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HOUGHTON – This is for all those pastors’ kids and/or pastor families. There are few things more difficult than trying to live for Jesus under the scope of the church while trying to prioritize your family when the “church” needs you. The struggle of attending your kids’ basketball games, driver’s ed., Christmas and band concerts while feeling the pressure to be a super pastor and a super dad at the same time can be frustrating. I grew up in a Pastor’s family who went through extreme difficulty. I felt the pressure from the church people even as a 7-year-old who didn’t always wear a coat or tuck my shirt in for Sunday School or God forbid wasn’t wearing a belt. Silly rules traditional church people make up. The pressure to perform and be what they expected was huge, and it was felt by the entire family, not just the pastor/aka Dad or the pastor’s wife/mother. Mom & Dad had to make hard choices and often times seemed to choose the church and the endless responsibilities the people in the church put on them. Needless to say, we didn’t function properly as a family let alone a pastor’s family, and in the end our family fell completely apart. My dad, my pastor, fell morally, and we lost everything. And just like unrealistic expectations some churches put on the pastor’s family, there wasn’t aid or help when my family fell apart. There wasn’t grace given to the pastor. No mercy for our hurting family. Grace and mercy, the very things that were preached and communicated every week, weren't shared with us. There wasn’t an exit plan in place. Fast forward to my own family life and ministry. I’ve invested 15 years of full-time ministry at the same church as their lead pastor, and we’ve grown and shrank as a church several times, while facing intense hardships as a church and as a family. Painful things! Hard things! Lonely things! But over the years, especially more recently I’ve learned, by the grace of God, to take time and invest in my family when it’s time to do so. I fight the temptation to be so busy with the church and ministry that we miss our kids’ childhood. We have to pull back from meeting everyone else’s needs in the church and community and pour into our own family’s needs. The truth is that the first half of my ministry here, I ran the race of putting my church first. Every day I lived and breathed church while feeling burned-out. Just ask my beautiful wife. I was ambitious to say the least, but God showed me through the painful church experiences and physical pain that my family needs to be a top priority. Our church has lost countless families and church people over the years, mostly close friends. But God used this hardship at the ministry level to keep highlighting the importance of keeping my work and ministry in our church and my time with my family in the right perspective. We attend the sports games that our kids are in and let them know that their events are important to us. We protect holidays and celebrate with our family. Our marriage and relationship are important to God and to us. We work hard at keeping each other first. It’s been so beneficial. We have a good family and great kids. It is my God-given responsibility to love them well, and after that, to shepherd the church and our ministry in Houghton. We have 4 beautiful kids which was recently topped off by our now beautiful 19-month-old baby boy. We went 8 years without having a baby and God surprised us with baby Cooper. He’s such a blessing but don’t let his cuteness deceive you. He’s a menace. Partially because we’re now older parents, we struggle to keep up with him, but I believe God gave us a baby to keep us in this healthy pattern of prioritizing the family He’s given us. God knows what He’s doing. We truly have no choice, but we wouldn’t want it any other way. We love all that God is doing through our family and our church. My plea to anyone who’s reading this and puts their church or position first, is to not gamble with all God gave you, especially your family. Prioritize your wife and kids. Put your marriage and family first. You’ll never regret it. Trust me!! Believe it or not God is fully able to keep your church moving and effective through others in the church. God designed the family for fulfillment and satisfaction. Enjoy it and rest in it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dave Whitaker is Pastor of the Houghton Baptist Church in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. He and his wife, Gillian, have four children, 3 sons and 1 daughter. #JULY23

NEW ORLEANS (BP) – The reality of both internal and external struggles for church leaders served as the impetus for a committee-generated resolution affirming and seeking to improve the spiritual, physical, mental and emotional well-being of pastors and other ministry leaders. “Our church pastors…they get the joy of serving us, but a lot of times they bear all of the collective hurts of their congregations, whether it’s marriages that are falling apart, people have lost loved ones,” said Dani Bryson, a resolutions committee member. “I mean, they’ve walked through all of our traumas with us, and that’s a wonderful gift to their congregation(s), but it can also really take a toll on a pastor.” Bryson, a member of First Baptist Church in Dickson, Tn., threw out an initial idea that later evolved into “On Needed Care and Support for Pastors and Ministry Leaders,” one of nine resolutions passed by messengers at the 2023 SBC annual meeting. The groundwork for the resolution was laid by Bryson, Kristen Ferguson and Tony Dockery, remotely, before the full committee met in New Orleans to flesh out the idea. “This was a burden on many people’s hearts in the committee,” said Ferguson, a member of 11th Street Baptist Church in Upland, Ca., where her husband serves as pastor. “We’re all very aware of the reality that COVID put our churches and our ministry staff and our pastors through significant trials and burdens…coming out of that, we felt that our pastors and our ministry leaders need more support.” Dockery, pastor of St. Stephen Baptist Church in La Puente, Ca., said the resolution is “critically