Author: Russell Lightner

Disaster relief has carried South Texas couple across many, many miles to serve people in crisis

Bringing their best in the worst of times

When the first quick response feeding unit (QRU) was acquired by Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief five years ago, Director Scottie Stice knew it was something special. All he needed was a pair of volunteers to pioneer the effort.

He found that team in Ronnie and Connie Roark, and the couple has since been joined by others as the SBTC DR QRU fleet has grown to four units.

The QRU—whether in trailer or vehicle form—is a small, highly mobile food truck that can be rapidly deployed in emergency situations. Mass feeding units require considerable setup and staff, but the QRU can be in place preparing meals within hours with only two volunteers.

“The key to the QRU’s success is flexibility,” Stice said.

SBTC DR QRUs deployed more times in 2022 than similar units from all state Baptist DR teams combined, Stice noted, adding, “We look for opportunities to serve [using the QRUs] and ask, ‘Why not?’”

The QRU can be a rapid response godsend. It has been called on to prepare 50 meals per day for first responders battling wildfires in West Texas one moment, and the next, to churn out its maximum of 700 meals per day for hurricane survivors in Southeast Texas.

“We knew we wanted to do something to help but did not know how we could. We visited with our preacher, Brother Bret Edwards, and he told us about SBTC DR.”

Ronnie Roark Tweet

Called to feed others

The Roarks, who live southeast of San Antonio and attend Salem Sayers Baptist Church, became involved with SBTC DR in 2017 during Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts.

“We knew we wanted to do something to help but did not know how we could. We visited with our preacher, Brother Bret Edwards, and he told us about SBTC DR,” Ronnie recalled. The Roarks attended an SBTC DR mass feeding training session the following week in San Antonio and signed on.

“The following Monday we were at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, cooking for our support volunteers, and we’ve been cooking since,” Connie said.

The couple, who met and married in Abilene in 1974, moved to the San Antonio area in 2015 to be near family, joining Salem Sayers the following year. Ronnie had retired from a 34-year career with an electrical power company and Connie—who formerly worked in banking—had operated a home-based business until 2006.

As they attended training in the wake of Harvey, they felt called to the feeding ministry.

While deployed at Champion Forest, they met Stice. Ronnie suggested adding a small supply trailer to alleviate the need for daily restocking trips for the large mass-feeding kitchen.

“Scottie told us about a new ministry he had been thinking of starting with a small team running a cooking trailer,” Connie recalled. “His problem was that he did not have a team to run the new QRU.”

“You do now,” the Roarks exclaimed.

And the rest is history.

In addition to the unit maintained by Salem Sayers Baptist, SBTC DR has two other food trailer QRUs: one in Pampa, maintained by the Top O’ Texas Baptist Association, and the newest addition at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jasper. Lake Athens Baptist Church operates a food truck donated by Houston’s First Baptist. This regional system makes quick deployment possible, more so than if the equipment was stored in a central warehouse.

A mobile refrigerated/freezer unit was also added in 2022 and has the capacity to carry food and supplies to prepare 3,000 meals, Ronnie said, adding, “This unit was used in our recent deployment to Fort Myers, Fla., and proved its value.” In Florida, the QRU—manned by the Roarks and other volunteers who relieved them—cranked out an average of 120 meals per day for 46 days to serve volunteers, first responders, and survivors of Hurricane Ian last October.

No town ‘forgotten’

As for the Roarks’ most memorable deployments, the couple recalls being sent to the Rio Grande Valley in June 2019 to respond to flooding. As the pair were en route, the national relief agency that had contacted SBTC DR offices for assistance canceled the request.

“You’re on the road. Keep going. We’ll figure out where you will set up and what our mission will be while you’re driving,” Stice told the Roarks.

With a team also consisting of Pastor Edwards and his daughter, the Roarks drove to Raymondville and parked in a grocery store parking lot at the floodwater’s edge. As they waited, two women approached to inquire about the unit.

“It’s just what we need,” one of the women said. With permission, the team proceeded to First Methodist Raymondville, where the church operated a clinic, and within three hours were serving 300 hamburgers.

“We remained onsite for around five days,” Ronnie said. “When we left, our recovery teams set up at the church. Lesson learned? You may not know the plan, but God always does.”

City and county officials are almost always grateful for the work of the QRU and other DR units. The Roarks recalled deploying to the Lake Charles, La., area—specifically the hamlet of Lake Arthur—following Hurricane Delta in 2020. There they worked in support of the Texas Salvation Army.

“[Quick Response Units] have been very active since their beginning in 2018. We have responded to hurricanes, structural fires, forest fires, tornadoes, floods, and mass shootings.”

Ronnie Roark Tweet

The Lake Arthur mayor, police chief, fire chief, and city manager assisted in the distribution of food. The mayor told the Roarks Lake Arthur was often the “forgotten town” when storms hit and that they appreciated the assistance. When the Roarks passed on the sentiments to Salvation Army coordinator Kathy Clark, relief crews worked with determination to ensure that the town was by no means forgotten.

“God’s message of hope was shared in this community,” Ronnie said. “Many felt the touch of God that week.”

Like the song made famous by Johnny Cash, the Roarks have “been everywhere.”

