Search Results

It’s no secret that many churches—if not the majority—in North America need revitalization. Here are some summary findings of churches I have worked with and studied over the last several years: Churches got where they are honestly. That is to say, the church over the years slid in the wrong direction. I have never seen a church that intentionally decided to move toward death. Even dying churches can come to life again. I’ve seen it happen under the right leadership with the right vision. These churches are pictures of the resurrection power of the gospel.  The longer the decline has been, the harder it is to turn the church around.  The ship that’s sailed in the wrong direction for a long time takes a while to turn around. Revitalization occurs best when a leadership team is at the helm. Revitalization is hard work, and a united team of leaders is more likely to stay faithful through the work than a lone ranger leader is.  The primary leader must be a person of faith.  That person must have eyes of faith, seeing the church for what it could be rather than what it is. He must believe that God can, and will, change the church. Revitalization often starts with one area of the church rather than the whole church.  Revitalization might begin with simple things like painting the walls, training a few small group leaders, or updating the church bulletin. The big changes are easier when built on successful small changes. COVID has made revitalization even more difficult.  It’s tough to keep the momentum moving forward when we’re just trying to get back to where we were pre-COVID. The work is even more wearisome.  Leaders must exhibit “patient persistence.”  They can’t push too quickly, but nor can they necessarily wait long to propose change.  Revitalization sometimes requires a re-start.  That’s often painful to long-term members, but it’s necessary. It might mean a new church name, a new service time, and/or new leadership.  Not every pastor is equipped to lead a revitalization effort.  That’s not a slam against any pastor; it’s simply a recognition that revitalization requires a unique skill set and passion.  If you’ve worked in church revitalization, what have you learned? Used with permission from ChuckLawless.com #SEPTEMBER24

OAXACA, MEXICO (BP) – The last Protestants in an indigenous Mexican community where Catholicism is the only religion allowed were forced from their homes Aug. 6, their lone church set ablaze, CSW reported Aug. 22 ahead of Protestant protests in the street. Members of the Protestant Interdenominational Christian Church (ICIAR) and their supporters were expected to protest in the main square of Mexico City and in the city of Oaxaca Aug. 22, CSW said, calling out serious religious freedom violations in the community of San Isidro Arenal in San Juan Lalana Municipality, Oaxaca State. There, members of the ICIAR have been subjected to discrimination, violence and arbitrary detention since November 2023 and face imminent forced displacement from their homes due to their religious beliefs, CSW said. Previous protests were held in Oaxaca Aug. 19. “We stand with those who are raising their voices today across Mexico in support of freedom of religion or belief for all,” CSW’s Head of Advocacy Anna Lee Stangl said in a press release. “It is imperative that the governments of the San Juan Lalana Municipality and Oaxaca State, and at the federal level, take urgent action to uphold the Mexican Constitution and ensure that freedom of religion or belief is a right enjoyed by all, regardless of where they live or their ethno-linguistic identity.” Oaxaca is just 2 miles from Hidalgo, where Baptist worshipers in several indigenous villages have endured similar persecution , driven from their homes and churches unless they observe Catholic customs and rites, or convert to Catholicism. In Oaxaca, persecution escalation Aug. 6 when a large mob of 300 men dispossessed the last remaining religious minority families their lands and livestock, destroyed their crops and burned their church, CSW said. On Aug. 16, when pastors Moisés Sarmiento Alavés and Esdrás Ojeda Jiménez and two other men went to the community to attend a legal proceeding announced by the Oaxaca State Prosecutor’s Office, the proceedings never occurred and the men were instead attacked by a mob. “They were stripped, beaten, arbitrarily detained for over six hours, and forced to sign a document which they did not have the opportunity to read,” CSW wrote in the press release. “The four men were ultimately freed by the police later that same day.” Porfirio Flores, an attorney and representative of the Fellowship of Pastors, told CSW that “greater attention must be paid to the issue of religious freedom in Oaxaca. A fundamental change is needed regarding the problems arising from civil and religious charges within internal normative systems, while respecting the secular state.” The persecution of Protestants