Author: Baptist Press

Lifeway trustees celebrate momentum, new initiatives

ORLANDO, Fla.—In their first meeting of 2023, the Lifeway Christian Resources Board of Trustees heard how the organization plans to leverage recent growth momentum and better serve the church in coming years.

During the Jan. 30-31 meeting, key leaders at Lifeway shared encouraging financial news and updates on new and upcoming ministry initiatives.

Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber participated in the biannual meeting and expressed gratitude to the organization for its commitment to serving congregations.

“Every Southern Baptist church and leader knows Lifeway because we interact with them in our local church ministry,” he said, “but it’s an extra blessing to see the people, the vision, and the processes behind all these products we depend on.”

Strategic focus

In his address to trustees, Lifeway President and CEO Ben Mandrell unpacked areas of strategic focus the organization will concentrate on for the remainder of 2023, including continued growth in ongoing curriculum, implementation of a management system to deepen customer relations, and improvements to Lifeway.com.

After noting ongoing curriculum was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandrell reported ongoing Bible study curriculum shows strong growth over last year, and last year’s sales showed growth over the prior year. He said sales have “rebounded significantly, and the trend lines are encouraging, but we want to pour as much gas as possible on growing our ongoing Bible study business.

“Continued growth in ongoing is critical for Lifeway’s financial health, so we’re very grateful to see this trend continue,” Mandrell said, adding that Lifeway is “fiercely committed” to growing its three main curriculum lines: Explore the Bible, Bible Studies for Life and The Gospel Project. In addition, Lifeway recently unveiled a new, next-gen curriculum line called Hyfi, which is scheduled to be released this summer. Sharing quotes from church leaders who tested Hyfi, Mandrell expressed excitement at a new opportunity to equip congregations that are passionate about building relationships with previously unreached kids and students.

He told trustees that Lifeway is in the beginning stages of implementing a customer relationship management system that will “allow leaders across the organization to collaborate and personalize the marketing messages that are sent to the customer. As a customer interacts with Lifeway, we can keep track of what they are interested in and reach out with relevant material.” The goal, Mandrell said, is to provide customers with only the type of information and resources that are of interest to them.

Additionally, Mandrell spoke of continuing improvements to Lifeway.com. While the site was recently once again named to Newsweek’s “Best Online Shops” list, he said Lifeway leaders are continuing to find ways to upgrade the site. Mandrell highlighted multiple new features and enhancements coming to the site, including additional functionality and search optimization to make shopping at Lifeway.com a better experience.

Lifeway trustee meeting, Connia Nelson, chief human resources officer, answers a question about the organization’s strategy to hire and retain employees who “want to work for God and His kingdom.”

During the plenary session, Mandrell gave trustees a financial update. He reported that through the first quarter, Lifeway is tracking right at its revenue budget, but well ahead of the bottom-line budget as a result of good expense management. He also noted several recent ministry highlights including the 10th anniversary of The Gospel Project, strong sales of the “Telugu Study Bible” in India and the “CSB Explorer Bible for Kids” charting on the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s bestseller list.

“We have so much to be thankful for,” Mandrell said, “and we look forward to seeing how God continues to bless these great resources designed for local churches.”

Mandrell also noted the priority the organization is placing on hiring and retaining the best employees. “I want Lifeway to grow in prominence as one of the premier places to work for God’s kingdom,” he said. In 2022, Lifeway had close to 15,000 new candidates exploring career opportunities with the organization, up 40 percent over 2021. Additionally, while the annualized turnover rate for resignations across all industries last year was more than 30 percent, Lifeway’s rate was less than 13 percent.

Other business and activities

On Monday morning, worship leader Doug Pierce led trustees in a time of worship, and Mandrell shared a message on leading with strength through weakness. Exploring 2 Corinthians 12, Mandrell discussed how a thorn in the flesh can counterintuitively serve as a blessing and presented three reasons why God grants suffering:

To grow our witness
To shrink pride and make us fit for ministry
To create a deeper connection with God and others
Trustees also heard from several Lifeway leaders during their two-day meeting.

Devin Maddox, director of the books ministry area, discussed how “with every Christian testimony, there’s a bibliography attached.” A sea of raised hands covered the room when Maddox asked who had personally experienced a book playing a key role in their journey to become a Christian.

“Books are a ministry multiplier that can accomplish something authors cannot do,” Maddox said. “Books can go places where others cannot. As a publisher, we can deploy books into homes all over the world.”

Chuck Peters, director of Lifeway Kids, introduced trustees to Hyfi – Lifeway’s new, next-gen Bible study curriculum. Peters called Hyfi a needed resource that will help “flip the script” for churches seeking to reach kids and students in an increasingly secularized society.

“The curriculum teaches 12 biblical truths that help kids know who they are because of who God is and who He says they are,” Peters said. Hyfi is grounded in Scripture and driven by relational activities that connect newcomers to church and pave the way for the Gospel message.

