Monthly Archives: February 2018

What the 2017 Hurricane Season Taught Us

The year 2017 will be remembered as one of the worst hurricane seasons in U.S. history. Three major hurricanes (Harvey, Irma, and Maria) caused almost 370 billion dollars in damage, and it was only the second time in history for two Category-5 storms to make landfall at that intensity.  Two areas received over 60 inches of rain, one island was left almost uninhabitable, and September 2017 became the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record.

This hyperactive hurricane season left thousands trying to recover, and stretched the capacities of every major disaster response entity.  What are the lessons to be learned from this active response season?

    • Disasters create opportunities for the church to demonstrate the love of God and to share the hope of Christ.  Closed doors open when we show up to offer His love in deed and in truth.
    • Partnerships are vital to effective response efforts.  Working in partnership increases effectiveness and broadens our ability to help more hurting people.  We can do more together than any of us can do alone.
    • Trained volunteers have the greatest impact in disaster response, and greatly increase response effectiveness.  The best way to help in times of disaster is to be trained and connected with a reputable disaster relief organization.  You can get connected and sign up for a 2018 Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief training by going to http://www.kybaptist.org/dr/ .
    • Untrained volunteers create challenges for effective response, but spontaneous volunteers are always going to show up in disaster events with extensive media coverage.  Though untrained volunteers often create response issues, they can fill a needed gap when channeled in a right direction.  God used Southern Baptist untrained volunteers from our churches in amazing ways in the midst of the suffering and devastation, but they were most effective when paired with trained Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers.  Send Relief through the North American Mission Board gives us a vehicle to effectively utilize untrained volunteers effectively, if we develop a strategy from our lessons learned this hurricane season.
    • Disaster sites were overwhelmed with spontaneous loads of collected resources, such as used clothing, bottled water, and other resources.  Before collecting items for disaster victims, we should make sure items are needed and wanted.  We were reminded in 2017 that the best way to help those affected is by giving monetary donations, which enables those affected to both maintain their dignity and to purchase what they really need.
    • Recovery takes time for those affected.  Recovery often takes years for those affected from the loss of disasters.

    • Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief is one of the best ways to donate to those affected by disaster.  100% of every dollar given goes directly to meet the needs of those affected.
    • Southern Baptist Disaster Relief remains as one of the most effective disaster relief entities in the world.  Southern Baptist volunteers prepared more than 3 million meals, served over 90,000 days and witnessed more than 700 people profess faith in Christ as they ministered to hurricane survivors in 2017.  Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers brought help, healing, and hope to thousands of people affected by this extremely active hurricane season in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

“And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works for cases of urgent need, so that we may not be unfruitful.”  (Titus 3:14)

Why Should My Church Partner in the Baptist Association?

Association is a term that defines how Baptist churches work together in partnership. Churches choose to be part of the local Baptist association and each determines how much participation and financial support they will invest. Many of today’s associations have stepped up to provide value and are leading member churches in revitalization, church planting, leadership development and missions. 

Churches partnering through the local association is sometimes overlooked. Yet, we know that partnership between churches is an important aspect of New Testament Christianity.  The apostle Paul and other New Testament leaders modeled partnership between churches.  While their context may have been different from ours today, the pattern of partnership is repeatable. God still provides uniquely gifted people to lead partnerships today.

In the past, churches partnered together – helping each other with doctrine and practice (Acts 8:14-25; Gal. 3), relocating leaders to strengthen other situations (Acts 11:19-23, 25-26, 12:25, 16:1-3), sending individuals and teams on short-term visits (Acts 11:27, 19:21-22; 1 Cor. 4:15-17; Phil. 2:19-29; 2 Tim. 1:18), sending money to help each other (Acts 11:28-30), and together advancing the gospel and church plants (Rom. 15:24; 2 Cor. 10:15-16).

Here are 5 reasons why your church should partner in the local association –

 

  1. Partnership Contributes to the Mission –

Our mission from Jesus is to take the gospel to our neighborhoods and the nations, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth (Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8). How could any local church do that alone? But if we partner with the association, every church can participate in local and world missions. Every church can pray for, give to and participate through the association towards church planting and missions. Together, our mission can be healthier, stronger, longer, and more sustainable.

2. Partnership encourages Maturity –

No matter how educated or experienced your church leadership is, the local church will mature and strengthen when it receives challenge and encouragement from other church leaders, like those in the association. Churches working together in an association hold each other accountable to doctrine, practices, and outreach efforts.

