News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association AUGUST 14, Your church s partnership is vital.

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1 Illinois Baptist Missions and evangelism How can we fulfill our Baptist calling? Please share this planning guide for the 2017 focus on state missions with your church leadership team. Imagine a place in America where people have never heard the People in Illinois need the gospel NOW gospel. That place is ILLINOIS. In fact, of our state s 13 million residents, at least 8 million do not know Jesus Christ as their personal savior. Illinois needs the gospel. Our friends and neighbors need the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. SEPTEMBER missionillinois.org Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 325 News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association AUGUST 14, 2017 Your church s partnership is vital. The MIO kits were mailed to churches in late July. Please check your church office to see that it arrived and was delivered to the right leader. If not, we will gladly send another. Or if you need additional materials, let us know right away. MIO@IBSA.org That s why the 2017 Mission Illinois Offering focuses on evangelism. What s inside Lost in Illinois What this map shows us about the need for the gospel Prayer Guide 8 daily devotions and for the Week of Prayer (plus videos!) How you can help Anyone can lead the Week of Prayer and Mission Illinois study

2 NOW Why evangelism is needed now The blue map tells our story This map is becoming familiar around the Illinois Baptist State Association. We call it the blue map. With just a few brush strokes, it clearly illustrates the need for evangelism in Illinois. The map shows the percentage of people in each county who self-identify as Southern Baptist. Our strength as a denomination is in the southern half of the state, where in most counties at least 5% of the population is SBC. In some places, the percentage is higher than that, but with so little of this map shaded dark blue, it s easy to understand why Southern Baptists and evangelicals overall are in the minority in Illinois. The farther north we travel, the less Baptist the state is, even as the population explodes. The gray circles show our most populous places. And in stark contrast, the white and lightest blue-shaded counties show places where there are few or no SBC churches. The need is great all across Illinois, but especially in the cities and Northwest Illinois. In many parts of Illinois, Baptists are outnumbered by Muslims, Mormons, eastern religions, and people with no faith at all, Nate Adams, executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association said. In fact, at least 8-million of our 13-million neighbors in Illinois do not know Jesus Christ. That s why at IBSA, we often say, Evangelism is the point of the plow. As a ministry-support and missionssending organization, IBSA s missionaries and staff are engaged in many activities that assist local Baptist churches in Illinois. The partnership we share with almost 1,000 churches, mission congregations, and church plants is vital to strengthening Baptist work in Illinois. But whatever the ministry activity, the reason behind it is equipping IBSA churches, leaders, and members to share the gospel with people who do not yet know Jesus as their personal savior. Continued on page 3 Day 1: Sunday, Sept. 10 Northwest quadrant John and Jacki Mattingly have served around the Quad Cities for almost three decades. He has served as pastor, director of missions, and now heads church planting in the quadrant of our state that has captured his heart. This region is a mix of cities, small towns, and rural crossroads, including Quincy, Peoria, and Rockford, with a higher percentage of lostness than any other region in Illinois. Many counties have no Southern Baptist church and little evangelical witness. John continues seeking God s direction in identifying the next location to plant a new church. And he is looking for people who will move here and commit their lives to church planting and pastoral ministry in the Northwest. Pray for John as he helps plant new churches, plus John Sedgwick, Brian McWethy, and Joe Gardner who serve here, and IBSA s Church Planting leader Van Kicklighter. Day 2: Monday, Sept. 11 Next generation Reaching the next generation with the gospel is not easy. Those born in 2000 or after are teenagers now. The Millennials, who started coming of age after 2000, are giving way to the Centennials, or Generation-Z. They have grown up in a very different world, one where the number of people who claim no religious affiliation at all is about 20% and growing. Jack Lucas joined IBSA as leader of next-gen ministry. IBSA aids churches in reaching children with the gospel, and equipping students as tomorrow s leaders through VBS, missions events, Youth Encounter in three locations, AWSOM for teen girls, Summer Worship University, and a full summer schedule of camps at Lake Sallateeska and Streator Baptist Camps. Pray for next-gen director Jack Lucas, worship director Steve Hamrick, camp managers Philip Hall and Mike Young and their ministry teams. Day 3: Tuesday, Sept. 12 Chicago Bryan and Marci Coble relocated far from their downstate home. Their new neighborhood in Chicago, Irving Park, is seven times larger than Marci s hometown, with 77,000 people. The variety of people and languages there is amazing. They are engaged in church planting activities to meet the neighbors and form a core group for a new church. First they will start a Bible study at the community center in the park, followed within a few months by weekly worship services. With the partnership of their home church, IBSA, and national missions partners, the Cobles are committed to sharing Christ in our state s largest mission field. Acts 1:8 missions strategy starts at home, and moves on to the big cities nearby, such as Chicago. Pray for the Cobles, for more church planters in Chicagoland with its 10 million residents, and for Dennis Conner, Tim Bailey, John Yi, and Jorge Melendez who lead IBSA s church planting strategy there. BRIAN McWETHY JOE GARDNER VAN KICKLIGHTER JACK LUCAS STEVE HAMRICK PHILIP HALL MIKE YOUNG DENNIS CONNER TIM BAILEY JOHN YI JORGE MELENDEZ

3 Illinois Baptist Calling the next generation It s a pastor s job to make the nature of ministry clear Heath Tibbetts P. 13 mission CONVENTION Can we have virtual messengers? Reporter s Notebook P. 6 DISASTER RELIEF Helping hands Workers aid after storms hit northern counties P. 4 ASSOCIATIONS Stronger and closer Getting the job done From Chicago to Cairo, it s a season of service Building better relationships with churches and leaders mission INSIDE: Student groups and mission teams on scene all summer long. Photos and story, P. 7 P. 5 eclipse News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association AUGUST 14, 2017 Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 325 Vol. 111 No. 11 People in Illinois need the gospel Cover your eyes But open your heart during rare outreach opportunity Carbondale When the sun goes dark Aug. 21, southern Illinois will be one of the best places to catch the first total solar eclipse visible from the U.S. since Churches in the region, along with others across the country, are planning to use the event as an opportunity to share the gospel. Everyone in the contiguous U.S. will be able to see at least a partial eclipse, but the 70-mile-wide path of totality, in which a total eclipse will be visible, will pass through 14 states, including Illinois. Makanda, Ill., located just south of Carbondale, has been cited as the greatest point of duration, or the place where the eclipse will be visible the longest 2 minutes and 38 seconds, according to a city website devoted to sharing eclipse information. Lakeland Baptist Church in Carbondale hosted an area-wide prayer and worship rally Aug. 14 to spiritually prepare for the influx of people. And Nine Mile Baptist Association, through a partnership with IBSA, plans to distribute 50,000 gospel tracts during the weekend prior to the eclipse. Additionally, people will be stationed at each of Carbondale s four entry points to pray over P. 3 NOW Pray for state missions September P. 11 Check in often at IllinoisBaptist.org IB See page 3 for more addresses.

4 2 IBSA.org Illinois Baptist CONVENTIONAL WISDOM Snapshots from the world of Illinois Baptists Being friends across differences is hard, and cultivating good conversations is the rocky, uphill climb that leads to peace in a conflict-ridden culture. Barna Trends 2017 Uneasy discussion Which groups do you think it would be difficult for you to have a natural and normal conversation with? Muslims Mormons Atheists Evangelicals Among U.S. adults LGBT community 28% 56% 55% 52% the cooperative program Giving by IBSA churches as of 8/04/17 $3,550,382 Budget Goal: $3,755,769 Received to date in 2016: $3,513, Goal: $6.3 Million The Illinois Baptist staff Editor - Eric Reed Graphic Designer - Kris Kell Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner Sergent Editorial Contributor - Meredith Flynn Administrative Assistant - Leah Honnen The general telephone number for IBSA is (217) Among evangelicals 60% 67% 73% 87% 85% 87% For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org. The Illinois Baptist is seeking news from IBSA churches. us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org to tell us about special events and new ministry staff. POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and published every three weeks by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org. NATE ADAMS The stand Over the years, I ve grown to love Aspen trees. They re not that common in Illinois, growing in only about a third of the state s counties, mostly in the north. But in cooler or higher-altitude climates such as central Colorado, they grow abundantly, often covering the mountains like wildflowers. It was while vacationing there with my family this summer that I started asking myself why I find Aspen trees so beautiful and interesting. Is it the quaking leaves, which so freely alternate their green and silver sides in the breeze, and then turn bright yellow in the fall? Or is it that those leaves are mounted on a beautiful white tree trunk, crisscrossed with black bands, that grow up to a hundred feet tall? Perhaps it s that these striking trees always appear so plentifully. Aspens grow in clusters or stands and multiply rapidly. Individual trees are actually part of a larger, singular organism that spreads rapidly in the form of new trees from a common root system. As a result, one Aspen stand in Utah is considered by many to be the world s oldest living organism. It s more ancient than the massive Sequoias of the West, or even the famous Bristlecone Pines, some of which are said to be 5,000 years old. It appears that individual trees like those are not quite as enduring as the spreading organism of Aspens, which presents itself as many trees, yet underneath shares a unified root system that results in each unique tree being a genetic replicate of the others. As you might guess, I find in these beautiful Aspen trees an encouraging metaphor for the equally creative work I believe God desires to do among Baptist churches here in Illinois. Like the diversely colored leaves that quake at the slightest breeze, our lives, stirred and filled by the Holy Spirit, should attract the attention of those we meet and invite them to know Jesus as Savior. The bright, white-and-black banded trunk that holds us together Inspiration for Baptists from the mighty and prolific Aspen trees is the local church that beautifully reflects the light of Christ and his word, not just one at a time, but in diverse sizes and shapes. Yet our churches should be united by a common root system of both doctrine and cooperation, one that makes us resilient and also allows us to multiply rapidly and spread throughout our region and the world. Aspens are the most widespread tree in North America, and there are varieties of Aspens found throughout Europe and Asia. This year, September is the week our stand of churches here in Illinois has set aside to pray for mission work here, and to receive a special offering called the Mission Illinois Offering. This offering is like a refreshing rainfall on our cooperative work as Baptist churches, work that takes place in a culture that can be as harsh on Baptist churches as mountain winters on a stand of Aspens. But with that offering, we train leaders and church members in evangelism. We strengthen churches in multiple ministries that help them make more disciples and grow. And we provide the network of doctrinally sound cooperation that gives you confidence that the 20 or so churches being started in Illinois each year, though unique, are doctrinally united with all the churches in our stand. Aspens grow all the time, even in winter. But many feel they are most brilliant and beautiful in the fall, when their golden leaves paint the mountainside with the glory of God. This fall, when you and I give a generous offering through the Mission Illinois Offering, I believe we have an opportunity to do the same. Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

