PA G E 1 8 THE CULTURE OF OUR CHURCH

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1 PA G E 1 8 REASONS YOUR COLLEGE + 7 CONVICTIONS THAT CHANGED + 3MINISTRY NEEDS VISION THE CULTURE OF OUR CHURCH

2 BY THE NUMBERS Letter from the Director POPULATION: 28 MILLION LOST: APPROX. 18 MILLION In the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention evangelism department, we don t believe that evangelism should be a side dish on the plate of ministry. Evangelism is not a program of the church or just one of the many ministries offered. We have a strong conviction that reaching lost people and equipping the saints to do the same is the very reason the church exists. Functionally, the evangelism team sees itself as an Exodus 17 support. Just as Aaron and Hur lifted up the arms of Moses so that the Israelites would defeat the Amalekites, we desire to be Aaron and Hur to the local church. As the Lord pushes back the darkness through His Bride, the evangelism department exists to support, empower and encourage the church. The main drive of the evangelism department is to see the gospel go forth in reaching Texas and touching the world through personal evangelism, language evangelism, collegiate ministries, student ministries and disaster relief. Often, people will refer to Texas as the Bible belt. However this is no longer true. The belt has busted with lostness! TEXAS IS: 28 million people, approximately 18 million lost (if the lost in Texas created their own state they d be the fifth largest state in the nation). Texas grew last year by over 460,000 people that is over 1,200 a day. There are also 421 people groups in Texas making Texas the most diverse state in the nation. The Lord of the harvest has brought the nations to the neighborhoods of Texas. If we reach Texas, we will touch the world. Shane Pruitt Director of Evangelism People Arriving Daily 1,200 People Groups In Texas 421 Texas grew last year by over 460,000

3 CONTENTS SBTEXAS.COM 3 7 Convictions that Changed the Culture of Our Church 6 The Pastor as Evangelist The purpose of the SBTC Disaster Relief is to prepare, equip, train, and mobilize churches and volunteers to fulfill the Great Commission by meeting real needs and sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with those whose lives have been or will be affected by disasters. 26 Three Reasons Your College Ministry Needs Vision 29 My 5 Principles for Starting a College Ministry 32 Starting a Student Ministry from Scratch 34 Great Tips on Reaching School Systems 8 18 SBTC Disaster Relief Chaplains Bring Hope of Jesus to the Hopeless 36 What baseball and Student Ministry have in common 12 The Dichotomy of Disobedience 16 Chained to the Oar 22 First Impressions of Disaster Relief 24 Getting a Disaster Relief Unit Online 39 The Mission is Simple: Are you on it? 42 Lessons on Interfaith Evangelism SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 1

4 SAVE THE DATE FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2018 IRVING CONVENTION CENTER AT LAS COLINAS REGISTER ONLINE AT 2 REACH // EVANGELISM

5 7 Convictions that Changed the Culture of Our Church We saw large numbers of first-generation immigrants moving to our area and increasing lostness was apparent. One of the largest gatherings of worshipers in the 5-mile radius near us was a Muslim prayer center where reportedly more than 3,000 worshipers of Allah gather weekly. At the same time I felt a sense of emptiness in my own role as pastor of this strong congregation. I felt a sense of deficiency in how we mobilized our congregation with the gospel. We saw many good things taking place, including a growing compassion ministry known as 6Stones Mission Network. But there was unrest in my spirit. We weren t actively sharing the gospel and reaching those who would never attend our church. If we didn t do it who would? I know many pastors who struggle with this. BY JOHN MEADOR FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH EULESS Pastors often say God does his greatest work out of a time of difficulty was a difficult year for me. By then, I d been the pastor of First Baptist, Euless for seven years and things were challenging at Euless. Our community was facing rapid demographic changes, bringing transition to our own church membership. I felt a sense of emptiness in my own role as pastor of this strong congregation. I felt a sense of deficiency in how we mobilized our congregation with the gospel. SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 3

6 That summer I received an invitation to preach the convention message of the 2014 Southern Baptist Convention in Baltimore. The timing was ironic. As I prayed I felt the Lord saying to me that he would show me what to preach but that it wouldn t simply be another message rather a life-altering shift as he said, you will live this. I had no idea what this meant but I was about to find out. What happened that year changed my world. God brought definition and clarity to my role as a leader of our congregation with the central focus of sharing Christ. He gave me a plan to equip our people and he began answering the prayer of Luke 10:2 to send laborers into his harvest. We saw nearly 500 people equipped in one year to share the gospel in a very simple way of sharing Christ called Can We Talk? This has resulted in thousands of gospel conversations outside our church walls and many decisions for Christ. SEVEN KEY CONVICTIONS AND ACTIONS CHANGED MY MINISTRY AND OUR CHURCH CULTURE WHEN IT CAME TO EVANGELISM. 1GOD CONVICTED ME THAT THE SENIOR PASTOR IS THE KEY. More bluntly, he convicted me that I was the problem. If I did not personally lead from my role of Sr. Pastor in the area of evangelism our church would never embrace it whole heartedly. The live this conviction came from 2 Timothy 4:5, where the apostle Paul admonishes young Timothy who is by this time pastoring the church at Ephesus. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. When I realized I was disobedient to doing the work of an evangelist, I turned away from my apathy and embraced this definition of pastoral leadership. Changes began to occur. As a pastor I faced a crossroads where I had to stop talking about it and start doing it. If I don t major on evangelism no one else in our church will either. Many pastors need to make this decision. 2I CAME TO GRIPS WITH A THEOLOGICAL AND PRACTI- CAL TRUTH REGARDING THE GOSPEL. Here s the truth: The Gospel has enough power to change the world. How deeply we believe this is revealed by what we do with the gospel. To believe it and not make every effort to mobilize the gospel is to show either your lack of belief or your lack of compassion for the lost. We began to embrace this as theological and practical truth. Pastor John Meador of First Baptist Church of Euless has developed a six-week evangelism training program called "Can We Talk?" Through the 6 Stones community ministry of First Baptist Church of Euless at least 300 homes have been rebuilt since REACH // EVANGELISM

7 3WE REALIZED OUR CHURCH HAD TO OWN THE DEFICIENCY OF THE GOSPEL IN OUR LOCAL CULTURE. If my community didn t know the gospel it would be because I didn t lead well and our church didn t mobilize the gospel. We re placed where we are by the sovereignty of God and by that same sovereignty people from all over the world are coming to our community. We had to own the fact that we had a responsibility to God and conscience that they would hear the gospel whether they attended our services or not. 4WE REDEFINED GOSPEL- CENTEREDNESS. It s amazing to me that Christians in America have been in a decade of bookwriting, preaching and hosting many conferences focused on the gospel and yet we have seen little real movement in gospel conversations outside the walls. We say we re gospelcentered but are we? While our own definition of gospel centeredness at First Euless in no way excludes the living out of the gospel by those who already believe it must also address how we share the good news. A gospel-centered church is not one where the preacher preaches the gospel, but where the people share the gospel. This is our end game. We want to help obedient believers share Christ with others in everyday life. 5WE SETTLED ON A PLAN FOR TRAINING OUR PEOPLE TO SHARE CHRIST. Having a repeatable plan that is doctrinally robust and conversationally simple is a huge part of mobilizing people. If you want something to multiply, In the days ahead, will our churches reflect an urgency for the lost that is filled with action, or just talk? We can reach our communities for Christ but it will take all of us to do it and it will take all we have. But isn t that what the gospel is all about? make it repeatable. Can We Talk? gave us that plan and our people are easily able to learn and share conversationally using a hands-on training. Without a strong plan a church will never multiply witnesses. If we do not mentor people and train them (not simply teach them) it won t happen. Again, Can We Talk? does that for us. 6WE BEGAN TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY AS OUR PRIMARY MISSION FIELD. Somewhere along the way, missions became cool and evangelism not so cool. But the world came to our doorsteps as it is coming to yours. How much time do you spend thinking of how to reach those who may never attend your services? How often do you pray about the lostness around you, and have you come to grips with the fact that if you don t tell them about Christ no one will? We must see everyday people as our mission field and focus. 7WE DEDICATED OURSELVES TO TRAINING OUR STAFF AND LAY LEADERSHIP. If the leaders don t lead will the rest of the congregation ever share Christ? We know the answer. For us, knowing and sharing the gospel is the bottom rung of leadership. If we re unable do that can we really be trusted to make key decisions to teach the Word to lead our flock? We ve now trained 700 people at First Euless in Can We Talk? In 2014, our church allowed us to begin a non-profit organization, called One Conversation, Inc. (oneconversation.org) which trains pastors and leaders to equip their people to share Christ through conferences hosted around the nation. Churches all over Texas and in a dozen other states now use this plan, and our prayer continues to be that God would kindle gospel movements, here and around the world beginning in the local church. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention has been extremely supportive of helping with the work of equipping pastors. It all starts, however, with a pastor who has a passionate desire to the see the gospel move from the hearts of his people to the lives of those around them. At the end of our life, we ll stand before him to give an account of our stewardship of the gospel. I want to fulfill the ministry of the gospel in such a way that thousands were equipped and enabled to share such an incredible gospel with a desperate and dying world. In the days ahead, will our churches reflect an urgency for the lost that is filled with action, or just talk? We can reach our communities for Christ but it will take all of us to do it and it will take all we have. But isn t that what the gospel is all about? SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 5