Brad Barnett, senior manager of student ministry operations, shared a recap of Lifeway’s 2022 summer camps. “We had an incredible summer serving 106,000 campers from 4,000 churches and saw over 1,800 kids and students give their lives to Christ,” Barnett said.

He relayed ministry stories from camp, illustrating how God works through student leaders and unique activities – like a silent disco – to reach kids and bring them into relationship with Him and others.

Trustees approved the establishment of a sales division within Lifeway to be managed by a new senior vice president at the Executive Leadership Team level. With the new position approved, Mandrell said the team would begin looking for a candidate to fill that role.

The board also recognized five trustees who are ending their board service in June: Marie Clark, Overland Park, Kan.; Tony McAlexander, Las Vegas, Nev.; Amy Mielock, Cary, N.C; Katherine Pope, Martinsburg, W.Va,; and Terenda Wyant, Belleville, Ill.

The next Lifeway trustee meeting is scheduled for Aug. 28-29, 2023.

Partnership between races key to accomplishing Great Commission, IMB strategist says

Editor’s note: Sunday, Feb. 5, is George Liele Church Planting, Evangelism and Missions Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention.

NASHVILLE (BP)—The value of partnerships is at the heart of George Liele emphasis Sunday, an International Mission Board strategist said. The day is set for Feb. 5.

Jason Thomas, the African American church mobilization strategist for the IMB, unpacked the importance of celebrating the ministry of George Liele and encouraging Black churches to lean in to church planting, evangelism and missions on a recent episode of Baptist Press This Week.

“One of the things I think churches could learn is that even though George Liele had great adversity, he never let that subvert him from building God’s kingdom,” Thomas said.

Liele was a freed slave from Georgia who became a missionary to Jamaica. Scholars believe he left for Jamaica in 1782, 10 years before William Carey left for India, thus making him the first Baptist missionary.

Prior to becoming a missionary, he was the pastor of the first African Baptist Church in Savanah, Ga.

“Our churches can learn so much from his examples because we’re facing barriers of our own,” Thomas told Baptist Press.

“We need to look toward that example to not allow those barriers to distract us from fulfilling the goal of the Great Commission.”

Thomas said sometimes churches composed of racial minorities can be limited in their experience with global travel. This can affect their ability to reach unreached places and to even to think about such places.

He said many Black churches are forced to focus on significant issues in their own neighborhoods or community and this has limited their ability to look beyond their city limits.

“The community has often prioritized the needs of our local communities over international concerns,” Graham said.

A Sunday to focus on the work of George Liele being added to the SBC Calendar of Events came from a partnership between the National African American Fellowship and the IMB.

Resources on the emphasis Sunday are available on the IMB’s website.

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

U.S. Hispanic Protestant landscape full of growing, vibrant churches

NASHVILLE—Hispanic churches in the United States face unique challenges but are finding success in building community within their congregations and reaching those outside their walls.

Lifeway Research partnered with two dozen denominations and church networks to include what is likely the largest number of Protestant Hispanic congregations in the U.S. ever invited to a single research study. Sponsored by Lifeway Recursos, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, the study surveyed 692 pastors of congregations that are at least 50 percent Hispanic.

“For decades, the Hispanic population in the U.S. has been growing exponentially, and it is imperative for churches to be informed about the specific needs of this community,” said Giancarlo Montemayor, director of global publishing for Lifeway Recursos. “This study will help us to continue the ongoing conversation of how to serve our brothers and sisters in a more strategic way.”

Congregational snapshot

The study reveals a picture of Hispanic churches that are newer, younger and more effectively evangelistic than the average U.S. Protestant church.

Most Hispanic Protestant churches (54 percent) have been established since 2000, including 32 percent founded in 2010 or later. Fewer than 1 in 10 (9 percent) trace their history prior to 1950.

Not only are the churches relatively new, but most people in the congregations are also new to the United States. The majority are first generation Americans (58 percent), born outside the country. A quarter are second generation (24 percent), with parents who were born outside the U.S. And 17 percent were born in the U.S. to parents who were also born in the U.S. As a result, a majority conduct their services only in Spanish (53 percent), while 22 percent are bilingual.

Half of the churches (50 percent) are in a large metropolitan area with a population of 100,000 or more. Around 3 in 10 (31 percent) are located in small cities, 9 percent are in rural areas and 8 percent are in suburbs.

In the average Hispanic Protestant church, a full third of the congregation (35 percent) is under the age of 30, including 18 percent under 18. Another 38 percent are aged 30-49, and 28 percent are 50 and older.

“The growth in the number of Hispanic churches in the U.S. has been remarkable,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “While some of these congregations were started within Anglo churches – 14 percent of Hispanic congregations in this study currently are conducting services within a church that is predominantly non-Hispanic – the missional impetus has clearly come from within the Hispanic community itself as two-thirds of these congregations are led by first-generation immigrant pastors.”

In U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches, the average worship service attendance is 115. Like most other churches, they’ve not yet fully recovered from the pandemic. In January 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the average attendance was 136. Still, 13 percent of churches are currently around their pre-pandemic levels. And 32 percent say they’ve grown in the past three years, despite the pandemic.