5 August 14, 2017 IBSA.org 3 NEWS From the front: eclipse Continued from page 1 every car that enters the city. We want to cover our city in prayer, said Lakeland Pastor Phil Nelson. Elsewhere in the eclipse s path, churches are utilizing the unique ministry opportunity to meet spiritual needs in their community whether it s inviting eclipse viewers to use their parking lots, or using the event to launch future ministries. In Casper, Wyo., Mountain View Baptist Church and College Heights Baptist Church have partnered with Child Evangelism Fellowship of Central Wyoming to purchase copies of a DVD titled God of Wonders, which explains how creation reveals God and how salvation is available through Jesus Christ. Church members will distribute the DVDs during the eclipse along with 3,000 evangelistic bookmarks. totaleclipsecolumbiasc.com Additionally, Mountain View pastor Buddy Hanson said, if our parking lot is utilized for eclipse watchers, we will take that opportunity to try and share the gospel. In Lincoln, Neb., the launch of Hope City, a North American Mission Board church plant, is set to correspond with the eclipse. The congregation s first service is slated for Aug. 20. That day and during the eclipse, the church will distribute 2,000 college survival kits at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tenn., will host a gospel concert on Sunday, Aug. 20, and is inviting people to watch the eclipse from their parking lots the next day. We have already handed out over 4,000 eclipse viewing glasses and have several hundred more for those needing them, said Executive Pastor Bruce Raley. Beginning just after 10 a.m. local time in Lincoln Beach, Ore., the total eclipse will take approximately an hour and a half to pass over Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Viewers are strongly encouraged to wear eclipse glasses or other protective eyewear. From Baptist Press, with additional reporting by the Illinois Baptist Relevant and relational Associational leaders meet in Springfield Springfield Local Baptist associations must respond to the changing dynamics in today s world to be relevant, said the keynote speaker for IBSA s annual Associational Roundtable Meeting Aug. 7-8 in Springfield. Ray Gentry, director of ministries for Southside Baptist Network near metro Atlanta and executive director of the Southern Baptist Conference of Association Leaders (SBCAL), said the key to associational relevance is healthy relationships with churches. We need to build dynamic relationships with pastors and churches. We need to know them and let them know us. Speaking to associational leaders from across Illinois, Gentry also addressed a new national survey that found relationships between local Baptist associations and churches may be not be as close as they once were, but there is hope on the horizon. The study, organized by a Kentucky director of missions and released July 31, found most church leaders believe their financial contributions to local Baptist associations are a good kingdom investment, while others are struggling to see their relevancy. According to the survey, 65.5% of church leaders think their local association is a strategic partner in helping their church fulfill the Great Commission, meaning that nearly one out of three church leaders do not think so. The survey, led by Pike Association Director of Missions Jason Lowe, also found 58.5% of church leaders think their church would be negatively affected if their association failed to exist. Lowe said the report shows some church leaders are questioning whether local associations are still vital or even relevant. But, The research showed that most church leaders do believe that associations can have a future, Lowe said. That is if significant changes are made. Church leaders said they d be motivated to increase their financial support for local Baptist associations if they could demonstrate their relevance with a clear vision and strategy. GENTRY At the meeting in Springfield, Gentry said associations and churches should develop relationships with one another in order to have relevance. Our associations are all unique the rural, the urban, the suburban. Many associations grapple with an identity problem. Who are we? Why do we do what we do? Half of all associations can t answer these questions, he said. He also shared the concern that the title director of missions confuses people. Most pastors and church members don t know what a director of missions (DOM) is or does, and why the position is needed. We need a new, better name that is more accurate and descriptive of what our mission is. Gentry said the SBCAL will meet during the June 2018 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas and discuss a title change. The associations study showed the connection between strong relationships and relevancy. Ninety percent of church leaders that are extremely involved in the work of the local association said they would be negatively affected if their local Baptist association ceased to exist. Lowe said the churches that are most involved in the work of associations and are most familiar with their mission and work are the most excited about their work. More than 90% of church leaders who are extremely involved in the work of the associations believed they were strategic partners in fulfilling the Great Commission. For more information on the survey, go to jasonalowe.com. Reporting by Baptist Press and the Illinois Baptist The Ticker facebook.com/illinoisbaptist twitter.com/illinoisbaptist Follow the latest Illinois Baptist news IB IllinoisBaptist.org pinterest.com/illinoisbaptist IBSA.org vimeo.com/ibsa

6 4 IBSA.org Illinois Baptist Home improvers Illinois Changers aid in Peoria ASSESSMENT TEAMS Disaster Relief leaders traveled to Lake County to evaluate needs after flooding in the area. In the photo below, DR volunteers work at the Red Cross Multi-Agency Resource Center in Round Lake. The need is great Disaster Relief teams respond after northern Illinois floods Lake County More than 2,000 homes were affected by July flooding in northern Illinois, resulting in a planned multi-week response by Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) volunteers and others from neighboring states. One week after torrential rains pummeled Lake County, Disaster Relief assessors traveled to the region to start taking stock of the need. Affected homes stretch to the four corners of the county, said IBSA s Dwayne Doyle. After two weeks, IDBR had received 292 requests for assistance, and leaders were working to assess homes and mobilize teams to help. IBDR has taken the lead in managing all efforts by non-governmental organizations responding in Lake County, Doyle added. Illinois volunteers got to work quickly, helping homeowners clean up and prevent further damage to their houses. They also handed out flood relief buckets provided through the North American Mission Board s Send Relief initiative. The buckets include a mold remediation solution that homeowners can apply to their houses. The need is great, Doyle said, referring to a report from Disaster Relief Incident Commander John Blasdale, who estimated IBDR volunteers will need to complete about 150 jobs over the next three weeks. If we secure five teams per week, we can finish up in August, said Blasdale, a member of Springbrook Community Church in Plainfield. Another need, Doyle said, is food for volunteers. Since this disaster was not designated as a federal disaster, the normal sources for food to feed response volunteers have not come through the Red Cross, he said. The Lord has provided generously through Lake County Baptist Association churches [and] individual givers from the community, as well as Wildwood Presbyterian Church, who is hosting our housing for the response. Our prayer is that God continues to provide quail, as he did for the Israelites, so that we will be sustained during this time of response. Trained Disaster Relief volunteers can join teams as they respond in Lake County this month. For more information, contact Jim Weickersheimmer at (217) or jimkipp12@gmail.com. People can also support the flood response by making a donation to IBDR, Doyle said. To financially contribute to the work in northern Illinois and other DR projects, go to IBSA.org/dr. In early August, 27 volunteers spent a week on roofs and porches in metro Peoria, meeting physical needs and sharing Christ during the first-ever Illinois Changers project for adults. The statewide initiative, modeled after World Changers missions projects, started several years ago as a way for junior high and high school students to experience hands-on missions and corporate worship over a weekend at Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp. The Peoria project was the first Illinois Changers week designed specifically for adults and college students. Glen Carty, a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Carlinville, worked with a team of volunteers at the home of a mother and her children. They replaced the family s back porch, which was rotted and falling off of the back of the house. She thanked us many times and her young son was so excited for it to be completed, Carty said. At another home, the group worked on a woman s roof, half of which had previously been replaced. She was very grateful and her son helped with the project, Carty said. She shared that she had payed to have half of the roof done, but just did not have the funds to do the other half. The Illinois Changers volunteers worked on seven homes, including two roofs, four porches, and two drywall projects. In the evenings, they gathered for worship and a message by IBSA s Jack Lucas. Illinois Changers is a great opportunity to experience a mission project within a reasonable traveling distance, Carty said. There is just something about spending time with fellow Christians that revives the soul. The next scheduled Illinois Changers projects are for students in grades Illinois Changers will be at Streator Baptist Camp Sept , and at Lake Sallateeksa Sept For more information about the projects and other missions opportunities for children, students, and adults, go to IBSA.org/missions. HELPING HANDS The inaugural Illinois Changers project for adult volunteers brought 27 short-term missionaries to Peoria, where they completed construction projects at seven homes.