important,” aiming “to help pastors come out of the shadows and just get the concern and the care that they need, and also to encourage churches to support and help their pastors to know it’s okay to seek out resources to help (them) negotiate those challenges.” “On Needed Care and Support of Pastors and Ministry Leaders” draws on current research detailing critical struggles faced by spiritual leaders: a majority of pastors believe pastoral ministry has negatively impacted their families, 42% are considering leaving the ministry in the next year, and seven in 10 pastors do not have someone they consider to be a close friend. Ministry leaders also feel the weight of political, social and spiritual issues around them, Dockery noted. “You couple all those together and, as a pastor, you’re trying to carry the weight and disseminate the weight of all those things,” Dockery said. “But we’re not always as effective at…sharing the weight and the concerns.” In passing the resolution, messengers acknowledged that the holistic well-being of pastors and other ministry leaders “helps them lead God’s people faithfully” and affirmed “the importance of godly relationships, counseling, rest, and recreation that contributes to the overall wellness” of those in church leadership. Resolving to encourage pastors and ministry leaders to seek help, and exhorting churches and ministries to “neither ignore nor stigmatize the internal and external struggles of ministry leaders,” messengers committed to “promote a culture of holistic flourishing” throughout local SBC churches, associations, state conventions and denominational entities. While resolutions are not binding on convention churches, Ferguson said they can be a “launchpad.” “I…hope, and we ask God, that God would use this resolution in particular to encourage churches to be more aware of the burdens of ministry, and to find ways that they can support their pastors and ministry leaders better,” she said. “My biggest hope for this resolution is that if there is one pastor who is struggling and about at the end of his rope, that he sees this and he feels seen and loved by his brothers and sisters in Christ, and it helps him keep going,” Bryson said. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tessa Redmond is the Life Issues Reporter for Kentucky Today. #JULY23

NEW ORLEANS (BP) – How can a seasoned pastor invest in the ministry of an emerging pastor? A group of SBC pastors and leaders discussed the importance of healthy relationship dynamics between the two groups during a panel on the CP stage during the SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans. “In Scripture, we can see some contrasts between healthy and unhealthy ministry collaboration,” said Charles Grant, associate vice president for Black Church relations for the SBC Executive Committee. Grant pointed to how David had to be willing to wait until his appointed time after being anointed King of Israel, while Saul refused to mentor and attempted to kill David. He also discussed the deep investment Paul made as he mentored a young Timothy in the New Testament. Brian Kennedy, senior pastor of Mt. Zion Church in Ontario, Calif., said sticking to “core values” will help pastors keep these relationships healthy. “The core values are the wind beneath our wings,” Kennedy said. “They determine what we do, where we do it, why we do it, and how we do it. When you forget those critical statements that are governed by the Word of God, it’s easy to get mixed up, it’s easy to create a lot of chaos in the leadership lineup. Where God wants us really to raise up leaders so that we can have more leaders.” Nate Bishop, lead pastor at Forest Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., said knowing one’s true identity will help both the seasoned and emerging pastors in these relationships. “When I have that clear sense of identity, I’m less likely to be fearful,” Bishop said. “When I have that clear sense of identity, I’m less likely to be jealous, to be prideful. But then also … I can have that patience in waiting for God’s timing to move where He wants me to be. Instead of trying to rush that and get ahead of God.” Erik Cummings, senior pastor at New Life Church of Carol City in Miami, Fla., outlined a strategy for seasoned and emerging pastors to build a successful ministry relationship. “I think everything rises and falls on communication,” Cummings said. “I think a seasoned pastor and an emerging pastor literally have to be joined at the hip.” Cummings believes in every meeting; the seasoned pastor should be helping the younger pastor: With encouragement To clearly identify God’s leading in life and ministry To understand how to fulfill the mission he’s been given by God And be motivated to move forward “The encouragement provides the fuel for that relationship. Direction provides, if you will, the map, but then the challenge is the target or the goal that allows them to continue to walk together,” he said. Chip Luter is the senior associate pastor at Franklin Avenue in New Orleans, and the son of Fred Luter, former SBC president and senior pastor at Franklin Avenue. Luter re-joined the staff at Franklin Avenue after pastoring a church in Florida. He explained how he is set to succeed his father upon his retirement. Similarly, Cummings pastors the church his father used to pastor. Luter said these principles regarding these pastoral relationships are important no matter the context. “It was even his (Cummings’) encouragement to say ‘Chip, there ought to be a couple of times you and your Dad meet. One time y’all need to meet during the week just as pastor to pastor and talk the church business, and then another time just as father and son,” Luter said. Luter said a healthy mentoring relationship requires both partners to have a hunger to move to the next level. “It’s got to be a mutual desire to want to grow together.” The full panel discussion can be viewed on the Cooperative Program YouTube channel. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Timothy Cockes is a Baptist Press staff writer. #JULY23