Almost every Hispanic Protestant pastor (99 percent) agrees, including 94 percent who strongly agree, their congregation considers Scripture the authority for their church and their lives.

Around 7 in 10 (69 percent) say their church has the financial resources it needs to support their ministry, which include some aspects that are common among most other Protestant congregations. Most Hispanic Protestant churches say they regularly offer weekly adult small groups or Bible studies (74 percent), weekly prayer meetings (66 percent) and weekly children’s small groups (52 percent). Fewer have weekly youth small groups (45 percent), weekly young adult small groups (40 percent), one-on-one discipleship or mentoring (34 percent), evening large group Bible study (25 percent) or evening praise and worship (24 percent). Just 3 percent say they offer none of these.

When asked about moving weekend worship service participants to small groups, 42 percent of pastors say at least half of their adult churchgoers are involved in group Bible studies, including 15 percent who say at least 75 percent are connected to a small group. Around a third (34 percent) say fewer than 1 in 4 churchgoers also are members of small group Bible studies, including 9 percent of pastors who say none of those attending worship services are involved in groups.

As to what hinders their congregation from participating more regularly in church activities, most pastors point to long work hours for their churchgoers (61 percent). Others say extended family gatherings (35 percent) and personal hardships or crises (30 percent). Around a quarter point to recreational or entertainment pursuits (26 percent) and lingering fear of COVID (24 percent). Fewer say sports activities (20 percent), a preference to watch online (18 percent), lack of transportation (17 percent), school events (13 percent) or caregiver responsibilities (11 percent).

“Many of the activities within Hispanic Protestant churches look similar to those in non-Hispanic churches in the U.S. with worship services, prayer meetings, Bible studies, and Sunday School classes being common,” McConnell said. “But pastors of Hispanic congregations are quick to point out immigrant families often have less time for church as many are working long hours, have family traditions and are impacted by American cultural distractions.”

Evangelistic outreach

Almost 4 in 5 pastors at U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches (79 percent) say they regularly schedule opportunities for members to go out and share the Gospel.

Specifically, most pastors say their outreach activities in the past year included church members inviting people to church (86 percent), using social media to share church activities (74 percent), children’s special events like VBS, Easter egg hunts or fall festivals (59 percent), community programs like food distribution, toy giveaways or clothing drives (58 percent), and church members sharing the gospel in conversations (56 percent). Additionally, some congregations did door-to-door evangelism (30 percent), evangelism training (24 percent) and provided financial support for a new church start (12 percent). Hardly any churches (1 percent) say they have not been able to do any of those recently.

Their outreach seems to be effective, as close to half (47 percent) say 10 or more people have indicated a new commitment to Christ in the past year, including 24 percent who have seen 20 or more such commitments. Fewer than 1 in 10 (9 percent) report no new commitments.

As they’ve reached these new individuals, pastors say most are sticking around. Almost 3 in 4 (73 percent) of those new commitments have become active participants in the life of the church, according to pastors. As a result, 88 percent of Hispanic Protestant pastors say they consistently hear reports of changed lives at their churches.

“Hispanic congregations are very active in engaging new people,” McConnell said. “Not only is there much evangelistic activity in Hispanic churches, but God is also blessing them with new people who commit to following Jesus Christ.”

Building community

As new members join Hispanic Protestant churches, they become part of congregations that are actively trying to grow together, according to their pastors. Almost 9 in 10 (88 percent) say their church has a plan to foster community in their church, including 53 percent who strongly agree.

Pastors point to numerous activities as vital to building a strong sense of community within their congregations. At least 9 in 10 say praying together (96 percent), studying the Bible together (95 percent), choosing to get along and promoting unity (93 percent), welcoming those from different cultures and backgrounds (93 percent), choosing to be transparent and accountable with one another (89 percent) and checking in or noticing when others are absent (90 percent) are very or extremely important aspects of unity in their churches. Additionally, most say the same about members working together to serve people in the community (79 percent), socializing outside of church (81 percent) and sharing resources with each other (74 percent).

Most pastors say they’ve heard about their church members engaging in each of those actions at least a few times in the past month.

“Fellowship among believers in a local congregation is something the Bible communicates should be taking place,” McConnell said. “Hispanic churches take this seriously and invest in these relationships.”

Pastoral portrait

Among pastors of U.S. Hispanic Protestant congregations, 93 percent are Hispanic themselves. Almost all (95 percent) are the senior or only pastor of a congregation, while 5 percent are Hispanic campus pastors with a multi-site church. More than half (56 percent) serve as a full-time pastor, 27 percent are bi-vocational, 10 percent are part-time, 6 percent are volunteer and 1 percent are in interim positions.

Almost half of pastors in Hispanic Protestant churches (48 percent) are between the ages of 50 and 64. Pastors are more than twice as likely to be under 50 (37 percent), including 4 percent under 30, than 65 or older (16 percent).

