Ron Crow, Disaster Relief Director, Kentucky Baptist Convention
Here we are in the middle of summer, and everyone is busy going here and there. Vacations are happening. Ball games are in full force. School is out, all the while preparations are being made for the return to school. Home repairs and upgrades are in full swing. Birthday parties. Celebrations. And the list goes on and on.
We all get so busy doing what we have to do. And of course, there is a list of those things we want to do. There are even those extra things we are asked to do. And before you know it, our time is gone.
But there are always needs. There is always someone who needs help. I was so encouraged a few weeks ago when one of our Kentucky disaster relief volunteers said to me, “I had planned to go fishing all week. I had nothing planned, so was looking forward to relaxing and fishing. But then there was a call to help those who had been affected by the floods in West Virginia.” And he realized that the need for those hurting was more important than the need to go fishing. What a testimony!
And the reality is, when you help someone else, you are a blessing to them, but you also receive a blessing. Above all, Christ is honored.
You don’t always have to give up a full week to “be on mission.” It might take you only a few minutes, a few hours, a full day or even more, but the Lord is just waiting on people to say, “I can help with that!”
We should live every day on mission looking for large and small opportunities to say, “I can help with that!” From a kind word or deed that brings a smile, to helping someone one with something that they simply cannot do it without help, “I can help with that!”
I’m reminded of the words of Paul to the Galatians, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9.
So, look around. Who do you see? What do you see? And can you say, “I can help with that!”
Thinking like a missionary is a reasonable service proposition (Romans 12:1). It is not extreme in light of what Christ has done for us. Following Jesus might seem radical or extreme at the outset, but once the initial step has been made the missionary mindset follows naturally.
Following Jesus re-wires our thinking. It changes every facet of our worldview. Christ is the light of the world, and His light enlightens us (John 1:4; 8:12). Far too often as Christians, we exaggerate the difficultly of choices that are normalized in the Scripture, i.e., sharing the gospel as a regular part of our daily walk with the Lord.
Life as kingdom citizens is joyfully different than the status quo. We get to live with a perspective focused on “things above.” For example, Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” As our Lord and Savior, Jesus modeled this kind of mindset for every believer. As born-again believers, God has filled us with the Holy Spirit, so that we might walk in His ways. Remember, it is Christ in us and not Christ and us!
We could try to identify the bottom-line indicators of the missionary mindset in a number of ways, but perhaps the simplest way is to look at a missionary’s priorities.
Missionaries are mission-oriented Jesus followers. They find joy in prioritizing gospel-mission over their own comfort. A believer with a missionary mindset makes decisions based on gospel-mission objectives.
Mission-oriented Jesus followers will answer life questions like “where should I live?” or “how should I spend my income?” in radically different ways than those living out the status quo for American citizens. However, these decisions will not seem radical to them. Far too often, a Jesus follower living in light of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will hear “I could never do that” from other believers as they observe their mission-oriented decision-making process. For the missionary, the life choices they have made seem joyful, fulfilling, and reasonable.
A natural and vital reprioritization is especially important if we are to fulfill our calling to make disciples who make disciples. If we are going to disciple others to lead, we must become leaders who intentionally live open and accessible lives. We must ask ourselves, am I willing to live a life that follows Christ at all costs? Is my identity in Christ and Christ alone? Do others see Christ in me?
Leaders must bring their disciples into their lives in a way that allows them to observe, learn and practice the same decision-making process that they live by. The new disciple must learn to see the world from a kingdom perspective. They must be led to apply the example of Christ’s life to every aspect of their own. If we are living for Christ and sensing the joy of a life lived on mission, we will invite other disciples into our lives and teach them to do the same. This will become the DNA that is passed on to second, third and fourth-generation believers. This does not mean that we will never face challenges, but that we will model, teach, and learn how to keep our identity in Christ in the midst of our sufferings.
Prayerfully, many of our kids and the next generation will not think that the missionary mindset is so “radical.” After all, it is a reasonable service in light of the good news. It is our joy to follow Jesus!
