September 2008

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KENTUCKY BAPTIST

FELLOWSHIP Equipping & Empowering. Cultivating Partnerships. Engaging in Missions. Kentucky Baptist Fellowship 225 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., Suite 205 Louisville KY 40222-4929 Phone: Fax: Office email: Website:

502-426-1931 502-426-1612 offi[email protected] www.kybf.org

Coordinating Council Officers: Moderator: Robert Davis, Louisville Moderator-Elect: Linda Caldwell, Middlesboro Past Moderator: Alice Mull, Elizabethtown Secretary: Kristen Terry Nethery, Corbin Treasurer: Susanne Jenkens, Louisville Term Expiring in 2009: Bill McCann, Madisonville; Stanley Crabb, Hopkinsville; Jim Dobbins, Elizabethtown; Lisa Wood, Frankfort; Frank Hatfield, Shepherdsville; Ottis Cave, Stanford; John Owen, Winchester; Pat Ramey, Williamsburg; and Don Mantooth, Morehead. Term Expiring in 2010: Larry Haltom, Henderson; Robert Davis, Louisville; Susanne Jenkens, Louisville; Margaret Barlow, Louisville; Kitty Baird, Danville; Jeremy Shoulta, Louisville; Nancy Fields, Covington; Patsey Jacobs, Lexington; and Iraline Craig, Midway.

Children’s Mission Day

DATE CHANGE

Term Expiring in 2011: Bob Coons, Owensboro; Charlotte Benningfield, Owensboro; Jane Brake, Frankfort; Renee Purtlebaugh, Louisville; Don Rogers, Louisville; Amanda Phelps Taylor, Morgantown; James Browning, Pikeville; Don McFadden, Winchester; and Kristen Terry Nethery, Corbin. Term Expiring in 2012: Dwight Lovan, Owensboro; Clarice Johnson, Owensboro; Laura Albovias, Louisville; Naomi Colliver, Georgetown; Susan Reed, Louisville; David Wells, Shepherdsville; Tim Doremus, Mt. Washington; David Honeycutt, Williamsburg; and Mary Edinger, Middlesboro. CBF Coordinating Council: Barry Birdwhistell, Elizabethtown; Jeremy Colliver, Georgetown; and Lynn Smith, Covington. Coordinator: John Lepper [email protected] Associate Coordinator for Missions: Joshua Speight [email protected] Administrative Assistant: Kathleen Cornetet offi[email protected]

The Annual KBF Children’s Mission Day has been postponed until MARCH 7, 2009. Please make note of the change on your calendar. The annual event will still be held at Faith Baptist Church in Georgetown, Kentucky. Look for more info from KBF soon beginning in January of 2009!

Did you receive KBF eNews in August? If not, please email offi[email protected] ASAP to be added to the distribution list for October. We will continue mailing the printed KBF News on a regular basis in addition to communicating with you through KBF eNews. Don’t miss out!

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KBF News September 2008

KBF News is a newsletter of Kentucky Baptist Fellowship.

STIRRING THE WATERS 2008 Kentucky Baptist Fellowship Christian Education Conference WHERE: WHEN: WHAT: COST: INCENTIVES:

Baptist Seminary of Kentucky (Lexington) Sat., Oct. 25, 2008 - 9am to 3pm (lunch provided) Workshops designed to enhance your ministry $25/person or $20 each for 5+ (students $15) $5 discount if registration/fees received by 10/1

Dr. Jeff Woods presents: “How congregations are tempted to find a quick fix” Sustaining Organizations: Twelve balancing points for sustainability, Five variables that matter most in attaining congregational health & growth In his current role as Associate General Secretary for the American Baptist Churches, USA, Dr. Woods is responsible for encouraging the health and vitality of the 35 regions throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. He has written six books and over thirty articles. As a consultant and resource person, he has worked with groups in nearly every state and province in North America. His areas of expertise include leadership and organizational development.

Special Feature for Ministers: “Spiritual Renewal for Ministers” Led by Dr. Daniel Vestal, CBF Executive Coordinator Laity, clergy, and workers with preschool, children, youth and adults will benefit from workshops carefully designed to enhance gifts for ministry. Register by sending name, address, email address and church for each person attending along with a check made payable to: Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, 631 S. Limestone St., Lexington, KY 40508

We are a fellowship of churches and individuals who share a commitment to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.