7 IBSA.org August 14, 2017 survey BRIEFING Protection from embezzlement Capitol Hill Bible study Financial crime strikes 1 in 10 churches Nashville, Tenn. About 1 in 10 Protestant churches has had someone embezzle funds, according to a survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors from LifeWay Research. The group conducted the survey Aug. 22 Sept. 16, Among Protestant pastors: That figure isn t surprising, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. Most churches rely on volunteers to handle their finances, he said. Those volunteers are usually honest. But churches often lack systems to catch those who aren t. As a result, he said, money that could have been used for ministry goes missing. Churches run on trust, but they also know people are imperfect and can be tempted, McConnell said. That s why safeguarding a church s finances is an important part of ministry. Overall, 9% of pastors say that their church has had funds embezzled; 91% say they are not aware of any embezzlement. Churches of Christ ministers are more likely to say their church had funds embezzled (16%) when compared to Baptist (7%) or Presbyterian/ Reformed pastors (6%). Pastors of mid-sized churches those with between 100 and 249 members are less likely to say funds had been embezzled (6%) than those with 250 or more members (12%). A study of more than 2,400 fraud cases at businesses and nonprofits by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners found 2.4% of cases involved churches or other charitable groups. The average loss was $82,000. As part of the LifeWay Research study, researchers also asked pastors how much cash their churches had in reserves. Researchers found a number of churches function with little margin for error when it comes to their finances. One in 4 (26%) has operating reserves to cover seven or fewer weeks, according to their pastors. A similar number (24%) have between eight and 15 weeks; 15% have between 16 and 25 weeks of reserves; 12% have between 26 and 51 weeks; and 23% have a year or more. The study found smaller churches often have more weeks of reserves than larger congregations. It takes a lot of faith to run a church, especially when finances are tight, McConnell said. But some churches may be missing out on ministry because there s not enough money in the bank to respond to needs and opportunities that arise. Several members of President Donald Trump s cabinet are meeting for a weekly Bible study sponsored by Capitol Ministries, according to a CBN News report. These are godly individuals that God has risen to a position of prominence in our culture, said Ralph Drollinger, founder DROLLINGER and president of the ministry that hosts Bible studies for government leaders. Regular attenders of the cabinet study include Health Secretary Tom Price, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and CIA Director Mike Pompeo. President Trump is invited to attend the study, and receives a copy of Drollinger s teaching each week, according to the report. Win for religious liberty From Baptist Press Alliance Defending Freedom Among Protestant pastors: A Wisconsin photographer received assurance from a judge this month that she won t be required to photograph same-sex weddings. Amy Lynn Lawson (above right), sole owner of Amy Lynn Photography Studio in Madison, had previously specified on her website that her religious views wouldn t allow her to photograph same-sex weddings. After a client who disagreed with Lawson s views cancelled her contract with the photographer, Lawson removed the statement from her website and stopped booking weddings. The lawsuit filed by the photographer this spring sought to bar enforcement of city and state public accommodation laws. Judge Richard Niess of the Dane County Circuit Court agreed to sign a statement that the laws do not apply to Lawson, who works on commission and doesn t operate a physical storefront. Divided loyalties Americans are unsure how to balance religious liberty and sexual freedom, according to a new survey by LifeWay Research. The study asked 1,000 people, When sexual freedom and religious freedom conflict, which freedom do you feel is more important? Forty-eight percent sided with religious freedom, while 24% said sexual freedom is more important, and 28% weren t sure. It s clear Americans value religious liberty, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. But when it comes to sex, they aren t sure religion should have the final word. That s especially true for younger Americans and those who aren t religious. CBN News, Baptist Press, Wisconsin State Journal, LifeWay Research LifeWay Research 5

8 6 IBSA.org Illinois Baptist reporter s notebook Modest proposal 2: more messengers, fewer meetings There was one point during the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix when three thoughts of mine collided: How can this many people make a well-informed and well-reasoned decision? In the social media era, how can we make it possible for even more people to participate on a level that young adults have come to expect? And, then, how can we continue this very expensive system of having fewer and fewer people travel halfway or more across the country to attend? The collision came late on Tuesday, when young messengers were pleading for the crowd in the hall to consider the weight of public opinion (read: Twitter) in their debate over alt-right racism. ( What will the people out there think of us? ) In my head, I could hear old people saying, Who cares? This is not their decision, it s ours Southern Baptists and in particular the ones who paid to travel to Phoenix to speak up and to vote. (Maybe it was just me, speaking on behalf of old people.) But to the young messengers pleading on behalf of the masses, it was important, because they are used to the hearing from the masses on every issue: like, heart, thumbs up, smiley face, colon/capital P tongue-sticking-out. (Yes, my emoticon reference is dated.) Executive Committee President Frank Page told the messengers, proudly, that the Convention is an anomaly: This is a deliberative body, the largest openly deliberative body that still exists, Page said. But know that the Executive Committee also deliberates carefully at multiple levels dealing with each of the issues before they re ever presented to you, from small groups to medium-size [groups] to the large plenary sessions. Our Executive Committee members are not rubber-stampers. They ask questions, they deliberate, they discuss and sometimes disagree. So know that we hold your trust carefully and we count it to be precious. That s an uneasy balance for Baptists whose theology makes us accustomed to voting on almost everything even changing the light bulbs. The first national Baptist body in the U.S. was the Triennial Convention, founded in Philadelphia in They met every three years. When Southern Baptists broke off in 1845, they chose to meet every year, and to include as many people as possible by sending messengers rather than electing representatives. (It is a small but important distinction.) But technology and airline costs are pressing on our expectations: Remembering conventions with 15,000 and more regularly in attendance, we want more participants than the 5,000 who flew to Phoenix. And technology would make that possible. Yet, we do not want our denomination making knee-jerk statements at every cultural twist and turn. Theology doesn t demand an annual meeting cycle or populist group-think. I know these impulses seem to be in conflict: more participation, and more-reasoned debate. But watching the clock tick as debate on an unexpected resolution took time from discussion on the decline in baptisms and a renewed call to evangelism, it became clear that a relatively few people in a distant city can make reactionary decisions. Next time, the outcome might not be so positive. (Editor s Note: Modest Proposal 1 on merging the mission boards can be read at IllinoisBaptist. org.) Eric Reed TAKE ACTION: Please Call Governor Bruce Rauner to VETO HB 40 & HB 1785 HB 40 removes all prohibitions on taxpayer-funded abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy under Medicaid and removes the ban from state employees insurance policies paying for abortions. Because a half million have been added to the Medicaid roll in the last 5 years, we could see 15,000 or more babies slaughtered with our tax dollars each year! HB 1785 is a highly controversial proposal that would make it significantly easier for gender-dysphoric persons to obtain falsified birth certificates by changing the sex on their birth certificate, which is both a legal and historical document. Please encourage Governor Rauner to VETO these bills: Springfield (217) Chicago (312) Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don t stand back and let them die. Don t try to disclaim responsibility by saying you didn t know about it. For God, who knows all hearts, knows yours, and he knows you knew! And he will reward everyone according to his deeds. Proverbs 24:11-12 (Living Bible) Bulletin Inserts are available! us at Contactus@illinoisfamily.org. Celebrating 25Years! Since 1992 Upcoming Events! illinoisfamily.org/ifi-events September 30 IFI Faith Forum with Ray Comfort Medinah Baptist Church, Medinah, IL We are pleased to have Ray Comfort for an event we have titled Equipping the Saints: Abortion, Homosexuality, Atheism and YOU! Ray is the Founder and CEO of Living Waters ministry and the best-selling author of more than 80 books, including How to Know God Exists, The Defender s Guide for Life s Toughest Questions, and The Evidence Bible. Ray may be best known for his award-winning documentary 180. October 5 IFI Christian Heritage Forum with David Barton Decatur Conference Center, Decatur, IL We are pleased to have David Barton headline this special event. He is a beloved Christian minister, conservative activist, and the Founder and President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious and constitutional heritage. October 27 IFI Faith, Family & Freedom Banquet The Stonegate, Hoffman Estates, IL This year we are excited to have Lt. Col Allen West keynote our annual fundraising event. During his 22-year career in the Army, he served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, receiving many honors including a Bronze Star. In 2010, West was elected as a member of the 112th Congress representing Florida s 22nd District. He is a Fox News contributor and author of Guardian of the Republic.

9 August 14, 2017 IBSA.org 7 MISSION Scenes from our travels, 2017 From Cairo to Chicago and beyond Here is an album of Illinois Baptists mission adventures: teens working with church planters on the streets of Chicago, women helping women in a harsh southeast Asian country, and medical missions to children and families in the Caribbean. And read the story of believers bringing hope to a town it seems time forgot. (At right) Members of the mission team prayed at the park in Cairo before heading out to work projects, to distribute Bibles, and to share the gospel. Cairo: Door-to-door witnessing Rites of Summer: Mission trips A season for sharing Christ the world over Dominican Republic: The school supply giveaway included one toy per child BY LISA MISNER SERGENT Cairo The town at the extreme southern tip of Illinois isn t known for many positive events these days. Once-thriving Cairo, on the river banks where the Ohio meets the Mississippi, is marked largely by crumbling buildings. Down to just a couple thousand residents, the community has suffered racial divides and extreme poverty. But this summer, more than 300 Illinois Southern Baptists set out to bring the hope of Christ to the beleaguered town. Teams went out into the community doing mission projects July 24-28, culminating with a festival in the park on Saturday, July 29. And the summer mission work wasn t only in downstate Illinois. Here there In Chicago, students from seven IBSA churches teamed up with church planters in the city to survey neighborhoods and learn about the planting process. Judson University is a partner in the project, housing the students on their Elgin campus for worship and training sessions. We saw a significant increase in direct evangelistic engagement and the development of a core group for a new congregation, said Dennis Conner, director of church planting in the northeast region. This is the fourth year of the ChicaGO Week project, designed in part to develop a pipeline of young people who are interested in starting evangelistic congregations in the state s largest metro. Particularly from those groups that have been here consistently, I think there is openness in these students to investing the rest of their lives in Chicago as a mission field, Conner said. We tried to sharpen the focus: love Chicago, love church planters, and love church planting. One group of students from Clarksville Baptist Church and First Baptist of Church of Metroplis joined with Church Planting Catalysts Ken Wilson and Tim Bailey and IBSA staff members to serve on an Extreme Team. Their job was not to assist a church plant, but to start one. Continued on page 9 Southeast Asia: Telling a Bible story at a day center

10 8 IBSA.org Illinois Baptist Cairo: Enjoying lemon shake-ups in the park Cairo: Getting a haircut at the festival Cairo: Festival in the park, lollipop tree fun Cairo: Teams offered free medical and dental screenings On the GO: This is the fourth year that students from IBSA churches have teamed up with church planters in Chicago. They started and ended each day with training and worship at Judson University in Elgin, then ventured into the city for witnessing and work projects.