8 THE PASTOR AS EVANGELIST BY NATHAN LINO NORTHEAST HOUSTON BAPTIST CHURCH The climax of the pastor manual is indicated by these sobering words in 2 Timothy 4:1, I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom. As the solemn charge unfolds in the chapter, we discover a central aspect of leading faithfully as a pastor is doing the work of an evangelist. Building evangelistic fervor in a congregation is one of the most difficult challenges this side of heaven. I don t know of a single pastor who feels his church s evangelistic efforts are enough. I know of many pastors, including myself, who wish their churches did more to share the gospel with unbelievers. Be encouraged my fellow pastors, the struggle is real, but it is not unique to you. Every pastor struggles to mobilize his congregation in evangelism. I do. Move forward by working with the 5-20 percent of your congregation who are ready to join you in evangelizing the lost. Allow me to share some lessons learned along the way for moving forward as a leader in evangelism. First, know who you yourself are as an evangelist and play to your strengths. I am personally not an effective soul winner. I m only a one or two converts per year guy when it comes to one-on-one evangelism. I m not smooth with people, I m not very relational, and I don t have a good poker face. But while I m not personally effective in terms of converts, I am personally motivated. I am not scared to bring up the gospel with strangers; I m comfortable leading with a direct, diagnostic question. I m also not afraid to hand out gospel tracts to strangers. So I m much more of a seed sower than I am a conversions guy, and thus I focus on seed sowing and take delight in the rare occasions I get to lead someone to faith in Christ. Another thing I ve learned about myself is I m fairly effective at training people in personal evangelism. The Lord has taught me how to train and loose personal soul winners who are far more effective with actual conversions than I am. So I play to my strengths I personally try to sow lots of seed as I go around my town, and then I focus on training and mobilizing my members for one-on-one soul winning. Second, be the face of evangelism in your church. Like it or not, some ministries of the church will not thrive if the Senior Pastor is not 6 REACH // EVANGELISM

9 the lead voice championing the effort; evangelism is one of them. You have a variety of tools at your disposal such as entire sermons, sermon illustrations, two to three minute exhortation segments in a worship service, corporate prayer times, blog posts, social media, etc. Talk about it often with your people celebrate salvations, baptisms, tracts and bibles distributed, doors knocked on, etc. Further, train your people in personal soul winning. It is one thing to know information, it is another thing to know how to communicate that information clearly and concisely to someone who has never heard it before. After fear, the most common reason Christians do not share their faith is they feel ill-equipped to do so. Your people won t go to war empty-handed. There are some great tools out there such as the 3 Circles: Life Conversation Guide and Can We Talk? Our church offers a personal evangelism training workshop four times per year. Finally, try to provide your members with multifaceted opportunities to share the gospel. For example, our church has members who will share the gospel houseto-house, others who will gladly do it through an open door such as a food pantry, and still others who will do it through adopting an international college student at a nearby university and building a relationship with that person. The more evangelism avenues you offer your members, the more members you ll find plugging in. Some strategies only have a two-to-three-year shelf life, so when you find one dying out, cancel it if you can and add new ones. While you may be discouraged by a lack of evangelistic zeal in your congregation, pray for God to change you and your people as you implement the above strategies. I m convinced that the Lord will answer that prayer and use your church to reach a lost world in need of Christ. SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 7

10 BY ALEX GONZALES SBTC I m not completely sure but maybe it s my sinful nature that causes me to not believe my family when they re sick. I mean when I m sick I want them to not only believe me but to bend over backwards for me during my discomfort. I wonder if this is what happens when we hear of someone who has experienced the horrors of racism. Just as we are able to look back years ago in American history and see how the church responded to the racial tensions and injustices of that day, years from today people will look back and see how the church is responding to the current tensions and injustices in our country. 8 REACH // EVANGELISM

11 In case you haven t noticed it s not business as usual. Although there have been some strides towards racial reconciliation in the church, some would argue that there is obvious room for improvement. There s not only room for it but it s a mandate for us to be intentional. Not only are we to be intentional when it comes to reconciling the many wrongs in our history but we re to ensure that we establish a present and future where we as a church do things. When it comes to racial reconciliation we should: PRAY This is obvious I know but for many it starts with prayer but that s also where it ends. It s not good enough to sit and pray with no desire to see change in the context God has placed you. In his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster writes: In our efforts to pray it is easy for us to be defeated right at the outset because we have been taught that everything in the universe is already set and so things cannot be changed. And if things cannot be changed why pray? GO Let s be honest. Some pastors and church leaders have a tendency to ISOLATE themselves in study and meetings. It should go without being said that study and meetings are important but after being in ministry for 17 years it seems that this is the most difficult thing for some to do. Going is when you leave the daily tasks that would normally tie you to your office chair. You have to intentionally make time EVERY week in your schedule to get out into the community, local business, schools, government offices, as well as the first responders and love on the people in the community where God has placed you. It s almost guaranteed you will be met with some resistance but do not shy away from it; lives in the community are at stake. LISTEN I m a fixer by nature. Sometimes fixers forget to listen. I mean really listen. To listen without trying to figure out what the person is going to say next. To listen without trying to solve their issues before you ve heard someone s concern, or to listen without thinking about how your personal experience might be worse than the one who s talking. We must resist the natural inclination to not SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 9

12 listen and learn to be sympathetic the act or capacity of entering into or sharing the feelings or interests of another. This can be hard to do but it s a necessary discipline for the Christ follower. Let me add this final point on listening. I believe it s important to listen to those who we don t typically agree with or even typically associate with. Who speaks sows; and he who listens reaps. -Argentine Proverb CHANGE Yes it is the power of the Holy Spirit that changes us but this is really where the rub seems to be. I mean who really wants to change (crucify the flesh) the way they think and the way they live? Especially when we ve been raised a certain way! There s nothing inherently wrong with appreciating our values and heritage but nothing is so valuable that it is worth holding onto versus living a life that s fully devoted to following Christ. We must repent from toxic behavior. Anything that does not please the Lord should be removed from our thinking, talking and living so that we might be more like Christ. Here are two verses from Paul that help me when it comes to being intentional about change: Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24) Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable-if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise-dwell on these things (Philippians 4:8). I ve learned that racial reconciliation is only an issue the strikes with the latest breaking news; this is a continual process. And because we re all created in the imago dei we re not only called to be on mission with racial reconciliation continually on our mind but we re called to be on mission to actively bring about change in our own heart, our family s heart, our church s heart and our world. This is no easy task. God sent his only son to be crucified in my place for my sins and that includes racism. As James the Lord s brother reminds us, writing from a time when Jew-Gentile antagonism was as strong as anything we face today: My brothers, hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ without showing favoritism. 10 REACH // EVANGELISM

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14 THE DICHOTOMY O F DISOBEDIENCE BY RICHARD TAYLOR SBTC Jonah receives clear instructions from God to go to Nineveh and declare a word of warning to them. There is no ambiguity or uncertainty; Jonah knew exactly where God wanted him to go and what God wanted him to do. However, not only did Jonah decide that he was not going to do what he had been commanded to do, he decided that he would pay to try to flee from the omnipresence of God. 12 REACH // EVANGELISM

15 The Rationale for Disobedience Jonah did not like the people who God instructed him to go to. Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrians. The Assyrians had oppressed Jonah s people for generations and Jonah developed a hatred for them. Since Jonah hated those people he delighted in the thought that God was not pleased with them and was planning to destroy them. However, because he also knew of the loving, forgiving and merciful nature of God, he feared that God might actually forgive the people of Nineveh and he did not want God to forgive them. He wanted them to experience the full wrath of God s judgement. Hell is the full wrath of God s judgement. Everyone who dies without a relationship with Jesus Christ will spend eternity in hell. Whenever we do not share the message of the gospel, which is the only thing that can transform a person s life, we are also putting them in danger of experiencing the full wrath of God s judgement, Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved (Romans 3:23). But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if no one tells them? What Jonah did not realize was that his disobedience to God was not really about the Assyrians. Likewise when we disobey God it speaks of our lack of love for God. There are no excuses. Love Obeys! When we disobey God it speaks of our lack of love for God. There are no excuses. Love Obeys! SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 13