“QRUs have been very active since their beginning in 2018. We have responded to hurricanes, structural fires, forest fires, tornadoes, floods, and mass shootings. Along with providing support during disasters, we also helped in feeding the homeless in Austin and later fed the volunteers supporting the Houston Food Bank while distributing supplies during COVID. Not only have we served across Texas, but also in New Mexico, Louisiana, Florida, and Nebraska,” Ronnie said.

“Round wheels are on our QRUs so they can roll to wherever they’re needed to provide a hot meal and the hope of Jesus,” Stice said, adding, “Our volunteers energize the system. We go where the Lord directs.”

Interested in SBTC’s Disaster Relief ministry?

What’s your story? I let God use my life to introduce others to Him

I’ve served Era Baptist Church [near Gainesville] for 50 years. I’m not a teacher. I can show you how to do something, but I’m not the guy to teach a class. I joke sometimes that I’m a flunky, the guy you call when you need something done behind the scenes.

I started as a contract worker for the Era school district after my employer of 20 years, National Supply—they made oil field equipment—closed down. The job at National Supply covered a lot of different kinds of work, but I liked the assembly line best. I also did a lot of different things for the school district. I drove a school bus for 12 years, cleaned bathrooms and other kinds of custodial work, and eventually supervised the custodial workers.

Patsy, my wife, has been gone for six years. We were together for 62 years and raised four children. She was from Gainesville, so it was natural for us to move back to the area after I ended my eight-year service in the U.S. Air Force. I joined in 1953 and was trained as an aircraft mechanic. As I traveled from one base to another, I spent some time in Wichita Falls. That’s where Patsy and I married and started our family.

I loved flying as a flight engineer, but that became impossible because of a collapsed lung. Also, our eldest son, Ronnie, had muscular dystrophy and some of the duty stations weren’t compatible with his care. Although having a child with special needs wasn’t easy, someone told me once that God gave Ronnie to a family who would love him and take care of him. It’s always seemed like a special job that God gave Patsy and me.

The people in Era made us feel at home. Ronnie, who was an eighth-grader in a wheelchair by now, had some classes that were upstairs in the school building. We didn’t have an elevator in those days, but the agriculture teacher said that he and some of the boys at school would build ramps for Ronnie if I’d provide the wood. That solved a big problem for our family.

After we moved back, a pastor from Gainesville, along with my father in-law, led me to Christ shortly after I left the Air Force. I was baptized here, back in 1962. Some of the lessons my aunt, who was my teacher at church when I was a child, taught me about God and serving Him stuck with me, even if I had not yet believed.

We moved to Era Baptist Church in 1973, and I’m 89 years old now. There are some things I can’t do anymore. But the church asked me to be a deacon some years back. I’m still a deacon. One of the ways I serve our church is by being an example. When I was approached to serve as a deacon, the pastor remarked that people watched me, that they saw my example and learned from it. Part of that may be that I know so many of the younger people because they saw me at school.

My pastor remarked about how so many adults called me “Mr. Mode.” When he asked one of them if he knew my first name, the man grinned and said, “Mister.” They used to call my wife “Ma Mode” because she also worked in various jobs at the school district and was known by the kids. I received a note from a young lady in our church saying she was about to be married. She is the daughter of one of the students who knew me at the school district. I think her mother used to ride my bus. It’s a good feeling to have the respect of people so young.

"God is my boss, and I serve him in any way I’m able. As I get older, I’m blessed to have God’s people serve me as well."

Don Mode Tweet

Although I’m not a Bible teacher, I tell the younger people, “Just watch me,” and hope that the way I live is a lesson about how to follow God—what I do, what I don’t do. On Sundays when I can make it, I stand in the lobby of the church. Everyone who comes in gets a smile, a hug, and a handshake. I want to make them feel welcome so they can hear about the Lord.

I’ve also come to the point that I depend on my neighbors, friends, and church members to help me. Before Patsy died, she wrote a note to one of our friends and asked her to help me with the household business. Our friend came after Patsy died and collected all the financial records and bills and told me not to worry about them. In fact, she helps me with doctor appointments and other sorts of things. Some of the families from the church intentionally make “too much” dinner so they can bring me leftovers. Others will have me over for lunch or dinner. I’ve been very blessed to have the friends and neighbors I have.

So, what’s my story? God is my boss, and I serve him in any way I’m able. As I get older, I’m blessed to have God’s people serve me as well.

Want to share a story of what God is doing in your life or your church?

Share your story here

The urgency of the gospel

Imust admit, I am writing this article with deep sadness in my heart. A gentleman I know and have dealt with in various capacities passed away suddenly this week. He was quite unassuming and really did not have much of a family. He was a man of few words, a very private individual who lived alone all his life. Yet, he was a good man who poured his heart into the things he loved the most.

A while back, I was on a road trip and he decided to jump in and ride with me. As we drove, I had the opportunity to share the gospel with him. He was somewhat receptive and asked good questions, but he did not embrace Christ that day. I believe he felt like he had plenty of time in the future to make a decision for Christ. Honestly, I do not know if he ever put his faith in Jesus, but the reality that he is now gone burdens my heart deeply.