11 IBSA.org August 14, 2017 Continued from page 7 Their target: Pingree Grove. This tiny community west of Elgin is witnessing a building boom, with 3,000 new houses expected by the end of 2018 and no church. Well, it once had two churches. Now the teeny town has a steepled community center and a Hindu temple. Many would say that going door-to-door no longer works, Bailey said. Well, we found a different response. This team of energetic teenagers and adults over the course of four days knocked on over 700 doors! The team invited people to a worship service on Thursday evening at a nearby charter school, with the intention of starting a new congregation. We planned to just collect information and be done with it, but the Lord kept opening doors, Bailey said. and everywhere IBSA teams also worked in Toronto, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic, staging Vacation Bible School for local children. And in June, a team of eight women and one man from Illinois went to southeast Asia at the request of the International Mission Board to host leadership retreats with national partners. The Christians living in the country sometimes suffer persecution by the Muslim majority. If our (Asian) sisters are sharing Christ without fear, we shouldn t let our fear, which is often psychological, hold us back, said IBSA s Carmen Halsey. She said the need for more churches to minister there is great. The team helped at day centers where girls and young women can go to bathe each morning, get clean clothing, and learn to sew. The items they sew are sold through Woman s Missionary Union s World Crafts Marketplace. By learning a trade, the young women are bringing money into the family and are less likely to be forced into arranged marriages to older men who are likely to already have multiple wives. They also learn about Jesus and are discipled in the faith. A gospel flood in Cairo Back in Illinois in July, Halsey, IBSA s director of women s ministry and missions, was one of the event coordinators in Cairo. She spent most of the week there and loved what she saw. Our churches worked together, sharing resources, sharing contacts, all willing to help one another, Halsey said. Churches and associations were all bringing their best. It was wonderful. Through churches working together, 23 people came to Christ in Cairo. Those 23 salvations that to me is the evidence of discipleship, she said. We were there learning to be discipes as a hands-on experience. We were being Jesus hands. And leading others to follow Christ too. One team painted a playground and put seats in swings in the park early in the week so that it was ready for the festival on Saturday. Others cleaned the baseball diamond and worked on the river wall. More than 40 volunteers went door-to-door sharing Christ and prayer walking. Local residents took advantage of medical and dental clinics hosted by Baptist doctors and nurses that included back-to-school health screenings. A team visited a local women s shelter, where they cooked a meal and painted. On Friday evening, volunteers held an evangelistic worship service in the park. Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman even helped promote the effort on local media, getting the word out about the festival on Saturday. And the community turned out for the festival. Kids played games like Plinko and Twister, had their faces painted, were given balloon animals, and some Continued on page 10 Southeast Asia: Ministering in the inner city Southeast Asia: Ministering to national partners Dominican Republic: Kids on their way home from VBS Southeast Asia: Making bracelets at a leadership retreat Cairo: Showing off painted faces in the park 9

12 10 IBSA.org Illinois Baptist even had their hair cut. Everyone who came to the festival received free food a Christian motorcycle group from Marion and Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers joined forces to grill hot dogs. Reflecting on the experience Halsey said, Just to watch those faces come alive To see them say, Thank you so much for coming. It was great. Common factor: spiritual battle While the Cairo mission trip saw some encouraging results, it also showed participants the real challenges community ministry can present. Jacqueline Scott, a member of Dorrisville Baptist Church in Harrisburg, went door-to-door witnessing and saw the spiritual warfare that is taking place in the community. I could almost feel the oppression when I went under the overpass at the turn off from I-57, said the retired Health and Human Services worker. The Holy Spirit showed me the spiritual blindness. Going door-to-door, she encountered Jehovah s Witnesses and Black Hebrew Israelites who were strong in their faiths. Scott was raised as a Jehovah s Witness and knows that religion well, especially what it takes to overcome the falsehoods it teaches. My heart was left there, Scott said about her experience in Cairo. God showed me the dilution and deception of the enemy. He helped me see beyond the darkness, behind the veil. The people we led to Christ were young and had the innocence of a child. The older ones are strong Dominican Republic: Community health screenings in their faiths and won t be so easily led. Scott said more needs to be done; 10 minutes working through a tract won t lead people who believe strongly in another religion to Christ. Jesus said we were once held captive and he set us free, she declared. We are called to share Christ and set others free. The story is the same in Cairo, Chicago, the Caribbean, and crowded streets in a distant Asian nation: People and places that haven t heard a Christian testimony in decades (if ever) are open to the gospel, despite spiritual oppression. And witnesses from Illinois return home excited by the work of the Holy Spirit on the mission field, and eager to see it repeated in their own hometowns. Dominican Republic: Fellowship after a pastor ordination Tabernacle Baptist Church Speaker: Brian Burgess Band: Vertical Church Comedy: 321 Improv Marion Cultural and Civic Center Speaker: Zane Black Artist: Sixteen Cities Illusionist: Harris III Hillcrest Baptist Church Speakers and artists to be announced 3-9 p.m. all locations To register go to IBSA.org/YE2017 Cost is $25 per person, includes dinner YE T-shirts on sale, $15 each $30 per person for non-ibsa churches For more information contact BarbTroeger@IBSA.org, or call (217)

13 August 14, 2017 IBSA.org 11 IN FOCUS MISSION ILLINOIS OFFERING & WEEK OF PRAYER SEPTEMBER 10-17, 2017 Where Jesus is needed New churches and renewed commitment to evangelism will win Illinois. BY ERIC REED Pat Pajak will make you cry. Why? Because he cries. Whenever there s talk about how many people in Illinois don t know Jesus, you can count on Pat to get choked up. And whenever Pat tells how he had the privilege of sharing the gospel with someone and that someone accepted Jesus as Savior tears will flow. His shoulders shake up and down. His voice cracks. And for a moment, the story stops. But he catches a breath, and continues. And invariably, the person he s witnessing to agrees that they need Jesus, and prays to receive him as Savior. The biker. The nurse. The couple at the gas station on the way to North Carolina. I believe in witnessing opportunities wherever you re at, Pajak said. Pat Pajak has a gift. Some would say his gift is evangelism, but that s only part of it. Pat makes lostness in Illinois vast, unfathomable, and seemingly almost too big to tackle become real, and personal, and up-close. Lostness is people, and Pat PAJAK knows them personally. Even if he doesn t, he ll sidle up to them and ask if they go to church anywhere. And that leads to real conversation about knowing and believing in Jesus Christ. P. 12 Focus on evangelism The Mission Illinois Offering supports evangelism training and planting new churches across Illinois, including the Quad Cities (above). With a goal of $475,000, the offering is vital to ministry and missions, equipment and supplies, planters, and the missionaries who equip and encourage them. Watch videos related to this story at missionillinois.org. And use the daily devotions for prayer for state missions.