ITASCA, TX – Every Sunday, early in the morning, the Hernandez family wakes up, gets dressed and prepares to make the hour-long drive to serve the small town of Mexia, Texas—a community they pray for daily. Who knew that a few years earlier, in the middle of planning for his retirement, Jose Luis would receive a call from God that would change his plans? Out of obedience, his family moved from Fort Worth, Texas, to Itasca, a small rural town in the Lone Star state, to plant a church in Mexia, an hour away from where they now live. Jose Luis says he lacked experience working in rural areas. Still, after brainstorming with Laura and persistently seeking wisdom through prayer, he sensed a divine calling and embraced the challenge. “We didn’t know anyone,’ Jose Luis explained. ‘So, we started working to get to know the people in the area.” Twice a week, they walked the streets of Mexia, and they prayed for opportunities to share the gospel. And every Sunday, they visited different churches to learn about the community. “We went to gasoline stations, stores, laundromats and restaurants. We used these places to talk to people and start conversations about any topic, which would eventually lead to sharing the gospel,” Jose Luis explains. “If you let them talk, they will tell you their stories and problems. They often need someone to talk to about their hardships.’” Jose Luis didn’t do this alone. With his wife, Laura, they prayed, shared ideas and challenged each other on ways to share the gospel better. They began to hand out tracts in the different locations around Mexia. Sometimes the family would play music in parking lots. “We also held up a sign that read, ‘How can we pray for you?’ at a tractor supply store. It seems incredible, but there are a lot of needs. One day, a lady stopped, got out of her car and ran to hug my wife,” Jose Luis shared. “This woman was going through a divorce and felt desperate and alone.” God moved people and provided many opportunities for the Hernandez family to share the gospel and provide encouragement for those seeking hope. When Jose Luis and Laura began to pray that God would provide a place so they could continue doing evangelistic work, God answered their prayers! While sharing tracts at the local Walmart parking lot, they met four young people. One of the men asked Jose Luis if he would lead a Bible study in his apartment. This Bible study eventually laid the foundation for a new church, Iglesia Bautista Alcance Hispano (Hispanic Outreach Baptist Church). When asked what God has taught them as they stepped out in faith to share the gospel, they responded, “The time is critical. We need to obey the Great Commission. It doesn’t matter where you go. God will always be with you. There are always people to share the gospel with and we have learned that obedience is the key.” “Another key is prayer,” Jose Luis adds. ‘This wouldn’t have happened without praying for the power of the Holy Spirit to convince and change people and for God to bring them to us to share His Word.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Raquel P. Wroten (MAMC, Dallas Theological Seminary) has served as an editor, social media manager, communications strategic consultant and content writer for over 15 years. She enjoys writing (in English, Spanish and Spanglish), learning, cooking, coffee and serving up a feast for her friends and family. #JULY23

BIRMINGHAM, AL (BP) — When Richard found out his girlfriend, Jasmine, was pregnant, he was nervous — he’d been a husband and a dad before, and he didn’t feel like he’d done very well. Then one day Jasmine asked him to come with her to parenting classes at Sav-A-Life in Vestavia. He said yes and found quickly that he loved the fellowship with other men who came there for the fatherhood program. He realized the group was a safe place — there was no judgment, and the other men were very similar to him. After a while, he and Jasmine decided to marry. “As a guy, it’s hard to find a place where you can be yourself and talk with other guys,” Richard said. “Coming to classes taught me what a man, what a father, should be. … The greatest gift I received from coming to class is my knowledge of being more of a father for my kids and more of a husband for my wife.” God at work In north Alabama, Chad Cronin said he sees God at work in similar ways through the fatherhood program at Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center. “We’re able to meet with men in a one-on-one setting, share Christ, advocate for life and encourage them in the adventure and privilege of fatherhood,” he said. Cronin said one couple who came to HPRC last year had faith in Christ as part of their story in the past but had drifted away. As the mother began attending classes, the father also joined fatherhood classes with Cronin, learning practical tips but also how to be a man who leads his family well. “They came to go through our classes, reconnected with the Lord and ended up coming to my church, and we baptized them last summer,” said Cronin, who in addition to his role at HPRC serves as pastor of Providence Fellowship in Madison. “It was cool to see them come to the classes and get the material blessings but really be challenged on family discipleship.” Stefanie Miles, HPRC executive director, said she believes that investing time, money and effort into building relationships with fathers “is going to change the future.” “The cycle of fatherlessness is devastating. Statistically, it is so much better for a child to have a male presence in their life,” she said, noting that a father’s influence can help a child make better choices. “If we can keep guys in the lives of their children, maybe we keep those children from growing up and not graduating from high school or ending up in prison.” Lisa Hogan, who serves as executive director of Sav-A-Life Vestavia and two other Sav-A-Life centers in the Birmingham metro area, said a dad’s involvement is important at the pregnancy stage too. She cited a Lifeway study in which mothers reported that the most influential person on their pregnancy decision was the father. “We’ve learned over the years how important it is to engage dads,” Hogan said. Getting a good start She said Sav-A-Life was an early adopter of the