16 Many times God will allow unfavorable consequences in order to get our attention. On the surface it may seem that the fish was punishment but God created the fish to protect Jonah. The Consequences of Disobedience As a result of Jonah s decision to disobey and flee from God, he jeopardized his life and the lives of others. Sin is never done in isolation and always impact others. After experiencing a turbulent storm and being thrown overboard to spare the lives of the others on the boat Jonah finds himself in the belly of a great fish that was created by the very God he sought to escape, and for three days and three nights God dealt with him in that unfavorable environment. Many times God will allow unfavorable consequences in order to get our attention. On the surface it may seem that the fish was punishment but God created the fish to protect Jonah. There are at least three things that sin will always do: (1) Lead you into places that you did not plan to go; (2) Keep you longer than you wanted to stay; and (3) Cost you more than you planned to pay. After three days, Jonah cried out in repentance to the Lord and the Lord commanded the great fish to release Jonah. In spite of his complete disobedience and attempts to flee in the opposite direction God still wants to use Jonah. It should be encouraging to know that past disobediences and failures are not disqualifiers for future service. God still wants to use you as well. The Rewards of Obedience Jonah went to Nineveh and preached the word of God there. The people hear the message, believe and repent from their sins. They also fasted as a sign of total surrender. Jonah s fear has happened. Remember that the reason Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh was because he didn t want them to believe and repent and be forgiven by God. Not only did the people of Nineveh believe but the king also heard and believed and passed a decree throughout the land that everyone would repent and fast. God saw that Nineveh repented and heeded the warning that He sent through Jonah and did not destroy them as he had planned. Wow, what an impact! When Jonah obeyed God and faithfully proclaimed the word of God people were saved and lives were transformed. You would think 14 REACH // EVANGELISM

17 that Jonah would rejoice in seeing lives saved but quite the opposite. Jonah entered into a great depression over what for any other preacher would have been successful ministry. He complained, criticized God and yearned for his own death because disobedience (which is sin) always desensitizes the heart. God described Nineveh as a great city. In response to Jonah s complaints God gives more detailed information and described it as a city of 120,000 people. Through Jonah s ministry, 120,000 people were delivered. That is a significant ministry. However most of what is highlighted about Jonah is his decision to disobey God s call and the consequences of that disobedience. His ministry accomplishments are often overshadowed by his disobedience. God loves and desires that all people would be saved. There are people in your community who need to hear the message of the gospel. Do not allow disobedience to overshadow your ministry. Just like Jonah, God desires to use us in his service if we would submit to his will and follow his plan. We must take seriously the commands of God and walk in obedience to God, engage people who are far from God, and share the word with them and the hope that we have in God that they might turn to God. SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 15

18 CHAINED TO THE OAR BY BYRON MCWILLIAMS FIRST BAPTIST ODESSA With the threat of war with Germany looming on September 30, 1938 England s Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain stood on the steps of 10 Downing Street and gave an infamously historic speech. He affirmed his recent actions in representing England stating, My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British prime minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time Go home and get a nice quiet sleep. As history records, Prime Minister Chamberlain could not have been more wrong. The leader of the British Empire disregarded the facts, declared peace and encouraged the nation to get a nice quiet sleep. Shortly afterward, the bombs rained down on London and wide-eyed citizens experienced the greatest crisis of the twentieth century. For years Southern Baptists have listened to our denominational leaders warn of impending crisis in our Convention due to the neglect of evangelism in our churches. We have heard them repeatedly decry the downward slide of baptisms. Most recently North American Mission Board president Kevin Ezell noted an alarming fact that, in 2016, 29 percent of Southern Baptist churches reported zero baptisms and 47 percent reported two or fewer. For a cooperative body of churches assembled for the furtherance of the gospel, if this does not constitute a crisis, then what does? Nobody likes a crisis! A crisis is a time of intense difficulty, trouble or danger. It is that moment when you must confront a threat all other options are gone and you are forced 16 REACH // EVANGELISM

19 to act. No longer can the facts be explained away. A crisis screams for attention, demands an awakening to the reality of danger and declares the imminence of hardship. It is not a drill. It is reality to be faced! The crisis in our denomination is not being addressed by those empowered to make a difference. Our denominational leaders faithfully sound the alarm that baptisms are down and evangelism must again become our focus. When the Southern Baptist Convention was formed in 1845 it emerged as a cooperative body of churches that esteemed evangelism and missions as central priority. With the birth of our nation occurring just over 70 years prior, our Southern Baptist forefathers formed the SBC by the divine will of God to play a vital role in evangelizing our nation s growing population. For years our convention thrived, delivering the gospel across our land. Now we have more churches than ever and are reaching fewer people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. When 47 percent of our churches baptize two or fewer people annually we must face the reality that there is a seed of unfaithfulness within us. I am not pointing a finger at our denominational leaders, as neither the problem nor solution lies with them. We esteem those who serve our convention and remain thankful for their leadership, but they are not the key to awakening evangelism and reversing the downward trend in baptisms. The key is found when local church pastors realize they are to be chained to the oar. The Bible gives us a strong word we must once again embrace if we are to reverse the tide of downward baptisms and avert the crisis in our convention. In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 Paul declares, This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. The word the Holy Spirit inspires for servants is used only once in all of Paul s writings. This word means under-rower, a galley slave who serves in the underbelly of a large ship chained to an oar. This lowest of positions was occupied by slaves who had no rights or freedom of their own. In this passage Paul is referring to himself and all who serve the Lord s calling as under rowers, chained to their oars. These are those who serve at the pleasure of their master and have only one task row! They are chained to the oar and must use it as instructed or pay the greatest price for disobedience. Their steps are not self-directed, neither is their strategy for rowing. They are simply chained to the oar and by their rowing prove themselves to be good and faithful servants. Could it be that the SBC is in decline because we have a higher image of ourselves than this? Could it be that our convention is losing ground, not because culture is more anti-gospel today, but because church leaders have neglected responsibilities and are no longer rowing as true slaves of Christ? Could it be that we have bought into Satan s lie that there is no danger ahead and we should all be at peace and go home and have a nice quiet sleep? Are you serving as a good steward who is chained to the oar or have you negotiated for yourself a better arrangement than that of the apostle Paul? Our crisis demands every local pastor go back to his calling and reestablish who is in charge. Either God will be allowed to direct the steps of his servants or he will set the unfaithful aside. Are you a steward who is proving faithful? Are you chained to the oar? After much prayer I had an awakening moment several years ago that caused the chains that bind me as an under rower of the Lord Jesus to seem heavier. I had to be honest with myself as pastor and confess that we had become like so many typical SBC churches that talked about evangelism but really did very little in this critical area. I preached evangelistic messages but true evangelism demands more from the pastor than just a good appeal and invitation. I determined to make evangelism a priority at First Baptist Church and we embraced the Can We Talk strategy for personal evangelism. I began systematically teaching this method of sharing with groups in the church. Every semester we would evaluate how we could improve before launching the next session. We would then repeat what we were doing a minimum of four 6-week semesters each year. We baptized more in 2015 than at any other time in the history of our church. We see lives changed and people filled with joy weekly as they hear and respond to the gospel. And best of all, the entire church sees new births occurring in their midst, participating in every decision with great rejoicing. Did you notice the steps we followed at First Odessa? Pray! Embrace! Teach! Evaluate! Repeat! Becoming an evangelistic church is that simple. But it will not begin until the pastor rightly views himself as being chained to the oar and rows to the cadence of the Lord Jesus. Are you chained to the oar? There is too much work to be done for sleeping. Wake up and prove yourself to be a faithful under rower for Christ! SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 17

20 S B T C D I S A S T E R R E L I E F SBTC DISASTER RELIEF CHAPLAINS BRING HOPE OF JESUS TO THE HOPELESS Chaplains bring a message of hope to the hopeless. They share Jesus and his love with people from all walks of life in times when his love is needed most. GORDON KNIGHT, SBTC DIRECTOR OF CHAPLAINS BY JANE RODGERS SOUTHERN BAPTIST TEXAN May I ask you a personal question? SBTC disaster relief chaplain Wayne Barber posed to an elderly gentleman outside a modest Canton home after four tornadoes devastated Van Zandt, Rains and Henderson counties in late April. Sure, the man replied. If you had lost your life in that tornado do you know where you would spend eternity? Barber continued. Yes, I do, affirmed the homeowner. I ll be in heaven thanks to the blood of Jesus! Barber s question came after he and his wife Ann a fellow chaplain and assessor asked how the homeowners had fared during the tornadoes. Chuckling the man said he had asked his wife to pray to herself so he could hear the weather radio. The eye of the storm passed over his home as the sound of rolling thunder gave way to seconds of eerie silence. Chaplains and homeowner joined hands in prayer. That day the Barbers also visited a middle-aged man who had trusted Jesus in the 1980s and an 18 REACH // EVANGELISM

