Heartbeat: September/october 2008

Volume 20 • Issue 4 • September & October 2008 1 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Wichita, KS Permit #1657

3474 S. Meridian • Wichita, KS 67217 316-943-3446 • www.hoksba.org

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Is there

value in an

Association?

From your Director of Missions • Glenn Davis

Have you watched the Summer Olympics? If you have followed those games you have heard about the gold medal won in the Men’s 4 x 100 Freestyle Swim. Four members of the USA Men’s Swim Team competed against a dominant French team. But overcoming the odds, the Americans won. Who won the race for the Americans? It was not one swimmer, but four. Though Lezak anchored the team with an amazing comeback, each swimmer did their part to win the gold. It was an effort made by the whole swim team. This is just one more example of the power of a team working together. As an association, we recognize the power of working together. None of us are Michael Phelps or Jason Lezak, or any of the rest of that gold medal winning team. But we are people whom God has gifted, and churches whom Christ has established. We are called together for one purpose. That purpose is His glory.

If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please contact the association office.

Is there value in association?

Homeless Ministry By Deborah Long

At the July 4th picnic we had 240 people. We would like to thank all of the men who brought out their grills: Mike Morgan, Mark Hall, and Jerry Elder. Also, thank you to all of the volunteers who helped with supplying food for the picnic. We are collecting pop cans. If you save your cans I will be glad to come and pick them up. Just call me at 204-9517. Our next event will be our Christmas Dinner. Winter is around the corner and we could use the following: coats, pants, flannel shirts, back packs, blankets and sleeping bags.

“ As an association, we recognize the power of working together and we are called together for one purpose. ”

The early churches found value in association. Association and cooperation is modeled in the NT. Churches did not operate independently.

•

The church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas to help the work at Antioch.

•

The church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas off to start churches.

•

Then these younger churches such as Antioch and Corinth gave back financially to the needs in Judea.

Do you see value in association? Friends, I don’t have time to tell you all that the churches in this association are doing as they cooperate together. Because of your work together there are new Bible Studies beginning, there are new church planters coming to Wichita, there are churches that are being encouraged and trained, there are pastors blessing and encouraging one another, there are churches partnering together to do the work of the Kingdom, and there are dreams of mission trips by those who have never been.

As I look across this association, I see the Lord doing wonderful things for His glory. Who but God can link churches with missions, dreams with resources, and workers with needs? For 56 years, since 1952, the Southern Baptist churches in this area have worked together because they believed that we can do more together, than we can do alone. The value of this strategy has not changed. There is still benefit in us working together. I want to express my appreciation for the cooperation of the churches of Heart of Kansas Southern Baptist Association. As we look to the future, it is with great anticipation of what the Lord is going to do in and through the churches. As an association, we want to come along side your church. Please let us know how we can be a help. 1

Gifts to our Association CHURCH

The Greatness & Power of God Late at night, a believer was praying for guidance for her and her family. After moving from Puerto Rico to Wichita they were ready to settle into this new community and they were eager to find a new home church. That particular night, this lady was asking to Lord to direct her family to a new church where they could serve and worship with other believers. They had been looking for a church for weeks without any success and now there were ready to wait on the Lord and let Him lead the way. The very next morning, she was amazed when someone knocked at her door with an invitation to a VBS. A group of volunteers from Arkansas arrived to Wichita only two days before and were visiting that area to invite children to VBS. They did not know they had a divine appointment that morning and that God would use them to be the answer to that woman’s prayer.

Can you see the greatness of God? Can you see his Love and Grace? If we are willing to follow Him and even though we do not deserve it, he will use us to be the answer to the prayer of someone else.

Bi-vocational Youth Director

BELIEVERS

South City Southern Baptist Church is searching for a Bi-vocational Youth Director. Please send resume to: Pastor Pete & Search Committee, PO Box 16242, Wichita, KS 67216.

