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Churches and the Missionary Task–Exit (and Partner)

The work of the gospel does not end until Jesus comes again.  As churches partner with missionaries across the globe to advance the Kingdom of God, the goal is to complete the missionary task among each people group and place. 

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Why Exit?

Missionaries sent out by local churches enter unreached and underserved places for gospel impact.  These missionaries evangelize unbelievers and then disciple those who come to faith in Jesus.  From these new believers, healthy church formation occurs along with leadership development.  Lastly, in the missionary task, the missionary exists that people group and place as partners with the new healthy church to repeat this process elsewhere.   

In fact, “an IMB missionary team’s goal is to carry out the missionary task among each people group or place and then hand off the job of leading the churches to those national leaders they have trained. . . . Following the example of the apostles, we continue to watch and advise after we have physically moved on to another work.  Yet, from the very beginning of our work, our aim is to work ourselves out of a job.  We begin the missionary task with exit in mind” (D. Ray Davis, “The Missionary Task: Working Yourself out of a Job”).

When to Exit

The decision to exit is no small matter.  The criteria for exiting the work among a people group and place corresponds with the missionary task (IMB Foundations):

  1. Evangelism—Are indigenous believers and churches carrying out faithfully and effectively the work of sharing the gospel within this people group or place?
  2. Discipleship—Are the churches within this place or people group faithfully and effectively discipling the believers whom God has entrusted to them?
  3. Church Planting—Are the churches within this people group or place displaying the twelve characteristics of a healthy church? Are these churches faithfully planting other healthy churches?  Are they able to sustain church planting on their own?
  4. Leadership training—Do these churches have trained leaders, and do they have systems in place to continue to train leaders in an effective and biblically faithful way?
  5. Missionary involvement—Is the church effectively training and sending cross-cultural missionaries to other people groups and places?

For further consideration on exiting, missionaries must ask the dependency question: “Would our continued presence foster dependency on the part of local churches who are capable of fulfilling all of the tasks of a healthy church movement but who are reluctant to do so out of habit or out of deference to us” (IMB Foundations)? 

Leaving one location in order to repeat the missionary task in another location boils down to healthy local churches being self-led and self-financed in order to evangelize the lost, disciple new believers, plant new churches, develop their own leaders and send out missionaries cross-culturally. 

Until He Comes Again

Just as the Apostle Paul exited certain peoples and places to carry the gospel to new peoples and places, missionaries do the same today.  Like Paul, they do so not to abandon those prior peoples and places but to continue a new phase of partnership with them in order for the Great Commission to be completed.  After all, the work is not done until Jesus comes again. 

Would you commit to care for and support a KY-MSC Missionary?

Do you want an exciting and meaningful boost for your church in 2021?  Would you like for your church or small group to be more involved in missions in the new year?  Do you want to get to know a “real live” missionary?  Then check out Kentucky’s “Adopt-a-Missionary” program. 

Currently 107 Mission Service Corps missionaries serve in Kentucky and are looking for churches, WMU groups or other small groups to “adopt” them.  Missionaries are not orphans, but adoption is a beautiful word that helps describe the strong relationship between missionaries and the churches and friends who pray and encourage them in their ministries.  The church at Antioch, in a sense, adopted Paul and Barnabas as special messengers of the gospel to Asia and Europe (Acts 13:1-3). 

These adoptions mean so much.  KY-MSC Missionaries Dean & Melissa Branscum have been adopted by Freedom Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon.  Melissa said, “They have brought donations for our clothing ministry, and have sent encouraging cards and gift cards.  It is a blessing to us.  It is wonderful to be adopted.”  Teresa Vanzant and few other ladies from Freedom Baptist Church met Dean & Melissa at the Kentucky WMU Annual Meeting when the Branscums were commissioned.  “We just knew in our hearts we had a connection with them,” she said.