21 elderly man who lost a carport to the storm and prayed to receive Christ. Their last stop before lunch was to pray with a Gulf War veteran struggling with PTSD. It was a typical day for disaster relief chaplains who bear witness to Christ and connect victims to volunteers who tarp roofs, clear debris, remove sheetrock, cut up downed and damaged trees and more. In 2016 SBTC disaster relief volunteers responded to 24 disasters. Chaplains distributed over 1,500 bibles and tracts, gave 698 presentations of the gospel, made 2,255 spiritual contacts and recorded 195 professions of faith, more than any other state convention. Chaplains bring a message of hope to the hopeless, said Gordon Knight SBTC director of chaplains. They share Jesus and his love with people from all walks of life in times when his love is needed most. Chaplains also convey the love of Christ in simple acts of kindness, Knight added calling chaplaincy a ministry of presence. A presence of people who care. A presence of Christ. They are trained for the job. Knight teaches the disaster relief chaplaincy course which starts with three-hour phase one instruction covering the basics: what we do, how we do it and what to expect on the field. For veteran chaplains Knight offers phase two advanced training including psychological first aid and stress management. Chaplains deploy with bibles to distribute provided by churches and individuals. Effective chaplaincy necessitates follow-up which has involved supplying local churches with the contact cards of victims, Knight said, adding that chaplains will soon give new believers an SBTC brochure explaining steps in spiritual growth and containing contact information of chaplains and local churches. Each chaplain has a story and a style. Wayne and Ann Barber of Jasper deploy together. I m the last person in the world to witness and do evangelism, said Wayne who has had remarkable success presenting the gospel. Not until the Barbers trained as chaplains nine years ago did they experience a freedom in sharing Christ SBTC DR BY THE NUMBERS VOLUNTEERS RESPONDED TO 24 disasters CHAPLAINS DISTRIBUTED over 1,500 BIBLES AND TRACTS Gave 698 GOSPEL PRESENTATIONS Made 2,255 SPIRITUAL CONTACTS 195 PROFESSIONS OF FAITH The Lord has just blessed us these years with disaster relief, said Wayne praising the support of Knight and Scottie Stice SBTC disaster relief director. Like other chaplains the Barbers pray asking God to show them people to help. The Holy Spirit leads us, Wayne said. We ask the Lord, God, just give us a voice, and he does. We ll talk to anybody. We see somebody in the middle of the road we ll stop. God provides even when language interferes. Deployed to flooded Eagle Pass the Barbers witnessed to a homeowner who accepted Christ. Later they returned to find the homeowner gone and a Spanish speaking work crew instead. Language was a barrier but two neighborhood women approached and agreed to interpret. The ladies translated as the Barbers explained the gospel and the workers trusted Christ. Sometimes the results are life-saving on earth as well, such as the time in Van when the Barbers stopped to assess a job and found the homeowner leaning against a lawnmower disoriented. They administered first aid while the wife called 911. We heard later that he made it, Wayne noted of the heat stroke victim. Flint s Laquita Hunter said she strives to present the gospel without pressure in a way that makes God real to victims. I want them to believe God loves them and not only wants to help them in this life but wants to save them for eternity, she said. Hunter conveys God s empathy reassuring victims that he sees SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 19

22 S B T C D I S A S T E R R E L I E F their suffering and feels it as they feel it. Despite leading many to Christ Hunter remembers a man from her first deployment with whom she discussed salvation. Although his wife and daughter attended church he did not. He said he felt he was a Christian, Hunter said. He was resistant to personal talk about his salvation. I did not press the matter but prayed for him. Later on the long drive home Hunter said she felt God telling her, You left too soon. The man was ready. She cried and prayed for God to lead someone else to talk to him further about his salvation. Hunter called the experience a valuable lesson to be more attentive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. All chaplains learn that some sow while others reap the harvest. Carol Yarber of Athens recalled serving in Garland following the tornadoes that struck after Christmas in Yarber stayed in a Dallas hotel during the deployment and witnessed daily to a Muslim desk clerk from India. He told me he knew the name Jesus but that no one had ever talked to him about Jesus, Yarber recalled. At week s end, Yarber gave the clerk a Bible and a pamphlet explaining salvation. He seemed sad at her departure and asked for her phone number which Yarber supplied. I felt impressed by God to give him my number so I could answer questions for him, said Yarber who prayed with the clerk before leaving. The following Monday Yarber received a surprising text message. Joe a Christian businessman who regularly stayed at the hotel had witnessed to the clerk. The clerk asked Joe to text Yarber that he had accepted Christ. God is never late, Yarber said. Pittsburg s Brenda Parr said her disaster relief training and experiences with tragedy and PTSD help her in the field. First you listen when you talk to the people. You find out 20 REACH // EVANGELISM

23 Houses can be destroyed but homes and lives built on Jesus Christ can withstand any disaster. what their needs are and let them know you care, Parr said. She then shares her personal experiences with victims and presents the gospel. Deployed to Flint for a fire disaster Parr stood atop a plateau with an elderly couple who had lost their home. The woman was saved and very vocal about her salvation, Parr recalled. Many helpers milled about. Parr approached the woman s husband to inquire about his salvation as he worked alone. Everyone assumed he was saved but I asked him point blank and he responded that no one had ever asked him before and yes he was ready to accept Jesus as his savior, Parr said. It took this experience at this special time to save this 84-year-old man. The wife later thanked her for nailing it down. Veteran chaplains Brenda and John Fuller of Grand Saline deploy together. So many in our churches miss the biggest blessings of all by not being where God is at work. Get out of the pew, Brenda urged. During the Garland tornado deployment the Fullers witnessed to a homeowner who stood outside while a contractor worked on an estimate. I was about halfway through and the homeowner put his hand up and said, Wait a minute my sons need to hear this, John recalled. The man roused three teenagers who trusted Christ after John explained the gospel. The tornado was the latest in a series of tragedies for the family. The man s wife had left before Christmas with their two daughters. The father was not ready to accept Christ. Fuller called a week later to check on him. This time the man was driving with his daughters. Will you talk to my daughters about Jesus? he asked John who did. The two girls prayed to receive Christ. The dad followed suit in the car. At Franklinton, Louisiana serving after severe flooding in the poorest of the state s parishes the Fullers led an illiterate man to Christ when his wife a believer applied for assistance at the operations center. When Fuller phoned later to check on the couple the man said his wife was teaching him to read using a children s Bible. Once a drug user he had recently invited friends to go to church. That s what it s all about, John said. I always believed when you did this kind of work you d be rewarded when you get to heaven. You get it now. Houses can be destroyed but homes and lives built on Jesus Christ can withstand any disaster, said Scottie Stice, adding that SBTC chaplains have recorded nearly 300 salvations in SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 21

24 S B T C D I S A S T E R R E L I E F The Circumstance FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF DISASTER RELIEF BY WALLY LEYERLE SBTC DR MINISTRY In September 2005, reports of Hurricane Katrina filled the news, and another storm named Rita was strengthening in the gulf. I heard that SBTC was holding disaster relief training. I didn t know exactly what that was but it only took a few hours and it sounded like a good way to get involved. Hurricane Rita strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane and triggered the largest mass evacuation in US history. On September 24 Rita slammed into Port Arthur. Even though it had weakened, it was still devastating. The 15-foot storm surge wiped away entire neighborhoods. I responded to the next call for trained volunteers. After a 5-hour drive I pulled into a church where the teams were being housed. I unpacked my sleeping bag, blew up my air mattress and relaxed as yellow shirts began to come in. The volunteers are called yellow shirts or yellow caps because that is the uniform we wear. It is a simple t-shirt and baseball cap with a Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief logo. I have since discovered that those yellow shirts and caps are a welcome site anywhere a disaster strikes around the globe. After dinner there was a team meeting where the various teams related what they did that day. There were assessors, chaplains, chainsaw teams, blue-tarp teams and a feeding team. Each team told stories of how God applied their work to touch the people they met. It was wonderful to hear how God was using volunteers like me to make a difference. 22 REACH // EVANGELISM