CAMBODIAN

CALVARY CEDAR POINTE CELEBRATION COUNTRY ACRES CRUSADERS

7,873.76

1,554.01

10,519.73

290.56

2,309.26

0.00

400.00

1,000.00

8,574.43

0.00

300.00

FAITH, ANDOVER

250.00

3,600.00

799.67

5,193.01

0.00

978.00

FIRST, MULVANE

1,488.96

10,510.80

FIRST, SEDGWICK

57.30

326.94

477.04

3,297.65

0.00

97.08

FSBC, HUTCHINSON

This summer God used the churches and partners of our Association to touch the lives of many Hispanics in our community. Volunteer mission teams, summer missionaries and local churches came together and did an amazing evangelistic outreach in different parts of our association. Vacation Bible Schools, small groups, door to door evangelism, musical concerts and block parties where successful only because God’s people where ready to serve Him unselfishly. We see the future of Hispanic Work in the Heart of Kansas with great excitement and expectations and we pray that during the coming fall the Lord of the harvest will bring more laborers to this field.

Jan - Jul 08 781.59

FIRST, HAYSVILLE FIRST, MAIZE

Weekly Prayer Emphasis

Jul 08

GETSEMANI GRACE HARBOR

September

62.83

702.63

IMMANUEL, NEWTON

HARMONY

794.26

4,895.07

IMMANUEL, WICHITA

1,896.40

15,784.28

Sept. 1

Believers • Pastor Tim Ohls

IMMANUEL, VIETNAMESE INDIAN SOUTHERN

129.67

1,010.12

Sept. 8

Country Acres • Pastor Kelly Randolph

LAO BAPTIST

160.00

560.00

Sept. 15

Crusaders • Pastor Ron Harris

October Oct. 6 Oct. 13

Rolling Hills • Pastor Guy Mitchell Tyler Road • Pastor Bryan Jones

METRO EAST

0.00

13,722.01

METROPOLITAN

536.72

4,158.25

MIDWAY

440.74

5,918.22

NEW LIFE COMMUNITY

400.00

1,174.61

NINNESCAH VALLEY

145.72

606.32

NEW BIRTH CHRISTIAN

NUEVA VIDA

58.00

411.00

OLIVET

820.35

6,172.93

PARKVIEW

401.86

2,380.52

PLANEVIEW

November

0.00

117.17

PLANEVIEW ASIAN

100.00

1,659.00

PLEASANTVIEW

956.10

14,289.15

2,088.71

11,869.44

468.03

2,548.33

RANDALL ROAD RIVER COMMUNITY

Nov. 3

Metro East • Pastor Todd Pruitt

RIVERVIEW ROLLING HILLS SHALOM ADONAI SHARON

Musicians Wanted New cowboy church plant south of Wichita is looking for a musician who can play Country Western and Bluegrass-all levels of experience. Contract Wayne at 316-721-4460.

SOUTH BROADWAY

0.00

120.00

768.54

4,867.96

0.00

119.22

SOUTHSIDE

168.00

600.00

SOUTHWEST

151.64

1,260.52

SOUTHWIND FELLOWSHIP

244.80

1,381.67

THE MISSION

162.45

392.86

TRINITY

366.51

2,087.21

TYLER ROAD

552.29

3,787.27

VICTORY BAPTIST

200.00

200.00

0.00

1,000.00

150.00

300.00

WESTVIEW WICHITA KOREAN WOODLAND TOTAL CHURCH GIFTS

0.00

965.00

18,922.75

159,041.42

*Contributions received after the last day of the month will be recorded into the following month.

Celebrate Recovery One-Day Seminars Seven Keys for Advanced Leadership Training

• • • •

Kansas City, MO, October 25, 2008 Dallas, TX, November 15, 2008 Cost: as low as $65 for early registration in groups of four, $75 for individuals More information can be found at www.saddlebackresources.com/en-US/Events/ AllScheduledEvents.htm

Midway Baptist Church has recently started a Celebrate Recovery Ministry. They are having a great response and are seeing fruit from this ministry. This is a great outreach tool to our community. Tom and Marilynn Melton are leading the ministry and God is using them in a mighty way. Many participants are now members and/or regular attendees at Midway.