Here are some questions/thoughts to explore:
Would choosing to live in a specific neighborhood because of their need for the gospel seem like a strange choice to you?
Would accepting a particular work assignment because of the way it would position you strategically for gospel mission seem weird to you?
Would inviting someone to live with you or have free access to “private areas” of your life with the objective of discipling a new leader seem odd to you?
Add-on: Read the June 15 Blog Post below, “Key Missional Skill: Think Like a Missionary”, for some practical first steps to take as you seek to live on mission for Christ.
Moses had gathered 12 of his finest, most loyal men to spy out the land. God had brought them out of Egypt by his mighty hand. He had parted the Red Sea, led them by a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. God fed them manna from the dew and quail from the sky. He even gave them water out of rocks. God told Moses the land He was leading the people to was their land. They would receive what they had never worked for—God would provide them a home, a land for themselves.
So, as they gathered themselves on the edge of this promised land, God told Moses to send these 12 spies to check it out. In stealth mode, they go through the land spying it out—they check out the land, the people of the land and the numbers of people throughout the land. They return from their 40-day scouting expedition with their report for Moses. He and the people are gathered to hear the news…10 say nay and 2 say yay!
In summary, the 10 nays win the day and convince the people not to take the land—a land already promised to them. The result of the people’s disobedience is they must wonder in the desert for 40 years, to see the land from a distance yet not be able to enter it.
Forty years has passed by the time we come to Joshua 6. A new leader is on the scene because Moses has died. Joshua is the new commander and was part of the original 12 who had spied out the land over 40 years prior. Joshua is one of the original 2 who said Israel can take the land.
God has prepared Joshua for this role of leadership and after his Moses-like parting of the Jordan River experience (Joshua 3), he faces his first obstacle in the Promised Land—the impenetrable stone-walled city of Jericho. But here is what we find in the book of Joshua that is a theme woven throughout the Bible. God often does the unimaginable, so that He gets the glory and not ourselves.
You know the story (Joshua 6). God tells Joshua to gather his military, seven priests, and the ark. They are to march around the city one time for six days and go back to camp not saying a word. The priests will blow seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark each time. Then on day seven, they will march around the city seven times, blow the trumpets, and all the people will shout and the walls will come tumblin’ down! Sounds pretty crazy! But that’s just it. God loves to do the unimaginable, so that He gets the glory and not ourselves.
The book of Joshua is about conquest. By the time we get to the New Testament, the theme of conquest continues to reverberate through the pages of Scripture. However, the conquest at this point is not with military might, trumpets, or an ark. Rather, the greater reality of conquest in the Bible is accomplished through the life, death, and resurrection of One who is greater than Moses and Joshua as well as even the kings and prophets. Jesus came not to tear down stone walls, but to crush stone hearts. Interestingly, He does this stone-crushing by using ordinary soldiers to take the good news of His life, death, and resurrection to their neighbors and the nations.
How could this be possible? The world is so large and the opposition to the gospel of Jesus is so hardening. But that’s just it. God loves to do the unimaginable, so that He gets the glory and not ourselves. Will you spend your life for this unimaginable, but God glorifying cause and watch the walls come tumblin’ down?
Recently I spent a few days in the Smokies. While there, my sister and I visited a couple of Christmas shops. There was Christmas music playing and we saw all types of neat decorations and gifts. My favorite decoration is the nativity, and they had some neat ones. I sang along with the Christmas carols and, for a few minutes, found myself in the Christmas spirit, even in June.
With bright, sunny skies, and a current temperature of 90⁰, it’s hard to think about Christmas, but someone reminded me on Facebook last week that Christmas is only six months away. My reply was, “Is your Christmas shopping half done?”
The KBC Missions Mobilization Team has been preparing for the Christmas Backpack Initiative for a couple of months now. Applications requesting backpacks are coming in from ministries across the state and a few churches have already committed to fill backpacks. We are asking Kentucky churches to commit to pack 10,000 backpacks to meet these needs. While we will receive requests for far more than that, we are thankful for partnering states that also bring backpacks to help meet our needs.