25 The Accommodations All the volunteers slept in the church gymnasium. The area was cordoned off with blankets used as curtains to separate the men s area from the women s area. We all slept on the floor on air mattresses or on cots. We gathered in small groups sharing snacks we brought from home, trading stories and looking forward to what God had in store for us the next few days. I met and made new friends who are still friends with me today. I remember this part of the experience most fondly. The Work I was on feeding team. That means we went to bed first and got up early. Most of the other teams would get up around 6:00 AM. But the feeding team was working at 4:00. We cooked breakfast for ourselves and all the volunteers at the church. Then we began to cook lunch for survivors of the storm and relief workers. We were set up in an abandoned parking lot. The Salvation Army brought in a DR kitchen rated to cook up to 10,000 meals a day. We cooked over 11,000 meals several days in a row using that equipment. We began preparing lunch as well, early in the morning. Then we cleaned everything and begin making the evening meal. We usually finished around 6:00 or 7:00 PM after feeding the crew at the church. Prepared food was stored in Cambros (kind of like ice chests on steroids). Each chest holds servings and keeps the food at temperature for 4-6 hours. The chests were loaded onto small trucks called canteens. The canteens transported the food into the disaster area where it was distributed to those we served. In addition each day a long line of people would form outside our kitchen to receive food there. When the canteens came back and the serving line was gone, everything had to be cleaned including the kitchen itself. At the same time other crews were busy in the warehouse area keeping track of food and supplies. The People The volunteers came from across Texas. All were Southern Baptist. Each one had a personal relationship with Christ and most were very active in their church. In addition we all shared a powerful love and compassion for the survivors of the storm. It is the memory of the people we came to serve that has endured most in my heart. There is the man I met in a serving line who seemed far more appreciative of my prayer over him than he was for the food he received for his family. And the middle-aged woman whose luxury car I helped load with ice as she mentioned that the only possessions she had left from her home were two small knickknacks and a painting in the back seat. God led me to share the gospel with a young man one day. He had already trusted Christ for salvation but needed to know how to move forward in the face of such devastation. God gave me the words to encourage him in his circumstances. When we finished speaking there was a huge smile on his face and he hugged my neck. The Result About a year later while local people were still rebuilding their community and they continued talking about the yellow shirts who cut trees off their houses, put tarps on their roofs, handed out hot food, cool water, ice and brought the hope of Jesus Christ to everyone they encountered. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Even though the work was hard and the hours demanding, several of us were talking one day and we all agreed that you couldn t pay us enough to do this for a living but we would gladly volunteer our time to do it for free. The Challenge The Texas hurricane season was quiet between 2008 and The 2017 season has proven to be a big one. In response, the SBTC disaster relief ministry will need all the help we can get. We need people who will become trained and make themselves available to help. For details on how to become involved, go to Last year 195 people came to Christ while talking to a Yellow Shirt. Don t miss your opportunity. SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 23

26 S B T C D I S A S T E R R E L I E F GETTING A DISASTER RELIEF UNIT ONLINE 1 BY BILL BUMPAS SBTC DR MINISTRY Churches partnering with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention support the work of Disaster Relief efforts through their gifts to the Cooperative Program, but an increasing number are finding unique ways to be more involved in the work. One way for a congregation to take ownership in disaster relief is to secure and maintain its own disaster relief unit. Here s a look at three churches that recently took that step and what it entailed to get their disaster relief units online: 2 3 Northeast Houston Baptist Church Under the direction of pastor and SBTC President Nathan Lino NEHBC has recently received a donated disaster relief unit that is ready to deploy. The trailer is set up for clean-up and recovery which means there s chainsaw capability if we have trees down, said Doug Scott, a task force director with SBTC Disaster Relief. It s also set up for mud out so it has everything on there that you would need to go in and clean up a house that has been flooded. The inactive unit had been based in San Antonio and was deployed many times. But it was in need of a church to take over and maintain it so SBTC Disaster Relief handed the unit over to NEHBC in December Lonnie Galyean, a member of NEHBC and director of the unit explained they wanted to do more in disaster relief after some church members participated in helping to feed victims in the Humble area in the wake of the 2016 flooding. Our church is very driven on missions and ministries and we had a lot of people SBTC DR s new 53-foot, four-room bunkhouse sleeps Bunk beds provide places to rest for DR volunteers. 3 A kitchenette inside the bunkhouse. 4 NEHBC s new DR unit is equipped for clean-up, recovery and chainsaw capability. 5 SBTC DR Task Force meets to assess 2016 deployments and to strategize for PHOTOS BY MIKE JANSEN, GORDON KNIGHT, BILL BUMPAS AND JANE RODGERS. 24 REACH // EVANGELISM

27 go to serve when they had the feeding, said Galyean. We have a unit here now so we re hoping even more people will want to jump on this. As hard as it may be to believe the unit at NEHBC is the first of its kind in the Houston-area. Galyean explained, We re going to definitely let other churches know about it being here so that if they train team members we can let them know there s a unit here that they can be deployed with. It was estimated that the equipment initially donated in the trailer was worth between $4,000 and $6,000. It worked out great that we were able to get this donation, said Galyean. We hope to maybe increase some equipment in the trailer and expand it and of course maybe even add additional trailers if we can. First Baptist Church of Borger Led by Pastor Charlie Morgan, FBC Borger recently made a financial donation to receive a disaster relief trailer from the North American Mission Board. Since then the congregation has been taking donations and gifts to outfit the trailer. We ve had some significant donations from the local community, said David Brandon the director of the mud-out chainsaw unit. He estimated the cost to purchase all the equipment would be between $10,000 and $13,000. The Panhandle church was able to get some practical experience in cleanup following an ice storm that hit the area in January of this year. Brandon explained that they shadowed some veteran DR tree removal experts that allowed them to get the experience they needed and then move ahead and have our own unit so we can help others. Brandon explained that FBC Borger s financial commitment to the DR Unit demonstrated its passion for being a witness for Christ. That s the real purpose, he concluded. First Baptist Church of Bellville Members at FBC Bellville have been involved with disaster relief work since 2013 but now the church, under the leadership of Pastor Michael Criner, has taken the next step forward by purchasing a 14-foot relief trailer. Through the church budget and other donations they have fully equipped the trailer for clean-up and tree removal work. It has always been a goal and a dream, said church member Aubrey Henley, and our church was in a financial position to make that a reality this year so that was great. The new unit was quickly deployed soon after going online. A team took the unit to the Panhandle to help with relief efforts following the ice storm and a team of two from the church is helped tornado victims in New Orleans. Henley added, Once you start going on deployments it s kind of habit forming. You really enjoy what you do. What about your church? Clean-up and recovery is not the only unit type needed for disaster relief work. Other ministry areas include feeding, chaplaincy, communications, operations, shower/laundry and childcare. Prayerfully consider contacting SBTC Disaster Relief director Scottie Stice to see how your church can get plugged into the exciting world of helping people in Jesus name when they need it the most. SBTC Launches Texas Relief Churches Mobilized to Meet Needs of Texans Recognizing the great needs all along the Texas coast following the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) is working to mobilize churches and volunteers through what is being called Texas Relief (TXR). This new long-term program will go beyond the scope of what disaster relief does. Texas Relief is specifically a part of sending volunteers to areas that need help that are not disaster relief-trained, said Lance Crowell, church ministry associate helping out in this new area. He explained they are trying to mirror how the North American Mission Board mobilizes churches and volunteers through Send Relief. What NAMB is thinking nationally about Send Relief we were trying to develop our own avenue in Texas, said Crowell. More information at sbtexas.com/ harvey. SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 25

28 THREE REASONS YOUR COLLEGE MINISTRY NEEDS VIS ON BY ANDY ABRAMSON VERGE MINISTRIES ONE OF THE GREATEST RISKS TO OUR MINISTRIES IS LACK OF VISION. Have you ever found yourself doing things because that s what you did the previous week, and the week before that, and the week before that? As leaders, it s easy to fall into doing things without knowing why we do them. Or maybe even worse, the past becomes the idols we hold onto for the sake of tradition. When we fall into these traps, we ve failed to realize how easy it is for our students to do the same. Clarity of where we are trying to move together in our ministries is imperative. Vision in our lives and ministries brings clarity, motivation and sense of meaning for why we do what we do. As leaders, painting a picture of the future and rallying people around that picture is essential. In each of us, there is a desire to be a part of something bigger. And that something bigger is the opportunity to be a part of the kingdom of God moving and penetrating our world. There are unique things that vision instills in the people we are leading. Let s look at three of them. Vision creates unity around mission I think about particular points in my life with special fondness. For me one of those moments was in high school. It wasn t because I particularly liked high school, but rather the opportunity I had to be 26 REACH // EVANGELISM