Almost 8 in 9 pastors (85 percent) are male. Two in 3 (66 percent) are first generation Americans, while 15 percent are second generation and 19 percent are third. Close to 3 in 4 are college graduates, including 44 percent who have a graduate degree, while 17 percent have some college and 10 percent have a high school education or less.

Theologically, 4 in 5 (79 percent) pastors at U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches self-identified as evangelical. Around 1 in 6 (16 percent) say they’re mainline.

6 things to help make your mission trip impactful

Let’s face it, churches spend a whole lot of money and time doing short-term mission trips around the globe. If we are going to invest so much, let’s do it right by being intentional from the beginning.

My husband, Tim, and I have hosted teams taking entry-level mission trips in Panama. Our goal is always to help churches not only see but experience their role in carrying out the missionary task. We’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Through the years, we’ve found when you add prayer to the following six things, your mission trip will be intentional and impactful:

1. Flexible doesn’t mean “wing it.” Send teams that are prepared.

Try to paint a picture for your team about what they signed up to do. Help them know what to pack, wear and what not to take. Make sure your team leaders spend time talking to missionaries on the field. They will have tips and hints on the best way to prep your team. Practice cultural greetings. Try food that might seem weird. Take a bucket bath. Talk about the concept of “time” as it relates to the people you will serve. This helps to get the “Ooh that’s weird” comments out of the way while still in the U.S. When you get to your country of service, it’s easier to slide right into the culture.

Short-term trips are jam packed with activities. This means it is important to have your Bible lessons already prepared and be comfortable sharing the gospel. Not only will you have an immediate impact, but you’ll have time to invest in relationships, not to mention sleep more. No long nights preparing for the next day!

2. Partner with local believers. We can help!

Yes, work with your IMB missionary but let us connect you to local believers, churches and ministries. While this may not be possible in every country, work toward partnering with nationals already doing the work. This is important for discipleship. After you go back home, what’s the plan for discipling the new followers of Christ? By partnering with local churches, not only will they take over the task of discipleship, but you become sister churches supporting each other.

3. If nationals can do it, you shouldn’t.

The last thing we want to do is create dependency. Being tied to ministries with national believers keeps dependency down. Spend your time empowering, not enabling. This means if your trip involves teaching a Vacation Bible School, it’s your job to mentor and encourage the local believer as they teach beside you. This allows them to recreate the ministry after you are gone.

This is an important principle with almost any type of ministry, whether it’s door-to-door evangelism or putting on a new roof. This approach is not only biblical but provides a legitimate reason for being in parts of town tourists don’t normally see.

4. The only solution you need is for lostness.

It’s in our nature to fix things and make it better. The Lord reminded me years ago that I didn’t have enough power or resources to fix all the problems in the world. What you can try to fix, however, is your new friend’s eternity. Each day 157,690 people die without Christ. You have the solution for a lost world — the gospel!

5. The entire church should be involved, not just the five traveling.

A short-term trip can transform the entire church. Have a plan to get everyone involved from the beginning and afterward. Ask classes to pray. Create notes of encouragement for your team to read — this can be done by kids, teens and adults. Study the country and people as a congregation. Stay connected with the team while they are ministering.

When the team returns, the trip isn’t over. Your church will be forever changed by this experience. Use this opportunity as a springboard to deepen your church’s walk with the Lord.

6. Short-term trips should lead to a long-term commitment.

Be forward thinking from the very beginning. There are more than 7,000 people groups among the least reached with the gospel in the world. It’s going to take all of us working together to reach the nations. This long-term commitment may lead to ministries not only with a people group in another country but also with them in your own community.

We want to empower short-term mission teams to make disciples and multiply churches among the least reached peoples of the world. The IMB will help prepare you to serve alongside missionaries and national believers.

FBI offers $25k reward for information on pregnancy support center attacks

NASHVILLE (BP)—The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information related to attacks on pregnancy support centers.

“As part of a national effort to bring awareness to a series of attacks and threats targeting reproductive health service facilities across the country, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for these crimes,” the FBI’s statement said.

In Washington, D.C., FBI Director Christopher Wray said, “Today’s announcement reflects the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue investigations into crimes against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and reproductive health clinics across the country.”

Three centers in Portland, Ore., were either vandalized or fire-bombed. Messages were spray-painted on the Mother and Child Education Center in Portland, the FBI said.

The attacks, which occurred on May 8, June 10, July 4 and July 6 of last year, are all referenced in the release.

The Gresham Pregnancy Resource Center and the Oregon Right to Life building in Portland were included in the attacks. Molotov cocktails were thrown into the facilities, causing significant fire damage in Gresham.

The FBI said video surveillance at the Right to Life building shows a possible suspect driving a white 2017-2018 Hyundai Elantra.

Dozens of other attacks were carried out across the country during the spring and summer of 2022.

In Nashville, the Hope Clinic for Women was vandalized on June 30, 2022.

“We are grateful for all the support we’ve received from law enforcement,” said Hope Clinic CEO Kailey Cornett in written comments to Baptist Press. “News of this development reminds me of my initial thoughts when security camera footage was found for our incident – my heart goes out to the woman (or man) whose anger and pain brought them to the point of causing damage like that. We are continuing to pray they find hope and healing.”