Extreme Build 2008 was a success! By Joshua Speight, Associate Coordinator for Missions Thanks to our partnership with McCreary County Community Housing Development Corporation (McCHDO) as well as our excellent volunteer lead team, 150 volunteers were able to combine resources to provide an affordable home for Bessie Watson and her family in McCreary County. Despite a slow start pre-build week and other obstacles the week of the build, we achieved our goal of building a home and furthering our relationship with the people of McCreary County. Offering over 8,000 hours of service, we all experienced unique moments while hammering and sweating in the July heat. Some of the best moments of the week included: watching Bessie and her children hammer the first nail into their new walls, meeting new friends from Texas, working alongside many of Bessie’s family members who came to support her, and singing “Amazing Grace” as a benediction to our work at the Saturday Dedication. Our ties as Kentucky Baptist Fellowship were strengthened between one another and between KBF and McCreary County. We hope to build upon the efforts of Extreme Build in 2009 as we continue to partner with McCreary County.

Special Thanks to 2008 Extreme Build Lead Team: Becky Colliver, Food Sharon Davis, Registration Dora Gosnell, KBF Intern

Kentucky Council Of Churches 61st Annual Assembly October 16-17, 2008 Good Shepherd Catholic Church 1050 US Hwy 421 S. Frankfort, KY Registration begins: October 16 @ 8:30 AM Assembly Convenes: October 16 @ 9:30 AM Workshops TBA: Thursday and Friday Adjourns: October 17 Around Noon Registration Fee: $50 for both days $40 for one day (breakfast and lunch included) Ecumenical Worship Service October 16, 2008

Steve Holm, House Leader Clifford Keith, Security Conway Stone, Fundraising Donna Thrush, McCHDO For more pictures from Extreme Build 2008, visit www.kybf.org

For more information, maps and directions, and to find registration forms and lodging info check the website: www.kycouncilofchurches. org/AnnualAssembly.html Or call: 859 269-715 or email: [email protected]

calendar September 6: Repair Affair, Owsley County September 6: Repair Affair, McCreary County September 10-12: Together for Hope Partners Meeting, Winchester (national meeting) POSTPONED TO MARCH 7, 2009: Children’s Mission Day; Faith Baptist Church, Georgetown October 16-17; Kentucky Council of Churches Annual Convocation, Frankfort October 25: Christian Education Workshop (Co-sponsored by Baptist Seminary of Kentucky and Kentucky Baptist Fellowship) BSK Campus, Lexington

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A Word from our Coordinator Extreme Build Reflections by John Lepper This was the third year for Kentucky Baptist Fellowship to be involved in Extreme Build and the experience was filled with moments of frustration, excitement, success, and deep emotion. Here are some images that linger in my mind, long after the week. • • • •

From the first day to the last, Bessie interacted with people, thanking them. Each time she was flooded with tears of joy. Bessie’s sisters, one who came from Ohio, worked daily on the job site. Steve Holm, our house leader, arrived at the job site early and stayed late. Volunteers, some skilled and some not so skilled, sweated together for the common goal of building a house. One-hundred fifty volunteers came from Kentucky, Indiana, Texas, Illinois, most giving up a week’s vacation to be involved.

Bessie’s tears reflected her deep emotion regarding the house. All week, she tried to convey in her words her deep gratitude. The first day of the build, I was involved in hanging the banner that listed various partners. Bessie approached me and said, “I’d like to get the name of every person and every organization involved in this because I want to send them a thank you note.” Another image that lingers in my mind happened at the dedication. Bessie was given the key to her house. With tears streaming down, she held the key high into the air. A few minutes later, after speeches and the dedication prayer, there was a gap of silence (the kind of brief silence that occurs at the end of a worship service and just before people begin greeting one another). Bessie yelled, “Hey everybody! I’m a homeowner!” Discarding her written words prepared for the dedication, Bessie spoke from her heart when she said, “I thought I was getting a house this week but I didn’t know I was getting 150 new friends.” Indeed all who were involved in Extreme Build have made new friends. The lives of volunteers intersected with each other and with the lives of Bessie and her family. And while we rejoice that a house was built, perhaps the more long-lasting effect of Extreme Build is the relationships it engenders.