14 12 IBSA.org Illinois Baptist Pray for state missions Plan a season of prayer for your church, yourself, or both The Week of Prayer is September 10-17, but there are plenty of opportunities for prayer ahead of that week. In fact, all of September is a good time to focus on God s work through Baptists in Illinois. People in Illinois need the gospel The Mission Illinois Offering supports a variety of missions led by the Illinois Baptist State Association. Together with almost 1,000 partner churches and church plants, your congregation reaches out across Illinois with the gospel in many ways. Please pray for state missions this week. Prayer Guide Sunday Northwest quadrant John and Jacki Mattingly have served around the Quad Cities for almost three decades. This region including Peoria and Rockford has a higher percentage of lostness than any other region in Illinois. Many counties have no Southern Baptist church and little evangelical witness. Pray for John as he helps plant new churches, plus John Sedgwick, Brian McWethy, and Joe Gardner who serve there, and IBSA s Church Planting leader Van Kicklighter. NOW Monday Next generation IBSA aids churches in reaching children with the gospel, and equipping students as tomorrow s leaders through VBS, missions events, Youth Encounter, and conference centers at Lake Sallateeska and Streator. Pray for next-gen director Jack Lucas, Steve Hamrick, camp managers Philip Hall and Mike Young and their ministry teams. Tuesday Chicago Bryan and Marci Coble relocated their family far from their downstate home. Their new neighborhood is ten times larger with 77,000 people. With the partnership of their home church and IBSA, the Cobles are committed to sharing Christ in our largest mission field. Pray for the Cobles, for more church planters in Chicagoland with its 10 million residents, and for Dennis Conner, Tim Bailey, John Yi, and Jorge Melendez who lead IBSA s church planting strategy there. Offering & Week of Prayer for state missions Sept Sun: Spiritual need in the Northwest Watch these featured stories at MissionIllinois.org. Tue: A heart for the city Wednesday Soul-winning churches Pat Pajak can share Jesus with anyone anywhere, even in the rehab unit where he recovered from heart surgery. He is a terrific example and teacher for us all. Now Pat is leading evangelism training for IBSA, helping churches and pastors grow as witnesses. Pat will train more than 200 churches this year, and develop an evangelism network with over 100 pastors. IBSA churches to grow in personal evangelism. Thursday Stronger churches IBSA focuses on leader development and coaching ministry, equipping pastors and lay leaders in more than 20,000 sessions annually, and in personal consultation at the church s request. We need strong Southern Baptist churches in Illinois. Resource Team, and 11 zone consultants including Joe Oliver and Steven Glover in metro Chicago. Friday Compassionate ministry Derrick and Ailee Taylor have a heart for their small town, reaching into their community by meeting needs. The Net Community Church shows how missions and evangelism are two sides of one coin. Many new churches use this approach, which is one reason new churches are effective at leading people to Jesus. church, and downstate church planters, Eddie Pullen and Ken Wilson who lead IBSA s church planting strategy there. Pray for Pat, Sylvan Knobloch, and for Pray for Mark Emerson and the Church Pray for the Taylor family and their new Please consider these ideas for encouraging prayer. Wed: Sharing Jesus everywhere Fri: Feeding people, loving people Saturday Mobilization Mission trips are excellent opportunities for evangelism. In fact, sharing Jesus is the primary reason 22,000 Illinois Baptists personally engage in missions each year. And with 1,600 trained volunteers, Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief brings aid after natural disasters, while chaplains witness to suffering people. Halsey who lead missions mobilization, and the teams who equip and send thousands of Illinois Baptists each year. Sunday Giving Today churches will collect the Mission Illinois Offering, which supports the ministries in this prayer guide and more. It is so important that we reach the $475,000 goal. Consider your own gift for state missions. today, and for Executive Director Nate Adams and the missions support staff of IBSA. Pray for Dwayne Doyle and Carmen Pray for all our partner churches to give NOW For mission study materials for your church, contact IBSA at MIO@IBSA.org, (217) Mission Illinois is a free Sunday bulletin insert reporting how Illinois Baptist churches reach the world through giving to missions. Call the Illinois Baptist State Association at (217) or MissionIllinois@IBSA.org for a free subscription. Devote time to prayer every Sunday or Wednesday in September. Share mission facts and videos on the mission stories. Our main focus is evangelism and church planting in Illinois. Review the statistics about lostness in Illinois. These are not just numbers, they are people. Of 13 million people in Illinois, at least 8 million do not have a faith relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray for salvation. Check Wikipedia for the population of your county or town. According to the experts, more than two-thirds (say 65%) of those people do not know Jesus Christ. Do the math. Pray for their salvation. While you re at it, make a list of people you know who need Jesus. Pray for the missionaries by name. Use the daily devotions as brief prayer prompts in worship services and in personal prayer. They are in the MIO Prayer Guide/bulletin insert, online, and printed in the special Illinois Baptist wrapper on the outside of the Aug. 14 issue. Schedule a special prayer meeting for state missions. Some churches use the Wednesday during the Week of Prayer, others use Sunday morning or Sunday night. Or pick another time, day or night. Spread the responsibility. Ask Sunday school teachers and small group leaders to focus prayer on state missions during September. Ask the missions team or WMU or men s group to pray for state missions in their September meeting. Focus on Romans 10:14. How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? (CSB) Pray each section of the verse: For the Holy Spirit to open hearts to believe; for the gospel to be shared; for the church planters; for gospel witnesses to respond to the call to missions and evangelism, especially in Illinois. We could plant so many more new churches and reach so many more lost people in Illinois if there were more future leaders in the pipeline. See more at missionillinois.org Continued from page 11 Pat can make believers cry over lostness, and thank God he does. Whether it s 8 million people in a state of 13 million, or the nurse at the Decatur hospital where he had heart surgery, lost people matter to Pat, because they matter to God. After three decades as a pastor of growing evangelistic churches, and another leading church strengthening in Illinois, Pat today serves as associate executive director of evangelism for IBSA. More about that later. Humble risk takers Lost people matter to John Mattingly, too, especially those who live in the northwest quadrant of Illinois. John served as a pastor in Joy, Ill., then as director of missions for Sinnissippi Baptist Association, and now serves as IBSA s church planting director for the region that includes Peoria, Rockford, and the Quad Cities. John takes his role as a strategist for church planting seriously. John and his wife, Jacki, sold their home so they could be unencumbered and mobile. A pastor s got to come and be part of the community, Mattingly said. Currently, that s in Sterling, where the couple has helped restart a faltering congregation. John and Jacki are just a unique couple, said Van Kicklighter, IBSA s associate executive director of church planting. I think part of their passion for people in northwestern Illinois comes from a deep sense that God has planted them (there). Mattingly is one of eight IBSA church planting catalysts working with more than 80 church planters across Illinois. Last year, IBSA and ministry partners started 16 new churches. IBSA has identified more than 200 places and people groups in Illinois that need a church. (Their work is supported, in part, by the Mission Illinois Offering.) New churches are needed because in some places, there simply aren t enough. Of 102 Illinois counties, 10 counties have no Southern Baptist church, and another 12 have only one. There are large sections of the state with little evangelical witness, especially in northwest Illinois and in the cities. And new churches are needed in other places too, because new congregations are effective at reaching unchurched people. If we are going to reach northwest Illinois, I really believe that we re going to have to develop an appetite for risk, Mattingly said. Risk means that we don t know what s going to happen. And that makes MATTINGLY the northwest corner a frontier area. Part of his job is finding church planters who will come to this mix of cities and rural communities. People in northwest Illinois deserve every opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus just like someone on the other side of theglobe, Kicklighter said of the area where factories once booming have closed, and churches once common have dwindled. Our communities are open to the gospel of Jesus Christ, Mattingly concurred. All we need are some people who will come and take some risks. Winning Illinois, one by one For some people, simply walking across the room to start a conversation feels like taking a risk. Taking the next step turning a conversation toward the gospel may feel even riskier. But that s what we re all called to do. Share the gospel. And for many IBSA churches and their members, that s where Pat Pajak comes in. Pat will train more than 200 churches in soul-winning this year. And through IBSA s Pastor s Evangelism Network, Pat will help mentor more than 100 pastors. Encouraging pastors who encourage their churches in faith-sharing is Pat s specialty. The easiest way, I think, to impact lostness in Illinois, is to build friendships with people where they begin to trust you, he said. For Pat and his wife, Joyce, that level of trust was established in a crisis more than 30 years ago, when a house fire claimed their infant son and a pastor soon led them to Jesus. Not every conversion comes after crisis, but Pat finds opportunity to share Christ in tough times, even his own. After Memorial Day last year, I had a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery, he said. And since he believes in sharing Christ wherever you happen to be, that included the ICU and later the cardiac rehab unit. Eventually, he led eight nurses to faith in Jesus Christ in a three-month period. I said, Will you allow me to pray with you? he recalled from an encounter with Gina. So I shared the Romans Road with her and asked if that made sense to her. She said yes, and she prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into her heart. Pat wells up when he tells the story. I saw her today and she hugged me and said, I love you. From complete stranger to sister in Christ. What a difference it would make if our church (members) decided, I have the responsibility of sharing Christ, not just my pastor, he said. With support from the Mission Illinois Offering and Week of Prayer, IBSA is equipping pastors, church members, and church planters to share the gospel. Now is the moment, Pajak said, because people in Illinois need Jesus Christ. We just need to capture that. In other words, now more than ever.

15 August 14, 2017 IBSA.org 13 Raising up ministers from the pews Only recently have I realized a weakness in my ministry leadership is leading others into vocational ministry. Or rather, a lack of it. Looking over my 17 years in ministry, it seems I have influenced few to consider that path for themselves. While people must personally respond to a ministry calling, I think there is more that churches and pastors can do to create an environment that promotes vocational ministry. Here are a few spark plugs I m discovering: Pray. The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields (Luke 10:2, NLT). I m simply not doing this enough. Jesus had sent out the 12 disciples previously, and in Luke 10, he commissioned 70 more short-term missionaries. Despite this sizeable force, he challenges them not only to go into the harvest as workers and encouragers, but also to pray for others to join them. Knowing this verse isn t enough. I must pray it. Show ministry options. During my college years, our pastor often talked of his ministry call and time in seminary. His openness about that journey of discovering God s will encouraged me to consider it as well. As we create an environment of ministry awareness, I see two important areas of opportunity. First, we re able to showcase broad categories of ministry. Once I felt certain of my ministry call, I presumed I would serve as a youth pastor until I finished seminary and grew up to become a lead pastor. But not everyone is built for those roles. We should show people the opportunities for parachurch, missionary, and church planting roles. Speaking of missionaries and planters, we can also connect the people in the pews with people who are already serving in those important roles. Take time in your worship services to emphasize and pray for specific missionaries and planters. My friend Stephen has been working with church planting in South Dakota for several years. Not only has my church prayed and learned about those efforts, but I am also inviting Stephen to our church this fall. My hope is that face-to-face interaction may increase awareness and even lead someone to consider such an table talk When pastors pull back the ministry curtain, we demonstrate we re not spiritual superheroes. opportunity themselves. If you don t know any missionaries or planters, the International and North American Mission Board websites are great places to start. Pull back the curtain. Just prior to confirming my own call into ministry, the youth pastor at our church began asking me to assist him. At first I helped with some mission trips, and eventually even stepped in for a Bible study or two. Only later did I realize he saw something in me and was helping me to fan into flame the gift of God (2 Tim. 1:6); namely, gifts of teaching I was barely aware of at that point. Kelly is an acquaintance from seminary, and a pastor in Arkansas that I recently reached out to on this subject. He too has seen only a few consider ministry as a vocation, but for those who appear to have the hint of a call, Kelly looks for opportunities. Allowing the individual a chance to teach or join up with a mission work can bring them an awareness of a potential calling. Most recently, while attending World Changers with our youth group, I met Michael. This high school junior from Oklahoma told me he is considering youth ministry or full-time missions as a career. I asked why he found himself leaning towards an uncommon call for his age: My church has definitely contributed so much in providing a culture of ministry, he said. People in my church have really invested in me, offering much advice. They ve not only provided many mission opportunities, but also allowed valuable time with my youth pastor. He has shown me what his job consists of, even showing me how he schedules his time. When ministers of the church pull back the curtain, we demonstrate we re not spiritual superheroes. God will provide the capabilities to those he calls. Only one in every seven U.S. pastors is under the age of 40. I would guess similar trends exist in other ministry positions. So let s pray more for God to raise up workers from our churches. Let s expose our congregations to the people and ministries God is using to advance the gospel worldwide. And let s look for every opportunity to pull back the curtain and invite people into the work of the ministry. Some may only stay for the short-term, but you may just awaken a new wave of ministers and missionaries to the exciting opportunities God has prepared for them! Heath Tibbetts pastors First Baptist Church, Machesney Park. Bad news, Hank...The set-up and tear-down Committee you signed up for has nothing to do with the pastor s sermons. fresh ideas Get ready for kickoff! A great beginning can set the pace for a great year. These tips to plan your women s ministry kickoff event can be tweaked to launch youth activities, choir, or another ministry at your church. Get ready for an awesome kickoff day! 1. Invite. Invite. Invite. Plan for every female attender of your church to receive a printed and a verbal personal invitation. Create a Facebook event. Ask members to forward an e-invitation to friends. Publicize in your church publications, church website, DIANA DAVIS and community newspaper. 2. Consider first impressions. Does your meeting space need fresh paint or updated art? Are restrooms and hallways spotless? Update directional signs. Create a quick registration process. Add fresh flowers, extra greeters, and extra seating. 3. Make it worth her minutes! Plan every meeting well, beginning on kickoff day. Keep a relaxed atmosphere, but be purposeful. Begin and conclude precisely on time. Put long announcements in print. 4. Make it special. Add an extra touch to the kickoff event, such as a unique guest speaker, brunch, a surprise decoration, or a gift. 5. Encourage friendships. Wear nametags. Draw names for prayer partners or assign mentors. Understand that a coffee break offers valuable conversation time. Introduce guests to new friends. 6. Add action. Explain how your group plans to impact your community and your world for Christ. Redirect your group s focus from inward to upward and outward. 7. Point to Jesus. From kickoff day to year s end, every action or spoken word must honor him. Be joyful. Pray. Share your personal Jesus story. Invite newcomers to Sunday worship. 8. Ask for a commitment. At the close of your kickoff event, ask women to register to join a group. Group leaders should call or their class members before next week. Have sign-up sheets for snacks, retreats, projects, volunteer jobs, etc. Snap digital headshots for an online directory. Provide a printed list of upcoming projects and events. A great opening day requires lots of prayer, planning, and work, but when people come together to know and serve our Savior, it will be worth it all. Get ready for kickoff! Diana Davis is author of Fresh Ideas for Women s Ministry.