Statistics show that one in four of Kentucky’s children live in poverty. So, for each of these children, a backpack from Kentucky Baptists may be all they will get for Christmas! Would you or your church commit to filling one, five, fifty, or perhaps a hundred or more, backpacks? It is not too early to get started. Remember, Christmas is only six months away.
Instructions for filling the backpacks can be found at www.kybaptist.org/backpacks. Once there, you can download a promotional bulletin insert and poster. Also, check out our new “Christmas Story” leaflet. And, don’t forget to register to your backpacks.
This year the North American Mission Board is offering churches up to 72 free backpacks which can be ordered and used for ministry. Additional ones can be purchased for only $3.00 each. To take advantage of this offer, go to www.sendrelief/backpacks and order yours today.
Let’s exceed the goal of collecting 10,000 backpacks from Kentucky Baptist churches! Many of the backpacks collected will be distributed directly to children living in poverty in Kentucky, while others will go to needy children in our partner SEND City, Cincinnati.
Thank you for helping a child this Christmas. To learn more, contact the Missions Mobilization Team at 502-489-3403 or email [email protected]
“Let’s not neglect to do good and share what we have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16
I gave my life to Christ at the age of nine. I understood then, as much as young boy can, that I was making a commitment to become a Christ follower. That meant allowing Christ to control every aspect of my life. I knew that my life was no longer mine. I was to model my life, attitude and actions after Him. Whatever Christ did, I was supposed to do.
Scripture tells us to imitate Christ, walk as He did and follow His steps. (1 John 2:6, 1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 Peter 2:21). I didn’t know that I would one day serve as a missionary or go on a mission trip. But I have come to understand that if I’m a Christ follower, I am also a missionary, because that’s what He was.
A missionary is defined by the North American Mission Board of the SBC as a person who, in response to God’s call and gifting, leaves his or her comfort zone and crosses cultural, geographic or other barriers to proclaim the Gospel and live out a Christian witness in obedience to the Great Commission.
Jesus became the first missionary when He left heaven and came down to earth. God called His son to leave the comfort of heaven and go to earth. Now that’s a change of geography and culture for sure! His mission was to seek and save the lost who needed to be rescued. He engaged the indigenous people of the earth while proclaiming the Gospel. He lived His life as a witness to the Father’s love. What a missionary He was!
I want my life to reflect Christ and pray that people see Him in me. If I want to be like Christ in every way, it will mean going as a missionary because that’s what He did. I might not cross an ocean, but I will need to cross the street or grocery isle. I might not go to a foreign land, but I will need to engage the internationals in my community. I might not be sent by a mission agency, but I have been sent by Christ Himself (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20). I am thankful to be a follower of Christ AND missionary – you can’t be one and not the other.
How can I think like a missionary? Missionaries live with a deep love and compassion for those who are far from God. They are burdened for those who are lost — those who are like sheep without a shepherd. They live by the words of Jesus when He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold” (John 10:16). They are driven by the fact that there are people out there who are not yet brothers and sisters in Christ, simply because they have not been given an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel. With this great burden comes three questions that are usually on the forefront of missionaries’ minds:
1. Who lives around me? Missionaries want to discover the people who live in their city. They want to know the number of people, commonalities, diversities, languages, cultures, joys, hopes, fears and struggles.
2. Who goes to my church and the other churches around me? Missionaries want to understand who their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are in their city or community. They want to know the number of believers, the health of the churches and the reach of their ministries. They understand that every believer and every church is called to fulfill the Great Commission, and that it is God’s design for churches to work together to reach their communities and the world for Christ.
3. Who is left? Missionaries want to devote their time and resources to those in their community who are unbelievers and have not yet had an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel. They look for “gospel gaps”, which are opportunities to use the gifts and skills God has given them to enter into the lives of unbelievers and to meet them in the midst of their brokenness. They engage people through social, service, support, sports, seasonal or study activities. The goal is to build authentic relationships with gospel intentionality.