Care Net ministry’s fatherhood program in 2010 when they received a grant from National Fatherhood Initiative and Care Net to help them get started. “We went from serving 20 dads to 182 dads that first year, then it more than doubled, and from that it’s continued to grow,” Hogan said. “We now serve about 1,000 dads a year through education, medical services and encouraging them to come for pregnancy test appointments.” Programs like it are growing in other parts of the state too, like the one at HPRC. Their program started in 2019 but found its footing in 2021 after COVID-19. By 2022, it had doubled, reaching hundreds of men. Raequane Jones, Sav-A-Life’s fatherhood ministry coordinator, said the vision has been to create an environment where there is love, education and a chance to see what it looks like to be a family that’s whole. His wife and children have been involved in the ministry too, building relationships and modeling what a healthy family looks like. “When I think about a father in a family, it’s not just dad, mom and baby, it’s this father who is a cousin and a brother, who eventually will be a grandfather or great uncle,” Jones said. “When he’s the man he needs to be for his family, it impacts way more than his partner and his child. When he gets exposed to the right things, he can be a model. You really can’t even see how far it reaches.” Mentorship program In Huntsville, Cronin is working to build a similar environment. He’s hoping to enlist men from area churches to be a part of a mentorship program that can help impact these fathers for the long run. HPRC is also finishing up renovations on the building next door with plans for it to be a place where men can feel comfortable playing basketball or pool and spending time with each other. Miles said ultimately they “want it to be a place where mentors come in and walk side by side with these guys and be a bridge to local churches.” Fathers everywhere need to be supported, she said, and though HPRC “can’t do something everywhere, we can try to do something here.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Grace Thornton is a writer for The Alabama Baptist. #JULY23

LANSING – Several years ago, my family and I were invited to attend my cousin’s son’s wedding. After arriving a little too early, we asked if there was anything that we could do to help. We set up chairs, doing our best to ensure that they were perfectly aligned, perfectly spaced, and at the right angle so the guests would get the perfect view of the ceremony. After that was all set the groom asked if he could task me with one last thing. Willing to do anything the groom asked to help make his special day picture perfect, I promptly agreed. He asked if I would help him by carefully arranging flower petals down the aisle where the bridal party and his bride would soon be walking. These rose petals were the deepest, richest, reddest looking rose petals that I had ever seen! This was a beautiful outdoor venue decorated to the max. Fortunately, it was a beautiful sunny MICHIGAN day. Because we were outside, the slightest breezes and these rich, red rose petals started flying all over the place. I found myself repeatedly arranging and rearranging the rose petals down the sides of the aisle before the wedding ceremony started. After several failed attempts at keeping the rose petals nicely arranged, I did what any strong-willed male would do. I got frustrated and gave up. At least it was sunny. If you know Michigan. You know that it is not an exaggeration to state that you can have all four Michigan seasons in one day. Sometimes even before noon! Now everything was all set, chairs were set up, people were in their seats, the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and the pastor were all in their places. The rose petals were in their places, well kind of, and the groom anxiously awaited his bride. We were about to be witnesses to a wedding. My wife Annabel and I decided to stand in the back so we could take everything in. The wedding had just begun, and off in the distance I saw it, a flash of lightning! Pure Michigan! As the ceremonies began the breeze picked up slightly and scattered the rich red rose petals, it started to sprinkle and soon became an all-out rain shower. The guests quickly began shuttling into the indoor reception hall scattering every chair leaving no hint that they were once perfectly aligned and spaced. My wife Annabel and I jointly decided that we couldn’t do the same and leave the couple to weather the storm alone, especially on their special day. All the seats were empty, but the bridesmaids and the groomsmen stood fast with the bride and groom. Some of them selflessly held umbrellas over the bride, groom, and pastor so they could finish the ceremony. What a picture! How wonderful it is when you have people who will weather the storm with you. After the ceremony I was able to speak with the rain drenched newlyweds sharing with them the picture that would be forever burned in my memory and complimenting their choice of friends and family in the bridal party. Overstating perhaps Proverbs 18:24, "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." No matter how well we choose our friends, family, and fellow ministry servants, there will be times in our lives and ministries that we will not have people to hold “umbrellas” over us in our stormy times of life and ministries. We will have to weather the storms alone, at least physically. We must press on. God promised us that He would not abandon us! (Joshua 1:5) We never face our storms alone! Thank you, Father, for that promise! Can we as Christ followers, ministry leaders, and brothers and sisters in Christ do likewise and commit to being a “reliable friend” to someone who may be struggling greatly in their life’s storm? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joshua Diaz has served as Youth Leader, Worship Leader, Deacon, Sunday School teacher, Baseball Chaplain (of the Local Single A Team) and recently an Interim Pastor. Joshua and Annabel have served jointly leading VBS outreach. Joshua is a husband, father, and grandfather who has served in ministry at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, (El Buen Pastor) in Lansing, MI since 1991. Joshua and his lovely wife Annabel have been happily married for nearly 29 years. #JULY23