Upon receiving the news of his death, I immediately began to recall our conversation and my heart began to feel deep sorrow. Yes, I am sad he is no longer here. However, the deeper sorrow lies in my uncertainty of his eternity. I know he heard the gospel. I know he heard how to be saved and spend eternity with Jesus. I am just not sure he ever embraced Jesus.

"Take time today and think through how you can engage others with the gospel."

Nathan Lorick Tweet

This sorrow drives me to feel the urgency of the gospel once again. We constantly interact with people who are on their way to a Christless eternity in hell. We must feel the deep obligation and duty to share the gospel of Christ. These days, many leaders want to categorize ministry into boxes to justify the spiritual duties in which we may not be the strongest. We say things like, “Evangelism is not my spiritual gift” or “I am more into discipleship than evangelism.” The truth is, evangelism and discipleship are not mutually exclusive. They go hand in hand. If we are truly making disciples, we are training them to share the gospel. This must be driven by a burden to see the lost come to Christ.

Since hearing about the death of my friend, I have once again committed to be intentional with evangelism. I want to seek out those who are lost and without hope and tell them about the saving power of Jesus. I want my life to always be used as a mouthpiece for the gospel. My friend wasn’t concerned about the latest denominational controversy. He wasn’t in tune with the latest church trends. He didn’t spend time looking through people’s theological debates on Twitter. Nope, none of these. He was just living and trying to fill the void in his life.

I want to encourage you today to take time and pray for someone you know who is lost. Take time today and think through how you can engage others with the gospel. I encourage you to pray for a renewed sense of urgency to share the gospel every chance you get. I am grateful for my friend’s life. Oh, how I hope he placed his faith in Jesus at some point. Although I will not know where he spends his eternity until I stand before the Lord, I know his death has stirred passion in me to be a witness for Jesus every day of my life.

I love you and am honored to serve you! Let’s share Jesus!

Lone Star Scoop • March 2023

M3 WKND includes decisions for Christ, prayer for friends

EULESS —This year’s M3 WKND, held Jan. 13-14 at Cross City Church in Euless, provided many great visuals to remind students and their leaders that they are not alone—maybe none more poignant than a moment during the conference when 350 students got on their hands and knees to pray for lost friends and family members.

By the end of the event, 13 who attended made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ; another 22 answered a call to ministry.

“[Gen Z teenagers and the upcoming Gen Alpha teenagers] aren’t drawn to big events based on a personality anymore,” said Brandon Bales, student ministry associate for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. “Instead, they are drawn to the hope of deeper and wider relationships. At M3 WKND, we want to connect students to each other and remind them they aren’t alone in sharing the gospel deep and wide in this world.”

Bales said M3 WKND is a microcosm of M3 Camps, which are held in multiple locations in Texas and New Mexico during the summer.

—Texan Staff

God’s Not Done With You scheduled for April 1 release

EULESS God’s Not Done With You, a book authored by Cross City Church Senior Pastor John Meador, will be released April 1 through The Good Book Company.

The book will offer “nine amazing stories of faith that give us hope for our own challenging setbacks,” including biblical accounts of the lives of Joseph, Esther, and David. Through their stories, Meador writes about the “extraordinary changes of heart” experienced by those historical figures and “how God works in all things for the good of those who love Him,” according to a preview listed on Amazon, where the book is available for pre-order.

Meador has served as a lead pastor for four decades and has served as senior pastor at Cross City Church in Euless since 2006. His own story is one that is borne out of adversity, as he suffered a severe illness as a child that left him with irreversible hearing loss.

—Texan Staff

SBTC DR teams deploy to Central Texas after ice storm

AUSTIN The winter storm that pummeled a wide swath of the Lone Star State during the final days of January and the beginning of February prompted Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief to quickly deploy recovery teams to affected regions.

In the Austin area, First Baptist Church of Pflugerville suffered minor damage from falling tree limbs weighed down by ice. Church members began clearing debris by Feb. 2, said SBTC DR task force member Mike Northen, a retired FBC Pflugerville pastor.

“As things have thawed out, the situation is getting bigger,” said Scottie Stice, SBTC DR director, noting that reports of damage had come from Dripping Springs, Austin, Georgetown, and Pflugerville. “We are starting to hear reports of needs in Tyler and Athens [in East Texas] too,” he said. “The ice has done considerable damage to power lines and trees.”

Chaplains and assessors will deploy to affected areas once teams receive addresses of homes with damage. Other ministry areas will respond as the deployment expands, Stice said.

—Jane Rodgers

Mcmeans honored for 30 years of service

Jim Richards (left), Southern Baptists of Texas Convention executive director emeritus, presents a plaque honoring Ken McMeans for his 30 years of service to College Baptist Church in Big Spring. Richards made the presentation to McMeans on Jan. 29.

—Texan

Tayne honored for 35 years of service to MacArthur Blvd.

IRVING Karen Tayne, who serves as family minister for preschoolers at MacArthur Blvd. Baptist Church, was honored in early February by the church for 35 years of faithful service to its members.

Tayne has served in a variety of roles during her three-plus decades at the church. Those roles have included service as MacArthur’s children’s director, Mother’s Day Out director, and as generational ministry director. In her current role, her ministry focus spans from expectant parents to families with preschoolers.