16 14 IBSA.org Illinois Baptist Remembering former DOM Verlee Eaker A Clear Creek Baptist Association giant in the ministry has died. Verlee Eaker, 88, who served as the association s director of missions (DOM) from 1960 until 1995, passed away July 22 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Eaker was born Nov. 15, 1928, in Grassy, Mo., and married Joyce Johnson on July 10, She preceded him in death on January 4, Eaker began preaching at the age of 16 and was ordained at Perkins Baptist Church in Missouri. He attended Southeast Missouri State University and pastored churches in Essex and Anniston, Mo., and Whitewater, Lake Milligan, Miller City, and Mounds, Ill. In 1960, he moved to Anna, Ill., where he was director of missions for Clear Creek Baptist Association, and in 1995, he retired and returned to Lake Milligan Baptist Church. Jerry Day, former Clear Creak director of missions and IBSA associate executive director, shared how Eaker inspired him in his ministry. The first qualities that come to my mind when I think of him are excellent character and utmost integrity, said Day. As a director of missions, one must sometimes walk a narrow path between serving the needs of the churches and serving the pastors. In my view, the DOM must be a person everyone can trust and Verlee engendered trust as much as anyone I have ever known, largely because of his character and integrity. Day noted, When Brother Verlee retired from the association, he returned to the pastorate at Lake Milligan Baptist Church near Olive Branch where he had served many years before, and stayed there for another 20-plus years. By doing so, he taught me another lesson. Beloved trio performs final concert West Frankfort Gospel group Sons of the Father has decided to call it a career. The trio is retiring after 28 years of performing in churches around the Midwest and South, and particularly in their home state of Illinois, where their tour bus is a familiar sight. The father-son act performed their final concert together on Sunday, July 23, in front of nearly 200 people at their home church, Grace Baptist Fellowship in West Frankfort. Les Synder and his sons, Brent and Chris, have averaged 150 shows a year since they began performing in Highlights of the trio s career include performing at the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors Conference and the SBC Evangelism Conference, but they are best known for their concerts in churches and at local association events. They ve performed at numerous IBSA events and will be missed by Southern Baptists in the state. And that lesson is that no one ever really retires from ministry. Whether we are career ministers or volunteers, I believe we should make ourselves available for our whole lives. And Verlee set that example for us all. Eaker is survived by his daughter, Beverlee (Jim) Hastings of Cape Girardeau; sons, Shelby (Nancy) Eaker of Martinsville, Ind., and Mark (Penny) Eaker of Anna; six grandchildren; ten greatgrandchildren; and five siblings. Along with his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings. Funeral services were held July 25 at Harvest Church in Anna. Pastor Tony Foeller officiated. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association. people Welcome Cornerstone Baptist Church in Savoy has called Luke Henry as pastor. Henry previously served as associate pastor for students at FBC Fairview Heights. A graduate of Olivet Nazarene University and Midwest Baptist Theological Seminary, Luke and his wife, Bri, have two children. Henry is replacing Steve Diehl who is retiring after 20 years of ministry at Cornerstone. Celebrations Wanda Ruyle celebrated her 95th birthday in June. Ruyle has taught Sunday school and served as the church pianist at FBC Ashmore for several years. On June 4, she gave a testimony of how God blessed her and her late husband, Dean Ruyle, in building FBC Ashmore as they pastored there for 28 years. Bethel Baptist Church in Princeton celebrated its 60th anniversary June 11. They observed the date with a morning worship service, potluck lunch, and a special service in the afternoon. DOM Michael Durham spoke in the morning service, while Gerald Fields, a former pastor of Bethel, shared in the afternoon service. Affiliating with IBSA Churches that wish to apply for affiliation with the Illinois Baptist State Association must submit an application for membership by September 19. To request a packet that explains the application process, contact Sandy Barnard at (217) or SandyBarnard@IBSA.org. NeTworkiNg Find more information on ministry positions at IBSA.org/connect Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org Elm Street Baptist Church in Murphysboro seeks a part-time minister of music. Located eight miles north of Southern Illinois University and less than two hours from both St. Louis and Paducah, Murphysboro is a charming community between cities. Send a cover letter and resume to: Music Minister Search, 1907 Elm Street, Murphysboro, IL, 62966, or kara.hobbs@outlook.com. Crossville Missionary Baptist Church seeks a full-time pastor to provide leadership, vision, and growth through preaching, music, and outreach. This church resides in a town of almost 1,000 nestled near other towns ranging to about 5,000. Please send a cover letter, resume with references, and video (if available) to P.O. Box 417, Crossville, IL Resurrection Baptist Church, Benton seeks a bivocational pastor with a heart for the church body. The candidate should possess the skills to grow a church of varied ages and backgrounds. Send resume to resurrectionconnection@gmail. com or 108 S. McLeansboro St., Benton, IL Heartland Baptist Network, headquartered in Springfield, seeks a part-time bookkeeper to work 3-5 hours per week. Contact David Howard at (217) or david@heartlandbaptist.net.

17 August 14, 2017 IBSA.org 15 August 31 iconnect What: Event for leaders who are new to Illinois, serving in a new ministry, or want to get better connected with IBSA and fellow Baptists in Illinois. Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Register: BarbTroeger@IBSA.org September 9 BCHFS Golf Scramble What: Baptist Children s Home and Family Services invites you to join them for the 20th Annual Southern Illinois Golf Scramble. Single shotgun at 1 p.m. with lunch served at noon. Where: Green Hills, Mt. Vernon Information: BCHFS.com Illinois Changers 9/15-17 Streator Baptist Camp 9/22-24 Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp, Pinckneyville What: An opportunity for Illinois Baptist students to gather with other teens from around our state to participate in short-term mission projects and vibrant worship experiences. Register: IBSA.org/Students EVENTS September 16 Beth Moore Simulcast What: You re invited to join Beth and thousands of women worldwide as she shares truth to guide your own journey of faith; 8:30 a.m. 3:15 p.m. Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Cost: $10 per person, includes lunch. Register: IBSA.org/Women September 16 BCHFS Fall Festival What: The Baptist Children s Home and Family Services Fall Festival is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission, parking, and all food and activities (with the exception of the quilt and silent auction) are free. Where: Residential Care Campus, Carmi Information: BCHFS.com September 20 Lunch and Learn Webinar Series - Life by the Slice Discover how viewing ordinary life moments from a different perspective can provide fuel for living forward in your life; 11:30 a.m. noon. Register: IBSA.org/Women STAY WHERE YOU ARE. SERVE WHERE YOU VE BEEN CALLED. STUDY WITH WORLD-CLASS FACULTY AND A GLOBAL STUDENT BODY. Learn more about our 100% online degrees at tiu.edu/online A bad move Q Financial advisor Dave Ramsey is a prolific author and radio host. dave says I have a whole life insurance policy with zero cash value due to loans I took out per the advice of my agent. I finally realized this wasn t a smart move, as I now owe premiums plus interest every year. Am I still on the hook for the policy loans if I forfeit the policy to buy term insurance? A No, you are not. Get your term insurance in place first, then when you cancel the policy your cash value will offset your loans. They won t loan you more than your cash value. It s seldom that they will loan you 100% of cash value, so you might actually have a cash value that is above your loan amount. If they have loaned you the full amount of your cash value, it ll be an exact break even, and just canceling the policy means you cancel the interest and cancel the premiums. It was bad advice to buy the policy, and even dumber advice to clean the whole thing out and sit there paying interest to borrow your own money and pay a premium to keep the loan open. I recommend 10 to 12 times your income on a 15- or 20- year level term policy. During that 15 or 20 years, of course, you should be getting out of debt and building wealth so that you have a big pile of money and no need for life insurance. DAVE RAMSEY First, get a real job Q I currently have student loans in deferment from earning a degree in hospitality management. My career goal is to own a mobile food vending company, so I m putting most of the money I make from ebay and ride-hailing services around $1,000 a month aside in savings for that. Should I forego my business idea for the time being, and knock out the student loan debt instead? A You should put this business idea on hold for now, unless you can start it for less than $1,000. The first thing you need to do is go out and get a real job. I know you have this dream of being self-employed, but right now you re not doing so well as an entrepreneur. With a hospitality degree, you can make $30,000 to $50,000 a year within the industry, clean up your mess, and build out the ebay thing on the side. While you re doing that, you can clean up all your student loans and save up money for your food truck. Boom! You re self-employed and you learned a lot of stuff you can use in your new business. Go make some real money, then follow your dream! A prerequisite for personal growth, evangelism, mission trips, and church planting. A training course designed to help people better understand the path to lasting spiritual freedom, through Jesus Christ. Some topics include: The Armor of God The Battleground Three Enemies of the Believer The Authority of the Believer 12-week course begins Sunday, Sept. 10, 6-7:30 p.m. Living Faith Baptist Church, 7575 W. Outer Rd. Sherman, IL Training provided by Bruce Kugler, member of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists. A training ministry of God s Courtroom. For more information go to:

