24 is a 24-hour period when college students will make a coordinated effort to engage their campuses with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. College campuses; October 15. engage24.org See You at the Pole See You at the Pole is an annual event where students across the globe gather around their school flagpoles and pray for their friends, families, schools and communities, asking God to intercede for their generation. September 23, 7:00 a.m. seeyouatthepole.org Youth Evangelism Conference (YEC) A life-changing, faith-building, motivating worship experience to empower students as they live for Christ in today s world. Southeast Texas YEC, Beaumont; August 7-8. West Texas YEC, Lubbock; August youthevangelism.com The Hispanic Education Initiative raised $30,000 this year to award to Hispanic students seeking higher education. This initiative is aimed at deserving Hispanic students who attend Texas Baptist churches, to empower them to reach their goals. To donate to the Hispanic Education Initiative, visit texasbaptists.org/hei. 12 FALL/WINTER 2015 txb.life

13 What is your growth plan? Maximizing Hispanic leadership potential By Leah Reynolds News/PR If someone were to ask, What is your growth plan for your life? would you have an answer? Many of us may fail to come up with an immediate response, but it is a plausible question to consider. In the past few years, the Office of Hispanic Ministries for Texas Baptists has observed a desire within the Hispanic Baptist community for growth in leadership development. Last fall, they hosted a successful first En Sus Manos Hispanic Leadership Conference, which offered leadership training for English-speaking adults, Spanish-speaking adults and youth. They are offering the second annual conference this November. In this conference, we focus a lot on empowering people, said Rolando Rodriguez, director of Hispanic Ministries for Texas Baptists. If you delegate a lot of responsibilities, you re going to have a lot of followers, but if you empower people, you re going to develop leaders. Scan this QR Code to learn more! Empowering people may sound simple, but when it comes time to do so, we often find ourselves hesitant to give up control. We naturally want to be in control, we want to maintain power, Rodriguez explained. But Jesus said all power is given to Him and then He says, now He s giving you that power. If Jesus was willing to empower people, then I have to empower people. A lot of times we feel threatened by that. Through conferences like the Hispanic Leadership Conference and year-round Entrena-T trainings, the Hispanic Ministries team hopes to train and equip leaders to turn around and empower people in their own congregations to maximize their leadership potential. Rodriguez advises everyone to also have a personal growth plan for their life, no matter their role in the church. A growth plan should always include honing leadership skills and striving to use your God-given gifts to their greatest potential. txb.life FALL/WINTER

14 College connection for your high school grad By Kalie Lowrie Publications At the end of the school year, high school seniors are recognized and their future plans are celebrated by family, friends and their local church. In the coming months, many students likely will be taking classes at junior colleges, colleges and universities within the state of Texas. Have you equipped your graduates with information on how to find a local church and get involved in a Baptist Student Ministry on their future campuses? Of the 158 campuses in Texas, 115 have a local BSM with a director ready and willing to connect with your students. Texasfreshmen.com is a great resource where students can share their information and quickly be connected with a BSM in their area. They will be contacted directly by someone on the campus. Over half of students attending college stay in the communities where they are from, but they are transitioning out of their high school student ministries and need a new place to plug in for discipleship, mentoring, evangelism training and service opportunities. BSMs are ready to welcome them with open arms. Ginger Bowman serves as the BSM church life specialist, helping college ministers connect with students. She recommends that youth ministers and church staff help connect their graduates with local BSMs and churches in the area where they are moving. Their home church has been their spiritual family, so it s important church staff hand their students off to the next place, helping them make that transition, Bowman said. It s very rare that students take their own initiative to find a place to plug in spiritually. They usually need help from a youth minister or family member to encourage them to find a new church home. Bowman encourages ministers to access texas freshmen.com and register their students on the site. Providing students information to the Texas Baptist staff ensures that the graduates will quickly hear from a local BSM leader, even before school starts this fall. While statistics vary on the number of students who transition from high school to college and walk away from their faith, the results are clear. If Christian students are not connected with a local church or campus ministry within their first few weeks on campus, they may not return. As fall approaches, be proactive in your church by helping connect your students with a BSM on their campus so they can continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord and be equipped to share the Gospel with their new classmates and friends. Visit texasfreshmen.com today! DID YOU KNOW? Texas has: 1.5 million college students 158 college campuses 115 campus BSMs 14 FALL/WINTER 2015 txb.life Scan this QR Code to learn more!