in indigenous Catholic communities stems from a 1993 community accord mandating Roman Catholicism as the only religion permitted in San Isidro Arenal, a system allowed under the Law on Uses and Customs. However, religious freedom is guaranteed in Mexico’s constitution. “The volatile situation in San Isidro Arenal is yet another example of how the government’s failure to intervene at the early stages of cases of religious intolerance and its neglect of education around freedom of religion or belief has led local authorities to believe that they can enforce religious adherence and practice and commit criminal acts against those who believe differently with impunity,” Stangl said. “Concrete steps must be taken now to protect the members of the religious minority in San Isidro Arenal, and those who are responsible for crimes committed against them must be held to account for their actions.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer. #SEPTEMBER24

BIRMINGHAM, AL (SBC WMU) – Giselle Gonzalez-Rivera said she wondered if she was crazy going back to school in her late 30s with three young children. But she found a group that encouraged her — Moving Forward Chattanooga, a Christian Women’s Job Corps site — and in April she finished her licensed practical nurse certificate at Chattanooga State Community College. “Christian Women’s Job Corps encouraged and supported me so much,” she said of the group, which helps women with skills for life and work. “They saw the potential in me that I had not seen.” Beth Ray, site coordinator for Moving Forward Chattanooga, said Gonzalez-Rivera “gives God glory for the whole process.” “Giselle is a blessing to anyone she meets. She always has a smile and a kind word,” Ray said. “She’s a super sweet person with a sweet family, and she’s grown in her faith.” When Gonzalez-Rivera came to Moving Forward Chattanooga, she began working on six weeks of personal development, which included communication and financial management. She also took an inventory to help her identify careers that interested her, and site leaders helped her find educational resources and funding for school. Ray said in Gonzalez-Rivera’s early days there, she was shy and reserved, but she “has really blossomed since.” Several weeks after finishing her licensed practical nurse certificate in April, Gonzalez-Rivera was named the recipient of the Sybil Bentley Dove Award, which Woman’s Missionary Union gives annually to a recipient who desires to improve herself through the acquisition of skills or academic pursuits that will lead to self-reliant living or to give assistance and nurture to the development of her children. This summer, Gonzalez-Rivera started the bridge program to start classes this fall at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to become a registered nurse. She said the award came at the perfect time. “It has helped me so much,” she said. “When they gave me the award, I said, ‘Thank you Lord, this is all you — you saw how much I was in need.’” Gonzalez-Rivera said she’s always had a heart to help others and knew that was her purpose in life. “It is never too late to accomplish your purpose in life — some of us just move a little slower than others, and that is totally normal,” she said. “We are afraid of the outcome instead of trusting our Savior.” Gonzalez-Rivera said she has learned to teach her three girls that with God, there are no limits to what they can do. “We can reach the sky if we trust the Lord and He will guide us,” she said. To learn more about Christian Women’s Job Corps, visit wmu.com/jobcorps . Christian Women’s and Men’s Job Corps are compassion ministries of WMU. Through more than 100 sites across the US, CWJC/CMJC seeks to equip women and men for life and employment in a Christian context. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Grace Thornton is a writer for The Alabama Baptist. #SEPTEMBER24

SPRINGFIELD, IL (BP) – The Illinois General Assembly continues to find new ways to further enshrine abortion into law. Within the last month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed one bill requiring insurance companies to provide full coverage for abortions and another making abortions a protected human rights issue. The actions came just ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago where the party emphasized its commitment to “reproductive rights” and a mobile Planned Parenthood unit performed vasectomies and provided abortion services nearby. The Birth Equity Act requires both private and Medicaid insurance in the state to cover the cost of abortion procedures without requiring any copays or deductibles. The coverage also includes medication abortions. Meanwhile, House Bill 4867 (HB 4867) amended the state’s Human Rights Act to “prohibit discrimination based on reproductive health decisions,” according to a media release from the governor’s office. Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, pro-choice Illinois lawmakers have promoted abortion access in the state which saw nearly 91,000 abortions reported in the calendar year 2023 – a 60 percent increase over 2022. “Forcing people or organizations to violate their religious beliefs is unconstitutional and has no place in our society,” said Greg Baylor, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) senior counsel. “We are disappointed to see this dangerous legislation signed into law, as it plainly violates the First Amendment freedoms of pro-life employers in Illinois.” Kevin Carrothers is executive director of the state’s Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services (BCHFS) based in Carmi, Ill., which includes Angels’ Cove Residential Maternity Home and GraceHaven Pregnancy Resource Clinic, both in Mt. Vernon, Ill. Carrothers is also a former practicing attorney. He expressed his disappointment that the bill contained “no religious exemptions.” “It’s certainly a whole new dynamic,” Carrothers said. “It impacts all of us. It is going to impact churches.” The bill’s definition of reproductive health decisions includes “healthcare related to the continuation or termination of pregnancy. …” By including “termination of pregnancy” in the definition, employers such as churches, crisis pregnancy care centers and religious schools will be required to hire staff who do not support their pro-life views. Carrothers pointed out the gray areas of the law within the definition, as there are many disagreements even within the pro-life community. “Whatever that issue is whether its abortion, contraception, or artificial reproductive technologies, there are various points of view on that,” he said. Other reproductive health decisions cited in HB 4867 also include “birth control, fertility or sterilization care, miscarriage management care, assisted reproductive technologies such as in-vitro fertilization, and prenatal, intranatal, and postnatal care.” Ultimately, Carrothers said, “They’ve lumped a lot of things together that may or may not be consistent with each other. How you define reproductive health may not be how I define reproductive health.”  The ADF’s Baylor stated, “Many organizations, including religious and mission-driven entities, maintain their unique character through their personnel choices. These employers advance their missions and communicate their messages by hiring and retaining people who wholeheartedly support and share the organization’s mission and message.” He said, “HB 4867 destroys that essential freedom.” High profile abortion state Illinois has become among the highest profile abortion states in the nation. Even last week Planned Parenthood Great Rivers (PPGR), representing the St. Louis region and southern Illinois, sent a mobile abortion unit to Chicago for two days and stationed it within a few blocks of the United Center, where the Democratic National Convention was held. PPGR reported eight medication abortions and nine vasectomies were provided at no cost. In late June, the neighboring state of Iowa enacted a six-week abortion ban. Illinois’ other neighboring states – Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee – have strict bans against abortion. Since the ruling known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization – or as it is commonly called, the Dobbs decision – gave individual states the freedom to pass their own laws regarding abortion access, Pritzker and Democrat representatives in the General Assembly have pledged to make the state an abortion safe haven. The latest statistics from the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute bear that out. Women from at least 16 states traveled to Illinois to undergo an abortion last year. The states with the highest number of women receiving abortions were Missouri – 8,710, Tennessee – 7,120, Indiana – 5,420, Wisconsin – 5,240, Mississippi – 2,060, Arkansas – 2,040, Kentucky – 1,850 and Texas – 1,570. Illinois State Attorney General Kwame Raoullauded the bill’s signing and praised the state as a “safe haven” for abortion and gender-altering procedures. “I am committed to using the authority of my office to continue to defend against legal challenges to our laws that preserve Illinois as an oasis of reproductive health care,” Raoul said. Raoul lost a court case last year, when a federal judge blocked a law that would have allowed him to fine pregnancy resource centers up to $50,000 per incident for speech deemed deceptive regarding abortion in a counseling setting. Barring a legal challenge to HB 4867, Carrothers wondered if the state would be quick to defend the rights of a pro-life organization after the law is enacted. Carrothers said, “We should expect it to be equally applied. Are abortion clinics going to be forced to hire people with pro-life views?” Pro-choice state legislators have introduced 248 abortion-related actions since 2023. Guttmacher rates Illinois’ abortion policies as “protective” along with 10 other states. HB 4867, which was signed Aug. 7, goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. The Birth Equity Act, signed on June 29, is an amended version of House Bill 5142 . It will also require insurance companies to cover such services as doulas, lactation consultants and midwives. The act will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, except for the Medicare and doula services which are set to begin on Jan. 1, 2025. ADF is a ministry partner of the Illinois Baptist State Association. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lisa Misner is communications director for the Illinois Baptist State Association. This report was provided by the Illinois Baptist newspaper. #SEPTEMBER24