PLYMOUTH – As I reflect on the fatherhood experiences in my life, I see how each moment has shaped my view of our Heavenly Father. My own Father was diagnosed with brain cancer when I was 10 and given two months to live. I watched him deteriorate over the next two years until, finally, he went to be with Jesus. Although I only knew my dad for 12 years, each day I saw him live his life to glorify God. He did this not only in the way he interacted with people but also in the way he disciplined my brothers and me. He held us to a high standard and did his best to set us up for success as Jesus followers. The last two years of his life, I watched him waste away, unable to eat solid food. Yet, every day he fed himself on the Scriptures. His actions showed me just how precious the Word of God really is. He taught me how to love Jesus and trust him no matter the circumstances. Our Heavenly Father also delights in Jesus, his Son, and he delights in us as well. Yet, he is not afraid to discipline us. He does this with the end in mind, to grow us and shape us to look more and more like his Son. I desire to be a father who guides and instructs his children, steering them to Jesus and to the truth found in His Word. I had my first father-in-law in my life for about ten years as well. He is a brilliant man, the smartest I have ever met. He has even read the dictionary for fun… twice. He showed wisdom and knowledge in everything he did. It wasn’t uncommon for us to have conversations that left my head spinning for days. Sadly, our relationship ended when his daughter and I were divorced. The Heavenly Father’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways. It’s okay when we lack the understanding. Most times we just need to know who He is and trust that He is working everything for our good. I want to show my son that it’s okay to not always understand everything. We serve a big God who is trustworthy and can be taken at His Word. God was gracious to me and gave me a new father-in-law to fill my fatherless gap. My wife’s dad is the most selfless person I have ever met. He is kind and caring, willing to do anything for anyone at any time. He has taught me so much in the brief time I’ve had with him. Each day he shows me how to have a servant’s heart as I care for my family and each person I meet. Our God is no different! He is a merciful and gracious father, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He is a servant to the weak, reaching to out a hand to all those who need it. I desire to be a father who is humble and patient, willing to serve my kids selflessly with unconditional love. My own experience as a father was the briefest of all. I was only given two seven-week periods until we had the miscarriages. I deeply miss those two babies and grieve the time I never got with them. After the first, I was terrified that it would happen again. So, when we got pregnant the second time, I didn’t dare hope. I didn’t dare celebrate and I regret that. That precious child deserved to be celebrated no matter how long he was with us. In the last year God has given me an incredible gift. And this gift calls me “Dada”. Just over a year ago, a 21-month-old foster child came into our home. About three months into his stay with us, he uttered that life changing word, “Dada”. I never knew how sweet a word could sound until I heard it from those little lips. Only our Heavenly Dada knows how long I will hear those words from him. The Father knows just how long each of us have. And he is watching us and he is cheering us on! He is delighting in every move we make toward Jesus, no matter how small (Zechariah 4:10). These three babies have taught me to find joy in every moment, no matter how small. Each one is precious and deserves to be celebrated. They remind me to enjoy every hug, every kiss, every giggle, every “nigh nigh”, and every “Dada”. Fatherhood is a difficult subject for me, and it may be for you as well. Even so there is good news. No matter what happened with your biological father or your father-in-law or even your own kids, you have a Father right here reaching down to pick you up and hold you tight. Just as we desire relationship with our children, he desires relationship with you. He wanted you in his family so much that he sent his own beloved Son to live, die, and rise so that you could become a child of His. He chose you and he wants to guide you, to shape you, to celebrate you, and to protect you. He has invited you into his family and now is the time for introductions. You don’t want to miss knowing this Dada. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dan Carty recently won the 2022 Best Darn Ministry Assistant Award for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (voted on by himself). He loves Superman, pizza, and our adoption into the family of God. But his greatest earthly love is his amazing wife, Claire! She brightens his whole life. He is currently pursuing his MDIV in Missiology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Stay tuned to see what God does in their life. #JUNE23

ROSEVILLE – Oksana Markova is the Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Ambassadors and diplomats who represent their home nations in official functions, as well as, hob-knobbing at dinners, parties, and social events. Hence the difficulty of her role. Who wants to hear about war, death, destruction, crimes and casualty statistics at cocktail parties and banquets? At the same time, how can she be sociable and winsome (as ambassadors are expected to be) while her home is at war, and people she loves are dying? For people far removed from the conflict, they can easily forget that it is even going on. As a follower of Christ, you too are an ambassador. Your ultimate allegiance is the kingdom of Christ. Your nation is the people of God, and your embassy is the local church. Together, we represent our home to the nation we currently live in. Our mission is to represent our King and kingdom, and to advance the