18 16 IBSA.org Illinois Baptist Pat s Playbook Church needed here... Location: Rushville Focus: French-speaking Togolese people group Characteristics: Many people from Togo are migrating to communities in Illinois, including Rushville, where the estimated Togolese population is several hundred. Prayer needs: Pray for a small group of Togolese people that are gathering weekly for worship, and that God would raise up a church planter to lead them. Pray for Emile Abaya, a church planter in Moline, who travels to Rushville weekly to share the gospel with them. In a hostile culture Read: Daniel 1 devotional How does one deal with moral and ethical issues that challenge one to compromise his faith and values? Daniel and his three friends found themselves in a Babylonian culture that eagerly embraced false gods and personal pleasure. Nebuchadnezzar ordered these captive men to eat and drink from the royal provisions. Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself (Daniel 1:8). They understood from their religious heritage that this food was KEVIN CARROTHERS unclean under God s law and that it had been offered as sacrifices to pagan gods. Daniel wanted all to understand that only the one true God deserved praise, so he did not want to do anything that would give tacit approval to idolatry. Daniel s decision to disobey the king s command came with risk of serious punishment, even death for him and his friends. However, Daniel also realized that to disobey the sovereign God and compromise his values would defeat the purpose of honoring the one and only God before a pagan society. Perhaps the apostle Paul thought of Daniel when he wrote, Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). Certainly Daniel and his friends refused to conform to the Babylonian lifestyle. They remained faithful to God, willing to suffer for him. PRAYER PROMPT: Almighty God, give us courage to remain faithful in a hostile culture, regardless of the consequences. Amen. Kevin Carrothers serves as director of missions for Salem South Baptist Association and is concluding his second one-year term as IBSA President. Killer attitudes IBSA Church Planting Team inspirations pinterest.com/illinoisbaptist Communities are suffering because churches aren t as evangelistic as they were in the past, says LifeWay s Thom Rainer. Statistics bear this out and there are a number of reasons why. But one of the key explanations is simply an attitude problem. Here are six of them: 1. That s what we pay our pastor to do. 2. Our church members are just not evangelistic. 3. Our denomination does not help us. 4. We emphasize evangelism once a year in our church. 5. I don t know anyone well who is not a Christian. 6. We don t have the resources. Rainer says he has seen churches make dramatic turnarounds when just one person decides to be radically obedient to the Great Commission. The question should not be: What about them? The question should be: What about me? illinois religious landscape Afterlife? 71% 56% Excerpted from ThomRainer.com. See the full article and more like it in IBSA s weekly e-newsletter for church leaders, e-connection. Sign up at Communications@IBSA.org. of adults in Illinois believe in heaven believe in hell Pew Research Don t leave it out Q I heard a woman complain once that all her pastor preached was get saved. Almost all my congregation is long-time believers. How can I give them deep and challenging sermons, while still covering the basics of salvation on a regular basis? A Every sermon could and should conclude with a clear presentation of the gospel. Those who are already believers need to be reminded that there is a lost and dying world just outside the walls of the church, and a salvation message can challenge and encourage them to reach their friends and family members before it s too late. PAT PAJAK Pastors are instructed to preach the whole counsel of God s Word, but in doing so (because only the Lord really knows the condition of the listener s heart), they should include the urgency for one to trust Jesus as savior. Members should be grateful for a pastor who encourages others to get saved. Sugar-free fellowship Q The pastor is diabetic, yet people still give him cakes and pies when we have church dinners. One dear soul always sets aside a bowl of banana pudding for him. He eats some of it to be polite. Should I say something to the sugar-pushers? A It s the pastor s responsibility to speak up. There s nothing wrong with him letting people know that his doctor has restricted his sugar intake and because of his health concerns, he ll be passing on the sweets. I have no doubt that once the word is out, the ladies will continue to provide cakes, pies, and even banana pudding for everyone else to enjoy, but their motherly instincts might kick in, and they ll ask the pastor (kindly), Are you supposed to be eating that? Especially if they see him sneaking a quick bite. Kindly encourage him to share his diabetes problem with the kitchen workers and see how quickly the word spreads. Pat Pajak is IBSA s associate executive director for evangelism. Send questions for Pat to IllinoisBaptist@ IBSA.org.

19 OFFERING & WEEK OF PRAYER SEPT missionillinois.org Evangelism continued The missionaries whose photos appear in this prayer guide each have different specialties. Church planting, age-graded discipleship, and missions mobilization are just a few. But their work has the same chief purpose: advancing the gospel. For example, when Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief teams are cutting trees felled by storms and digging out mud-packed houses after floods, somewhere nearby a trained DR chaplain is sharing Jesus with a suffering homeowner. And many times, they find Christ in their crisis. Who trained the chaplains? Who organized the volunteers? You did. By giving through the Mission Illinois Offering, you enable state missionaries to do their work in Illinois. You provide supplies for VBS training and children s camps. You send expertise to churches in need of stronger leadership. You recruit and equip church planters to start congregations where they are desperately need. And the list goes on and on. Your gifts through the Mission Illinois Offering stay here in Illinois: teaching students, equipping leaders, planting churches, and, at all times, advancing the gospel. Won t you give through the Mission Illinois Offering? Your partnership in advancing the gospel in Illinois is needed now, more than ever. Featured missions stories Visit missionillinois.org Spiritual need in the Northwest John and Jacki Mattingly have served in northwest Illinois for almost three decades. This area, which has a higher percentage of lostness than any other region in Illinois, has captured their hearts. See why. A heart for the city Bryan and Marci Coble have relocated their family to Irving Park in Chicago. It s far from their downstate home. But with the partnership of their home church, IBSA, and others, the Cobles are committed to sharing Christ here. Sharing Jesus everywhere Pat Pajak can share Jesus with anyone anywhere, even the rehab unit where he recovered from heart surgery. He is a terrific example and teacher for us all. Now Pat is leading evangelism training for IBSA, helping churches and pastors grow as witnesses. Feeding people, loving people Derrick and Ailee Taylor have a heart for their small town. With their new congregation, they re reaching into the community by meeting community needs. The story of The Net Community Church shows how missions and evangelism are two sides of one coin. Day 4: Wednesday, Sept. 13 Soul-winning churches Pat Pajak can share Jesus with anyone anywhere, even the rehab unit where he recovered from heart surgery. He tells how he was able to share Bibles and the gospel with nurses who cared for him during his recovery. Pat is a terrific example. This beloved pastor from central Illinois has served in a several capacities with IBSA. Now Pat is leading evangelism training, helping churches and pastors grow as witnesses. Pat will train more than 200 churches this year, and develop an evangelism network with over 100 pastors. At least two-thirds of the people in Illinois do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The need for believers to boldly share their faith has never been greater. IBSA has made advancing the gospel the main reason for all we do. Pray for Pat, Sylvan Knobloch, and for IBSA churches to grow in personal evangelism. Day 5: Thursday, Sept. 14 Stronger churches If the Christian faith is to grow stronger in Illinois, it will require stronger churches, in particular stronger Southern Baptist churches in cities, towns, and rural areas across the state. IBSA focuses on leader development and coaching ministry by equipping pastors and lay leaders in more than 20,000 sessions annually. And at the church s request, IBSA offers personal consultation from experienced pastors and church leaders in overcoming growth barriers. IBSA is one of just a few state conventions to provide such customized ministry for its member churches, offering insight on site. At events such as the Illinois Leadership Summit, pastors can learn from practitioners who know the rigors of ministry. They can be refreshed and return home to lead invigorated, effective ministries. Pray for Mark Emerson and the Church Resource Team, and 11 zone consultants including Joe Oliver and Steven Glover in metro Chicago. Day 6: Friday, Sept. 15 Compassionate ministry Derrick and Ailee Taylor have a heart for their small town, reaching into the community by meeting needs. The Net Community Church shows how missions and evangelism work together. Soon after the new church started, they became active with the food bank in Staunton. Participating with the local fire fighters and other congregations, the church help refurbish the facility. Now they help staff the operation, which is open twice weekly. The food bank is filling a great need for people in the community. Many new churches use this compassion ministry approach. It puts them in contact with people who need Jesus, in the way Jesus would serve them. Every compassion opportunity becomes a faith sharing opportunity. Pray for the Taylor family and their new church, downstate church planters, Eddie Pullen and Ken Wilson who lead IBSA s church planting strategy there. SYLVAN KNOBLOCH PAT PAJAK MARK EMERSON JOE OLIVER STEVEN GLOVER EDDIE PULLEN KEN WILSON DWAYNE DOYLE CARMEN HALSEY NATE ADAMS