Tayne has been a frequent speaker at Southern Baptists of Texas Convention events, including its annual Equip Conference, as well as being asked to make presentations at Southern Baptist Convention events that include breakout topics ranging from preschoolers to parenting.

She and her husband, Rob, have three adult children and three grandchildren.

—Texan Staff

Messenger pre-registration for SBC Annual Meeting opens

NEW ORLEANS Those wanting to pre-register as messengers and/or register for childcare at the upcoming SBC Annual Meeting can now do so at sbcannualmeeting.net.

Both became available on Feb. 1 in anticipation of the gathering slated for June 11-14 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The theme is Serving the Lord, Serving Others. The annual meeting returns to New Orleans for the first time since 2012. At that gathering, Fred Luter, Jr. was elected to become the first African American president in SBC history.

As he walked through an airport, current SBC President Bart Barber—pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville—took the opportunity to urge Southern Baptists to pre-register in a video he posted to Twitter.

“Get to your computer and sign up for those childcare spaces and get your church-approved messenger credentials all lined up so we can gather in New Orleans and celebrate what God is doing in the Southern Baptist Convention,” he said.

—Baptist Press

Whitten joins NAMB, will direct leadership ministry

MIAMI Ken Whitten, recently retired pastor of Idlewild Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla., will become national director of pastoral leadership at the North American Mission Board (NAMB) beginning in March. NAMB President Kevin Ezell shared the news at NAMB’s Board of Trustees meeting in Miami on Feb. 7.

Whitten aspires to be a connector, a counselor, and a comforter for ministry leaders no matter what stage or season of ministry they find themselves in, with the goal of boosting both them and their churches toward a place of health and vitality. One way he aims to connect pastors will be through prayer, to connect them to other pastors, and introduce them to resources and ideas.

“Ken Whitten is a lifelong friend and brother,” said Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. “His loving devotion to Christ, impeccable character, commitment to evangelism and church health and growth, strong pastoral gifts, and relational skills will be a huge blessing to pastors and church leaders.”

—NAMB

Bivocational pastor finding balance between wholehearted service, empowering congregation

Equipping the saints

Talk of a men’s Bible study had been happening for months at Trinity Baptist Church, but nothing ever seemed to materialize.

Joshua Wilken, the church’s bivocational pastor, had his hands full and knew it wouldn’t be wise to take on another responsibility. He was already teaching the adult Sunday school class, preaching the Sunday morning worship service, co-leading a couple’s Bible study with his wife, Emily, one Sunday per month, and taking his deacons through a curriculum to help them grow in their service to the church.

All of that in addition to balancing his full-time job as a business development manager who travels on a regular basis with being a husband and father of two children involved in sports.

Whew. Needless to say …

“Being bivocational, you’ve got to be pretty strategic and intentional about what you do because your time is extremely limited,” Wilken said. “You’ve got to guard your time because, if you don’t, you’ll lose all the time you have for your family.”

While any type of ministry service can be taxing, pastoring bivocationally can have its own unique stressors. Yet it also comes with benefits that can bless a pastor’s heart—such as the moment when one of Trinity’s deacons and another man in the church told Wilken they wanted to personally launch that men’s Bible study.

“That’s been one of the biggest blessings we’ve seen at Trinity—others stepping up and growing and taking charge in areas of ministry that maybe a [full-time] pastor would normally do,” Wilken said. “It’s just cool.”

“Being bivocational, you’ve got to be pretty strategic and intentional about what you do because your time is extremely limited.”

Joshua Wilken Tweet

‘I didn’t think I was ever going to pastor again’

It was a winding road that led Wilken and his family to Trinity. The Illinois native who said he couldn’t speak for longer than a minute in high school speech class began to sense a call to ministry during his teenage years. He preached his first sermon at age 16 but admitted he spent several years “running from the Lord” as he pursued his childhood dream of becoming a law enforcement officer.

Wilken moved to Texas in 2005 and began pursuing that dream in 2006, shortly after marrying Emily—whom he had met when her church came to Illinois for a mission trip several years earlier. By 2007, he realized serving as a peace officer wasn’t going to satisfy the call God had put on his heart. Less than a month after leaving law enforcement, he enrolled at Criswell College and began pastoring in East Texas.

Many joys and full-time service to several churches followed, but a difficult ministry season ultimately led Wilken to move his family to Royse City and then step away from the pastorate altogether. “At that point in my life,” Wilken said,
“I didn’t think I was ever going to pastor again.”

With vocational ministry in his rearview, Wilken began working in operations for a faith-based company. About five years in, he shifted to the company’s business development department, focusing on existing client relationships.

Just across the tree line from the Wilkens’ home sat Trinity Baptist Church. “It’s basically out my back door,” Wilken said. “I had seen it for several years and thought, ‘Man, that church has so much potential,’ not ever dreaming or knowing that God would put us there.”

As the story goes, Wilken was asked to fill the pulpit one Sunday during the summer of 2018, when Trinity’s pastor couldn’t be there. Wilken was asked to fill the pulpit once more that fall. By the end of the year, the church’s pastor left and Wilken agreed to help deliver the weekly sermon until Trinity could call its next pastor.