How can I live like a missionary? Once a missionary has asked these three questions about their community, then what would they do?
They would:
Be fervent in prayer.
Seek to enter into the lives and communities of people who are far from God and have not had opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel.
Be bold and frequent in the proclamation of the gospel, calling people to repent and believe.
Disciple those who come to faith, teaching them to obey all the commands of Christ.
Gather new believers together to form healthy churches, growing them up together into maturity in Christ and developing from among them those who will lead these newly formed churches.
Eventually partner with churches and leaders they formed to press into other communities where they gospel had not yet gone.
What would our cities look like if we saw ourselves as the ones Jesus sent to seek and save the lost in our own communities? Imagine how our culture would change if we began not only to think but also to act like missionaries in our cities, towns and neighborhoods. The Mission Mobilization team exist to serve your church as you seek to fulfill the Great Commission. To discover new opportunities to make disciples and further develop an “Act 1:8” strategy that reflects the specific gifts and personality of your church, contact John Barnett, KBC Missions Strategist, by email: [email protected] or phone 502-654-3385. We are here to serve!
Ron Crow, Disaster Relief Director, Kentucky Baptist Convention
I am so grateful to our Kentucky Disaster Relief volunteers who are so eager and willing to respond to those who are suffering from disaster. It seems we have seen so many people that have been affected in some way and several even repeatedly.
That is what we discovered in Lake Charles, Louisiana recently. This community was very hard hit from Hurricane Laura last fall with still much left to do to rebuild. Some had just completed rebuilding when the torrential rains came just a few weeks ago flooding many of the homes once again. I cannot begin to imagine the heartbreak, discouragement, and distress this caused these families.
This past week I visited some of our Kentucky Flood Recovery teams that responded to the recent flooding in Lake Charles. It was a long way to travel but Kentucky volunteers are so willing to go when the need arises. Distance does not matter. They understand there are people hurting and that we have the resources they need to help them clean up and recover. We bring them the help that is needed, with the equipment to do the job, and a trained team that can get the job done quickly, safely, and efficiently.
But there is more. Not only do we bring the help that is needed for those who need assistance recovering from the mess, we bring them hope. In fact, there was one individual who was so discouraged and distraught they were considering ending their life. That is when the disaster relief team in the gold shirts arrived. They brought the help that was needed to clean up the mess, but more importantly they brought them hope that through the process it would be okay.
There is hope that comes because of the help they receive. But beyond that, there is the hope that we bring through Jesus Christ. By helping those who are hurting, we can share with them the hope we can find in the Bible and through the cross.
With every home that we help, we present to the homeowner a Bible, signed by every member of the team. These families treasure this Bible as it reminds them of the help and the hope that came to them from these precious people in gold shirts. And this begins the healing process as they move forward from destruction and discouragement, to hope and healing.
In times of disaster, we bring the Help, Hope, and Healing needed to those who are suffering.
Remember to PRAY for our teams and for those experiencing loss. Everyone can pray. Remember to GIVE to support the continued work of Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief. Most can give. Remember to GO and be available to serve and help those who are hurting. Some can go.
“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16
William Carey is known as the “father of modern missions.” He was a missionary to India in the late 1700s. He and his good friend, Andrew Fuller, partnered together for the advancement of the gospel. While Carey went to India, Fuller stayed back home becoming president of the Baptist Mission Society. Carey famously said to Fuller before his departure overseas, “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the ropes.” Carey went and Fuller held the ropes.
New York City is known for many iconic markers—the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, One World Trade Center, just to name a few. People flock to this great city for food, entertainment, fame, and fortune. I recently led a group of church leaders there for a vision trip to meet church planters living in the city for gospel impact. The city is coming back to life after a year of uncertainty known as 2020. Manhattan, for example, known as a worldwide center for all things commercial, financial, and cultural, was busy with activity.
As we met with various church planters to hear their stories and their vision for reaching the city, one theme became clear: we need your help! Great Commission work is not meant to be done alone. In a metro area of 22 million people, only 2% follow Jesus. The massive need of lostness alone can be crippling to any gospel minister without the right support, not counting the challenges of living in a concrete jungle.
