Monthly Archives: April 2017

It’s Horse Time in Kentucky

In just 11 days all eyes will be on Kentucky for the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby, commonly known as the greatest two minutes in sports.

Over 160,000 will make their way to the Bluegrass for this event.  Parties, celebrities, hats, mint juleps, betting, the playing of “My Old Kentucky Home,” the race itself, the garland of roses, and the trophy presentation in the winner’s circle are all a part of this first leg of the Triple Crown.  Much excitement is in the air.

Kentucky is horse country for sure.  And, while people come from all around the world and spends thousands and thousands of dollars on this one weekend, out across our state there are many lesser known horses and lesser known owners that are making a difference in lives far beyond what the Derby brings.  In equestrian ministries throughout Kentucky boys, girls, men, and women hear the Gospel message and their lives are changed forever.

Missionary Chris Clarke, from Nortonville (Hopkins County), directs Happy Trails Ministry where he leads worship services at horse shows.  Chris shares (many times on horseback) about Five Building Blocks of Faith (Believe, Faith, Trust, Obedience, Surrender) and uses the horse to demonstrate each building block.  Chris also plays guitar and leads music, each service ending with the singing of “Happy Trails to You.”  In addition to the horse shows, Chris pastors Kentucky Lake Cowboy Church in Marshall County, KY.  Chris has shared about people who have come to know the Lord through these services.

In Letcher County, The Stables at Creekside Glen, directed by Drew & Leah Baldwin, is a ministry that uses horses as the platform to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This ministry hosts week-long camps, individual riding lessons, trail rides, carriage rides, and have teamed up with a local elementary school to help students with autism how to care for and ride horses.  For more information on The Stables at Creekside Glen, go to http://meridzo.com/stables-at-creekside-2/.

Russell Creek & Lynn Baptist Association Director of Missions Wilburn Bonta and Missionaries Charlie & Roma Simmons have lead worship services at trail rides and local horse shows, and at Land Between the Lakes’ Wrangler Camps for years.

And, in Annville, KY (Jackson County) Missionaries Mitch & Christie Schumacher direct High Mountain Horsemanship Outreach, a ministry that exists to inspire hope and growth by connecting horses, people, and God through the therapeutic equine programs, lessons, and events.  Everything they do is about pointing people a life changing faith in Jesus.  For more information about this ministry go to http://thehighmountain.com/.

Both High Mountain Horsemanship and The Stables at Creekside Glen have opportunities for volunteers to serve with them.  If you love horses why not consider a mission trip to one of these ministries.  To check out ways you can serve, go to their websites or check out the following links:

A few days serving in one of these ministries will be much more rewarding than a two-minute horse race.

KBC Mission and Vision Tours

KBC Mission:

Our mission as a convention is simple: created by churches, for churches, to help churches reach Kentucky and the world for Christ.

Created by churches

We exist as the Kentucky Baptist Convention because Baptist churches throughout Kentucky desired to cooperate for the furthering of the gospel. The KBC owes its existence to Baptist churches.

For churches

Baptist churches created the KBC for churches. In other words, the KBC was created not to be served by the churches, but to serve the churches.

To help churches

Thus, the KBC exists to help churches do what God has called the church to do—the Great Commission. Because the KBC was created by churches, for churches, the convention exists to help churches. Helping mobilize churches for the Great Commission is the mission of the KBC.

Reach Kentucky and the world for Christ

God did not give the Great Commission to denominations or mission boards; He gave it to the church. Denominations and mission boards are helpful insomuch as they help churches reach those across the street and across the sea with the gospel.

Mission Partnerships and Vision Tours:

Therefore, the KBC approaches mission partnerships with the goal of helping churches develop gospel partnerships. Partnerships, in the past, were developed between the KBC and certain organizations/denominations. For example, the KBC had a partnership with the Kenya Baptist Convention in Africa or the New England Baptist Convention in the northeast. God used those and we are grateful for them.

However, in recent years, we have shifted the focus of partnerships away from the KBC and placed the emphasis upon the partnership between the church and the missionary/church planter. The KBC exists to help churches form gospel partnerships for Great Commission impact.

Therefore, we desire to connect KBC churches to gospel partnerships in Kentucky, North America, and the nations. We want to resource, train, and introduce KBC churches to missionaries, church planters, established churches, and ministries in order to develop relationships that will further the gospel around the world.

One way to connect KBC churches to opportunities for gospel partnerships is by providing vision tours in strategic locations. The vision tour is designed so that the participant might see it, taste it, hear it, smell it, and overall experience the needs of a particular city or area in need of gospel partnerships.