Jill Boddy, with HR Ministries in Princeton, says just knowing that prayers are going up for her is all she needs.  “People that I don’t even know, and that don’t know me, are praying for me.”  Jill was invited to share about her ministry to the Coffee Talk group from Lexington, led by Marilyn Creighton, the group that has adopted her.   

KY-MSC Missionary Dottie Gebhart, with Mission Hope for Kids in Elizabethtown, said it was nice to get a card every now and then to let you know that someone is thinking of you.  Dottie and her husband Chuck have been adopted by Parkland Baptist Church in Louisville.

Bobbi & Josh Chesser with Unit 2:17 Ministry in Whitley City have been adopted by Ephesus Baptist Church WMU in Winchester.  Bobbi says their adoption has been wonderful.  They were invited to a church service at Ephesus and were taken to lunch.  The church has also given love offerings to their ministry.  “They have been fantastic.  We have formed relationships, more than just acquaintances.”

But the churches and groups that adopt these missionaries are blessed as well.  An adopting church or group will experience:

  • A personal relationship with an active missionary.
  • A strengthened commitment to missions.
  • A heightened awareness of missions opportunities.
  • A fresh, outwardly focused ministry perspective.
  • Group building and bonding through service to others.
  • An opportunity to see God at work and an invitation to join Him in it.

There are still several missionaries that have not yet been adopted.  Can they count on you?  For more information on how connect with a KY-MSC missionary go to www.kybaptist.org/adoptmissionary or email [email protected].  You will be glad you did.

All Life is Sacred

January is a month set aside for focusing on the sacred nature of human life. Sanctity of Human Life” Sunday will be observed throughout the Southern Baptist Convention on Jan. 17, marking the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe V. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand in America.  Sadly, according to the Office of Vital Statistics, there were 3,664 abortions performed in Kentucky in 2019.

While Kentucky Baptists certainly won’t be celebrating Roe v. Wade, we will be celebrating that because of almost 50 pregnancy care centers affiliated with the KBC, hundreds of babies were spared from abortion last year.  Additionally, many women have accepted Christ because pregnancy center staff members shared the Gospel with them.

The sanctity of human life is a core principle for me as a follower of Jesus Christ.  I believe that humans are created by God and in His image (Genesis 1:27). That means that every person, from conception to death, possesses dignity and worth – including unborn children, elderly individuals and those with special needs. As Christ followers, we are called to defend, protect and value all human life. 

Human life is defended, protected and valued everyday throughout Kentucky in pregnancy resource centers that are there to support and encourage mothers through the birth process by helping them to choose life for their unborn children.

With Sanctity of Life Sunday only a few weeks away, let me encourage you to be a friend to life by offering assistance to one of the many pregnancy care centers in Kentucky.  Why not visit your local pregnancy resource center to discover ways that you can help. Learn how you can pray for and/or with center directors and volunteers.

Pray that God will:

  • Protect center personnel (board of directors, staff, volunteers, families) from any type of physical abuse or harm and from discouragement or doubt from the enemy.
  • Meet the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of center staff.
  • Lead clients to the center so they may hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • Give counselors special wisdom and boldness in sharing the Gospel with clients, challenging them to live a life of obedience and purity.
  • Change the minds and hearts of mothers who are considering abortion and give them the courage to choose life and consider adoption, when appropriate, for their unborn children.
  • Bring healing and a renewed relationship with Christ to women and families inside and outside the church who have chosen abortion in the past.
  • Meet the financial needs of each resource center.

Consider helping your local pregnancy resource center in the following ways:

  • Donate baby clothing, furniture, car seats, and/or formula.
  • Provide food, clothing, and a safe place for expectant mothers.
  • Serve as a mentor for expectant mothers.
  • Sponsor a baby shower for the center with gifts of clothing, furniture, diapers, and formula.
  • Partner with a pregnancy resource center to teach young women good parenting skills.
  • Plan a mission trip to a center to do maintenance, painting, and redecorating, if needed.