Kentucky Baptist Churches, while very different in context from New York City, can play a vital role in providing a lifeline of gospel advancement in a human sea of lostness. Every church leader we met expressed the need for meaningful partnerships. These partnerships are not dependent upon having the same ministry context, but simply a willingness to link arms or as Carey told Fuller once, hold the ropes.
Kentucky Baptists can hold the ropes with gospel partners in New York City through the following examples:
Partner long-term (at least 3-5 years). Relationships take time and gospel work in New York City is often slow. Relationships built around encouragement, prayer, teams, and finances provide much needed support.
Send multiple teams (per year if needed and possible). Nothing like seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting, and touching the city to understand the great needs of the city. Short-term teams done rightly can be a huge boost to the planter and the advancement of the gospel.
Be gospel centered. Partnerships built around the gospel are critical. While there are many good and helpful ways we can serve others, the gospel must be at the center of all we do.
Follow the vision/strategy of the church planter/church. Let those who live in the city and know the needs of the city determine how to best reach the city.
Be a servant. While New York City is a great place to experience so much, partnering there requires that Kentucky Baptist Churches place priority on serving their partner.
As William Carey set sail for India, he needed the assurance that others like Fuller would be back home holding the ropes for him. New York City church planters need the assurance of Kentucky Baptists that we will join in the work there by holding the ropes for gospel advancement. If you want to learn more about your church partnering in NYC, please contact me at [email protected]
Just off the Mountain Parkway, on the Wolfe-Morgan County line, sits Crossroads Baptist Church, a little white church in the quaint community of Helechawa, KY. The building that once housed the community school was given to the church as a place of worship. In 2007 Crossroads was started as a mission of Faith Baptist Church Cannel City with 6 members. It soon grew to 17 or 18 members.
Mission teams from Pellville Baptist Church in Hawesville, White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Mt. Washington Baptist Church, Little Flock Baptist Church in Shepherdsville, Shively Baptist Church in Louisville, and perhaps others, came alongside Crossroads to fix up their building and help with outreach. For several years Shively Baptist Church also came to lead Vacation Bible School. I recall the day someone from the church called to ask for help in planning their own VBS. Although they had made many good friends and appreciated the work of the mission teams, they were eager to conduct a VBS themselves, without depending on outside help.
During the November 2013 Kentucky Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, Crossroads moved from “mission” to “church” status. Red River Baptist Association Mission Strategist George Drake shared that West Liberty Baptist Church had been the mother church of Faith Baptist Church in the early 1980s, Faith Baptist Church was the mother church of Grace Baptist Church in the mid-1990s and Crossroads Baptist Church in 2007, and Grace Baptist Church was the mother church of Wrigley Baptist in 2005. In the Fall of 2013 I visited, and wrote a blog about, Crossroads Baptist Church. The blog ended with, “Perhaps sometime in the future we will hear that Crossroads has also birthed a church.”
While that has not actually happened, I recently learned from Red River Baptist Association Mission Strategist George Drake that Crossroads has moved their Sunday evening services to the Nada Baptist Mission, about 30 miles away. Since hearing that the Nada Mission had closed and the church building given to the Red River Baptist Association, Crossroads Pastor Mark Risner has had such a burden for the church and the Nada community, and desires to see the Mission revived or replanted.
Crossroad’s members have painted and cleaned up around the Nada Mission, have gone door-to-door inviting the community to their services, and are planning a Vacation Bible School for the later part of June 2021. Other churches in the area, as well as a mission team from Western Kentucky, have also come alongside to help with the Nada Mission. Volunteers have helped with the physical labor, while others have donated funds to help pay bills.
Before COVID Crossroads was averaging 45-50 in attendance. This little church, in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, is excited to be on-mission. Please pray with them about the future of the Nada Mission, for the families in the community, and that God will send a pastor to this church. I can’t wait to see how my blog will read in another 8 years.