MARRERO, LA (BP) – When Troy Gause sat in the small, one-person suicide watch cell – with no windows or light from the outside world – at Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, he never could have imagined one day being a pastor of a thriving church. While the distance between Plaquemines Parish Detention Center and Cross Community Church in suburban New Orleans is only about 60 miles, it can seem like so much more. For Gause, it took a U-turn to get there. That U-turn didn’t just change his life; it defined the Gospel work that became the hallmark of his ministry as a Louisiana pastor. During its 2024 Replant Summit, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) recognized his ministry by naming Gause “Replanter of the Year.” The event featured sessions with Mark Clifton, NAMB’s national director of replant; JJ Washington, NAMB’s national director of personal evangelism; and Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as a night of worship with songwriter Matt Papa. Although Gause wasn’t suicidal when he entered that cell, the extended isolation and harsh conditions eventually wore him down. The trauma from the events leading to his imprisonment for drug possession had left him partially paralyzed, pushing him to his breaking point. In that cell, Gause began a profound conversation with God that would forever change his life and the lives of lost people throughout greater New Orleans. Though saved as a teenager, he had drifted far from his faith. Now, Gause cried out to the Lord, recounting everything he’d tried for fulfillment only to hear God say, “You haven’t tried me.” That’s when Gause responded: “God, here you go. Take this broken life.” And in that cell, he promised to never again turn away from Him. Gause kept that promise. While working on a search and rescue team following Hurricane Katrina, he met a strong believer named Lawrence Jacques, who discipled him. A street evangelist, Jacques took him under his wing and introduced him to sharing Jesus on the streets of the Big Easy, where Gause met person after person who needed the U-turn he had found. Over the next few years, Gause attended and graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He started Church Without Walls, engaging people on the New Orleans streets and connecting them to local churches. With the encouragement of several mentors, including seminary professor Peter Charpentier, Gause started Cross Culture Church in 2017. “We started with just eight people in my living room,” Gause said. “I didn’t know how or where it would go, but I knew God had a plan, and I was ready to follow wherever He led.” Cross Culture Church grew but struggled to find a regular location to meet. In 2021, everything changed when a friend introduced Gause to the pastor of Ames Boulevard Baptist Church in Marrero, an aging congregation in need of lawn care help. Gause began taking care of the lawn for free just to help the church out. As his friendship with the church’s pastor blossomed, the two eventually decided to merge their churches, providing a young core of people for Ames Boulevard and a building for Cross Culture. “When the opportunity came to merge with Ames Boulevard, it was clear that God was opening a door,” Gause said. “We didn’t just combine two congregations – we created a new church family, one that reflects the diversity and love of our community.” On April 30, 2023, the two congregations came together to form Cross Community Church at Ames, with Gause serving as the lead elder. From the outset, the replanted church embraced a rich diversity, uniting people of all ages and backgrounds – young and old, Black and white – who were serving Jesus together as one unified congregation. Cross Community Church started a number of new ministries to reach its neighbors, including a mentoring ministry for young boys and new small groups. In about 16 months, the new church has grown from 40 to nearly 100. One of those new families included Leon and Javon Every, a couple that had been together for more than 35 years and had five children but had never married. Late last year, the couple were married at the church. Since becoming a part of the church, seven family members have been baptized and joined the church.  