The Kentucky Baptist Convention recognizes and appreciates the life-giving ministry of faith-based pregnancy resource centers in Kentucky. We encourage your support of the pro-life pregnancy resource centers with which KBC churches and associations partner. For a list of those centers, visit: http://www.kybaptist.org/pregnancycare/

Prayer: Reaching the Nations Next Door!

The mission of advancing the gospel is the great work of the church, and prayer is the engine that moves it. As God brings the nations to America, he continues to open the eyes of believers to see the unreached and least reached people across our state. Of the 200,000 plus foreign-born and their children living in Kentucky, over 160 unique people groups have been identified. We need more intentional prayer and intimacy with Christ, producing more heartfelt evangelism by believers among the lost. Here are three ways focused prayer can empower the church:

Prayer lifts our eyes to the Harvest field.

In Luke 10:2, Jesus said, “The Harvest is Plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray earnestly for the Lord to send out laborers into his Harvest.” As you discover and pray for various unreached people groups in Kentucky, our prayer is that your eyes will be open to the lostness that exists in your community, across Kentucky and beyond.

Prayer opens the doors for the gospel to advance.

Spiritual work requires spiritual power, and united biblical prayer opens doors to share Christ in our communities (Acts 4:23-33). As God’s people faithfully pray for the lost, unbelievers are convicted of their sin and become more receptive and open to the gospel.

As the pandemic began, our mission team was praying for opportunities to share gospel with our Muslim neighbors. That very night, my Muslim friend, Ibrahim, sent a message asking if I could share about Christ (Jesus) with his neighbor, Fatima, who had a dream about Jesus! I never thought that one of my Muslim friends would ask me to share Christ with another Muslim! After meeting with my wife and I, Fatima is now a follower of Christ! Prayer connects us with people who are open to the gospel, lead us to the right place at the right time, and empowers the church to fulfill the Great Commission.

Prayer provides a challenge toward engagement.
When believers experience Christ in intimacy through prayer, our desires begin to align with God’s. Thus, developing a burden for the lost, but also a passion to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

When the church prays, God’s people move closer towards God’s heart for the nations. May God raise us up to advance his kingdom, as we fall on our knees in prayer.

We are here to serve you and your church as you seek to fulfill the Great Commission. For further assistance, email, text or call John Barnett, KBC Missions Strategist, at [email protected] or 502-654-3385.

Churches and the Missionary Task–Leadership Development

Importance of Leadership

Influential speaker John Maxwell says that everything rises and falls on leadership. Whether one agrees with Maxwell or not, no leader would deny the importance of leadership.  The Bible speaks about the importance of leadership through many examples.  However, what is most striking about biblical leadership is not competence, but character.  Much of what is discussed concerning leadership these days seems to revolve around one’s competence or ability.  While ability is not unimportant, it is certainly not most important.  The character of a leader, especially one leading the Lord’s church, is of first importance. 

As I have discussed the missionary task over the last four months, I come to the fifth task of a missionary—leadership development.  As missionaries enter a new location in need of the gospel, they evangelize unbelievers.  When unbelievers become believers, the missionary is tasked with discipling those believers and then forming new believers into healthy churches.  From those healthy churches, leadership development becomes necessary for that local church to thrive. 

“Biblical leadership is essential to the well-being of every local church, and God calls different people to lead in different ways” (IMB Foundations).  As missiologist D. Ray Davis explains, “In the experience of IMB missionaries, leadership development has proven to be a pivotal element in the survival of new churches.  Churches simply need faithful, well-trained pastors in order to thrive and advance Great Commission work” (Davis, “The Missionary Task: Training Faithful Leaders”).

The qualifications of biblical leadership for pastors/elders/overseers (as these words are used interchangeably in the New Testament) are most clearly seen in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.  Of these verses only one qualification speaks of ability—able to teach (1 Tim 3:2) and able to exhort and refute with sound doctrine (Titus 1:9).  The rest of these qualities highlight the character of the pastor.  Thus, character matters. 

IMB Foundations helpfully breaks down pastoral qualifications into three categories: what the leader must be, what the leader must know, and what the leader must do.