interests of our King and kingdom. We are to seek first the kingdom of God. But we live among people who, for the most part, are far removed from what we represent. Their lives are consumed with earthly things. We watch them run on the treadmills of pleasure, power, and comfort; always pursuing but never arriving. Most are not interested in hearing about our kingdom. It does not make sense to them. Our King, they are led to believe, would get in their way. However, there are times when an opportunity presents itself. No one can be on those treadmills for long before one gets injured or the treadmill breaks. In those moments, we often have our greatest opportunities to tell them about another King, kingdom, people, and hope. Citizens and ambassadors of earthly nations are often embarrassed and frustrated at the antics of their leaders. It is maddening to get behind leaders whose actions and beliefs are illogical or shameful. But think of our mission. We represent a King who died for us! We represent a King who rose again! We represent a King who loves his people more than any shepherd has ever loved his sheep. We represent a King whose kingdom will never end. Let’s represent him kindly, faithfully, and personally. Invite some people to gather with you at the embassy this Sunday so they can get an idea of what your eternal home is really like. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob Johnson has been serving as the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church since 1989. He has a Master of Divinity degree from the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary (1997). #JUNE23

MONROE – As I sit down to write this article on family ministry and what it means to be a father, I have just learned I am going to be a grandfather for the second time. My beautiful granddaughter Georgia Grace just celebrated her 1st birthday and now she will become a sister. My wife, Tammy and I are so full of joy it’s indescribable, and now we receive this incredible news. My heart is so overwhelmed with gratitude and praise for the greatness of God. Meanwhile, I am also experiencing apprehension at the prospects of the world my grandchildren will face. Life for the children of America is changing so rapidly, and children today are met with challenges I cannot even comprehend. However, we have a Father in heaven who is forever unchanging. He is sovereign and in control, no matter how great the chaos becomes. Now more than ever, my faith is put on the front line. Now more than ever, when the structure of the traditional family is under attack, we need men of God to stand up and be counted. Now more than ever, I feel the responsibility of living wholeheartedly for the Lord and setting the example for my family. I am reminded of the story of Jacob in Genesis 42 & 43. He was afraid to send his youngest son Benjamin back to Egypt with his brothers. Jacob had already lost one son, Joseph and now his son Simeon was being held ransom, waiting for the return of his brothers. Jacob was afraid, however, because the famine was severe, he was left with no choice. He had to trust God, and there is no better place to be. For in our weakness His strength is perfected. I can’t help but think about the extraordinary blessing Jacob would have missed if he had failed to trust God. We know how the story ends; he received all his children back to him. As a father and a grandfather, I need to trust God. Not because I know everything in the world will be perfect for my family, but because I know God has a perfect plan no matter what may come. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, for those who are the called according to His purpose.” That doesn’t mean there is not going to be pain and heartache, but it means there will be glory for God through the name of Jesus, and that’s enough. Therefore, I will not let the fear of my heart, or the enemy of my soul overwhelm me. I will put one foot in front of the other and I will walk in a manner worthy of the gospel. I will live my life, enjoy my blessings, and I will love my family. So, let us approach Father’s Day full of confidence and faith, realizing we have an opportunity to share Christ with another generation. Let us follow the advice of the Holy Spirit spoken through the Apostle Paul, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Philip Wallin, child of God, Pastor of Faith Baptist Church of Monroe, devoted husband of Tammy, proud father of Taylor and Bobby Galbraith, grandfather of Georgia Grace and excited for the future member of our family on the way. #JUNE23

HARTLAND – At Grumlaw, the church that I have the privilege of pastoring, we talk a lot about obedience. In fact, one of our core values is “Obedience is the Win.” It’s how we measure “success”- are people within our faith community consistently taking steps of obedience in accordance with Scripture and the small, still voice of the Holy Spirit? If I’m being honest, I consider myself to be a pretty “obedient” follower. My wife and I started a church, we’re in the process of adopting our third child, we’ve downsized our home, and we’ve been exceedingly financially generous throughout our marriage. Many people have described us as “the most generous couple they’ve ever met” (apparently the bar has been set pretty low). Without even realizing it, I had gotten prideful with our personal financial stewardship - God still has plenty of work to do in me, but I have the whole tithe and offering thing pretty well dialed in (or so I thought). I am an obedient and generous follower of Jesus. If God asks me to move, I move. Since day one of planting Grumlaw Church, we have fully funded a border station between Nepal and India in partnership with an incredible organization called Our Daughters International. The sole purpose of these border stations is to rescue women and girls from the horrors of sex-trafficking. In the early days, it felt risky - we didn’t “have” the money to pay for this. As many well-meaning Christians posed to us, “how can you pay for a border station when you’re not even self-sufficient?” We didn’t feel generosity was a switch we could magically turn on once we were financially