Ames Boulevard’s pastor baptized Terry Borque just after the church’s merger, and she says Cross Community has made a big difference in her life. While in the hospital fighting sepsis earlier this year, Gause’s ministry helped encourage her. Borque had been a lifetime church attender but not in a congregation that faithfully taught Scripture. “I wasn’t being fed a whole meal. I was just getting parts of it, and that wasn’t enough for me,” Borque said. “But Pastor Troy teaches directly from the Bible, and that’s something I missed.” Lane Corley, the director of Send Network Louisiana, has been a longtime friend and supporter of Gause. Last year his team played a part in 22 church mergers throughout the state, providing either training or funding for them. “I think there was something special about these two churches coming together – the Anglo and African American communities worshiping and serving together,” Corely said. “It had an immediate impact [on the surrounding community], creating the welcoming environment that Ames Boulevard had been seeking to foster. It was truly remarkable.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tobin Perry has written professionally for churches and Christian organizations for more than 20 years. He has served as a writer and editor on the staffs of Saddleback Church and the North American Mission Board. He has also served as a local church pastor in Southern Indiana and a two-year missionary for the International Mission Board. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism (B.A. ’98) and Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div. ’07). Today Tobin operates New Creations Editorial Services, which provides content that helps Christian organizations engage and equip their audiences. For more information, visit www.tobinperry.com . #SEPTEMBER24

ST. LOUIS, MO (BP) – Darren Casper believes in missions. As the executive director of the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association (often called STL Metro), he leads a staff of eight full and part-time missionaries. Their task is to equip churches to reach out with the gospel to the city of more than 300,000 people and a little more than 2 million people living on the Missouri side of the greater St. Louis metro area.  Casper led the association to sell its office building in Bridgeton a few years ago. Those funds are being rerouted into ministry, especially efforts to bolster church planting. The director said when he came on board five years ago, he wasn’t looking for a centralized organization to manage. He preferred to have his staff work remotely from their homes and be mobile and accessible to the churches and leaders in the metro area. Most of the staff have other roles with affiliated ministries, serving bivocationally with the association.  The association’s mission statement says it is all about “Connecting churches to develop leaders and deploy them for mission because lostness is the greatest problem in our city.” An example of that is Pastor Mike Hubbard, who serves Genesis Church in Eureka, Mo. He’s been at the church since he planted it 18 years ago. In addition to his pastoral role, he just took on the role of director of church planting for STL Metro. Hubbard said he likes to draw a circle around the metro area with I-270 and I-255 as the boundaries. Inside that circle are millions of lost people. “I want to help plant as many churches inside that ring as possible,” he said. There are 11 new church starts in process in the city, and Hubbard’s goal is to see several more in the near future. “We have a pipeline developed that will help train church planters,” he said. There are four centers for church planting already organized and running at various levels. Hubbard listed a few examples of churches getting started in communities around Metro St. Louis, including Soma Church in St. Charles and Storyline Church in the South City neighborhood. The churches have been intentional about reaching their neighbors, hosting events like back-to-school rallies and giveaways, movies in the park, senior adult outreaches and campus ministry. Casper also emphasized that the association is interested in reaching people for Christ through education. Leaders are working to establish a Christian high school called City Christian Academy on the campus of Tower Grove Baptist Church.   “Like Jeremiah 29 teaches, we seek the welfare of the city,” Casper said. The association is putting $2 million into the new school, which expands on the ministry of the private elementary and junior high school already established at Tower Grove. The association also operates benevolent ministries as well as ministry to new immigrants and refugees. People from Afghanistan, Syria, Bosnia and other nations are coming to America, and St. Louis is often one of their first landing spots. STL Metro staffer Rachel Hart works with a ministry called Good Neighbor Initiative to welcome these people and help them get established in the community, find places to live, food to eat, furniture and essential goods like clothing and school supplies. Team members in the association work with men’s ministries, ethnic ministries including outreach to Bosnian immigrants, pastor cohorts and other leadership development initiatives. Casper invites people to get in touch with them to help with mission projects, lend support for new church starts and to pray for them. St. Louis has a lot of people and a lot of lost people. Together with the 90 or so churches and 11 church plants in process, associational leaders are trying to reach their city for Christ. This article originally appeared in The Pathway . ABOUT THE AUTHOR Richard Nations is a husband and father to two children. He is the associational mission strategist for the Sandy Creek Baptist Association in Murrayville, Illinois. He also is a contributing writer for the The Pathway, the news journal of the Missouri Baptist Convention. He also contributes to the Illinois Baptist, Springfield, Illinois and The Baptist Paper, Birmingham, Alabama. He is an occasional contract appraisal reader for LifeWay Christian Resources and he is the author of “Why Not Me: You Could Be A Bivocational Pastor” (Lulu Press, 2019). He occassionally contributes articles for Baptist Press, several Sunday school and church growth magazines for LifeWay Christian Resources and he was the publications editor for The Iowa Baptist, the news journal of the Baptist Convention of Iowa. #SEPTEMBER24

FLINT – On August 9-10, Send Relief’s Serve Tour Flint overwhelmed the region with 606 volunteers from 49 churches from 10 states descending on Flint, Michigan erupting into two days of unstoppable acts of service to 4,480 people. There were 700 spiritual conversations that resulted in 41 salvations. The 33 projects took place in 7 schools, 8 community centers, 15 church communities, including 3 bi-vocational pastors and their families being helped in generous ways with transportation or home improvement solutions.   Block Party   A church of 40 attenders received 300 guests at their block party. The recently arrived pastor and wife said, “We told our congregation that we have to get outside the walls if we are going to make a difference in the community. That is why we handed out hundreds of invitations from door to door, weeks prior to this day.” Attenders played games, received school backpacks for the children, and engaged in long conversations with the members of the church.   Woman in Addiction   A squad of Christians paced their movement alongside a slowly moving van with a mobile grill cooking hotdogs and hamburgers while knocking on doors offering prayer, conversations about Christ, games and toys for the children, and food for hungry family members. One woman answered the door in tears gushing that she had lost her children due to her addiction. As the Lord would have it, one of the volunteers on the doorstep explained that she lived locally and served as a counselor for people with addictions. The volunteer explained that she knew how to enroll the woman in a program to help her fight her addiction. Within two hours, the tearful woman was filled with renewed hope and heading toward a solution for her future and for her family because people who were walking her street were there to serve her needs out of their love for Jesus Christ.   Chicagoland Pastor, Wife, and Daughters   Pastor Nathan, his wife Andrea from Chicagoland brought his five daughters in an RV and camped in Frankenmuth during the evenings, but worked furiously hard for two days refreshing a homeless shelter for women and children and another shelter for men with fresh coats of paint. Pastor Nathan explained that his Chicagoland church had benefited earlier from volunteers coming to his community and so he and his family wanted to “pay the kindness forward in Flint.” That generosity was noticed.   A staff member at the shelter said, “Though the paint work everyone did at the Carriage House Ministries made the building look and feel much better, the real impact was how lovingly the volunteers filled up the “cups” of the staff members at the shelter.” She went on to explain, “At a shelter that runs 24/7 we are always emptying our cups of encouragement and love into others with empty cups who need those expressions of support from us. But during the Serve Tour, we feel as if the volunteers continually filled our cups with kindness, service, and love. We needed that more than we knew!”     