Be

Aptly summarized from both passages, Paul says that the pastor must be “above reproach” as God’s leader in the church (1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:6).  Education makes not a pastor.  Position in the community makes not a pastor.  Popularity makes not a pastor.  First and foremost, the requirement for pastoral leadership is character.  Pastors must be men of God who walk daily with Jesus.  His life must exemplify an unwavering commitment to God and His Word.  Before he can serve as a pastor, he must be a pastor in his character. 

Know

Paul tells Titus that a pastor must hold “fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).  In order for pastors to fulfill Paul’s words here, knowing the Word is essential.  Pastors are to have a “high level of biblical and theological knowledge.  Theological training of church leaders should be geared to the educational levels of those being trained” (IMB Foundations).  Whether formal or informal, theological training of church leaders helps ensure right doctrine is being taught and wrong doctrine is being refuted. 

Do

The task of the pastor can be summarized as feed, lead, and protect.  The term “pastor” simply means shepherd.  Interestingly, Peter exhorts the elders to “shepherd the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2).  Shepherds have many tasks, not least of which is to feed the flock.  Pastors do this through the solid exposition of God’s Word week in and week out. 

Pastors are also to lead.  As Paul explains to young pastor Timothy, just as a pastor must manage his own house well, he must also manage (lead) the church entrusted to his care (1 Tim 3:4-5).  Leadership in the home and in the church is one of example through humility.  As the ultimate example of humble leadership, Jesus demonstrated this by serving his disciples (washing their dirty feet) rather than by domineering over them (John 13:1-20).  Pastors were never meant to be superstars, but super servants.

Pastors, lastly, protect.  Paul’s words to the elders of the church of Ephesus provide clarity on the role of pastors protecting the church (Acts 20:28-31).  In a similar way that a father is tasked with protecting his family from danger, pastors protect the flock entrusted to their care.  They protect the teaching of the church, the morale of the church, and the unity of the church. 

The Missionary Task Continues

As missionaries reach new peoples and places with the gospel and churches are planted, biblical leaders are necessary for those churches to thrive.  For the missionary task to progress, developing leaders is critical for the multiplying of churches and reaching of unreached peoples. 

God Has Provided!!

The holidays are upon us.  Next week we celebrate Thanksgiving and then “very soon it will be Christmas Day.”  As Kentucky Baptists we find ourselves once again in the midst of Christmas backpack deliveries to churches and ministries.  Boys and girls across the state will be blessed as backpacks YOU packed will be distributed to children in need.

Backpack applications were sent out in February, just prior to COVID-19, and we had requests for 17,350.  In a year that has been anything but “normal” we did not know what this year might look like as far as collecting the backpacks, or even how ministries might be able to distribute them which, I might say, is still being worked out.

Our Kentucky Baptist Convention goal for 2020 was to fill 10,000 backpacks, knowing that we would also receive many from partnering states.  Every year I get a little nervous thinking we may not get enough backpacks to fill all the requests but this year, with churches not having in-person services for several months, I was particularly concerned.  Just a few short weeks ago it looked as though we would only have about half of the backpacks that were requested. 

At the end of last week, the deadline for backpacks to be dropped off at our three regional sites, Kentucky churches had donated approximately 5,000 backpacks and another 7,900 were committed from our partnership state conventions.  This gave us an approximate total of 12,900, still about 4,450 backpacks short.  But our needs seem to be met.

Again, due to COVID, some of our distribution sites will not be able to have their normal outreach events and, as a result, have gotten fewer requests.  With our adjusted numbers, we now have the backpacks to meet the needs of our churches and ministries. 

I often think, “oh, me of little faith.”  Over and over again God provides just what we need.  So, I say, “Thank You, God.  Thank You, Kentucky Baptists.  And Thank You partnering state convention churches and associations that gave backpacks so that many boys and girls will have a blessed Christmas.” 

Pray with us that not only will the children receive a nice Christmas gift in the form of a backpack, but that the Gospel message will be shared, and many will come to know Christ as their personal Savior and receive the GREATEST GIFT this Christmas season.