Summer Missionaries Impact Association Life

September S 7 14 21 28

M 1 8 15 22 29

T 2 9 16 23 30

W 3 10 17 24

TH 4 11 18 25

F 5 12 19 26

S 6 13 20 27

Labor Day, HOKSBA Office closed

12-13

Wonderful Weekend for Women, WCC

19-20

Mighty Men of God, Metropolitan BC

19-21

Campus Ministry Fall Retreat, WCC

24

“See You at the Pole” (Local Schools)

26-27

Special Ed VBS, Shiloh Campground

27

KNCSB Baptist Men’s Golf Tournament, Topeka

22-28

Viola Webb Missions Offering & Week of Prayer

28

Viola Webb Missions Offering Day

October

Work Day at Shiloh Saturday, November 8 8a.m. - 5 p.m. We are hosting a work day at Shiloh Campgrounds primarily to prepare for the mission teams that will be staying there in 2009. While we do not plan any major upgrades since the property is for sale, it is necessary to perform some minimum maintenance. The following are projects that need our attention: • Repair of commodes (flapper assemblies, handles, and fill valves) and shower heads • Sealing of deck, gazebos, and outside stairs • Painting and some plaster work • Repair of two ovens (parts?) • Mowing, edging, and weed removal (small mowers and weed trimmers) • Gate repair (welder) • Cleaning inside buildings • Cutting downed limbs (chain saws) • Removal of scrap metal (truck)

M

T

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

W 1 8 15 22 29

TH 2 9 16 23 30

F 3 10 17 24 31

S 4 11 18 25

3-4

Love & Respect Conference Central Community Church

3-4

Mother/Daughter Retreat, WCC

9

Pastors “Wives” Coffee Immanuel BC in Wichita

11

3rd Annual HOKSBA 2-person Golf Scramble

13

WMU Planning Meeting HOKSBA Office 9:30-Noon

13

WMU Annual Missions Celebration Westside Family, Lenexa

14

KNCSB Annual Meeting Westside Family, Lenexa

25

Special Ed Pumpkin Patch @ 11am

November 1

Double-Digit S.S. Seminar, WCC

3

HOKSBA Annual Meeting, Midway BC @ 6:30p.m. Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer

3

Connects with Community

By Mark Jackson

1

S

Unique Outreach Tool

A team of twelve summer missionaries have made a lasting impact on our association in terms of salvation decisions, aiding our churches, and starting new churches.

By Mark Jackson

Joe and Michelle Boyd, church planters of Aviator Church, have used many innovative methods to connect with people in their community but one method has especially caught my attention: Superheroes! Timed with the release of the latest Batman movie, five superheroes began making daily appearances in Derby.

We had three missionaries from Latin America: Mexico, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. One of their primary focuses was to make contacts in the community and share the gospel. They were very successful in this endeavor with thirty-five decisions for Christ. They also launched a Bible study that is continuing on under local leadership. One of them has a vision for our work and is considering returning to the area as a pastor when his school is finished. The remaining nine consisted of five college students (four from the association and one from Texas), and three high school seniors from California and Tennessee. This group helped with Vacation Bible Schools for five of our churches, passed out flyers, performed manual labor, and made a tremendous impact on the Aviator church plant with a multitude of outreach activities. Two summer missionaries, after serving with us, have been called to church planting. Next summer we hope to expand this activity to serve even more of our churches. Let me know if you have needs or students who would serve.

These roles were filled by five of our summer missionaries. They would carry flyers advertising the first preview service of Aviator and autograph them as they passed them out. Imagine the attention they received when knocking on doors in neighborhoods. Mothers would ask them to pose with their children for pictures and patrons at a local restaurant would often cheer when they showed up. Aviator’s first preview service attracted 164 people and they had sixteen salvation decisions. These costumes can be purchased online for under $50: www.discountsuperherocostumes.com.