15 Connect with your Collegiate Ministry texasbaptists.org/collegiate The Texas Baptists Collegiate Ministry Team connects and supports Baptist Student Ministry (BSM), a ministry of Texas Baptist churches that encourages students to follow Christ and transform the world. This team also oversees Go Now Missions, sending 475 student missionaries around the world in 2015; Texas Freshmen, connecting freshmen students with a BSM and local church in their area; TX College Church, partnering with churches to reach Texas college students; and provides evangelism and mission training for students around the state. What should every freshman pack in his/her bag for college? Toothbrush Laundry bag Something you like doing Bible and King of the Campus by Lutz Phone charger Adventure and a passport Basic cooking skills Money and more money Good pair of shower shoes Alarm clock with reminders to pray and reflect Student Walmart Reloadable Dual Card Quarters for laundry Bruce McGowan TEXAS BSM STATE DIRECTOR bruce.mcgowan@texasbaptists.org Joyce Ashcraft ASSOCIATE STATE DIRECTOR joyce.ashcraft@texasbaptists.org Peggy Moulden ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT peggy.moulden@texasbaptists.org Cindy Zoller MINISTRY ASSISTANT RECEPTIONIST/FINANCES cindy.zoller@texasbaptists.org Becky Barnes MINISTRY ASSISTANT COMMUNICATIONS/DATA MANAGEMENT becky.barnes@texasbaptists.org Rick Spencer REGIONAL COORDINATOR rick.spencer@texasbaptists.org John Pearce REGIONAL COORDINATOR john.pearce@texasbaptists.org Beth Smith DALLAS/COLLIN METRO COORDINATOR beth.smith@texasbaptists.org Brenda Sanders MISSIONS CONSULTANT brenda.sanders@texasbaptists.org Robert Hooker EVANGELISM CONSULTANT robert.hooker@texasbaptists.org Ginger Bowman TX COLLEGE CHURCH SPECIALIST ginger.bowman@texasbaptists.org Katie Graves COMMUNICATIONS AND LEADERSHIP SPECIALIST katie.gravens@texasbaptists.org txb.life FALL/WINTER

16 Operation Giver is a project connecting young Texas Baptists with more experienced professors, pastors and theologians to discuss Baptist Distinctives. Similar to the book, The Giver, our goal is to pass on wisdom from seasoned Baptists to the up-and-coming generation. While times continually change, the beliefs we share as Texas Baptists have held true for more than 130 years. Facilitating these conversations will help educate and encourage younger Baptists as they continue in the biblical tradition set before them. Matt Reynolds is pursuing a Master of Theological Studies from Dallas Baptist University. He sat down with Dr. Mike Williams, a professor and former dean in the DBU College of Humanities, to discuss Baptist Autonomy. I thought long and hard about what Dr. Williams was saying and left remembering the rich history of Baptist autonomy I had been raised under. Every Baptist church is different, but extremely similar in its structure. Growing up in East Texas in a Southern Baptist church and being born into the family of a long-time minister in the Baptist faith, I can hardly imagine church life without the church members. Smaller churches understand more than any congregation the importance of the involvement of its lay members. Without their personal involvement, the spiritual gifts and willingness to serve each other, their church would either live or die. We have to understand the church is the equivalent of the people it also serves and the pastor is the shepherd charged with leading that part of the body in the example of Christ. Isa Torres is a recent graduate of George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. He sat down with Gerald Davis, Texas Baptists Disaster Recovery and development specialist, to discuss Voluntary Church Cooperation. As Davis said, this cooperation simply enables us to allow the Lord to really be the Lord of our hearts. Even when churches cooperate with other churches that do not have as much, they get to learn what it is to truly rely on God. The greatest gift is that churches learn the new life to which Christ has called us can only be lived together. Visit txb.life/operationgiver to read these full stories and others from other Texas Baptist university students. 16 FALL/WINTER 2015 txb.life

17 txb.life Where life and faith are just a click away. A new publication for Texas Baptists, txb.life is available both in-hand and online. Full articles featured in this piece are accessible at txb.life. Join the conversation on this new website on topics like: txb.life FALL/WINTER

18 How the Affordable Care Act affects your church By Rollie Richmond Human Resources Director 18 FALL/WINTER 2015 txb.life

19 As a convention, we seek to help meet the needs of our churches. As a church, you, in turn, seek to help meet the needs of your pastor and other ministry staff. One of the ways many of you care for them is through reimbursement for the premiums of health insurance policies. However, due to recent changes in government regulations through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), this may no longer be possible beginning July 1, If you allow this practice, called Premium Reimbursement Plans, to continue after June 30, your church could be subject to a penalty under the ACA of $100 a day per participating employee. That could add up to an annual maximum penalty of $36,500 a year per participating employee! That s the bad news. But here are some clarifications and suggestions of ways to deal with this new provision of the law so that you can avoid the penalties and still maintain the health care coverage that you want to provide for your employees. First, you don t need to do anything if: You currently have a church/employer-purchased group health plan in place. The new regulations only apply to individual policies purchased by the employee that are reimbursed by the church or paid directly by the church (Premium Reimbursement Plans). You only have one employee for whom you are making or reimbursing the payment on an individual employee policy. You can still reimburse or pay for the employee s premium in this case, tax-free with no penalty. Second, if you are currently out of compliance with the new regulation, you can get in compliance and avoid penalties by: Instituting a church/employer-purchased health plan. Healthcare.gov has plans you can review and any insurance broker is a potential source of plans as well. Also, GuideStone has just made available a church/employer-purchased health plan for a group as small as two people. Increasing the pastor or employee s taxable compensation to a level that will cover the cost of their health insurance (and tax exposure if you feel it s appropriate). In order for this approach to be in compliance, the pay increase needs to not be conditioned on purchasing health insurance. Now is the time to take a look at your current practices and determine what, if any, corrective actions you need to take to get into compliance with the ACA and avoid those potential compliance penalties. Please know that we are here to help. If you have any questions or if we can provide any additional clarification, please contact either of us: Rollie Richmond, HR Director rollie.richmond@texasbaptists.org Jim Reed, Controller jim. reed@texasbaptists.org txb.life FALL/WINTER

20 If you are interested in receiving more copies of txb.life, please contact Leah Reynolds at 333 N. WASHINGTON DALLAS, TX NONPROFIT ORG U.S.POSTAGE P A I D SAN ANTONIO, TX PERMIT NO. 244