The FBI says perpetrators could face up to 20 years in prison for the attacks.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or to submit their tip at tips.fbi.gov.

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

First post-Roe March for Life marked by ‘celebration and resolve’

WASHINGTON (BP)—Thousands of pro-life Americans gathered Friday, Jan. 20, for the 50th annual March for Life to rejoice in a long-sought victory and to restate their commitment to protect preborn children and care for their mothers.

Initiated in 1974, the latest March for Life was the first to be held since the U.S. Supreme Court overruled in June of last year the Roe v. Wade decision. That 1973 ruling legalized abortion nationwide, ultimately resulting in the deaths of more than 60 million preborn children, and prompted the launch of the pro-life march a year later. The high court’s June ruling returned abortion regulation to the states.

Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), and other staff members participated in the march and the rally that preceded it on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

“This year’s March for Life is one of both celebration and resolve,” Leatherwood said in written comments for Baptist Press. “It is an extraordinary reality that at what we thought would be the 50-year mark of the disastrous Roe decision, we are gathered here today in a post-Roe world.

“It is right and good to take a moment to celebrate that our nation has taken this first step towards protecting life,” he said. “But we know that more work remains.

“We will press on towards a day when both mothers and their children are fully valued as image-bearers of God. We are committed to establishing a true culture of life by developing innovative solutions and policies that actually serve mothers and help families flourish, and we will march until abortion is no more.”

The march came two days before Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and the actual date of the Roe opinion, Jan. 22. It was the 38th year for the observance on the SBC calendar, one many Southern Baptist churches commemorate.

In celebrating Roe’s reversal, March for Life President Jeanne Mancini expressed gratitude at Friday’s rally to the marchers and to longtime pro-life advocates, including the late Nellie Gray, the march’s founder. After Roe was reversed, the March for Life staff was often asked if the event would continue, Mancini said.

“[W]hile the march began as a response to Roe, we don’t end as a response to Roe being overturned,” said Mancini, March for Life’s president. “Why? Because we’re not yet done.

“While this year marks our most significant victory, the human rights abuse of abortion is far from over” she said. “We will continue to march until the human rights abuse of abortion is a thing of the past. We will march until abortion is unthinkable.“

The theme of this year’s march was “Next Steps: Marching Into a Post-Roe America.” Speakers addressed the future efforts of the pro-life movement, including through legislation, adoption and maternity homes.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, whose defense of the state’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks’ gestation led to Roe’s reversal, rejoiced in the Supreme Court decision and said, “But this is not the end of our journey.

“Until we can give women when they are most vulnerable what they need and what their children need to thrive, and until we can make changes in our laws that reflect our compassion for all life and until we can change hearts and minds in our fellow Americans, until then, life remains fragile and the embrace of human dignity remains aspirational,” she said at the rally.

Standing with other members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said he attended the first March for Life as the leader of a college pro-life organization.

“Countless times we chanted the slogan, ‘Hey, hey, ho, ho, Roe versus Wade has got to go,’ and today we celebrate—Roe is gone,” he told the crowd.

“The United States and the world must recognize the breathtaking miracle of the newly created life of an unborn child and that women deserve better than abortion,” Smith said. “We need to care for them both.”

The House is expected to vote soon on his legislation, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, Smith said. The legislation would bar federal funding of abortion.

The March for Life changed its route this year in acknowledgement of the post-Roe, political reality. Instead of marching straight to the Supreme Court building, participants passed the Capitol on the House side on the way in recognizing Congress’ important role of regulating abortion at the federal level.

Rep. Trenee’ McGee—an African-American Democrat in the Connecticut legislature—commended black pro-life women and said of what she described as the “systematically racist abortion industry:”

“You’ve mocked impoverished communities all while putting clinics in them. You’ve told me I can’t be black and pro-life because black women need abortion more than anyone.”

Former National Football League coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren encouraged the crowd to continue in the pro-life cause. The Dungys have 11 children, eight by adoption.

As an adoptive mother, Lauren Dungy said she is “so grateful for these birth moms who chose life rather than abortion. They’ll never know what a blessing it is to have these children in our life.”

In the post-Roe era, “we have to pray that we will have enough adoptive families to care for these precious lives,” she said.

Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus in the television series “The Chosen,” said at the rally, “History has been made. Life has triumphed in a miraculous way.”

After reading from Psalm 139 about David’s testimony of God’s sovereign care for him in the womb, Roumie said, “Having lived under a grim cloud of darkness for the last 50 years, the world has once again been given a glimmer of hope. And I pray that with this recent step in protecting life, despite the grievous nature of what we’ve allowed, that God might still look upon us in His infinite mercy and see the hearts of those of us here in support of life today and say to us in this hour, ‘It is good.’ And it is good, but it is far from finished.”

In the closing prayer, evangelist and Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham prayed “for the millions of women who feel that they have no hope, that they’re condemned because they had an abortion. Father, my prayer is for these millions of women that they will come to know that You love them and care for them and that You will forgive them of their sin if they would repent and believe on the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.”