That next pastor’s name, he was sure, was not going to be Joshua Wilken.

“I was in a position to be able to help churches [without serving on staff], and that’s what I wanted to do,” he said.

Wilken served as the church’s interim pastor from January to June of 2019—and despite his initial insistence that he had no intent on serving the church in an official capacity—something began to change within him.

He began to fall in love.

“It was the people,” he said. “They had a hunger for the Lord, a hunger for the Word of God, and they genuinely wanted to reach people for Christ. In a small church like that … you don’t always see that. Everybody was united and everybody was in agreement, and just the love that they had—that’s why we’re here.”

During the interim period, Wilken informed church leadership that he and his family were beginning to have a change of heart. Even so, he said he asked that the church continue with its pastor search process. Only this time, he was willing to add his resume to the stack. In June 2019, Trinity dropped the interim title and called Wilken to be its next pastor.

“Being bivocational, you’ve got to be pretty strategic and intentional about what you do because your time is extremely limited.”

Joshua Wilken Tweet

A culture of growth

Trinity is well-positioned for growth. As professionals look for ways to escape the fast-lane lifestyle of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, an increasing number are calling points east along Interstate 30 home. Royse City—neighbor to another swelling I-30 community, Rockwall—has doubled in population twice in recent years and is expected to grow more than 30% before 2024, according to its community development corporation. It has more than 15,000 homes in development.

The church, likewise, is experiencing promising growth. Wilken said there were a couple dozen people attending Trinity when he answered the call to pastor there. Now, the church’s lone adult Sunday school class itself attracts about 30 people weekly.

It’s settings like that where Wilken said he thrives, spending time with and ministering to people. Even so, he said one of the biggest challenges of serving bivocationally is the limited amount of time he has to do those types of things. Because of that, he said he leans on his deacons (chairman Mario Retta, Dave Frierson, and Russ Mills) to help carry out the work of ministry, as well as relying on his ministry assistant, Lisa Retta.

“God is raising up people from within the church,” Wilken said. “I think that’s partly because I’m bivocational, and party because we’re specifically and strategically praying for that.”

Alex Gonzales, an associate with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention who focuses on bivocational ministry, said bivocational pastors make up the majority of pastors serving in Texas. When a congregation takes ownership in the ministry of the church, he said, it has far-reaching effects.

“The demand on these pastors and their families is difficult to put into words,” Gonzales said. “When members step up to fulfill ministry tasks … not only is this biblical, but also beneficial for everyone involved.”

bivo pastors
network

Bivocational pastors make up the majority of pastors across Texas and the demand on them and their families is difficult. The SBTC works to network with bivocational pastors across the state.

In a crisis, God hears us when we call out to Him

Editor’s note: This article was written prior to the most recent ice storm that impacted large portions of Texas at the end of January and beginning of February.

Texas winters are no joke, and our church found out just how challenging and demanding a Central Texas ice storm can be on Feb. 17, 2021. On that day, I entered our church on day three of a freeze that left our campus with no power to make sure our children’s education building did not have any water issues.

As I opened the church door, I stepped into ankle-deep water. The frigid waters shocked my system into action. I began calling the staff and building a team. I sloshed through the offices into the main foyer and found what seemed like Niagara Falls. I could see water running into our sanctuary and, on the other side of the foyer, running into our adult wing, as well.

We soon identified two more water lines that had burst. All total, we found five burst pipes, including those in our Family Life Center. Our children’s building—that I had initially ventured out in the ice and snow to check on—was not harmed at all.

When we finally got the water turned off, those in the building took a collective breath. I was stunned at the damage—and this on the heels of recently reopening our campus following the COVID shutdown. As I observed the men who responded to my call for help, I was encouraged by their general mood. There was no hand-wringing or despair in their voices. Instead, there was a calm in the midst of this storm that was still delivering its icy blast outside.

The following Sunday, we met in our Family Life Center—which, in and of itself, was a monumental project of moving sound equipment from the worship center, creating staging, and moving from recorded events to live-streaming. Once again, I was taken aback by the people surrounding me. I never heard a critical or derogatory word from anyone. It certainly was not business as usual, but it wasn’t an insurmountable obstacle, either. There was hope—hope declared through our congregation.

There was such camaraderie that I can only describe the response as the “Miracle for LBC.” Doom and gloom were absent, and in its place was laughter and stories filling the damaged halls, classrooms, and worship center. We had a common foe, and the Lord supplied the warriors"

Robert Crowder Tweet

Once we contacted our insurance company, we placed fans in all the rooms and hallways affected by the flood. We chose a team from our congregation to administer the clean-up and work with contractors and the insurance company. Once the water had subsided and the building was declared safe, we announced a work night to remove the drywall from the affected areas and to remove all the carpet and padding. We prayed we would have enough help. One of our staff members recalled that while he was driving to the church, he was praying that no one would be injured and that our church family would show up to help. He remembers tearing up as he turned into the property and saw 20-30 vehicles filled with equipment.