My Summer as an Intern in McCreary County By Dora Gosnell My work as the KBF Summer Intern was an amazing experience which I will never forget. Spending much of my time working on Extreme Build caused me to realize just how much effort goes into building a house. Each day on the site, I helped with the walls and painted and saw others help with the plumbing and the electric. These experiences let me see all my hard work of planning weeks ahead of time helped Bessie Watson achieve her dream of becoming a homeowner. First, McCHDO’s application process requires the recipients to complete a narrative about their life, asking them to tell anything they believe will help them receive the home from Extreme Build. They also must complete Home Ownership Counseling as well as other courses well before ground is broken on their new home. After the counseling and classes are completed, the funding packages are selected and grants are written. Once in place, the recipient chooses their house plan along with the colors, flooring, countertops, and so forth. As you can tell, a lot of time and preparation goes into this project long before any construction begins. When I stepped in as the Intern, the application process was complete and a family had been chosen. My work with McCHDO prior to the build required ordering all the supplies and placing delivery dates for the week of the build. I also organized the assistance of local volunteers, such as funeral homes lending us their tents for shade on the work site and local churches supplying lunch for all the KBF workers during the week of the build. Much of time is spent increasing local relationships already established between McCHDO, KBF, and the residents of McCreary County. During the week of the build, I was available to help as needed and run errands. While on site, however, I also learned more than I thought I would including how to hang drywall and pick up scraps. But beyond the carpentry skills, I also learned unique life skills as well. I realized that often things do not always go as planned, but with persistence a solution can usually be found. I also learned that many issues can not be resolved without little help—and most of the time two brains are better than one. Of all that I learned, perhaps the best thing I experienced was the general feeling of happiness felt all around the site; not only the happiness expressed by the Watson family but also the volunteers. As the week progressed I realized that every person volunteering played a huge role in helping make the Extreme Build a success. It astonished me that there were so many people, churches, and organizations coming together for one purpose. People from different lifestyles and places came together and formed one great team—a team that helped one family’s dream come true. Bessie and her husband dreamed of owning a home for their family one day. A year ago, when Bessie became a widow, she thought that dream would never become a reality, but with help from Kentucky Baptist Fellowship, McCreary County Community Housing Development Corporation, and many other organizations, Bessie lives in the house of her dreams. During one of my many conversations with Bessie, she shared with me her thoughts: “Anyone can build a house, but it takes special people like this to make a house become home.” Simply hearing her say these words let’s me know that Extreme Build was a success for all of us.

Mission in Reverse By Emilee Causey Many of you have partnered with the community of Nada, Kentucky. You have spent time, effort, and money to visit the community and see where God could use your gifts. This summer, while many churches and mission teams visited Nada for the week, a group from the community of Nada left their home to travel to Blacksburg, Virginia. Blacksburg Baptist Church decided they would like to bring the youth of Nada to their community for a weekend of fellowship, exploration, and new experiences. They based their idea on Paula Settle’s suggestion of “the reverse mission trip.” Nada’s connection with Blacksburg Baptist Church goes back six years, so when the idea of bringing Nada to Blacksburg was suggested to a few leaders, the enthusiasm started building. Less than two months later 12 Nada teenagers and three Nada adults traveled to spend time with their friends in Virginia. This concept of the reverse mission trip is relatively new and still in formation. Basically, the resources, time, and planning a church normally would give to making a visit to Nada are reversed so that a group from a marginalized area can experience a culture and context unlike their own. We used the trip as a retreat for the youth; a time of devotion, and a time to build on the existing bonds with Blacksburg Baptist. For Blacksburg, this was an opportunity to put a face on ministry of the church only a few have experienced. Many of the people at Blacksburg know Nada only through slideshows of previous trips. By offering their resources to bring part of Nada to Virginia, the relationship between the church and the community became more personal, while also demonstrating to the teenagers the opportunities available in other cities. The kids had a wonderful time at the retreat center, making bon fires and smores, swimming at the lake, going to the batting cage/driving range, and visiting Virginia Tech. They knew it would be fun, but I am not sure they expected their world would enlarge as a result of their travels. Since our trip, many of their conversations have been about where they want to visit next, where they are thinking about going to school, and where they want to live. New possibilities exist for their futures as a result of spending the weekend in Blacksburg. While the outcome is not as immediately noticeable, the result of investing in the futures of those who live in Nada leaves a lasting impression. Emilee Causey is the Youth Coordinator in Nada, KY for Mountain Hope. To see more pictures from this summer and over the past year, visit www.flickr.com/photos/emileeinnada/