March for Life intends to expand the number of marches in states, Mancini told the crowd. Marches will be held in 10 states this year, and the plan is to hold marches in all 50 states in the next five to seven years, she said.

‘God providing’ in hard-hit places following Alabama tornado outbreak

HAYNEVILLE, Ala.—Davey Lyon spent a lot of time over the weekend flipping burgers. He and around 20 volunteers served food from his church’s pull-behind grill to the people of Selma in the aftermath of a tornado that hit their city Jan. 12.

“It’s pretty bad in Selma. Think of Tuscaloosa, just on a smaller scale,” said Lyon, pastor of Imago Dei Church at the 45 in nearby Lowndes County, referring to the tornado that tore through the middle of Tuscaloosa in 2011. “In Selma, it started on the west end and came all the way through town.”

Huge trees are down, houses are destroyed and power is out for many in the city.

Lyon said looking at the damage, “it’s only by God’s grace that there aren’t hundreds of casualties.”

Making good progress

And the people of Selma know that, he said. His wife, Amber, said as she talked to people in the community, they’re just grateful to be alive and thankful for the people who are coming in to help them put their lives back together.

That includes Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief teams who are working hard to clear neighborhoods and fill job requests. Mark Wakefield, state disaster relief strategist, said volunteers have gotten a lot of traction in their first couple of days and are making good progress.

“Selma is an old town with big trees, and that’s slowing them down a little,” he said. “But they’re getting it done.”

Wakefield said Elkdale Baptist Church is a “phenomenal host” for teams as a command center. Teams from Walker, St. Clair, Pickens, Colbert Lauderdale, Shelby and North Jefferson Baptist associations as well as others have been working and will continue to work there this week.

He said teams are also working in the hard-hit areas of Autauga, Elmore, Coosa and Tallapoosa counties.

Lyon and other volunteers have been helping to feed the teams in Selma, along with Alabama Power employees and Selma residents who need a hot meal. He said God recently provided the church with the pull-behind grill and other equipment they’ve been able to use this week.

‘God has just provided’

And he’s seen God meet their needs too as they’ve grilled. The night the tornado hit, he bought $700 worth of food, and he had one person bring him $200 and another person $500 without him asking or disclosing the total amount to either of them.

“We made 180 boxes and got those out that first day (Jan. 13),” Lyon said.

After giving out that food, he went back to Sam’s to buy food for the next day and doubled the amount — around $1,300 of food.

“Then I got a text from a guy we were able to give some food to that day, and he said his company wanted to cover it,” Lyon said. “God has just provided.”

He said they were able to prepare 400 meal boxes Saturday (Jan. 14), and about $8,000 worth of donations have come in since then from people who have seen the posts on social media and want to help.

This article originally appeared on The Alabama Baptist.

Family drops everything, hits the road to encourage church planters nationwide

ALPHARETTA, Ga.—Kevin and Casey Kilgore had what most would consider normal lives. Kevin had served as an associate pastor at Northside Baptist Church in Tifton, Ga., for 14 years. They had four daughters—all in public schools, a mortgage—and a cat.

The Kilgores imagined spending the rest of their lives serving the Tifton community.

But then God said go.

So, the family of six sold their home, their vehicles, and most of their possessions. They bought a fifth-wheel RV in August 2021 and took off across North America, encouraging church planters in the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) send cities. As they’ve visited church planters, they’ve grown more and more excited about how God is using Southern Baptists throughout North America.

“We love what God is doing through Southern Baptists in North America,” Kevin Kilgore said. “We want to be a mouthpiece and to share with churches what NAMB is doing and how they can be a part of it.”

Less than 18 months later, the Kilgores have visited 42 of 50 U.S. states. They have been to 27 of NAMB’s send cities, and they aren’t finished yet. They’ve encouraged more than 125 church planters.

Like many others, 2020 shook up the lives of the Kilgore family. On top of all the changes everyone experienced that year, the family’s beloved pastor, Northside’s Fred Evers, passed away after a yearlong battle with cancer. They were heartbroken at the loss of their pastor, and they also knew that the church would experience a profound season of change. So, the family began asking, what’s next?

Through his ministry at Northside, Kevin had frequently worked with Send Network church planters through NAMB. One day, while perusing the NAMB website, some statistics caught his eye, particularly about how challenging church planting can be for planter families.

“It was clear that discouragement is a big part of that picture,” said Kevin, who considers encouragement one of his spiritual gifts. “I just really became burdened for the church planters, and I asked God, ‘Well, yes, I have this burden, but what can I do about it? What can we as a family do about that particular issue?’”

That’s when God began to give Kevin a vision for Through the Eyes of Our Tribe, the ministry the family created to encourage North American church planters. Casey sensed the same call.

In each city they visit, the Kilgores connect with church planters beforehand. Always looking for tangible ways to serve church planters, they often take a planter’s family out for a meal. They pray for them. Sometimes, they participate in ministry activities to support the church plant. A few times, God has led them to meet specific needs in the planting family’s life or in the life of their church.