Inside the campus, the mood was electrifying. Among the mix of our members were non-members who had come from the community to help. Lake Belton High School brought sponsors and teens from its National Honor Society, cheerleaders, and members of the football team. I didn’t even know how they knew, but they responded to the call. Members we had not seen in over a year due to COVID were busy tearing out drywall, taking off faceplates, and moving pews. There was such camaraderie that I can only describe the response as the “Miracle for LBC.” Doom and gloom were absent, and in its place was laughter and stories filling the damaged halls, classrooms, and worship center. We had a common foe, and the Lord supplied the warriors.

Through all the adversity we had faced over the past several years, we did not close our doors or diminish in size. All our financial needs were met. We could have folded our tent. We could have focused on how horrible the situation was. However, out of this disaster, the Lord brought many new families. In the place of what could have been a dying church, God turned graves into gardens.

The Lord accomplished great things and saw His name glorified at Lakeview Baptist Church in the early months of 2021, and we are still feeling the effects today.

God is working in the ‘everyday moments,’ Trenton pastor says

Subtle, small, and powerful

Sometimes God moves in local churches through large numbers of baptisms or highly attended events, but He often works in steady, common ways that don’t immediately draw attention, said pastor Jason Points.

“I’m incredibly excited about what the Lord is doing here, and at this point what the Spirit is doing is predominantly unseen, but the Spirit is at work in very substantive ways,” said Points, who pastors First Baptist Church in Trenton, northeast of Dallas.

Points has been guiding the congregation to look for the Spirit at work in the small moments, he said, such as changing hearts and moving people closer to His will one step at a time. The church, which began in 1877, has had years of faithfulness—though seldom has something happened that would garner attention.

“The Spirit is doing incredible things in these little everyday moments, and part of what we’re trying to do now is help people see what the Spirit is doing so that they’re energized and refreshed by the work of God in their midst,” said Points, a two-time Criswell College graduate.

Trenton has been a farming community, and for many of its early years, preachers would come through and stay only a year or two, Points said. One of those who stayed a short time was James Truett, brother of former FBC Dallas pastor and SBC president George Truett, who lived in nearby Whitewright.

Only two pastors have served 10 years or more in the church’s history, and just a handful have served more than six years, Points said. In fact, he is the 40th pastor of First Baptist Trenton, having arrived in late 2021 after serving on staff at First Baptist Church in Farmersville.

“In terms of faithfully serving in a small church, [local church ministry is] so important because God has given His people various gifts, and the use of those gifts is vital.”

jason points Tweet

Despite a high turnover rate, First Baptist Trenton has loved its pastors well, something Points recalls noticing when he preached there one Sunday evening in 2013.

“They are a congregation that is sweet,” he said. “I think they’re a congregation that bears with one another. While there can be conflict, it’s not like we’re having church splits every time there’s a conflict. Over the last 12 years, they’ve been a church where expository preaching is welcomed.”

About 20 years ago, when the Trenton economy was better, the church had about 200 in attendance, Points said. Now they have 82 active members, and the average attendance is 60 on Sundays.

Points is a full-time pastor, and he said his wife’s full-time job with the city of Frisco makes that possible. Although the church’s finances are tight, First Baptist Trenton needs a full-time pastor to lead them where they want to go.

Last fall, the church started its first growth group—basically a community group that meets on Tuesday nights in someone’s home. About 15 people have been attending.

“We have a meal together. We go deeper into sermon application,” Points said. “We use the sermon to jump into what’s going on in our lives and how God’s Word applies in these given circumstances. The point is to grow deeper relationally and spiritually.”

The future is hopeful, Points said, because the church is located on a corridor between two roads leading to industrial areas. “When people want to move out of the city, this is one of the directions they’re moving.”

Even when flashy things aren’t happening and success seems elusive, Points values ministry in a local church because it’s “where God has covenanted His people together.”

“In terms of faithfully serving in a small church, it’s so important because God has given His people various gifts, and the use of those gifts is vital,” the pastor said. “As a result of people using their gifts in the local church, the church can be refreshed and revitalized.”

Part of getting people to see God at work in the everyday moments is tuning them in to the ways He can use the gifts He has given them, Points said.

Though First Baptist Trenton is seeking to reach people now, they’re simultaneously spending time on in-house matters as well, Points said, “so that we can be in a healthier place to invite people into something where they can be known and belong and be fed and equipped to serve.”

They shared tragedy and tears, but now they share a … perfectly bound love

When Patrick McGinty thinks of a role model and spiritual hero, John Powell comes to mind.

McGinty worked with Powell at Emmanuel Baptist Church, a plant of Northeast Houston Baptist Church in New Caney. “I remember thanking the Lord for the opportunity to have a front-row seat into the life of a man who was an incredible husband, father, friend, and pastor … the type I wanted to be,” McGinty said of Powell.

McGinty met Powell and his family in 2016, but they became close in 2018 when Patrick moved to the Houston area to serve on staff with John at Emmanuel.

“John and I were the only two staff members, so we spent all day every day together. [The Powells] were my closest friends in Houston, and they welcomed me into the family. I was in their home all the time,” McGinty recalled.

McGinty knew EBC was only for a short season, as he desired to work in the marketplace while serving in a local church. He moved to San Antonio and became a store director with HEB grocery, while helping lead the student ministry at his church.

His closest friends, mentors, and pastors—including Powell—encouraged him to pursue full-time ministry.