The Beauty of Cooperation Part of what makes working for the Heart of Kansas cool is that I get to see a lot of the ways that churches partner together. Cooperation among churches is nothing new, but until recently I hadn’t given much thought to how much cooperation had played a major part in my life. Let me explain. While I was at college in Alabama, I was involved with the Baptist Campus Ministry on campus. That ministry was funded by the local association, and the Alabama State Board of Missions (ALSBOM). During one of our weekly worship services, a video was shown that featured a partnership between ALSBOM, and one of the Northeastern conventions. The video was about going to the northeastern U.S. to start campus ministries. God used that video, and the encouragement of some friends in the campus ministry, to call me to work with college students. I ended up in Kansas in 2000 because ALSBOM sent 12 summer missionaries to serve in KNCSB. I was one of those summer missionaries, and I worked at Super Summer, the summer youth camp sponsored by KNCSB. Through my time at the camp, I met people who were instrumental in bringing me to Kansas to work at HOKSBA, and serve at Wichita State University. In 2004, several international students were attending Southwind Fellowship (a HOKSBA cooperating church) because of a tie some of them had to that church through an IMB missionary they had met when they were in their home country. Because of Southwind’s cooperation with HOKSBA, I was introduced to those students, and there is now an international student church (The Mission) on the WSU campus made up of students from over twenty different countries.

By Brad Simmons

Earlier this year HOKSBA hosted a vision tour, during which, pastor’s and lay leaders from churches all over the country came to see ministries that HOKSBA churches are involved in. One of the ministries featured was The Mission. After the vision tour, one of those churches, and the association it is a part of, decided they would help The Mission by purchasing a van and trailer for us to use as we serve students. In late July, we received their gift, and have already been using it to move equipment and students. While I’m sure this list is not exhaustive, it is at least indicative of the many ways cooperation between churches has been a key avenue by which God has brought me to where I am today. God is at work in so many ways around us, and has given us all so many gifts and ways to serve one another. What a blessing it is to see how God uses us, when we’re willing to use what he has given us, wherever it is needed.

Ministries & Evangelism Good Neighbor Center

Disaster Relief

Our Good Neighbor Centers continue to minister to the needy providing food, clothing, and most of all, the Gospel. They can always use food and clothing for the 250 people ministered to each week. The dollars you give to the centers are stretched greatly due to the ability to purchase food for 16 cents per pound. Work projects are always available and youth groups are extremely valuable in reaching the youth of those neighborhoods. All of our GNC’s are in need of volunteers on a weekly basis, especially the West Side GNC.

The shower trailer is currently being used in Greensburg along with our rebuilding ministry. We are getting close to fielding our chain saw trailer. The trailer and much of the equipment has already been purchased. We will have chainsaw training and certification on November 1st from 9a.m. - 2p.m. (location TBA). Notify us of your interest by October 18th. Disaster Relief will open many doors to tell the lost and hurting about Jesus. If God is calling you to this ministry, please contact Loren Phippen, Bill Riley or Elmo Brawley. We are available to speak about Disaster Relief.

Evangelism Missions Trips So far this year we have been on four evangelism mission trips.

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The first one was at the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena, California. Three of us from Wichita teamed up with approximately 100 people from around the country to share the Gospel with thousands of people that are open to hearing the Gospel.

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Seven of us that went to Mardis Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana and teamed up with 50 men from around the country.

•

We handed out thousands of tracts, shared the Gospel, and saw fruit from our labors. Each year we hand out 60,000 plus tracts and hear back from hundreds when they get home from Mardis Gras.

•

I went to an Intentional Community Evangelism event in Lafayette, Georgia, where we saw many decisions made for Christ in the little town and numerous church members getting excited about evangelism. In fact, one young mom went out with us for the first time in her life and watched us lead many people to Christ. She was so excited about sharing her faith that she came to Wichita to help at the River Festival.

•

I also went to an ICE event the week before the SBC conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. We worked with five local churches in Indianapolis and saw over 700 decisions for Christ.