For example, a church planter told the family last October that he’d like to be able to pass out full-sized candy bars with information about the church to trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood. The Kilgores created an Amazon wish list of candy bars, shared it through social media, and they met the need. The family did something similar last summer to help a church plant with a backpack outreach prior to the start of the school year.

“Encouragement for us looks different in each situation,” Casey said. “I think the bottom line is just spending the time with the planter and his family, getting to know them. Then out of that, we get all kinds of different opportunities for connection.”

The family also visits a church plant each Sunday. Sometimes, they take the pastor out for lunch afterward. The experience has opened their eyes to the many unique expressions of church among Southern Baptist church plants.

“It has been very interesting to see the experiences of people in other parts of our country. The way church is done in South Georgia where I’m from is so different from the way church is done in Utah, California or New York,” said 16-year-old Chloe Kilgore. “However, there is one thing that is constant everywhere we have been; God is working.”

The Kilgores said they’ve had a number of highlights in the past 16 months. They’ve particularly enjoyed opportunities when they have been able to work together as a family to serve church planters and their communities. They specifically mentioned their older daughters babysitting for church planters in Pittsburgh so the parents could have a much-needed night out. They have also served together at a fall festival in New York City and helped paint a church and build its staircase in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans.

After spending the holidays in Georgia in 2022, the Kilgore family had the chance to travel to Alpharetta in early January 2023 and meet NAMB personnel, including president Kevin Ezell.

“I was so glad to recently hear firsthand about the Kilgore family’s travels throughout North America to visit our missionaries,” said Ezell. “Kevin and Casey are a remarkable couple, and what they are doing has meant so much to our church planters and their families. Their story reminds all of us of the sacrifices our missionaries are making and how important it is for us to remember them, pray for them and find ways to encourage them.”

Kevin Kilgore said the past 16 months have taught him much about his relationship with God, most importantly about how God provides when you step out in faith.

“Oftentimes, you don’t know where things are going long-term. You don’t know exactly where the support is going to come from,” Kevin said. “But as you take steps, and God confirms that call, God shows up. It just builds that faith more and more as you go along. That’s been a recurring theme, as we’ve been on the road and God has provided and made a way for us to do the ministry that he’s called us to do.”

To follow the ministry of the Kilgore family and to find more information about how individuals and churches can support their ministry, visit throughtheeyesofourtribe.com.

Southern Baptists provide food, shelter, generators as Ukraine enters winter during war

LVIV, Ukraine—Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid have plunged roughly 10 million Ukrainians into darkness and cold as the winter months have closed in. Donations through Send Relief, the Southern Baptist compassion ministry, are providing churches across Ukraine and Eastern Europe with food, generators and resources to house refugees during this critical season of ministry.

“This winter is going to be life-threatening. It’s a matter of survival for the Ukrainian people,” said Jason Cox, Send Relief Vice President of International Ministry. Some of the most urgent physical needs Send Relief is meeting are food, warm clothes, assistance in winterizing damaged homes, heating supplies and generators.

Because of the generosity of Southern Baptists, Send Relief partners have already been providing churches in Ukraine with generators so that they can offer heat and housing for internally displaced persons, of which there are 6.54 million in the country. Gifts to Send Relief are also funding power supplies for countries across Eastern Europe, like Moldova, where more than 60 Baptist churches are preparing for an influx of 250,000 refugees during the winter months.

Through partnerships with churches and Baptist Unions all over Europe, Send Relief continues to meet dire hunger needs for displaced Ukrainians. One such initiative is feeding 3,300 Ukrainians every week for the next six months through food packages sent by Polish national partners and distributed by Ukrainian churches to their local communities.

Southern Baptist donors are also helping Send Relief’s partners from the Czech Republic to work with Ukrainian churches near the front lines to distribute food where civilians have nothing to eat, making way for opportunities to share the Gospel and connect people with a local church.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Nauris and Sanita Graudiņš, a church-planting couple in Latvia, have been hosting Ukrainian refugees from Mariupol at their hotel. Gifts to Send Relief are allowing them to continue their ministry as they help Ukrainians find medical care, jobs, childcare and schooling. They also hold worship services every Sunday and are available to listen and provide spiritual support to the refugees.

“We could not be responding with the pace and the scale that we are if it weren’t for the generosity of Southern Baptists,” said Cox.

To date, gifts to Send Relief have sponsored nearly 100 projects to help Ukrainian families across Europe, more than half of which have taken place inside Ukraine. Send Relief expects to serve more than 1.6 million Ukrainian refugees through its ongoing projects as the work continues into 2023.

Reports from just one third of the projects have recorded that 48,000 Ukrainians have heard the Gospel and 16,000 have accepted Christ because of Southern Baptists’ gifts to Send Relief. Additionally, 466 European national churches have been involved in Send Relief’s response, showing the organization’s commitment to working through the local church.