May each of you have a Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas!!

The Joy of Giving Yourself for Others and for Christ

C. S. Lewis wrote in his book Mere Christianity, “Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours.”

Volunteers with Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief give themselves away for the good of others and the sake of Christ when disasters strike. They have discovered the joy that is found in giving all that we are and have for Christ.

Listen to these testimonies about how they are giving for the sake of Christ through disaster relief:

“We volunteer to help the victims clean up after the disaster in order to speak to their heart.” (Mike Bastin – Pleasant View Baptist Church)

“God uses us, DR volunteers, at a time when hope seems gone.” (Carolyn Gray – Zion’s Cause Baptist Church)

“Disaster Relief opens up doors to people for the Gospel.” (Tom Garrity – Jeffersontown Baptist Church)

“Disaster Relief gives our volunteers a way to show victims of a disaster that God loves them.” (David Bayes – Liberty Mills Baptist Church)

“God uses the love He placed in DR workers, to help people in their time of trouble. Making the DR workers a living Bible.” (Jerry and Andy Cable – Campton Baptist Church)

 “Disaster Relief allows us to demonstrate the unconditional love of Christ to people that have found themselves overwhelmed by circumstances beyond their control. Sharing the Gospel is always much more effective after sharing God’s love.”   (Roger Whitehead – Grayson First Baptist Church)

“Disaster relief is the mirror that reveals the love of God.” (Sammy Hammons – Kirksville Baptist Church)

“Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief allows us to work through the brokenness and point those we are able to serve back to a loving God through His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.” (Bob Brame – Hickory Grove Baptist Church)

“In the midst of disasters, most people, even those previously resistant to the Gospel, realize they are not in control of their current or future circumstances.  Disaster Relief volunteers come alongside them to help carry their burdens while sharing the Love and hope that is found in Jesus Christ.” (Keith Stinson – First Baptist Church of Richmond)

“The word Kentucky draws Attention (Famous Kentucky Fried Chicken). Kentucky Baptist DR gold shirts draws Curiosity. Curiosity draws conversations. Conversations open doors. BOOM! Opportunity to Share Jesus.” (Janice Gaines – Hamlet Baptist Church)

“In one week of DR I get to share the Gospel more than in a whole year at home with my regular routines.” (Gordon Hayworth – Fairdale First Baptist Church)

“Ian Sterling was saved at one of our Kentucky Baptist disaster responses to Bay Minette, Alabama. Ian was an American Red Cross volunteer and shared how he had observed our volunteers being the church and this drew him to Christ.” (Larry and Elaine Koch – Redemption Hill Baptist Church)

Is God calling you to give of yourself to bring help, healing, and hope when disasters strike?

Find out how you can give and get involved during times of disaster for the sake of the Gospel at www.kybaptist.org/dr .

The Cooperative Program is more than Money!

When I think of Kentucky Baptist, one word that rises to the top is generosity. Kentucky Baptist are generous people, who have a vision to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people everywhere.  I do not take for granted the compassionate prayers, the personal commitment, and the financial sacrifice that Kentucky Baptist make to support missions and ministry efforts in our state, nation, and world. As a former IMB missionary from Kentucky and member of the Missions Mobilization Team, I am thankful for the faithful generosity of Kentucky Baptist in their passionate support of missions through the Cooperative Program.

As stated on the SBC.net website, The Cooperative Program (CP) is the financial fuel for reaching every person for Jesus Christ in every town, every city, every state, and every nation. Since its inception in 1925, the CP has been the primary way Southern Baptists “do” the work of ministry together both locally and globally. Standing on the firm ground of the Great Commission, the CP is a powerful tool that has galvanized the missionary zeal of our denomination for the past 95 years.

