Growing up, my best friend was Jimmy and we did everything together for several years. It was only natural one summer to invite him to Vacation Bible School at my church. His parents let him go and he soon wanted to give his heart to Christ, so my mother talked to his mother. That’s when I learned about the “age of accountability” and even though I had accepted Christ and been baptized at age seven, apparently Jimmy’s mother – following the tradition of their church – insisted that he be … [Read more...]
But can you make disciples?
It was an honor to meet recently with a young pastor from southwestern Missouri. He wanted to know how he could get his church to become active witnesses for Christ. He had a pen and paper and was ready to write down a training program or book he could use. However, my advice was to model the behavior he expected of them. MAWL is an acronym for Model, Assist, Watch, and Leave that was developed by then-International Mission Board missionary Curtis Sergeant, who is now with E3 Partners … [Read more...]
Hannibal woman goes from storm victim to DR volunteer
HANNIBAL – Sandy and Earl Cox’s property was among many where trees were down in the yard. A large part of a maple tree hit the corner of their house. But it wasn’t until after Sandy Cox had paid $700 to a professional tree service company, did she learn about some that would have taken the tree down without charge – Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (DR). She dutifully took pictures for insurance and personal scrapbooking, and then got on the computer. Cox, a member of Calvary Baptist … [Read more...]
Disaster Relief responds to west St. Louis
On May 28, the EF3 tornado followed a path from Weldon Spring to north St. Louis County. Now, Missouri Disaster Relief is working the same path. “I’m going to drive into the Bellefontaine area tomorrow,” Paul Posey, site coordinator for Missouri, “there is a lot of damage there.” Posey is directing one site headquartered at North County Christian School and the other area command center is located at Jungs Station Baptist Church to be closer to the St. Charles damage. According to Posey, … [Read more...]
Disaster Relief crews kept busy with Hannibal storm cleanup
HANNIBAL – More than 65 Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers helped clean up trees after a powerful storm ripped through Hannibal May 20. Though it didn’t have the scope or deadly results of the tornado the same day in Moore, Okla., the storm left thousands of trees in need of partial or total removal throughout Hannibal and damaged buildings on the Hannibal-LaGrange campus. By the next day, there were 72 work orders of trees that needed attention. That number had jumped to more … [Read more...]
Joplin tornado victim ministers in Moore, Okla.
MOORE, Okla. (BP) – Gary Hunley had seen it all before. As he surveyed the damage left behind from last Monday’s EF5 tornado in Moore, Okla., he saw an all-too-familiar scene of overturned cars, metal signposts bent to the ground and houses reduced to rubble. Almost two years to the day before the historic Moore tornado, Hunley’s home was destroyed by an equally historic tornado in Joplin, which killed 158 people. Since then Hunley, the leader on his Spring River Baptist Association … [Read more...]
Spiritual maturity, trusting the disciple-maker
Can spiritual maturity be achieved in a one-way lecture-based environment? School teachers grimace at the thought of teaching children in a large classroom in which one lesson is expected to apply to everyone. Speaking without listening is not communication if it lacks a feedback loop. Just as each student has a unique learning level, each follower of Jesus has a spiritual growth story. How can a preacher or small group leader know what is being caught no matter how deep theologically he … [Read more...]
Chaplains always on call to minister to victims, DR workers
HUNTSVILLE – With immediate disaster needs like downed trees that need to be cut off of houses and thousands of people needing hot meals, it can be easy to forget a key piece to the Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) puzzle: chaplains. John Rhodes, pastor of First Baptist, Huntsville, has been involved with DR since 2001 and as a chaplain for the past six years. In addition to being a DR chaplain, Rhodes filled that role with the Fruitland Fire Department before moving to Huntsville … [Read more...]
Preparing for the Worst
JEFEFERSON CITY – The weather was calm, cool and clear, far from tornado weather. But that didn’t stop more than 200 Missouri Disaster Relief (DR) volunteers from churches across Missouri from converging on Jefferson City as if a Joplin-scale disaster had struck. In the biggest DR operation since the 2011 tornado response, the army of “yellow hats” (volunteers) converged on Jefferson City May 3 and woke up early the next morning to begin working at 6:45. “We’re better prepared for the … [Read more...]
Characteristics of a good sermon invitation
Evangelicals began using altar calls and invitations in the 1830s. From Charles Finney’s invitations to pulpits today, the same urgency drives a need for every person to respond in faith to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Half-baked and incomplete invitations can inoculate the lost to thinking that they have heard all they ever need to hear. What response does your sermon generate? When Peter preached, the Holy Spirit convicted people to action. • At Pentecost: “… they came under deep … [Read more...]
Missouri moves deeper into orality way of life
JEFFERSON CITY – After a Truth That Sticks (Bible storying) class, some participants form an advanced evangelistic accountability group that calls each other monthly. “MO.O.N. (Missouri Orality Network) is a way for learning to continue after the TruthSticks workshop,” said Mark Snowden, evangelism/discipleship strategist for the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). Snowden said a second MOON acronym tells what is covered: • Making disciples – “We share how we’re using Bible storying in our … [Read more...]
Grant Beach neighborhood outreach proves to be a plus
SPRINGFIELD — The Grant Beach neighborhood north of here is coming alive thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit and the faithful obedience of members from Redeemer Church. Making disciples was the goal. Those disciples are to worship Jesus, connect with people, and serve the city. With that in mind, nearly 500 flyers were printed and distributed in the neighborhood. Flyers also went out through Weaver Elementary School where the core group had been meeting for six months. Prayer was … [Read more...]