3.  Partnership Is an Expression of Humility –

It honors Christ when we consider others better than ourselves (Phil 2:3) and seek ways to work together for the sake of the gospel.  A church is sadly mistaken if they pridefully believe they don’t need to partner with other churches involved in the same mission.

4.  Partnership Provides Synergy –

An association can help strengthen member churches and prop up weaknesses that may be slowing the work. Associations help maximize a church’s potential influence, providing a network through which the churches can influence more broadly than they could individually.

5. Partnership Provides Support –

Sometimes churches go through immensely challenging seasons. If a church loses a leader to burn out, sickness, or failure, she will find support and encouragement from other member churches because of their partnership in the association.

It is Not Too Late to Plan a 2018 Mission Experience

Well, supposedly Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Ground Hog’s Day, so guess we are in the middle of six more weeks of winter.  At any rate, Spring is coming (Lord willing), with the official first day set for March 20th, and most all of us can’t wait for it to get here.  Daylight Savings Time begins on March 11th and we will once again enjoy the longer days, more sunlight, and hopefully warmer temperatures.  It will be here before we know it, as the time just seems to fly by.

Have you planned your 2018 mission experience yet?  If not, there is still time.  Not only do you have time to plan something for Summer and Fall 2018, but it is still not too late to plan something for Spring break.

There are lots of opportunities to serve.  Projects have been updated on the KBC website and new projects are being added almost weekly.  To see a list of the opportunities, go to www.kybaptist.org/go.  Once there, you can search by type of project you would like to do, location of the project, and length of assignment.

Most projects are for one week or less, however there are some summer-intern type opportunities, as well as some full-time (2 years or more) opportunities.  If available, and you feel the Lord leading you to do so, consider serving for an extended period of time.  You will be blessed.

Whether one person or a larger team, there is a place for you.  Whether a men’s group, women’s group, youth group, children’s group, mixed group, or a family team, there is a place for you.  Whether in Kentucky, the United States, or around the world, there is a place for you.

Let us help connect you with a place to serve in missions in 2018.  Not only will you make a difference, it will make a difference in you.

For more information contact us at [email protected].

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Faithful gospel ministry is hard.  It is often filled with deep valleys.  Just a simple scan of Jesus’s earthly ministry reveals the challenges of gospel work.  In fact, Jesus tells his band of novice followers, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. . . . You will be hated by all because of my name” (Matt 10:16, 22).  So, as Jesus tells it, gospel ministry will be filled with people who want to attach us as a wolf attacks sheep because of their hatred of us for preaching Jesus.  How is a gospel servant able to endure such hardship?

A quick glance of Paul’s journeys in Acts demonstrates the same challenges of faithful gospel ministry that Jesus spoke of with His early followers.  On his first journey taking the gospel to new places, Paul finds himself in the city of Lystra.  Jews from neighboring cities follow him there in order to stir the crowds up against him for preaching Jesus.  Winning the crowds over, the people stone Paul and drag him out of the city, supposing him to be dead (Acts 14:19).

When Paul’s companions surround him, he gets up and goes to the next city and preaches Jesus there as well (Acts 14:20-21).  After many disciples are made, Paul returns to Lystra and previous cities “strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith” (Acts 14:21-22).  Imagine Paul blooded and bruised from the previous day.  He was one beaten mess, and here he is encouraging these new-found believers to continue in the grace of God.  How can gospel ministers continue in such overwhelming situations?

Encouragement.  Paul understood the absolute necessity of gospel encouragement in the face of crushing obstacles.  Encouragement is that component of the Great Commission that is often overlooked but is no less invaluable. Yes, we must pray, evangelize, plant churches, and disciple for Great Commission faithfulness, but if we want to see longevity in ministry we must be intentional about encouragement.

Here is Paul, the recipient of being beaten nearly to death with stones, as the giver of encouragement.  Let’s think of missionaries serving the gospel overseas, much like Paul in his day.  One vital piece to their longevity in gospel service is the proportion to which they receive encouragement from believers back home.

Missionaries often find themselves in a tunnel of darkness because of the demands and challenges of serving the gospel cross-culturally.  Your church, your ministry group, or your Sunday School class can be the light at the end of the tunnel for those laboring tirelessly day after day for the gospel. A text, an email, a skype call, a special package, a team visit, are all ways that you might be a light at the end of their dark tunnel, and thus provide longevity for gospel impact in places that desperately need the gospel.