A Jehovah’s Witness   One block away from Greater Mount Zion Church in Flint, Sasha stepped outside of the two-story, mid-century house after hearing the volunteers knocking on her front door. She apologized for her mismatched clothes and asked what was going on. One volunteer explained that volunteers with the nearby church were sharing hot grilled food for everyone, toys for the children, and an invitation to hear more about the church and Jesus Christ. Sasha rapidly took a step back and responded with, “I am with the nearby Kingdom Hall.” To which the volunteer smiled and replied, “Well, is there anything at the Kingdom Hall that would keep you from receiving food from new friends and toys for the children?” Sasha moved forward again and with a warm smile unlatched the gate that had seconds earlier served as a protective barrier. One volunteer after another moved toward Sasha offering hot delicious food, toys for the children, and hugs around her shoulders.   One of the female volunteers rapidly connected with Sasha by calling her by name, looking lovingly at Sasha with the warmth of respect for being a mother and wife in a hard place, then offered to pray for Sasha. To which Sasha replied, “I would love that. I need prayers.” The volunteer was unaware of Sasha’s connection to the Kingdom Hall because she was had been gathering food for Sasha, but you would not have known it when you heard the prayers of the Christian volunteer. At one point in the intercession the volunteer prayed, “Lord, help Sasha to know the truth of who you are in Jesus Christ. Give her the courage to lead her family to you. Assure her that she is welcome at Greater Mount Zion Church.”   As the volunteers walked away from Sasha’s home, they offered a few more words of encouragement to Sasha, “The pastor is Joseph Brown. He is the third generation in his family to lead the church just down the street. He and his wife Marilyn are raising a family like you and your husband. He is a songwriter and musician; you will love them.” Sasha replied, “I just might come to the church with the family. I have never seen my Kingdom Hall do anything like this for anyone. I may just be there.” More Information   The back of the t-shirts on volunteers from Oklahoma expressed it well - “The church has left the building!” If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with a Send Relief Serve Tour, just review the details found at   SendRelief.org/serve-tour  - there are tours in North America and international tours each year. One of the most valuable takeaways from each experience is seeing how your local church could duplicate the projects in the community around your church building.   Serve Tours strengthen vulnerable communities around the world by meeting physical and spiritual needs in Jesus’ name. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Tony L. Lynn is the Send Network Director for Michigan and the Language/Ethnic Church Planting Catalyst. Before coming on staff at the BSCM, Tony served as a lead pastor in Michigan churches and as an international missionary, along with his wife Jamie, in the Niger Republic, France, and Canada. #AUGUST24

FLINT – We had 49 churches from 10 states involved with Serve Flint with at least 41 salvations. We hosted a Serve Tour rally on Saturday night where volunteers heard about partnership opportunities from Baptist State Convention of Michigan, Genesee Baptist Association, Disaster Relief, and Send Relief. It is hard to express the excitement and joy from volunteers at the rally in celebration of how God worked. Disaster Relief made lunches for volunteers and cooked Flint coneys for the rally. QUANTIFIABLES Churches Involved: 49 Total Projects: 33 (Served – 7 schools, 15 churches, 8 community projects, and 3 bivocational pastors) Volunteers: 606 People Served: 4,480 Gospel Conversations: 700 Salvations: 41 Construction Hours: +3,050 STORIES Volunteers partnered with a church that runs around 40 in worship and saw 300 attend a block party with dozens of responses to the gospel. At many of the projects, volunteers from local churches were partnering together with volunteers from other parts of Michigan and across the country. It was such a joy to see people from different backgrounds working together and having so much fun serving together. Hub leaders, project leaders, group leaders, and principals all shed tears over the weekend in amazement of how God moved. One project leader noted “What an awesome experience it was to see what God’s people can do together.” One pastor commented “Thank you for helping us. We could not have done what we did on the scale we did without your help.” One church planter wrote, “After the projects got posted online person after person thanked the church for caring for our community. People we have had a relationship with for many years got to see a tangible expression of the love of Jesus in our community.” One group leader stated “What a great experience it was! Thank you for giving our church family this opportunity to serve other local churches and build relationships with each other and with other believers in Michigan.” One project leader stated, “I cannot begin to tell you what a blessing it was to talk, listen, laugh and pray with these individuals at the nursing home.” One volunteer noted “I realized