20 NOW You can make a difference in Illinois J ust as there are those who speak up for other annual offerings or ministry events, you can become a champion in your church for the cause of state missions. Whether you are a pastor, a deacon or elder, a missions leader, part of a committee, or a preschool teacher you can be a voice for Mission Illinois. Our call to missions begins here where we live. With all of these Mission Illinois Offering resources and materials at your fingertips, you may be thinking, Where do I begin? How do I get my church excited to give and contribute to kingdom work here in our own state? 1. Pray for state missions. As a church leader, pray for your congregation s hearts to be open to giving to the Mission Illinois Offering. Then, distribute the prayer guide and join as one body, committing to praying together for all the requests listed. Ask your worship leadership team to allot time for prayer for Illinois during the month of September. Look for the MIO kit in your church office. For churches that have not participated in the MIO/Week of Prayer, your help is needed now more than ever. Our shared work of evangelism and missions depends on prayer and faithful giving. Won t you partner with the almost 1,000 IBSA churches in this important work? Order free materials at MIO@IBSA.org. What s in the kit Consider holding a special prayer gathering at your church where you take turns individually lifting up each ministry and missionary. Pray for the millions in our state who don t know Christ, for church leaders and church planters in Illinois, and for local churches to have Imagine a place opportunities to share the love of God withyour their church s in America partnership is vital. community. where people have never heard the gospel. That s why the 2017 Mission Illinois Offering and Week of Prayer focuses on evangelism. Illinois needs the gospel. Our friends and neighbors need the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Just as in your community, people across Illinois need to hear God s plan of salvation perhaps for the very first time, or for the first time in a way that they understand and receive Christ s life-giving truth. Planning Guide with DVD This annual offering supports a variety of missions led by the Illinois Baptist State Association. Together with almost 1,000 partner churches and church plants, your congregation reaches out across Illinois with the gospel in a variety of ways. 2. Promote the state missions offering. That place is ILLINOIS. Provided in your church s MIO kit are video reports showing the need for Christ across Illinois and some of the missions and ministries IBSA churches together support to meet those needs. During the Sundays leading up to MIO Week, please show them to your congregation. Put the posters on walls, doors, and bulletin boards one month prior to the Week of Prayer. In fact, of our state s 13 million residents, at least 8 million do not know Jesus Christ as their personal savior. A promotion kit for the Mission Illinois Offering & Week of Prayer was mailed to churches in late July. Look for it in your church office. People in Illinois need the gospel NOW Training leaders for stronger churches Equipping today s students to be the next generation of ministry leaders Mobilizing Illinois Baptists for missions, from local to global mission fields Reaching our population centers and troubled inner cities with compassion ministry Ministering to people groups and language groups new to Illinois Planting new churches wherever they are needed to share Christ s good news. At the heart of all this missions ministry is evangelism. Simply put, we must tell people about Jesus. And IBSA helps churches do that, especially here in Illinois Stevenson Drive Springfield, Illinois Organize a state missions study. Each year the MIO kit includes missions-related studies geared specifically towards children, youth, and adults. Each age-appropriate lesson shows ways to get people involved with Illinois missions. And rest assured, it is easy to do a missions study! The material is all ready. You simply need to pick a time for people to meet it could even be during the Sunday school hour and find someone to facilitate the study and discussion. For more information visit missionillinois.org or call (217) NOW Offering & Week of Prayer Show these videos in worship, studies, or church website illinois Offering & Week of Prayer for state missions for state missions SEPTEMBER Now More than Ever: MIO/Prayer promotion Spiritual need in the Northwest Illinois Baptist State Association A heart for the city Sharing Jesus everywhere Feeding people, loving people Offering envelopes and bulletin inserts Prayer Guide Sunday Northwest quadrant John and Jacki Mattingly have served around the Quad Cities for almost three decades. This region including Peoria and Rockford has a higher percentage of lostness than any other region in Illinois. Many counties have no Southern Baptist church and little evangelical witness. Pray for John as he helps plant new churches, plus John Sedgwick, Brian McWethy, and Joe Gardner who serve there, and IBSA s Church Planting leader Van Kicklighter. Mobilization Giving Mission trips are excellent opportunities for evangelism. In fact, sharing Jesus is the primary reason 22,000 Illinois Baptists personally engage in missions each year. Supported in part by the Mission Illinois Offering, IBSA s Church Resource Team equips missions leaders in Illinois churches to lead mission trips and to engage their churches in Acts 1:8 mission strategy. From just next door to the other side of the world, IBSA churches share Christ with many people and people groups. Missions Spectacular, Children s Ministry Day, ChicaGO Week for Students, and GO Weeks on international mission fields are just a few ways IBSA helps mobilize Christ-followers for missions. And with 1,600 trained volunteers, Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief brings aid after natural disasters, while chaplains witness to suffering people. Today churches will collect the Mission Illinois Offering, which supports the ministries in this prayer guide and more. It is so important that we reach the $475,000 goal. Consider your own gift for state missions. In worship and prayer today, consider all the things that IBSA churches achieve together. We are grateful for God s blessing on missions and ministry that reach lost people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. But with a little more than 70,000 people worshiping in Southern Baptist churches in Illinois today, we are far outnumbered. And with at least 8-million lost people in our state, the task before us is monumental but not insurmountable. God can bring a spiritual awakening to Illinois. And Baptists can stand ready to join in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Faithful prayer and missions support make God s work strong and growing. Pray for Dwayne Doyle and Carmen Halsey who lead missions mobilization, and the teams who equip and send thousands of Illinois Baptists each year. Pray for all our partner churches to give today, and for Executive Director Nate Adams and the missions support staff of IBSA. Monday Next generation IBSA aids churches in reaching children with the gospel, and equipping students as tomorrow s leaders through VBS, missions events, Youth Encounter, and conference centers at Lake Sallateeska and Streator. Pray for next-gen director Jack Lucas, Steve Hamrick, camp managers Philip Hall and Mike Young and their ministry teams. Tuesday Chicago Bryan and Marci Coble relocated their family far from their downstate home. Their new neighborhood is ten times larger with 77,000 people. With the partnership of their home church and IBSA, the Cobles are committed to sharing Christ in our largest mission field. Pray for the Cobles, for more church planters in Chicagoland with its 10 million residents, and for Dennis Conner, Tim Bailey, John Yi, and Jorge Melendez who lead IBSA s church planting strategy there. Offering & Week of Prayer for state missions Sept Posters People in Illinois need the gospel NO People in Illinois need the gospel Day 8: Sunday, Sept. 17 NOW People in Illinois need the gospel The Mission Illinois Offering supports a variety of missions led by the Illinois Baptist State Association. Together with almost 1,000 partner churches and church plants, your congregation reaches out across Illinois with the gospel in many ways. Please pray for state missions this week. 4. Commit to give. Distribute the Week of Prayer guides and offering envelopes on September 10. Announce your church s goal. And keep giving until your church s goal is met! When you champion missions in Illinois, know that lives will be transformed because of your church s commitment to prayer, generous giving, and missions involvement. Day 7: Saturday, Sept. 16 Illinois Baptist State Association DVD Sept , 2017 missionillinois.org NOW 100% 75% 50% Track our church s giving to state missions. Offering & Week of Prayer 25% for state missions SEPTEMBER missionillinois.org Our church s goal: Illinois Baptist State Association Offering & Week of Prayer for state missions Our church s goal: Illinois Baptist State Association Churches that participated last year received the whole kit, including offering envelopes. Churches that did not participate last year can receive additional materials by contacting MIO@IBSA.org. There s more online! Visit missionillinois.org Worship service ideas Mission studies for students and adults Bulletin art to cut and paste Illinois mission facts Watch these featured stories at MissionIllino Sun: Spiritual need in the Northwest Tue: A heart for the city Wednesday Soul-winning churches Pat Pajak can share Jesus with anyone anywhere, even in the rehab unit where he recovered from heart surgery. He is a terrific example and teacher for us all. Now Pat is leading evangelism training for IBSA, helping churches and pastors grow as witnesses. Pat will train more than 200 churches this year, and develop an evangelism network with over 100 pastors. Pray for Pat, Sylvan Knobloch, and for IBSA churches to grow in personal evangelism. Thursday Stronger churches IBSA focuses on leader development and coaching ministry, equipping pastors and lay leaders in more than 20,000 sessions annually, and in personal consultation at the church s request. We need strong Southern Baptist churches in Illinois. Pray for Mark Emerson and the Church Resource Team, and 11 zone consultants including Joe Oliver and Steven Glover in metro Chicago. Friday Compassionate ministry Derrick and Ailee Taylor have a heart for their small town, reaching into their community by meeting needs. The Net Community Church shows how missions and evangelism are two sides of one coin. Many new churches use this approach, which is one reason new churches are effective at leading people to Jesus. Pray for the Taylor family and their new church, and downstate church planters, Eddie Pullen and Ken Wilson who lead IBSA s church planting strategy there. Wed: Sharing Jesus everywhere Saturday Mobiliz Mission trips are excelle evangelism. In fact, sha mary reason 22,000 Illin engage in missions eac trained volunteers, Illin Relief brings aid after n chaplains witness to su Pray for Dwayne Halsey who lead missio the teams who equip an Illinois Baptists each ye Sunday Giving Today churches will col nois Offering, which su this prayer guide and m that we reach the $475 your own gift for state m Pray for all our pa today, and for Executive and the missions suppo NOW For mission study mate contact IBSA at MIO@IBS Mission Illinois is a free Sun insert reporting how Illinois B reach the world through givi missions. Call the Illinois Ba State Association at (217) 3 or MissionIllinois@I for a free subscription.