The Cooperative Program is far more than money or a funding system for missions and ministry. It has been an effective means of bringing the gospel to those who have never heard of Jesus. In a time when the many people are skeptical of institutional structures, the theological conviction and purpose driving the CP must be elevated above and beyond the tool itself. The tool is wonderful, but the vision of reaching Kentucky and the world for Christ is greater. Missiology is not methodology; it is applied theology.

Through Cooperative Program giving, the Lord allows us not only to partner in fulfilling the Great Commission, but also to fulfill a vision that is greater than ourselves. Each church plays a vital role in discovering the lost, making disciples, and strengthening and planting churches both locally and globally. Collectively, we can accelerate not only authentic gospel impact, but also sustainable gospel witness.  Here is what the Lord has taught me, through the faithful CP giving of our Kentucky Baptist:  

  1. It is Beyond me: I obey God by giving my tithe to our local church. My tithe, combined with the tithes of fellow members, enables our church to reach our community and to live on mission.
  2. It is Beyond us: Our church partners with thousands of others across Kentucky to support missions and ministry statewide through the Cooperative Program. Together, we equipped people to welcome and share Christ with refugee families from more than 10 countries, started a Bible institute to equip International pastors across KY, and partnered with International Churches to make discipleships among unreached people.
  3. It is Beyond Kentucky: As KBC churches partner with 46,000+ Southern Baptist churches, our CP giving sends thousands of missionaries across North America to reach people for Christ and Plant urgently needed new churches. Together, we helped Send City missionaries in Chicago, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, and New York share Christ and plant churches
  4. It is Beyond the USA: Our CP giving sends thousands of missionaries around the world to share Christ and plant churches among unreached and unengaged people groups. Last year, CP giving helped over 3600 workers plant 12,368 churches and see 89,325 new believers! South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central Asia are only a few of the locations KBC churches are with IMB workers around the world!

The strength of the CP is that it allows all Southern Baptist’s churches to prioritize, elevate, and participate in the Great Commission, by partnering together to make Jesus known Here, There, and Everywhere. This is why I am thankful for Kentucky Baptist generosity, and I proud to serve KBC churches as they seek to reach Kentucky and the world for Christ. We are stronger together!

If I can help you develop, share, or equip your church on the impact of cooperative program, please contact me: John Barnett, KBC Missions Strategist, email: [email protected] or call: 502-654-3385

Churches and the Missionary Task–Healthy Church Formation

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I remember when my first child was born over 21 years ago.  It seems like only yesterday.  She stole my heart in that sterile delivery room with her red hair and chubby cheeks.  As I write this blog, my baby is in labor to give birth to our first grandbaby.  The birth of a child is unlike any other experience.  Giving birth to a child is only the beginning.  There is so much we want of our children. So much that we want them to be.  Ultimately, the goal is to nurture and raise our kids to live for Jesus. 

Church planting in the New Testament is like giving birth.  As we look at the book of Acts, the gospel spreads as churches are birthed—that is, planted in new locations. Paul, the main church planter in Acts, enters a location without the gospel, evangelizes unbelievers, disciples those who come to faith in Jesus, gathers those believers into congregations, raises up leaders, and then exits that place to repeat the process all over again.        

The strategy for gospel advancement in the book of Acts is church planting.  In other words, God uses the formation and multiplication of the local church to spread the gospel of Jesus locally and globally.  While the aim of the Great Commission is to make disciples of all nations, how this is accomplished is through the formation of healthy churches.  Where churches do not exist, missionaries must enter those locations, share Jesus, and begin making disciples in order to form healthy churches.  The task of the missionary is summarized as entry, evangelism, discipleship, healthy church formation, leadership development, and exit. 

IMB Photo

“A church is a group of baptized believers in Jesus Christ who are committed to each other to be the body of Christ to one another and who meet together regularly to carry out the functions of a biblical church” (IMB Foundations). What is it that we want of our churches? What do we want them to be?  Though not exhaustive, IMB Foundations offers 12 characteristics that describe what a sustainable church should be.  Whether the church is new or established, these characteristics are guides for what every church should strive to be.