“My goal was to spend 30 years at HEB, retire as a senior executive, and pastor a church full-time in retirement,” McGinty recalled.

COVID hit, and McGinty, like most in the grocery business, worked 70-80 hours a week. Following the worst of the pandemic, he was spending time with the Lord and began to feel “released” from the corporate career path. To reach his goals at HEB, he would have to work a schedule incompatible with the type of husband and father he wanted to be. Little did he know what lay ahead, but he decided to take a step back at work in favor of ministry.

“I still think about it every day, praising the Lord for how He cared for us in that time.”

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Greater love hath no man …

On Saturday, July 18, 2020, John Powell was traveling with friend Jeremy Blest on U.S. Highway 75 to pick up an old truck for a restoration project. While driving near Denton, they saw a distressed motorist whose vehicle was on fire. Stopping immediately, John and Jeremy rushed out of their pickup to assist. After pulling the motorists to safety, John spotted an oncoming 18-wheeler bearing down on Jeremy. Without hesitation, he pushed Jeremy out of the way, sacrificing himself.

He left behind his wife, Katherine, their four young kids aged 4-11, and his church.

Upon learning of the tragedy, Katherine turned to God. “I asked the Lord to come near, telling Him that I needed Him. That is exactly what He did,” she recalled.

The outpouring of love, support, and prayer from the global church, local church, and loved ones was overwhelming. “I still think about it every day, praising the Lord for how He cared for us in that time,” she said.

One example of the Lord’s provision was a gift to Pine Cove family camp in East Texas a few weeks after John’s death. The Lord used that week, specifically a talk on biblical hospitality, to give Katherine a clear vision of what was next. She sensed that the Lord might be calling her to College Station, home to Texas A&M University, to minister to college students.

“I knew college students would bring life into our home and that it could be sweet for my kids to see students that age walking with Jesus. I wanted to be able to pour into them and share about walking with the Lord, especially through difficult times,” she said.

Over the next months, the Lord gave each of the kids a desire to move to College Station as well. “The Lord was very kind in that transition. It was a sweet season in many ways,” Katherine said. “The kids and I learned that we could live with the deep grief of missing John and the life we had in New Caney while at the same time experiencing joy in where the Lord brought us in College Station.”

One year later

Meanwhile, McGinty was content both in his decision to leave the corporate world and in his singleness. He would tell younger guys he discipled, “The decision of who you marry is the most important decision you will ever make outside of a decision for Christ. I would rather be single than married to the wrong person.”

Katherine also felt content in her singleness and the circumstances in which the Lord had placed her and the kids. She thought a relationship sounded like a lot of work and exhausting.

Unbeknownst to either, Patrick and Katherine thought of each other occasionally. When they did, each prayed for the other. They were also the subjects of others’ prayers.

One day Nathan Lino, then the NEHBC pastor, phoned McGinty, who never forgot Lino’s words: “I’m not telling you this is a word from God, but I’ve been praying about it for six months and I can’t help but wonder if God is going to call you to marry Katherine Powell.”

McGinty was speechless. He admitted to himself that he had developed feelings for Katherine. “I felt guilty for having the feelings, not because it was wrong but because John was one of my closest friends and a relatively short amount of time had elapsed since his death.” He had not shared his feelings with anyone. But that call from Lino, a longtime friend of the Powells, carried weight.

Patrick phoned his good friend Phillip Bethancourt, pastor of Central Church in College Station and another good friend of the Powells. Bethancourt said he had been praying about the matter himself for several months and encouraged McGinty to pursue Katherine if he was interested.

“My prayer during this time was, ‘Lord, my yes is on the table if this is what you’re calling me to.’ I’ll need a lot of grace, wisdom, and help, but I’m in.”

McGinty “just happened” to be in College Station a few days later and saw Katherine at a back-to-school party. After the Bethancourts informed him that there was mutual interest on her end, McGinty phoned her for a date.

“One of the things I was able to share with them is that I’m not only excited to spend the rest of my life with their mom, but I’m also excited to spend the rest of my life with each of them.”

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Love, trust, and the road ahead

“Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, was our first date, and it was about the most non-traditional first date you could imagine,” McGinty recalled. “It was basically a three-hour Saturday morning conversation that was very direct.”

Katherine was struck by McGinty’s respectfulness and sensitivity. “I saw the convictional leadership that I was used to. He did not approach our relationship casually. There was tremendous clarity from the beginning for both of us, and that clarity was pointing towards marriage.”

McGinty began visiting College Station as often as possible to spend time with Katherine and the kids, soon moving there. On a Florida vacation with extended family in October 2021, he proposed. They were married that November.

Before he popped the question, McGinty took the kids aside and spoke to them privately, explaining how much he loved their mom and asking their permission and support to propose to her. “One of the things I was able to share with them is that I’m not only excited to spend the rest of my life with their mom, but I’m also excited to spend the rest of my life with each of them,” he said.

Since their marriage, McGinty accepted the call to serve as college pastor at Central. The family has settled into this new season of life and ministry.

To those who said of Patrick upon hearing of the wedding, “He’s going to have a lot to learn,” Katherine replied, “I think he has a lot to offer us.”