•

I will be attending an ICE event in Denver, Colorado, with one of our pastors during the Democrat National Convention. The people of Denver tell us that there will be 36,000 delegates there, 100,000 protesters, 40,000 prostitutes and numerous se-

Start marking your calendar for our annual evangelistic trip to New Orleans during Mardis Gras. We will be leaving on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 4:00 from the Associational office and we are planning to return late in the afternoon on February 22. In the past few years we have had a group of seven. This year, we are praying for at least 12 to fill two vans. This is a great experience to share the Gospel to people who are hurting. Please pray about coming along with us. Also, please start praying about going to the Rose Bowl parade with us this year. Over a million people line Colorado Blvd in Pasadena and thousands of them arrive the day before to save their spot for the parade. There are many opportunities to share the Gospel. We will leave here on December 30th and return late on January 1st. We provide our own transportation and living expenses. It is best to fly in and out of the Ontario airport so it will be easier for the team to pick us up. Please let me know as soon as possible if you are interested. The River Festival runs from May 8th-16th. Our events will be from Thursday, May 14th to Saturday, May 16th. We will have a Team Impact type of event on Saturday. Street evangelists from around the country will be helping us all week during the River Festival. Our goal this year is to have one of our church members along side the evangelists every day. So start praying about when you would be available to work the streets and learn a very productive way to share the Gospel. Thousands of lost people are at the River Festival every year and we need to reach out to them. We will also need help with music and volunteers to man the inflatable's and snack food station. Let’s make this the most productive festival yet for reaching the lost and dying in Wichita. We are continuing to minister in some of the area’s youth detention facilities. There is a need for ministry at the juvenile facilities. These youth need to hear about our Lord and see His love in a real way. Please call me if you have an interest in getting involved. Many of you may know that I have been a Wichita Police Chaplain for the past few years. This has been such a rewarding ministry to me because of the opportunities to minister to so many individuals. Part of the job is delivering death notices and ministering to the families who have lost a loved one. The other part is riding with our police officers. This allows me to get to know them and it also gives me the opportunity pray for their special needs. This also gives them someone they know that they can go to when things get tough in their very stressful job. Please lift this ministry and our police officers up to our Lord. Please continue praying for the Set Free house and for the ministry. Many of our local churches have “work days” at the house. We have also had a mission team from Arkansas work there. The work is coming along but we still have a lot left to do. Please contact Bart Buresh at 316619-8648 if you are interested in taking a work group there. We will soon be starting on the drywall and finish work.

Samaritan’s Road

Golf Tournament

By Chaplain Marvin Daniels

Some of you may be aware of the ministry SAMARITAN'S ROAD, while some may not. SAMARITAN'S ROAD is a unique ministry that is "sharing the Gospel with America's truckers." We are located at Newell Truck Plaza in Newton, Kansas on I-135 exit 31 just north of the Days Inn. We are blessed to minister to the truckers who come to our Trucker's Chapel. Love Box Company donated SAMARITAN'S ROAD a 48' semi trailer in June 2005 that we converted into our present Chapel. We held our first service on New Years Day 2006. Since then we have added an additional evening service starting at 7:00 PM.

As with any ministry, we could use your help. We are in need of volunteers who are willing to give of their time to help with the Sunday services and at other times as well. We need volunteers who have a hearts desire to share the gospel with the lost. Our ministry provides a great opportunity for people to come and grow in their spiritual walk as they exercise the use of their spiritual gifts. This affords churches the opportunity to grow as they exercise and encourage their congregation to use their Spiritual gifts. I challenge you to come and see for yourself what SAMARITAN'S ROAD is really about. If you would like more information concerning our ministry, just give me a call at 316-5195602 cell or 316-322-7133 home. I encourage you to visit our web site where you can see more about this great ministry of love. You will find us at: www.samaritansroad.us

Leading the Double-Digit Sunday School: November 1, 2008 from 9a.m. till 3:30p.m. at the WCC in Salina, Kansas.