  1. Biblical evangelism—people come into the church because they have heard and responded to the full gospel message.
  2. Biblical discipleship—members of the church intentionally invest in one another’s lives to grow to maturity in Jesus.
  3. Biblical membership—members are only those who give credible evidence of repentance and faith in Jesus, and who have been baptized as believers.
  4. Biblical leadership—God gives two offices of the church: pastors/elders/overseers and deacons.
  5. Biblical preaching and teaching—weekly teaching of the Word is essential for the church and consists of the exposition and application of Scripture.
  6. Biblical ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper—believers are baptized by immersion in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The Lord’s Supper is observed regularly by the church to remember and celebrate Jesus’s death, resurrection and promised return.
  7. Biblical worship—a healthy church offers to God worship as prescribed in His word so that the church sings, prays, reads, and hears the word.
  8. Biblical fellowship—members of the church love each other, encourage one another, and build each other up.
  9. Biblical prayer—the church prays both privately and corporately.
  10. Biblical accountability and discipline—members hold one another accountable to the word and leaders of the church watch over the flock entrusted to their care.
  11. Biblical giving—members give freely of their resources for the support of the church in the making of disciples.
  12. Biblical mission—the church is organized to make disciples locally, but also to do so among the nations.

The birth of a child is unlike any other experience.  New parents look forward to the beginning of their child’s life, but the goal is not to stay in the hospital after birth or even for one’s child to remain an infant.  The goal of any parent is to nurture and raise their child to maturity.  The New Testament church has the same goal.  These 12 characteristics are like a guidebook for new parents on what a church is called to be.  May the Lord send out and use your church to multiply many more churches with these characteristics. 

Sewing for Missions

When KY-MSC Missionary Tim Bargo called asking for masks for the “See You at the Pole” event, Mrs. Gloria Perkins stepped up to the plate.  Knowing of Mrs. Gloria’s sewing projects for missions in the past, I gave her a call.  She had never made masks but did have a pattern and would see what she could get done. 

In about a week Gloria called saying she had 50 masks made and would continue working on them.  In a couple more weeks she called back saying she had made a total of 150. 

“God gave me a talent for sewing and I want to use it for him,” said Gloria, who is a member of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Pine Knot.  Gloria grew up at Bethel but, as a newly married couple, in 1957 she and her husband moved to the Cincinnati area to find work.  An interesting story is that while in Ohio they were members of New Bethel Baptist Church.  Upon her husband’s retirement from GE in 1995 they build a house on her family’s homeplace and moved “back to Bethel” where she has lived and been a member of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church ever since.    

Prior to COVID the Bethel Baptist WMU ladies met monthly to study missions, pray for missionaries and to do projects for local, state, national and international missions.  They promote the Eliza Broadus, Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon offerings in their church and work with their hands to provide items for ministry. 

They made over 100 witnessing dolls and sent to an eastern Kentucky ministry.  Homemade bears, each with a tag that read “Jesus Loves You,” were put in Christmas Backpacks for Kentucky children, as well as sent to a missionary on the Louisiana coast.  Homemade dresses were put in their Samaritan Purse boxes for little girls in other countries.  The WMU also made and sold crafts, donating the money to their church to help with needed projects. 

Tim Bargo was so appreciative of the masks.  “As we are all in an uncharted time with the pandemic Mrs. Gloria Perkins showed the love of Christ by making masks for our First Priority network.” Tim said.  “I find it awesome that God told her to make masks and then weeks later He gave us the masks she made, without ever meeting or knowing each other.  Philippians 4:19 tells us, “God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” He has done that thru Mrs. Gloria!”

WMU groups all around the state are helping our missionaries to serve people and share the love of Christ.  To learn of ways you can use your God-given talents contact the KBC Missions Mobilization Team at 502-489-3530 or email [email protected].  We would love to connect you.

By the way, in addition to being active in the WMU, Mrs. Gloria also serves as church organist.  Thank you, Mrs. Gloria and Bethel Baptist WMU, for allowing God to use you to promote and support missions.