KANSAS CITY – Robert E. Coleman, the author of The Master Plan of Evangelism, and Atlanta pastor Dhati Lewis will headline the “CORE” sessions of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, Oct. 29. Matt Kearns, leadership development team leader at the convention, hopes that the “CORE” conference will “inspire, challenge and encourage” Missouri Southern Baptists for “the glory of God and the growth of the Kingdom.” Robert Coleman, he said, is a “leading voice and role model” for … [Read more...]
Missourians glowing about Send excitement, crowds
PLANO, Texas – Missourians were among the record crowds at Prestonwood Baptist Church here, and they say the excitement and passion seen there is encouraging. “It was extraordinary,” said Rick Hedger, Missions/Evangelism/Discipleship team leader for the Missouri Baptist Convention said. “I think the Send momentum is really buildilng.” John Mark Clifton, lead pastor of Wornal Road Baptist Church in Kansas City, said the event was different from previous North American Mission Board … [Read more...]
Send connects churches to vast mission field
PLANO, Texas (BP) – More than 4,200 church planters, pastors and church leaders flooded the hallways of Prestonwood Baptist Church, here, for the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) second Send North America Conference July 29-30. The gathering was marked by masses of participants praying in response to speakers, hundreds of connections between churches and church planters, and individuals seizing their moments to penetrate lostness in North America. Many attendees expressed the belief … [Read more...]
Ethnic ministry tracks popular at Send gathering
PLANO, Texas – More than 35 percent of the registrants at the 2013 Send North America Conference signed up for one of five ethnic ministry tracks. The final tally of registrants included 1,526 participants for the ethnic tracks, which included Hispanic Leadership and Mission, Black Church Discipleship and Development, Reaching People from a Muslim Background, Korean Leadership and Development and Leadership Development for Kingdom Development in Chinese Churches. Registrants from other … [Read more...]
Macedonia Project speeds missionaries to field
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — You’ve recently finished college — or maybe you’re a mid-career professional -- and you sense an urgent call to follow Christ into long-term mission service. You have the practical skills to make an impact. You have the motivation. You’re ready to respond to the Lord’s call in obedience -- right now, as the Apostle Paul responded when he dreamed of the man pleading, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). But you need the theological training required for … [Read more...]
A vision of Christ – evangelism’s motivation
Why do we have to be guilt-tripped into evangelism? I have been to countless conferences and conventions throughout the course of my ministry and the prevailing theme in all these venues is the fulfillment of the Great Commission, and rightly so. Making disciples is the mission and reason for the church’s existence. We exist to glorify God and the chief way we do this is through the making of disciples. So, if this is our chief strategy for fulfilling the purpose of our existence, why is it … [Read more...]
Towards a more powerful testimony
In my ministry, I often hear well-intentioned men and women give their testimony. Is there a better way? How is it possible to improve upon one’s personal experience with Jesus? We live in a time when people are complimented for even sharing their faith! But what happens when we spend too much time on the “before Christ” part and the moment of salvation is unfortunately muted, stunted, and offers no handles that a lost person can grab? Helping others have a clear path to Christ is the … [Read more...]
Opening the front door, closing the back door
In a consultation with a church as they were developing their evangelism strategy, it dawned on me that if their church had been in a community that had not grown numerically, they easily could have closed their doors. At least two counties in Missouri have grown incredibly in the past ten years. If they lost two families out the back door, there are many others walking in the front door. However, there are churches in Missouri that would be in trouble if two families walked out the back … [Read more...]
Thinking Bibles and sowing down the gospel
When Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) had a training simulation last May, I was blessed to have a chainsaw crew composed of volunteers mainly from Lebanon visit my home. They practiced by removing two dead trees. As they were getting ready to leave, they prayed for me and then presented me with a “gift” version of a New Testament with all their signatures. It really amazed me to think that each DR crew carried Bibles, that they cared enough to share with those that they had just … [Read more...]