Christian Family Day scheduled for July 19
ST. LOUIS—Christian Family Day at Busch Stadium will be July 19 when the St. Louis Cardinals play the San Diego Padres. There will be a concert after the game featuring Casting Crowns and Evangelist Tony Nolan. Master of ceremonies for the event will be McGraw Millhaven of KTRS Radio. Visit www.christianfamilyday.com for more information.
Church health event set for Jefferson City
JEFFERSON CITY—A church health conference, “The DNA of a Healthy Church,” will be held April 1 at Concord Baptist Church here. Cost is $20 per person (pre-registered) and $25 at the door. Register online at www.mobaptist.org/church_health_conference.
Aubrey Malphurs, senior professor of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary, will be the conference speaker. Sessions will run from 9:15
a.m. through 4:30 p.m.
Hoop Fest tournaments tied to missions trips
JEFFERSON CITY—Separate Hoop Fest events for boys and girls will be held in late March and early April at Missouri Baptist churches under the dual sponsorship of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) Men’s Missions & Ministry Department and Holts Summit-based Sports Crusaders.
The 14th boys tournament (Challengers) will be March 28-29 at First Baptist Church, Springfield, and First Baptist Church, Eldon, for athletes in grades 9-12. The 8th girls tournament (Acteens) will be April 4-5 at First Eldon for athletes in grades 9-12. There will also be a fourth girls tournament April 4-5 at First Eldon for athletes in grades 6-8.
Entry fee is $75 per team, with a 12-team limit at each site. Registration deadline for Challengers is March 11; for Acteens, March 17. Games are 4-on-4.
A boys’ team and a girls’ team will be selected from all the players in the high school age group to participate in a missions trip this summer. Girls will go to El Salvador on June 21-28 and boys will go to Merida, Mexico, on July 16-19. A missions project also could come from a team selected from the junior high girls competition. Mission teams will be selected based on a player’s Christian walk and witness as well as his or her athletic ability.
For more information, call (866) 482-9833 or (573) 896-6095.
First Baptist Milan gets new pastor
MILAN—First Baptist Church here has called Dan Wilford as full-time pastor. He has served as supply and interim pastor since last April. His wife, Carol, was called last October as music director.
Coalition for families lands executive director
ST. LOUIS—The National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families has hired John Splinter as its first executive director, starting March 1. He is the former associate pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in St. Louis. There will be an open house to honor this selection March 13 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church.
SBU presents two church music awards
BOLIVAR—Southwest Baptist University recently hosted its 34th Annual Church Music Workshop in conjunction with the Missouri Baptist Convention. Two awards were presented Feb. 1.
Debbie Richerson, manager of the LifeWay store at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, was presented the Geneva Casebolt Award for Excellence in full-time Music Ministry. And Harold Ward, who served 30 years at Prince Avenue Baptist Church in Hannibal and 50 years overall in music ministry, was presented the Bob Woolley Award for Achievement in Part-time Music Ministry.
First Baptist Sarcoxie calls new music minister
SARCOXIE – Allen Lorton has been called by Sarcoxie First Baptist Church to serve as their music minister. Allen, his wife, Jeni, and their daughter, Ally, were received at a reception held in their honor Feb. 24. They were welcomed by Pastor Sam Wilson and presented an album of encouragement and well wishes from the church.
CAPE GIRARDEAU – The Cape Girardeau Baptist Association will host an Acts 1:8 leadership seminar April 25 at Pathway Baptist Church. The conference will be on enabling churches to answer God’s call to take the Gospel to their Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
Speakers will include Tim Yarbrough, Acts 1:8 Challenge coordinator for the North American Mission Board; Norm Howell, partnership missions specialist for the Missouri Baptist Convention, Eric King from the International Mission Board, and Richard Smith, director of missions for Charleston Baptist Association.
iGO conference to equip volunteers for missions
JEFFERSON CITY – Concord Baptist Church is joining with the partnership missions and student ministry offices of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) to offer iGO (meaning “I go”), a missions training and equipping conference April 4 and 5.
The first day is designed specifically for pastors, directors of missions, mission leaders and youth leaders. The topics will be repeated to allow everyone to attend two classes.
Topics will include: The Last Words of Jesus, The Mission Minded or Missional Church, Training in Prayer Walking, Raising Funds for Mission Trips, Helping Your Association to be Mission Minded, Mobilizing Students for Missions, Evangelism on the Mission Field and Mission Work Among Hispanic Churches.
Friday evening and Saturday are designed specifically for high school and college students.
For more information, or to register, go to www.mobaptist.org. There is no charge to attend.
CAPE GIRARDEAU – Bethany Baptist Church will celebrate their 10th anniversary in their present location May 4. The celebration will include a sermon from Donny Ford, former pastor, testimonies and a note burning ceremony.
SBU hires two for graduate programs
BOLIVAR – Southwest Baptist University (SBU) announced that Joe Sartorius, former St. Louis special education services director and Lindbergh school district principal, will join the graduate faculty of education.
Sartorius will be teaching courses in the five degree programs offered by SBU and recruiting students in the St. Louis area. SBU offers courses in St. Louis for graduate degrees in education, educational administration/principalship, educational administration/superintendency, lead teaching, and instructional technology.
SBU also recently announced that Pam Hedgpeth, superintendent of schools in Republic, will be joining the graduate faculty in the fall 2008 semester. Hedgpeth will be teaching courses about principalship and superintendency.