29 with a very special group of guys playing high school basketball. We spent hundreds of hours on the basketball court, times at the park playing pickup games, riding on the bus together and teaming up in different leagues during the off season. All of those hours were around a vision of our team going to the state tournament. And that vision drove us to a mission of becoming the best basketball team that we could be. Our team was unified around that one common vision. But what I didn t understand as a 17-year-old was the relationships that would be forged through that vision and mission. It s amazing how I can still see some of those guys 20 years later and we can jump right back into a relationship as if no time has passed. That mission and vision unified the team in a way that I am just beginning to understand now. I ve had the opportunity to see this play out in different ministry contexts. I ve been around groups of people who were so inspired by a particular vision the vision would unify them around the mission that God had called them to be a part of. When we stay focused on the mission, many of the small petty things that we concerned ourselves with begin to matter less. Are your team and ministry unified? If not, chances are you ve lost sight of the vision God has called you to. Vision unifies the people we are trying to lead. As leaders we must be committed to leading through vision so we can experience unity among our people. Vision sparks energy to build and fuel momentum If you ve been in ministry for any period of time, you know the As collegiate ministers we have a huge opportunity to set a vision for our students that propel them forward into following Jesus in radical ways. value of momentum. Once you have momentum on your side, you try to squeeze everything out of it that you possibly can. It s one of those parts of ministry that is hard to plan and strategize for, but very easy to lose. When we get momentum, there s nothing like it! It creates a sense of synergy around the mission that propels us forward into uncharted waters in breaking ground into new territories. Very rarely will you ever see momentum without crystal clear vision of where the ministry is seeking to go. Vision energizes our mission and builds momentum in our people. Do you currently have momentum in your ministry? Vision in our ministries can fuel momentum for us to see the fruit of our work multiplied in an exponential way. Vision fuels and builds momentum. Vision sets the table for risk taking Seven years ago, our family made an enormous step of faith. We stepped outside a full-time job within a local church to start an organization helping churches start and develop college ministries. I remember those days and the risk our family took. Our family was willing to take that risk because of the intense vision that God has put on our hearts. That crystal clear vision set the table for us to jump into unknown waters. As leaders, we can become frustrated with the stagnation of people in our ministries. Often this stagnation comes about due to lack of clarity. The beauty of a crystal clear vision is that is brings clarity to our lives and ministry while inspiring us to follow Jesus in ways that we may not normally. As collegiate ministers we have a SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 27

30 huge opportunity to set a vision for our students that propel them forward into following Jesus in radical ways. There are not many things better than a college student who has been captured by a gospel vision willing to risk everything for the sake of God s kingdom. As leaders let s cast vision to help bring clarity to our people that motivate them to be a part of the kingdom. Keeping vision in front of our people is hard work. We can assume that people have already heard it or know it. We can often overestimate others in the understanding of the vision. As leaders, we can often put casting vision on the back burner because more pressing needs seem to arise to the surface. We can forget about the extraordinary benefits of having a crystal clear vision. Vision provides unity amongst our teams and with our people. Vision builds and fuels momentum in our ministries. Vision sets a table for Kingdom risk calling our people to something bigger. Let s be leaders that lead through vision. There are not many things better than a college student who has been captured by a gospel vision willing to risk everything for the sake of God s kingdom. 28 REACH // EVANGELISM

31 MY 5 PRINCIPLES FOR STARTING A COLLEGE MINISTRY BY DARRICK SMITH COLLEGIATE CONSULTANT Bill Bright founder of Campus Crusade for Christ once said, If we can win the campus today, we will win the world tomorrow. He was right. College campuses are one of the most strategic mission fields in the world. Not only do they contain our country s future leaders but they contain students who are committed and driven to make change. This is great news because if we can reach college students with the gospel, disciple them to be disciples who make disciples then we have a greater chance of seeing the gospel spread to the ends of the earth (Matt. 28:19-20). This was the vision that led me to starting a college ministry from scratch in the fall of 2012 at North Carolina Central University. Starting a college ministry from scratch was by far the hardest thing I d ever done. Here were a few key principles that I had developed prior to launching. I have found these six principles to be helpful for myself and others who are starting new collegiate ministries. 1Be prayerful. This may sound like a given but you ll surprised at how many people I ve had conversations with who have leaned more on their strategy and abilities than on God through prayer. Psalm 127:1-2 says, Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. In other SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 29

32 words, apart from the Spirit of God at work in your ministry, nothing will happen. We are to depend on God through prayer. 2Develop a clear vision. I always tell people to start with the end in mind. What is the goal for your collegiate ministry? Is it to see small groups start on campus until all students are reached? Is it to see a collegiate church plant birthed? Is it to see every student who graduates go overseas, be a part of a church plant or come on staff for two years? Whatever your end goal is, that s how you develop and communicate your vision. Your vision must be clear, concise and reproducible. 3Exegete culture. Biblical exegesis is a careful study of Scripture done to discover the meaning of the text. To exegete Scripture means to carefully study God s word. In the same manner one must learn to study the culture they are engaging in order for successful collegiate ministry to take place. This may include walking around campus to find out where students are hanging out, dining in the cafe with students, working out on campus or attending on-campus events. Being an exegete of culture means that you ll never stop learning. 4Build a cohesive team. Collegiate ministry, like all ministry, is hard work. There are times when you feel lonely, times when you re frustrated and times when you re ready to quit. Building a unified team is highly important for a few reasons: 1. More can be accomplished when you work on teams (Deut. 32:30). 2. Teams represent a diversity of skills and gifts that benefits everyone (1 Cor. 12:12-27). 3. Momentum and multiplication starts best with a team (Acts 3). 5Focus on missions. There s nothing like a summer project or shortterm mission trip. I have found that summer projects and short-term mission trips are great avenues for leadership development and a way to give students a taste for the nations. I ve also found that encouraging students to do a summer project or taking a shortterm mission trip leads them to consider how to leverage their experience and degrees post college for ministry in various contexts. Focusing on missions is a strategic way to advance the gospel globally and train your students. 30 REACH // EVANGELISM

33 COMMUNITy BIBLE CHURCH Made possible by your Cooperative Program giving. SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 31

34 STARTING A STUDENT MINISTRY FROM SCRATCH BY CODY LANDERS LAKELAND BAPTIST CHURCH, LEWISVILLE You get to a church and there s nothing going in student ministry, where do you begin? Starting a student ministry from scratch can be difficult but it has the potential for amazing things to happen. I have had the privilege of experiencing this in various contexts from a small town in Texas to now Lewisville. Each place has its challenges but keeping the gospel at the center of it all will cause a movement in your community for students lives to be transformed by the gospel. The four things every student pastor should focus on when starting a student ministry are building relationships with the schools, building relationships with the students you have, create a vision that brands your ministry and create a student ministry that will be inviting for students that are lost. In each of the student ministries that God has entrusted to me I have seen many lives changed and God moving mightily in the public school system. Here are three things you can do to help you have a dynamic student ministry in your church. First, build a relationship with the students you already have. My first student ministry I started with four students and I watched it grow to an average of over a hundred students a week. I made a point to engage the four students and their parents. During this time I was also pursuing the lost at the public schools and I found it to be very important to let the students know that they are loved and cared for just as much as the students I was pursuing. Make sure 32 REACH // EVANGELISM