The Heart of Kansas Southern Baptist Association will be holding the 3rd Annual Fall Two-Person Scramble Golf Tournament at Hesston Golf Park on Saturday, October 11th. Check-in will be from 12:00-12:30p.m. with a shotgun start at 1:00p.m. The cost is $37.50 per person which includes: golf, cart, range balls, prizes (about 10 teams per flight based on your score), and food following golf while we determine the winners. The entry deadline is October 1st and late entries will be accepted only on a case-by-case basis. You are encouraged to sign up as a team, but if you are unable find a partner, we will try to find one for you. Each team will be paired with a team from another church. This golf tournament will be low key compared to the Spring Fellowship Golf Tournament. Contact Charley Powell at 650-1959 or email him at [email protected] with any questions. You may obtain an entry form by downloading it from www.hoksba.org. Many of you will receive an entry form by email as well. We hope to see you in Hesston!

Double-Digit Sunday School Seminar The first national "Leading the Double-Digit Sunday School" seminar will be rolled out in Salina. A “double-digit Sunday School” is easily defined: A Sunday School with an average attendance of 99 or less. The one-day event will be held Saturday, November 1, 2008, at Webster Conference Center. The $15 registration fee includes a seminar notebook, two books, and lunch. The seminar will customize Sunday School basics for doubledigit churches. The intent is to make it “hands on” and practical for those leaders in attendance. Dean Abernathy of LifeWay Christian Resources said, “I would rather conferees walk away understanding and prepared to implement a few basic Sunday School principles than for us to "dump" a bunch of stuff on them that they don't value and see as meaningful in their church situation.” This event is jointly sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources and the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. The primary leaders are Dean Abernathy, LifeWay, and Marie Clark, KNCSB. To register contact Barbara Spicer, 1-800-984-9092, or complete the registration form from the website, www.kncsb.org.

Setting Goals for Growth Terry Beasley, Sunday School Team Leader

“Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal.” Walt Disney

The beginning of September marks the start of a new Sunday School year. With the new year comes opportunity for change, revision, and improvement. But how do we know where change needs to occur? Once we identify needed areas of change, how do we design and implement plans to encourage such change? Then, after we’ve given our revisions time to fly (or flop), how do we know if the change has been successful? Goal setting is common place in the educational and corporate world though less familiar in the church environment. An athlete on the soccer field wouldn’t consider kicking the ball without knowing where the goal is on the field! The cross country runner would be foolish to start running without a good understanding of the course before him and the direction to which he races. As Paul expressed in Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me…” Paul knew the goal that had been set before him and he was determined to persevere to reach that goal! As Sunday School teachers, we too should have predetermined goals before us. However, how do we set, plan for, and evaluate these goals? First, to plan for where we are going, we must know where we are! Goal setting for the Sunday School ministry, department, or class must begin with an honest review of the numbers. Several specific questions should be asked and answered. What is our enrollment? What is our attendance? What is the percentage relationship between our enrollment and attendance? Are there enrollment/attendance trends that we can see? (For example, our attendance in the senior adult department is very strong but continually weakens through the young adult department.) How many prospects have we identified for our Sunday School program? How many contacts are made through the Sunday School each week? How many Sunday School leaders have been enlisted and trained? Once, we review the data to see where we are, we can set goals for each area: enrollment, attendance, prospects, contacts, and leaders. The goals must be attainable and realistic. Mary Kay Ash once said that “A good goal is like a strenuous exercise – it makes you stretch.” We must not expect to see drastic changes immediately. In fact, if we do, these changes may not last. A growth rate of 5% annually for a Sunday School class or ministry would be substantial! The more we can involve our Sunday School leadership in the goal setting process, the more ownership they will accept. Goal setting itself will not guarantee improvement. The next essential step is the development of an action plan to achieve the stated goal. If your goal is to see your Sunday School program increase its enrollment by 5% over a period of one year, what are the things that will be done for the purpose of reaching this goal? Who will be responsible for each step within the action plan? What is the timeline for the completion of each step? Again, the development of an action plan must not be done by one or two leaders in the confines of a church office. For the goal to be attained, we must have ownership of the goal and the plan by the teachers, leaders, and members of the Sunday School classes and departments. It is work; work that must be shared. Finally, after goals have been set, action plans have been developed and implemented, there will come a time for assessment. This involves measuring the results of your actions to see if you have reached your goals. Just as it does no good to set goals with no action plans, it also accomplishes little to implement action plans and then not evaluate the success of those plans. If we have followed through with our action plan, we have a better likelihood of meeting our goal. Measure your success. Make adjustments where necessary. Celebrate the victories! If the Sunday School team of the Heart of Kansas Southern Baptist Association can assist you in reviewing your Sunday School data and guiding you in the goal setting process, please do not hesitate to contact Terry Beasley at Sharon Baptist Church in Wichita.