Churches helping churches, churches planting churches, churches reopening churches with closed doors – this is the cooperative Kentucky Baptist Convention way…and, might I add, God’s way of spreading the Gospel, from person to person, community to community.
A word from IMB workers and The Global Refugee Network:
Time is never a guarantee when Christians meet a refugee in Greece. They may have years, months, weeks or just hours to share the hope that is found in Jesus. This is why International Mission Board missionaries and ministry partners who serve in Athens, Greece, developed an eight-hour, eight-day and eight-week ministry strategy to share the gospel and disciple refugees based on the time available.
“You never know how long you are going to have with someone,” Derrick Pennon* said. Pennon and his family formerly served with the IMB in Athens, Greece, before accepting a position at a Baptist church in Kentucky.
“You might lead somebody to faith that morning, but they’re on a train that night, leaving for Macedonia, so drop everything you’re doing. You’ve got eight hours,” Pennon added. “What are you going to give him in eight hours, or a family who might be leaving in eight days? What can you give them in eight days so that they can reproduce it whenever they land?”
Pennon says eight weeks to eight months with new Christians is ideal. They’ve found this time frame gives them opportunity to more fully share biblical truths before the refugees are relocated.
Greece is a transition country—no refugee comes with the intent to stay, Pennon explained. The Greek unemployment rate is high, making it difficult for many Greek citizens to find work.
Refugees typically first arrive on a Greek island, many of them coming by boat from Turkey. On the islands, initial checks are performed and then refugees receive approval—the timing of this varies—to be ferried to Athens. Refugees are placed in camps in the Greek capital as the asylum process continues, and while they wait to hear what country will admit them. Once refugees move to their host countries, gaining residency and citizenship is often another long journey.
It wasn’t always this way, but Pennon said refugees on the islands now might be there for years before they are ferried across to Athens. The islands are very overcrowded, and the conditions are poor. Pennon said the unfortunate reality is that many refugees stall in Greece due to a backlog of cases. The country has had difficulty managing the caseload of refugees coming through and COVID-19 exacerbated the situation.
Some of the refugees that Pennon has met have been there two years. Though many refugees have long stints in Greece, Pennon and other believers will often meet refugees interested in the gospel during the tail end of those two years. Sometimes they meet refugees who use smugglers to expedite their move to other countries. Timing can be frustrating and unpredictable, making preparedness key.
“God in His sovereignty—He knows when someone is going to come to faith,” Pennon said.
Pennon said they leave the timing up to the Lord and are committed to being prepared, no matter what.
“We’ve learned that the hard way during the height of the [refugee] crisis, because, literally, people would get off the boat in the morning in Athens, and then that night they’d be leaving for Macedonia. And so, you literally had eight hours—what are you going to do in that time that you have with someone?”
The height of the refugee crisis in 2015 led to the formation and galvanization of their eight-hour, eight-week and eight-day strategy. Though the crest of the crisis has passed, the strategy’s efficacy continued and IMB missionaries currently on the field are continuing the ministry.
Pennon said those ministering to refugees operate with a movement-minded strategy with church multiplication as the end goal. Their team includes multiple nationalities working together.
When possible, they pair refugees with a Christian from the same or similar background for evangelism and discipleship. One of the strengths of the diversity of their team is having same-culture or similar-culture Christians sharing the gospel.
In this way, God makes the most of their time together—however short that time might be.
A Word of Thanks
Dear Southern Baptists,
As the facilitators of the IMB Global Refugee Network, we would like to express to you our sincere thanks for your ongoing concern, gifts and prayers for refugees and displaced peoples around the world and our workers among them. Your generosity and faithfulness help to spread God’s love and saving gospel to those who are often seen as, “the least of the least of these.” (Matthew 25:40).
Blessings,
Barry and Sarah Holtman*
To discover how you and your church can get involved in reaching Forcibly Displaced Peoples both locally and globally, contact John Barnett, Missions Strategist, by email: [email protected] or phone: 502-654-3385. We are here to serve you today!