The kids agreed. Gunner, the oldest, perhaps summed it up best in a conversation with his mom a few months into the marriage: “I’m not ready to call him Dad because I don’t want people to forget my dad, but he has earned the title. He deserves it.”

“The kids have seen Patrick’s mentality, and how he entered into this role. They already trusted him and loved him because they knew what John thought of him. And now they see Patrick day in and day out loving and serving us,” Katherine added.

And things are sweet as they prepare to celebrate their second Valentine’s Day as a couple and a family.

Let someone else’s best moment be yours

Acouple of months ago, I read a biography about Bo Jackson. Jackson was a professional football and baseball player in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Were it not for a devastating hip injury sustained during a football game in 1991, he easily could have been a hall of famer in both sports.

Near the back of the book I found a story, one that could have been easily overlooked, as incredibly noteworthy—especially for followers of Jesus. Jackson was playing baseball for the Chicago White Sox after being cut by the Kansas City Royals because of the hip injury. Nobody thought Bo could rehab his hip enough to even walk normally, much less resume playing a professional sport. Nevertheless, he homered in his first at-bat of the 1993 season with the Sox.

Between innings, the herculean slugger sent one of the team’s outfielders to ask for the ball back. The young fan who caught it—understanding the significance of the moment—gladly complied. Interviewed for the book three decades later, the fan said, “It was one of the best memories of my life, mainly because it meant so much to someone else.”

That quote swirled around in my mind for quite a while. It made me wonder, of all the “best moments” of my own life, how many had someone else as the central star?

“What can you do this year to impact the life of another?”

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I hope nobody would consider me arrogant or selfish, but I must admit—it’s not hard for my mind to be occupied with my wants, my plans, my desired outcomes. This singularly focused mindset often clashes with my faith, as I’ve learned over the years that my plans or desired outcomes may not be God’s will for my life.

Scripture nudges us in the direction of others continually. Galatians 6:2 instructs us to, “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Philippians 2:3-4 commands us to consider others as greater, or more important, than ourselves. The next few verses raise the stakes, commanding us to “adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who … emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant.”

Our country … our world … the church needs more of this servant-driven, others-first mentality. If we’re not careful, “discipleship” can become a word that describes personally growing as big and strong as possible, fueling our spiritual muscles with biblical knowledge (picture a 20-year-old flexing, glistening Arnold Schwarzenegger). We absolutely should be soaking in God’s Word, but a more complete picture of discipleship depicts us engaging the lives of others intimately, pointing others to the cross, and displaying a willingness to sacrifice for the sake of others (picture a kneeling Jesus wiping filth off the feet of His disciples).

What can you do this year to impact the life of another? What barriers do you need to overcome so that, by Dec. 31, 2023, you, too, will be able to testify that one of your best memories of the past year happened because it meant so much to someone else?

What a blessing it would be to be able to say, in the powerful name of Jesus, that you made that much of an impact on the life of someone else this year. That person may very well say it was the best year they’ve had in a long time.

And you may find yourself saying that, too.

The 5: Small and simple ways to strengthen your prayer life

Prayer is the most difficult spiritual discipline to develop. One way to grow spiritually this year is to build some simple prayer practices into your life—with the goal of these practices becoming part of your spiritual DNA. Maybe one of these ideas will help you:

1

Pause for 10-minute segments throughout the day for prayer.
Most of us have brief breaks throughout the day. We need these breaks,
and there’s nothing wrong with just relaxing at times. If you use some of
these breaks for prayer, though, you can pray about a lot when you really focus for a few minutes. It’s not less spiritual to pray several short times rather than one long prayer each day, and even one 10-minute segment may be enough to spark more intimacy in your prayer life.

2

Use the ACTS prayer strategy.
ACTS is a common acronym used to guide prayer. Focus first on praising God in Adoration. Next, Confess your sin to Him. Spend the next moments in Thanksgiving, and then focus on Supplication—that is, on praying for others. This simple strategy can help you concentrate on prayer so your mind doesn’t wander. Another way I use this idea is to focus on only one of these components for a full day (for example, I might praise God all day long on Monday).

3

Use your church bulletin or online calendar of events as a daily prayer guide.
Your church probably provides a printed or electronic list of events happening each week. This list gives you important details such as dates, times, places, etc. Here’s what I encourage you to do with this list: keep it handy and pray for the event on the day it happens.

4

Do drive-by praying.
Pray for churches you pass, focusing on their pastors. Pray for teachers and students in local schools. Intercede for first responders when you drive by a fire station or hear a siren. Whisper a prayer for pedestrians you drive by, even if you don’t know their names. Lift up kids playing in yards or couples taking a walk. Even more intentionally, pray for neighbors you know whose homes you regularly pass.

5

Pray the “model prayer” in Matthew 6:9-13 daily.
I realize praying this prayer starting, “Our Father in heaven” can become repetitive, but Jesus gave us this prayer to guide us. If we truly think about the words we pray, it’s good for us to honor God, seek His will, turn to Him for our daily needs, ask His forgiveness, and cry out for His protection from the evil one. Perhaps this model prayer can be one of your 10-minute emphases today.

Chuck Lawless is dean of doctoral studies and vice president of spiritual formation and ministry centers at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. For more from Lawless, visit chucklawless.com.