“The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leaders and followers... Leaders, followers and goals make up the three equally necessary supports for leadership.” Gary Wills, American Author

WMU Report “Called

to Love”

By Ellen M Noeller, WMU Director

“LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL, AND MIND. THIS IS THE FIRST AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT. AND THE SECOND IS LIKE IT: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Matthew 22:37-39 NIV “Called to Love” is this year’s emphasis. This year, we will be learning and exploring God’s love: To love Jesus with all of our heart, soul and mind. The WMU Year Book for 2008-2009 is a tool that will help you with planning for the year and it will also inform you of WMU Ministries. If you are interested, you can order your WMU Year Book from the WMU in Birmingham, AL. Feel free to call me with any questions, 215-0135. We held our 4th Annual Women’s Conference at Metropolitan Baptist Church on July 19th. Our theme was “Live the Call: God Design for your life” and there were 39 in attendance. La Vaughan Scheurich presented the Prayer Patterns and the WMU Director from South Central Association, Calah Titus was our worship leader. Calah also sang a song called “He Knows My Name.” Kim Andrews, our guest speaker, spoke on how we need to have a vision of faith and that our churches need to get there faith back. She referenced to Hebrews 11. We need to put more faith in God as we do his work. In all, we had ten great conferences. We collected food for the Downtown Good Neighbor Center and we also collected $129 for Bibles for the Youth Detention Center. Thank you Metropolitan ladies! Mother & Daughter Retreat: October 3rd and 4th at the Webster Conference Center for girls in grades 1st-6th as well as sponsors. Registration will need to be postmarked by September 3rd. Contact your WMU Director, pastor, or church office for forms and complete details.

Where are the Resources to

Start Churches?

By Mark Jackson

Last month, I wrote about the importance of church planting as a long term goal for our association and indicated that our effectiveness and possibly survival may depend on this activity. But we live in a climate where resources are in short supply. Many families and our churches sometimes struggle to just pay the bills. Is there a “right” time to start new churches? I am persuaded that just as a young couple has difficulty in finding a “right” time to start having children, there is seldom an opportune time to start churches. So, how can we overcome these challenges and start churches? First, we can work together as partners in our association. Isn’t this what Southern Baptist life is all about? Churches partnering together to accomplish greater tasks then could be achieved alone? If five to ten of our churches would partner together to start a church every year, we would have healthy growth and possibly be a larger association today. If all of our churches would band together in this way we could start five to ten churches every year. Secondly, we do partner with the North American Mission Board and the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. Each year we utilize funds that subsidize church planter salaries and support the work of new churches. We also take advantage of the expertise of these organizations.

Finally, we can (and are) forming partnerships with other Southern Baptist churches and associations from outside our area. Perhaps your church or group would consider becoming a partner in growing God’s Kingdom in our area. I have a lot of opportunities, so give me a call.

Vision Tour Update: Heart of Kansas Missionaries Travel to Arkansas for Missions Fair A small group of missionaries went to share our vision for Kingdom work with the Clear Creek Baptist Association of Ozark, Arkansas. We were there at the request of the association missionary who is interested in forming a two to three years partnership with us. Our initial acquaintance with this association began when their Associational Missionary, John Matthews, responded to an invitation to attend the Vision Tour this past April along with four of their pastors. Their association has already purchased a van, trailer (provided by Concorde Baptist Church), and $500 for Language Bibles for The Mission (also provided by Concord). Loren Phippen and myself will be traveling back for their annual meeting this October to enter into a formal partnership, if God so wills. Please pray for us and that God will be glorified through this relationship.. By Mark Jackson