self-sufficient - we knew we were supposed to practice that from day one - again, obedience. Fast forward a couple years, and we were sponsoring our second border station. Shortly thereafter the Holy Spirit put a nagging question into my head, “you’re getting the Christian’s money to aid this cause, how will you get the rest of the world’s?” He brought to mind a conversation that had started years ago with a friend where I wondered (out loud), “how sweet would it be to have a coffee shop in every city that we have a church campus? But we don’t keep the money, we give away every nickel to the fight against human-trafficking?” God wed these two thoughts together, and a passing thought became a nagging conviction. “We’re going to start a coffee shop that not only serves the best coffee in Michigan, but we’re going to get the rest of our community’s money to push back against the evil of human-trafficking.” At first, it felt fun, sexy even. What young church planter doesn’t want to start a coffee shop that they can call their own? We spend half our week in those places anyway, we might as well own one. But the fun and charm of it was short-lived. Communication with contractors was maddening. Everything was over budget. Bills magically appeared. Raised funds quickly dwindled, and soon Andrea and I were dipping into our own pockets - often and for far greater sums than what we had bargained for (or in my mind - agreed to). “God, I had a very specific way that I wanted this to go, and you’re not exactly hooking it up.” I thought I had generosity figured out. I thought I knew what obedience was - “do what God asks you to do and God will take care of the rest.” And by “take care of the rest” I thought He meant it will be all fun, all the time. But what about when obedience is, well, really hard? What do you do when obedience hurts? And stretches you in ways that you would have preferred to not be stretched? The reality is, for most American Christians, we know very little of what generosity looks like in the Kingdom of God (myself included- remember earlier? I was a proud member). Even though we claim to be financially generous, the reality is we have a backup plan for our backup plan. Emergency funds for our savings accounts, fallback plans in case God forgets about us. I have longed preached that “generosity according to the Kingdom of Heaven is putting yourself in a situation that if God doesn’t come through, you’re screwed.” But the reality is, I hadn’t put myself in that situation- not once, not ever. I was living a “compare myself to other American Christians” version of generosity, and I looked dang good. But God had other plans. So, He asks us to start this coffee shop, to “yes,” rescue women. But what I didn’t bargain for was how much He wanted to teach me - how much more I still had to learn about generosity according to Him. He wanted to show me what it was like to live in the reality of, “God, I need you to come through, or me and my family are in some serious trouble.” There have been nights where I’ve wept in fear - “have I ruined my family’s financial future with this decision?” “Am I sure I heard God right on this one?” I romanticized, “once we’re open, then the money will come rushing in and the stress will be gone!” Nope. It’s arguably gotten more financially taxing (cover payroll more than once for a business that will never pay you back a nickel, and it gets very real, very fast). God apparently still has more He’d like to teach me. And slowly but surely, “the peace that surpasses all understanding” has become a reality. We’re three months into this journey, and it’s still hard - it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life (yes, even more trying, and stressful than starting a church). But I’m thankful for what God is teaching me about His “Upside Down Kingdom.” The measure of each of our lives will be how obedient we were to the Scriptures and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Not just clever words for a well-constructed sermon, but reality. Success for Thread Creek Coffee will not be measured by how much money has been raised for a very worthy cause; success is, “did my sheep listen to my voice?” Yep. Obedience is the win. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shea Prisk is the lead pastor at Grumlaw Church in Hartland, the owner of Thread Creek Coffee. #JUNE23

During the seven years Ben Murray and his wife Jessica waited for the Lord to send them overseas, Ben built up a somewhat unusual skillset for a missionary. Though Ben and Jessica both shared a calling to go to the nations, Ben never felt led toward vocational ministry. Instead, one of several jobs he held was in their town’s Public Works Department where he fixed problems that came with maintaining their small community. His days were filled with repairing water lines, mowing parks, filling potholes and learning how to resourcefully manage limited funds. Since the Murrays began serving in Southeast Asia last year, he’s already seen these practical skills put to good use for the spread of the Gospel. He helped build a recording studio at a community center run by believers. The studio has opened opportunities to reach minority people groups with the Gospel. In the country the Murrays serve in, there are many minority people groups. Their languages are distinct from the country’s national language. Many are only oral languages. Without a written language, it is difficult to teach others the language or to create resources to share the Gospel with them. One helpful resource is recordings of Bible stories, and the studio at the community center has provided a way to create those. Since the recording studio’s construction was completed, approximately 20 Bible stories have been recorded for one people group who previously had no known Gospel resources. Not long after, two national believers came to the community center with a visitor from one of the country’s most remote unreached people groups. They spread out a map to show where this people group lived. “You see that town all the way at the edge of the map?” Ben remembered them asking. “It’s a few hours past that.” The visitor was willing