Consider joining one of our upcoming vision tours in 2017 or 2018. Find out more information about KBC vision tours at www.kybaptist.org/visiontours.

The Heart of Leadership

Perhaps no Biblical leader faced the questioning of his leadership like Moses.
The Book of Numbers shares that every time Moses turned around, someone was murmuring, grumbling, and questioning his direction and judgement.  It is not easy to lead any group of people, and the family of faith is no different.

Leadership is crucial for a pastor or spiritual leader within the church.  A charismatic Refugee DR Team - Ugandapersonality, natural gifts, and a seminary education are certainly important, but they are not the key to leadership.  In challenging moments, the ability to lead hinges on trust.  Very few will follow someone that they do not trust.

As I talk to church leaders today, I am amazed at their vision, passion, and knowledge.  Most are far more gifted than me, and I am excited about the future of the church.  Yet there is one area that concerns me as I talk with the next generation of leaders.  I am concerned that many do not seem to understand the importance of developing trust as they work with people.  It is my experience, that you cannot lead and influence people for the long haul without trust.  I fear that this is one of the reasons that results in so many short pastorates and church conflicts.

Here are crucial insights that I have learned about developing trust that will strengthen your ability to lead effectively:

  1. Trust must be earned.  Trust cannot be demanded or assumed.  In fact, if you have to demand spiritual authority, then you probably have no authority or influence.
  2. Trust takes time.  A congregation may love you and have even chose you to lead them, but it takes time for them to trust you.  I have found that the ability to lead effectively develops with time and often begins to mature after 4-5 years.  It was after 10 years that I saw my ability to lead move to new heights as I served as pastor in South Central Kentucky.  Longevity increases trust.  Hanging in there with people increases their trust in you.
  3. Trust comes with consistency.  People are always watching us as leaders. If they see consistency in our message, approach, ethics, and our dealings with people, then it will develop trust.
  4. Trust will rise from integrity.  Do you follow through with commitments?  Do you honor your word?  Do you keep promises?  Broken commitments destroy trust.
  5. Trust will grow when we are willing to be transparent.  Trust grows when we let folks see who we are, and admit our shortcomings and mistakes.  People are more likely to follow a sincere leader than a phony pretender.
  6. Trust is more likely, if folks see that we lean on Jesus.  Congregations do not need us to be the savior.  They need pastors who will lead them to know and walk with our Savior Jesus Christ.   People gain confidence in us when they see  that we walk with the Lord, and are seeking His direction.

Without trust, it is difficult to lead.  Trust matters.

” Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.”
(1 Corinthians 4:1-2)

 

 

 

Backpacks Provide Hope for Children at Christmas

17.3 million of the children in the U.S. live in poverty, trapped by circumstances beyond their control.  Almost 1 million of them live in Kentucky, where 26% of our children under the age of 18 live in poverty.  That means that for 1 out of 4 children, Christmas doesn’t always come with the promise of gifts—or even a Christmas meal. Every day is more about survival than celebration. But we can help change that.

One very practical way that Kentucky Baptists can reach compassionately the needy children in our state is through the Christmas Backpack Project. Last year, there were over 50,000 backpacks distributed in 13 states by missionaries and church planters, and 15,000 of those went to children in KY.  Each backpack is a tangible expression of God’s love – and is filled with gifts of clothing, toys and food items. But the greatest gift in each backpack is a copy of the true Christmas story.  It may hard to believe, but many children have never heard the Biblical account of the true Christmas story.

Last year, there were over 1,500 decisions for Christ as a result of the gospel message that is shared with each backpack.  An exciting thing about those decisions is that many of them were made by parents and grandparents of the children receiving the backpacks.  The backpacks don’t just provide hope to a needy child, they impact the whole family.

A little girl named Gracie received a backpack and sent the following thank you note:  “Thank you for the backpacks. I’m so thankful for all the cool stuff I got. My friend and I both got some gloves and a Holy Bible. We are reading the Bible together. Thank you!”

When the backpacks are received by children living in difficult circumstances, not only are the children and their families affected, so are those who prepare and pack the backpacks.  Many churches report that their whole congregation was involved in this ministry, young and old, including those who can’t travel on a mission trip. Some churches reported that working together on the backpacks helped them to focus outwardly on the needs of others rather than upon internal church issues.

Evangelist Dwight L. Moody said, “If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!”   How devoted are you to reaching children for God?

Let me challenge you and your church to commit to preparing and packing backpacks for children to receive this Christmas.  It all starts with you – but ends in someone coming to know Jesus Christ and the true Christmas story.

For more information, or to register your church’s participation in the Christmas Backpack Project, visit:  www.kybaptist.org/backpacks