35 to attend their events and activities and promote their successes on your social media account. The more you work at building the more they will trust you when you are preaching. Second, focus on building relationships with the middle school and high schools in your area. This task is not easy. When you walk into a new place there are not going to be many people who trust you. When I walk into a new place I begin ing schools in the area asking how I can SERVE and show them that I understand the parameters and boundaries of working in the confines of public schools. Why do I put SERVE in all caps? I do this to show the importance of it. Schools get a lot of s and the thing that is going to cause you to stand out is to show them that you are of value to them. I always ask for a meeting to talk about specific ways the church can get involved. Once I meet with them I let them know that my motive is to be of service to the school and not for any personal gain. Being creative with your ideas and figuring out unique ways to be remembered by the staff and teachers of the schools you will be serving is vital. You should also begin building relationships with your adults and volunteers. Show them love and cast vision to enable them to catch the DNA of what you are trying to accomplish. Third, create an inviting atmosphere for unchurched students. This step takes evaluation and work. You must look for ways to create an environment to which students want to come back. Find ways to make your student area exciting and it will be somewhere students will be excited to return and bring friends. If you are embarrassed about your space the students are as well. I think the first step is to brand the student ministry with an identity that will cast vision and be visual for the community and students in your ministry. In this step it is important to have a clear vision and logo for your ministry. You want people in your city to know exactly who you are and what you are about. I put my MPACT logo on everything from cups, flyers, shirts, banners, stickers and even wristbands. This will allow students to recognize who you are when you visit their campus and events. I am also very active on social media because if you do not make a constant presence on social media, students will never plug in. I think this is important to consider when building a student ministry. I am not good at graphic design but I found a cool app called WordSwag that allows me to be creative and do social media with a level of excellence that will draw in students. Also your student ministry calendar should always be building to an event. So for instance I will push for an outreach dodgeball tournament and tie a sermon series to that event. Once I am done with that event I am pushing for my next event to keep excitement going. During this time I think it is important to make preaching and teaching a priority. This is the main thing that I focus on during the week. The harder you work at this the more effective it will be. I have heard that students struggle to pay attention so preaching is a lost art. I have found that if you work at the exegesis and application of the text, God will open their hearts and mind to what you are communicating. The priority of preaching invites the unchurched and the churched students into a state of exhortation and a clear presentation of the Gospel. Once students respond make sure you have a discipleship plan in place to guide them in their journey. These are just some of the things you should do to start a ministry. I highlighted these things because this will set you up to see the gospel reach students that many people have given up on. This requires work and a commitment to see Christ exalted. I think sometimes we all have a tendency to get overwhelmed but stay committed to the Lord and be faithful to your call. The grass is always going to be greener somewhere else but thank God he has placed you where he has and be diligent as long as he has called you there. The grass is always going to be greener somewhere else but thank God he has placed you where he has and be diligent as long as he has called you there. SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 33

36 GREAT TIPS ON REACHING SCHOOL SYSTEMS BY CODY LANDERS LAKELAND BAPTIST CHURCH, LEWISVILLE How do we minister to school systems when they appear closed to us? I have served on staff as the student pastor in three different churches of various sizes and contexts. I have served in a small town in Texas, a liberal town in New Mexico and now in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. Each of these places has taught me about the need to reach the public schools in the area. I have seen God do a mighty work through building relationships with key faculty and staff at these schools. In my current context, I had zero access and there was not much movement in the ISD for churches. Through the building of relationships, I am now speaking regularly at two FCAs, serving as the chaplain at a local middle school and I have a deep relationship with the football team. There is nothing more exciting than seeing a student make a profession of faith at 7:00 in the morning at their school during an FCA meeting! All of these open doors took work and patience but once you re in you are able to reach students with the gospel in some very special ways. I want to share with you some ways that I have found to be effective for reaching students in the public schools. At first it might seem impossible to engage with your local public school but with hard work and the right attitude it can happen. I first begin to all the principals and coaches in the area. This part is vital in your approach. It is important to be someone that they look at as an asset and not a hindrance for them 34 REACH // EVANGELISM

37 in what they are trying to accomplish. I word my in a way that lets them know that I understand the boundaries and limitations of working in the confines of an ISD and that I am just wanting to serve them and be of any help. I had one principal tell me she gets tons of s from churches asking for them to let them on campus but very few ask her if they can serve the school. This might lead to some things that you feel are unproductive and meaningless. Those things usually lead to greater opportunities however such as the ability to mentor a student. At one school I was not allowed to tell students where I worked or invite them to church at lunch but I was allowed to encourage them throughout the day. I bought a couple of polos with our logo and church time on it and engaged the students to build relationships. Many of the students proceeded to ask me who I am and what I do and this gives me the door to share with them about our student ministry. The second thing that is important about being involved in the public schools is staying consistent. There are many student ministries that come and go, all the while taking the students they want and dropping the service to the school. I calendar out my ideas for the football team in our ISD. This helps me with budgeting and it also helps me stay consistent with making a constant presence. An example of this is I give an ultimate hit of the week shirt to the football team with their football logo on the front and our student ministry logo on the back. Then at the end of the year I have an awards banquet for those guys with their highlight videos playing. This gives me an opportunity to share the gospel and brings them to the facilities. Consistency in this is the key. Showing up weekly will go a long way with not only the students but also the coaches. Make an effort to get out of the office and get to local practices. It will pay off in the long run. I have been consistent at FCA and now one of the schools has involved me in their FCA planning for next year. The third thing I want to stress is doing things with excellence and thinking outside the box. One thing that I asked the principal at a local middle school if we could do is help the teachers move into their classrooms. She was elated with excitement for us to do this. We have also had our members hand-write notes of encouragements to the entire staff at a school. I am always evaluating and looking for ways to make an impact and be remembered by the school. Look for opportunities where you can influence and make an exciting moment. Another thing I did which went really well was delivering popsicles during lunch to every student as an award for their completion of state exams. If you want to grow you must be willing to work hard and be creative in your outreach approach. Part of being creative is when invited to an event to speak or have a presence ask if you can bring something along such as doughnuts or even your band! These things take a lot of work and can be exhausting at times however, if you want to see God do mighty things you must labor and have a passion for it. These ways are some of the ways that I have found to be fruitful in getting into the school systems. I pray that as you make connections God will open up doors for you. Always remember to be faithful to the gospel and your work will pay off even if it is just planting seeds. SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 35

38 WHAT BASEBALL AND STUDENT MINISTRY HAVE IN COMMON BY GARRETT WAGONER SBTC I love baseball. It s a great time of year where the Major League Baseball season is in full swing and of course, Little League. I ve always been an avid follower and fan of the MLB since I was old enough to understand it. One thing about baseball that has always stood out to me: The need of intense intentional investment in the younger generation of players. Good Little League teams teach the young kids the fundamentals starting at age four. Great MLB teams have what they call farm systems. It s the system that younger players get developed through to reach the Major Leagues. They call this Rookie Ball, Single A, Double A, and Triple A. The teams that win consistently and sometimes start dynasties have the best farm systems. This means they intentionally invest in them. The teams that don t win neglect their farm and try to pay big money for transfer free agents. What does this have to do with Student Ministry? Student ministry is often overlooked in the church today; whether it s a church that s trying to grow through transfer membership or a student 36 REACH // EVANGELISM

39 pastor waiting to be a senior pastor or looking for the next big opportunity overlooking the God-ordained opportunity in front of them. Churches stunt their growth when they neglect passing the gospel to the next generation. Psalm 145:3-5 says, Yahweh is great and is highly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable. One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts. I will speak of Your splendor and glorious majesty. Titus 2: 1-8, But you must say the things that are consistent with sound teaching. Older men are to be level headed, worthy of respect, sensible and sound in faith, love and endurance. In the same way older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, home-makers, kind and submissive to their husbands so that God s message may not be slandered. In the same way encourage the young men to be self-controlled in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. Your message is to be sound beyond reproach so that the opponent will be ashamed having nothing to say about us. Scripture tells us that it is the responsibility of the whole body to mentor the young generation. Students are now more unchurched than ever, with fractured and broken family structures. For the first time in America we have an entire generation that is growing up in a post-christian world which means they aren t hearing the gospel that brings them new life and hope! The church of Jesus Christ has the greatest opportunity in history to reach an entire generation with the gospel and disciple them to be world-changers. There are more teenagers in the world than any other age group. Student ministry has the opportunity to change the entire course of history. What could be said of us if we intervened and changed an entire generation? How do we do this? 1 If you are a parent of a student or a child, God has given you the responsibility to be their primary disciple maker; not the student minister, children s minister or the pastor. Walk with Jesus and model Jesus in your home. Show your student what it means to follow Jesus by your intentional investment in them and the way that you live. 2 Intentionally reach out to unchurched students, adopt them spiritually and share the gospel with them. Allow them to live life with you and make an investment in them. 3 If you are a pastor, student pastor or in church leadership, train and equip your congregation to mentor the young generation. We need to add students to the kingdom and multiply ourselves in them. 4 Pray Ezekiel 37:1-14 over your student ministry and the students in your community. Our goal in student ministry is to raise up an army of disciples to change the world with the gospel! Jesus did it and he has called us to do it as well. In baseball, investing in a farm system requires intentional time and training with the younger players. In the system, younger players are given significant playing time and constantly work on the fundamentals like fielding, hitting and base running. Sometimes they are brought up to get experience in the Major Leagues. One thing for sure is they just don t sit on a bench and watch the major leaguers play. In ministry a lot of churches view students as immature kids who need to be put in another building or room and be entertained until they reach adulthood. God sees them as young adults who have the passion and capability to change the world right now. What do they need? They need adults mentoring and investing in them showing them the fundamentals on how to walk with Christ and live on mission. They need to be put in significant ministry situations where God can grow their faith and be given leadership responsibilities in the church. What if they fail? Failure is good because it will help them grow years beyond their age. Jesus did that with the disciples. Investing in the young generation will bring a freshness and excitement to your faith and church body. This is why God has always used the young generation to spark revival and spiritual awakening. If we want to see spiritual awakening and churches revived and revitalized then we must intentionally invest in our students. In ministry a lot of churches view students as immature kids who need to be put in another building or room and be entertained until they reach adulthood. God sees them as young adults who have the passion and capability to change the world right now. SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 37