to teach them his language, but they were struggling to communicate and understand each other. Workers at the center taught all three of them a simple language learning method that didn’t require a shared common language. Additionally, they were also able to use the studio and make recordings of stories the believers can continue to listen to as they learn. Ben said it has been very humbling to see how God is at work drawing those in even the most forgotten corners of the country to Himself. “Those two guys, they don’t have much, but they’ve given it up to learn this new language and go to this remote village, all for the sake of the Good News,” Ben said. “It’s just really cool to see the Father working in that way.” Jessica, a musician, worked with the two believers to record translations of two worship songs in the people group’s language. They also began working on an original worship song. She remembers it being a messy, unique process as the group sat around trying to figure out the best way to communicate words like “God” and “heaven” for an unwritten language of a people group with no Gospel presence among them. Though it was challenging, and the original song isn’t finished yet, Jessica said it was still thrilling to hear verses being put together. “Tears filled my eyes and hope filled my heart as we heard what was likely the first lyrics of worship to our God in this language,” she said. Though the studio is just beginning to get off the ground, Ben is hopeful for its potential to continue furthering Gospel spread among the country’s diverse people groups. Some names have been changed for security. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stella McMillian* is a missionary and contributing writer for IMB. #JUNE23

PLYMOUTH – My earliest years of ministry were carried out in the arid mountains and valleys of West Texas in and around the small town of Marathon. This region of Texas is defined by the “big bend” in the Rio Grande River as it makes a South to North turn and is from whence the National Park located here receives its moniker. It is truly a beautiful area of our great nation with majestic views and never-ending expanses of almost totally uninhabited desert. It receives very little moisture in the form of rain but when it does, the transformation is magical. A brown, dry scrubby landscape blossoms into a green canvas that will within days sprout the most brilliant of wildflowers. It is truly something to behold. It has been said of these seemingly barren grasslands that “no land offers so little and provides so much. The reason being is that the grasses and vegetation of this region are some of the highest protein-yielding of any in the USA. That is why ranchers and stockmen have chosen this area to raise cattle and sheep by the tens of thousands and have done so successfully for many decades. While living in this area, I had the privilege of working on the Dimple Hills Ranch for Mr. Eldon McGonagill. I was serving in a local church and helping at the ranch as part of my “keep”. The McGonagills graciously allowed me to live in the upstairs portion of their townhouse and were more than generous towards me. This was my first time around sheep ranching. I had been exposed to cattle since I was very young, but not to sheep. I know this is obvious to most people, but sheep are different from cattle. (DUH!). I just didn’t realize how different they were in nature, demeanor, need etc... The first thing I learned about sheep came when I was helping move a herd from one section to the other by horseback. You cannot push or drive sheep as you might cattle. They will scatter, run, or just lay down and die, but if you lead them properly, they will follow. As we know, the Bible uses this same analogy with people and pastors as shepherds. We must lead them and not push or drive our flock, or they will scatter, run away or just die. Mr. McGonagill taught me many things about sheep ranching and life. He was a deacon in our church and a spiritual leader in the community. Every conversation in which we engaged would ultimately find its way to the Bible and our Lord Jesus. One such conversation that I will never forget was about the nature of sheep. He explained how they are very docile and rarely aggressive. He told me that almost exclusively male rams become aggressive when ewes are in season or when their territory or herd is threatened. He said even then, it is rare. It was during this exchange that he asked me a very peculiar question. “Tim, which hurts worse, a wolf bite or a sheep bite?” I told him, “The wolf bite of course.” He said, “NO! The sheep bite because you’re not expecting a sheep to bite!” He then gave me this knowing look and a half smile and said, “that will be important to remember in ministry.” I was young and naive at the time and could not really understand the depth of that truth. But the longer I have spent in ministry and the more involved I have become in people’s lives, the more the reality of that truth manifested itself in my life and experiences. I know now how horribly painful sheep bites can be. Not only are they painful, but some seem to never heal, and the scars are ever present. Yes, I have been bitten and have many scars as reminders. If it were not for the ever-abiding assurance and presence of our Lord and a never-ending supply of Grace, I am sure I would have succumbed to my wounds. Pastor and leaders, I want to encourage you to stay close to the healing love of the Cross. You will need it! The hurting bites will come but don’t be surprised when they come from those you shepherd, love, and lead. Sometimes they are just your “sheep in wolves clothing”. Some of the vestiges of their past are still hanging around them. It is your calling to help them cast off the old and put on the new. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tim Patterson is Executive Director/Treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Elected unanimously in May of 2015, Patterson formerly served for 9 years as pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He also served as trustee chair and national mobilizer for the North American Mission Board. #JUNE23