It’s amazing how quickly three months can go by! Here’s a quick snapshot of what I’ve been doing:
• First, I have been much in prayer for our pastors, churches, associational missionaries and state convention staff and a host of volunteers who have been ministering during crisis times due to the numerous disasters. It has been a privilege to work closely with Jay Hughes in helping some pastors whose families were affected by the disasters.
• Have visited with every state executive director in the Midwest – 13 states, 10 state conventions. In many cases have already made more than one visit in each state.
• Have had at least initial meetings with the following cities listed as Send Cities: St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Chicago. In Ohio we have a unique situation with the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Columbus in 2013, so we have expanded the Send Cleveland initiative to “Send 3 C Ohio,” which includes Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Will be meeting with Minneapolis/St. Paul in August and the Detroit group in November. That will give us a total of eight Send Cities in the Midwest.
• Have also been working with states and their strategy changes for impacting the lostness in the Midwest. It is amazing to see the great cooperation taking place to focus our resources and efforts to really change the spiritual landscape of the Midwest. It will not happen overnight.
What are some of the needs as I crisscross the Midwest?
First, There is a great need for a concentrated prayer effort across the Midwest: For the numerous states still battling the effects of tornadoes, storms and flooding; for church planters laboring faithfully; for struggling churches who need strengthening; for partner, “Sending Churches” to help with the Send Cities and church planters; for spiritual renewal among our churches; for God to open the eyes and hearts of people in the Midwest to be receptive to the Gospel. Have you considered prayer walking every street and road in your state with the intention of going back and sharing the Gospel with every home? It’s important to pray for every household and against every stronghold if we are going to be used by God to push back the darkness and plant the number of churches needed.
Second, there are many churches in Missouri who could be “Sending Churches” to help a church plant somewhere in the Midwest. We would love to find a partner church for every church plant. What could you do? Could you send an encouragement team once a month to help a church planter for a weekend, take his family to dinner, teach Bible study, lead music, or help with the cost of a church planter’s medical insurance? Could you send a team to help with VBS, a block party, survey work, or any of a number of mission projects identified by the church planter?
Third, how about preparing your members to be missional in living, giving and going? Being a missional church doesn’t just happen. It takes an intentional effort to prepare people to be on mission and go on mission. The North American Mission Board Mobilization Group can help you. Go to the website: www.namb.net and click on “Mobilize Me.” After that it’s just a matter of following the steps to get additional assistance with preparing your people to participate in “Send North America.”
That’s enough suggestions for now, but mainly I want to thank Missouri Baptists for your commitment through the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions. Every church that gives through the Cooperative Program is involved in church planting, because somewhere down the line of Southern Baptist distribution of dollars, there is a church plant directly impacted by your gifts. But I also want to encourage more churches to adopt a church planter and church plant. Do you know a church planter? If not, we’d love to help you connect with one. I have already met some very good church planters in Missouri, but I can’t stress enough how great the needs are in the newer-work state conventions, like Michigan, Iowa, the Dakotas, Kansas/Nebraska, West Virginia, Minnesota/Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.
Missouri is a key partner in the Midwest region. Thanks for all you’re doing.
STEVE DAVIS / NAMB’s Midwest Regional Vice President