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41 THE MISSION IS SIMPLE: ARE YOU ON IT? BY TODD KAUNITZ Far too often we over complicate what it means to be a church. This results in a lot of busy churches doing great ministry but failing to accomplish the primary reason we exist. So what is the mission of the church? The answer is found by looking at the life of Jesus. When we look at his life we see very clearly what he came to do. In Luke 10:19 Jesus says, The Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost. This is not an intricate task, it s rather simple. Jesus mission was to proclaim the gospel to the lost so that they might be saved. If we are going to be a church that follows Jesus then we must be a church that is on his mission. In fact, Jesus makes our mission explicitly clear in Matthew 28:18-20, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. This is the call of every church SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 39

42 and every individual believer. To put it very simply, the message of the church is the gospel of Jesus and the mission of the church is to advance the message of the church. As followers of Christ we are to actively and intentionally engage the world through personal evangelism. This requires us to ask, How do we know if our church is really investing in the mission of Jesus? This is an important question for us to wrestle with. A simple way to answer this question is to look at the Life of Jesus and ask, Are we doing what we see Jesus doing throughout Scripture? A passage that has helped me answer this question is Luke 9:35-38, And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Let s answer the questions above by asking three key questions to gauge whether or not we are living on mission: 1 Do we actively engage the world around us with the gospel? Throughout Jesus ministry he was connecting the world around him with the gospel. According to Luke 9:35 Jesus was proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom everywhere he went. Are we deliberately engaging our community in evangelism? Far too many churches make the mistake of only serving needs and calling it evangelism. We see in this passage Jesus met felt needs but he didn t stop there. If we serve Jesus mission but do not share his message we ve missed the point of the mission. 2 Is there a genuine brokenness over the lost? Jesus, saw the crowds and had compassion for them. Jesus looked at the world around him through a spiritual lens. Luke uses the word compassion to describe what Jesus felt when he saw the crowds. It s a reference to an anguish of the soul. Jesus saw beyond the physical condition and saw the spiritual reality. The greatest need of every human heart is to be forgiven from sin and rescued from eternal separation from God. The waitress at the restaurant, the referee at the ball game, the co-worker across the hall all have one thing in common they have souls in need of salvation and will spend eternity somewhere. They are men, women, boys and girls that Jesus died to redeem. 3 Do we earnestly pray for the lost to be saved? It s interesting that in verses after Jesus acknowledged the, harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few that his first response was prayer. He didn t form a committee, develop an evangelism strategy or take the disciples to a conference. He says, Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest Jesus recognized that evangelism first begins with prayer. Evangelism is not transactional it is supernatural. We need God s power through his Spirit to stir the hearts of sinners for their need of salvation and to stir the hearts of saints to go and tell them how they can be saved. Based on these three questions The mission of the church is simple, the gospel is our message and the mission is to advance the message. Let us follow the example of Jesus and proclaim the gospel of the kingdom! how are you doing? Is your church actively engaging the world around you with the gospel? Is there a genuine brokenness over the lost? Does your church earnestly pray for the lost to be saved? If the answer is yes, my challenge is for you to ask God to fan the flame of evangelism in your church and stay faithful to the mission regardless of how difficult it might be. If the answer is no, ask God to use you to be a catalyst for evangelism in your church. Ask the Lord for a burden for the lost and the supernatural power to engage the people around you with the gospel. The mission of the church is simple, the gospel is our message and the mission is to advance the message. Let us follow the example of Jesus and proclaim the gospel of the kingdom! 40 REACH // EVANGELISM

43 Our partnership in the Cooperative Program, must be grounded and driven by our passion for reaching our world for Christ. Adam Greenway, Dean, Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Invite a guest speaker to your church for CP Sunday by visiting whatiscp.com SBTC SBC SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 41

44 LESSONS ON INTERFAITH EVANGELISM BY THOM RAINER THOMRAINER.COM R ecently on my blog I have written posts on personal evangelism and assessing the evangelistic health in churches. When many think of evangelism they simply consider it to be sharing Christ to those who do not know him as Savior. While this is true, we should not neglect sharing our faith with those following other religions. For my book The Unexpected Journey, Nellie Jo and I spent several weeks interviewing Christians who had been previously devoted to non-christian religions. It made an indelible impression on both of our lives. In today s article I will share some of the lessons we learned from our conversations with those who had journeyed from other gods to faith in Christ. I ll complete the list in a future post. Know What You Believe. Most of the interviewees told us that they were amazed at the biblical ignorance they witnessed when they were not yet Christians. Several times we heard them say that they knew more about the Bible than Christians did. We cannot expect to defend the faith if we do not know what we believe. And we cannot know what we believe unless we spend time in the Bible. Know What They Believe. While we cannot expect every Christian to know every detail about every other religion we can train ourselves to know enough to have conversations with people of a specific belief 42 REACH // EVANGELISM

45 system. Quite frankly, Christians can do more harm than good in our conversations with those of other religions. We cannot expect to have their ears unless we have done our homework to find out as much as possible about what they believe. And that means we must be willing to listen to them which is the next lesson. Listen to Them. Sometimes Christians are just too eager to talk and unwilling to listen. Listening means we are willing to learn from others. Listening means we are not threatened in our own Christian beliefs by hearing what someone else believes. Listening means we really care for the person. Pray for Them. Some of the most hopeless persons became followers of Christ through the persistent prayers of Christians. How many churches actually set aside corporate prayer time to pray for those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Invite Them to Church. I ve done a great deal of research on this. In every instance data has overwhelmingly shown that many non-christians will come to church if we would just invite them. What are we waiting for? Learn About Their Home Lives. Many of those we interviewed shared with us some very sad stories of a difficult childhood or home life. If we listen with sensitivity to learn about others childhood and youth we can relate to them better. Get Them to Look Closely at Their Own Documents. Not all belief systems have specific documents but many do. Many times people of different religions will be open to discussing Christianity because of the doubt raised by their own documents once they start to study them. Of course this approach presumes the Christian has also studied his or her belief system well. How have your evangelistic efforts benefited from these lessons in the past? In what areas do you need the most work? Encourage Them to Study the Bible Openly. The Bible is God s Word. It will stand the test of any objections or doubt. God works to convict and convince through his Word. If a person of another faith system is so certain about his or her own beliefs he or she should not fear studying what Christians believe with an open mind. Churches Must Be Prepared for a Pluralistic World. We heard from more than one respondent that they had attended church for several weeks without hearing a gospel message. This is an all-toofrequent occurrence in churches, and a travesty. Pastors and church leaders: Please realize that each week you have attendees in your congregation who are spiritually dead. The gospel is their only hope. Christians Cannot Be Intimidated by Other Beliefs. We shouldn t be intimidated to share Christ with satanists and witches nor Muslims and Hindus. The gates of hell will not prevail against us. We have nothing to fear but in Christ s name we have much to offer. Share Your Faith Regularly. Christians have become spiritually lazy and disobedient. Telling others the good news of Jesus Christ is not optional for any Christian. It is not something left to the pastors and ministers we sometimes treat like hired hands. It is the calling and the mandate of every Christian. Live Like a Christian. I believe without a doubt that persons of other faiths would be strongly drawn to Christians if we just acted like Christians should act. It may be cliché but wouldn t it be a different world if every Christian preceded each decision by asking what would Jesus do? Be Willing to Invest Time with Non-Christians. Christ spent time with people even though his recorded earthly ministry was only about three years. Will Christians today be willing to develop long and sacrificial relationships with those who are not followers of Christ? Such an act is a true act of love, our final but most important lesson. Love People with Christ s Unconditional Love. Non-Christians are drawn to those who demonstrate Christ like love. We who are Christians can win many to Christ if we just demonstrate the love that Christ commanded us to show. The hurting world waits for people just like that. -Reprinted with permission We who are Christians can win many to Christ if we just demonstrate the love that Christ commanded us to show. The hurting world waits for people just like that. SBTEXAS.COM/REACH 43

46 C O N F E R E N C E For more info or to register, visit sbtexas.com/equip PRAYER PARTNER PARTICIPATE Ask God to raise up at least 100 church planters a year to populate the state of Texas with Biblically Based, Kingdom Focused and Missionally Driven churches Allow us to team up with your church planting efforts by ing us at churchplanting@sbtexas.com Connect with others who are praying with us by using #pray100plant100 on your social media sites 44 REACH // EVANGELISM

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