Send Relief President Bryant Wright emphasized the importance of continued Southern Baptist support to meet the needs of Ukrainians: “Now winter has set in. The needs are overwhelming and a large portion of the gifts for Ukraine have already been distributed. May SBC Christians consider giving through Send Relief this winter to meet some of these overwhelming needs.”

Send Relief leaders shared that Southern Baptists can support these efforts by praying, raising awareness about the ongoing needs in their church communities and donating to Send Relief’s Ukraine crisis fund. Specific prayer requests and other details about Send Relief’s ongoing efforts can be found on that page.

New Mexico church majors on prayer, evangelism

AZTEC, N.M. (BP)—“It is so simple,” says Pastor Mike Napier. “It’s prayer and evangelism. That’s all that it is. Everything that is happening is the power of God’s Spirit moving in our midst.”

As of mid-December, First Baptist Aztec, where about 200 people gather for Sunday morning worship, has baptized 244 people since Napier was called as pastor in late 2018.

“This is a prayer movement. A movement of the Holy Spirit,” the pastor said.

First Aztec has at least one prayer group that gathers to pray each day, Sunday through Thursday. Every other month First Aztec also has a “Tuesday Time of Prayer.” The church opens its doors on those Tuesdays between 5:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. specifically for prayer. Sometimes those who come are asked to pray for specific items in the life of the church. Other times people read Scripture out loud and pray.

“It is significant that we have groups of people at the church praying Sunday through Thursday,” the pastor said. “This is the reason we are seeing souls saved and lives changed. Prayer is the foundation for what is happening in our church and in this region. It’s all the power of God.”

First Aztec also utilizes “Worship Center Intercessors,” (WCI) developed by Napier. Each WCI has a section in the 250-seat worship center. At some point during the week WCIs come individually to the church and pray over their section. They pray over their section again before the worship service starts Sunday morning and after it, engage with people they do not yet know who sit in their section.

The WCIs are trained to approach people they do not know and engage them with three questions: “I’m still getting to know everyone here; is this your first time?” Second: “What brought you here today?” And the third question: “How can I pray for you right now?”

“And then they pray right then with the person,” Napier said. “God continues to use this in fantastic ways.”

Psalm 107:1-3 is the foundation of the Worship Center Intercessors’ ministry.

“This passage tells us we have been set free from the power of the enemy and we need to tell our story,” the pastor said. “Yet we also have the responsibility to pray for others to be set free and drawn to the Father. We must pray for people to be drawn from the North, South, East and the West. This is a large part of what we pray over the seats in the worship center.

“It’s all unleashed through prayer,” Napier continued. “We are asking our Father for souls to be saved and for lives to be changed. We are praying for people whom we have never seen before to fill these chairs. We already know we are praying His will. This is why Jesus came: ‘to seek and to save the lost.’”

Sunday School is the hub of life at First Aztec, the pastor said.

“That’s where relationships are formed and where ministry happens. People are ministered to and have the opportunity to minister to others. Sunday School is a great place for discipleship to happen as we do life together. Sunday School is also where people discover a place to serve in the life of the church and its five functions: discipleship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship and worship.”

First Baptist Aztec has grown from four adult Sunday School classes to 11 since 2018, and provides two morning worship services to allow for growth.

“We have discipleship classes on Sunday and Wednesday nights. We offer a variety of classes so people can grow alongside others in their relationship with God,” the pastor said. “It’s so cool to see that ‘Aha!’ moment. I’ve had people say, ‘In this top part of the Bible it says Matt. 2:7. What does that mean?’ They know nothing. These are adults who have never been taught the basics. They just don’t know. It’s so exciting to see adults get it.”

The church has a guest reception area overseen by deacons and their wives. WCIs direct first-time guests there to pick up their “favorite Coke and candy bar.” They also receive a mug with the church’s logo on it, and Napier engages in conversation and prayer with each guest. During this time an appointment is arranged. The pastor meets with the guest at their home or the church office, and shares the Gospel with them.

Among First Baptist Aztec’s local ministries are a funeral ministry and a ministry to the public school. The church conducts funerals and provides a meal for the family after the funeral/memorial service at no cost.

“This is such a great ministry to unchurched and unreached people,” Napier said. “We have seen people become followers of Christ through this ministry. It brings such hope at a very hard time.”

Napier, who has 15 years of law enforcement experience, serves as a chaplain for the San Juan County Sheriff’s office. Two deputies, members of First Aztec, have surrendered to the gospel ministry, are attending college on-line and being discipled by Napier.

First Aztec has had a part in starting four churches: two in Aztec, one on the Navajo reservation, and one in Phoenix. The church gives more than 20 percent of its offerings to missions, including 8 percent through the Cooperative Program and 2 percent to San Juan Baptist Association.

“I have been a pastor and served on convention staff,” Napier said. “I have seen how our Cooperative Program dollars are utilized. I have attended Southwestern Baptist and Golden Gate [now Gateway] seminaries. I have served alongside IMB missionaries on several international mission trips. I love the Cooperative Program.

“I’ve seen what the Cooperative Program does. I’ve seen the impact it has on lostness.”

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.