I don't need to become a missionary. I am a missionary.” In partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, volunteers built 40 beds for children sleeping on the floor. Volunteers in partnership with local churches gave out blessing bags to a school staff that is “forgotten”, built a pavilion for another school, built two storage sheds for another school, served at a field day with a middle school, and landscaped flower beds, playgrounds and ballfields at another school. One principal kept texting the project manager in disbelief that volunteers would bless their school with such love. At one school, volunteers were able to pray with teachers and staff in the hallways. Volunteers blessed nurses and families at hospitals with free ice cream. One nurse accepted the invitation to come to a local church and was saved on Sunday due to this outreach. Volunteers partnered with local churches for four neighborhood grill walks where at least 10 people were saved. Volunteers put on a new roof for a church plant, Christ our Hope. Volunteers remodeled bathrooms, cleaned up around the grounds of the church, and painted parts of the church’s exterior at another church plant, Greater Mount Zion. Volunteers partnered with Westside Church and hosted a hayride and dance for special needs adults. Volunteers painted the exterior of a bivocational pastor’s home and another bivocational pastor got new siding on his home. Volunteers poured a sidewalk, painted the fellowship hall, painted the gym, and fixed outside lights at Eastgate Baptist Church. Volunteers blessed Carriage Town ministries, a homeless and transitional shelter in Flint, by painting offices and meeting rooms to encourage the staff. At least two different churches in Flint area are asking about how they can be a part of the SBC and Genesee Baptist Association due to Serve Flint. DR teams from Michigan, West Virginia, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana all partnered in some way to make Serve Flint possible. The best way to describe Serve Flint is God moved in an exceedingly abundant way and I think all who took part were blessed. I truly believe this weekend was a great example that no act of love is insignificant when King Jesus is involved in it. #AUGUST24

“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” –Ecclesiastes 4:12 HUDSONVILLE – God has placed a distinct and unique call on Chapel Pointe to engage in Kingdom expansion. We have a God-sized vision to see 1,000 churches strengthened and 1,000,000 souls move from death to life across the world. Our team knows that we cannot do this work alone, which is why we launched the Chapel Pointe Family of Churches. The Chapel Pointe Family of Churches  is a committed, collaborative group of churches choosing a path of interdependence to advance the gospel together. Through shared initiatives, people, and finances, like-hearted and like-minded churches will pursue Kingdom Expansion for the sake of the gospel. Ultimately, our goal as a regional church is to promote church health and multiply churches throughout the nation and world. The foundation for this desire is rooted in a love for the body of Christ and for lost souls. We desire everyone to encounter a living Savior and be transformed by the power of the gospel. Through the Family of Churches, Chapel Pointe is hoping to see significant movement in the following areas: Developing Spiritual Leaders  Strengthening Existing Churches Starting New Churches  Key Focuses What exactly do we focus on? How are we moving the needle forward for the Kingdom of God? Here are a few key focuses for the Chapel Pointe Family of Churches. Church-to-Church Mentoring: Connecting each church to deep mentoring relationships with other like-minded and like-hearted churches. Deep Relationships : Building relationships with the elders and staff of each church to encourage the body of Christ. Multiplication Centers: Raising up and sending out future missionaries, pastors, and church leaders nationally and internationally. Shared Initiatives:  Partnering on missions and multiplication initiatives with the goal of planting more biblically-sound churches. Shared Resources: Investing in each church through sharing biblically-centered resources through Be The Church , a resource house for curriculum and leadership material. Shared Finances: Partnering financially to do more for the Kingdom together than we could do alone. Church Partners At Chapel Pointe, we believe loving relationships set the tone for community. Each of the Family of Churches is like-hearted, like-minded, and engaged in a deep relationship with our ministry. God used these existing relationships to lead us into a greater partnership to advance the gospel. Joel Wayne, Chapel Pointe (Michigan) Cornelius Roberson, Heart and Soul Community Church (Michigan) Michael Rubino, Cornerstone Bible Church (New York) Tim Owens, Mission City Church (Vermont) George Lim, The River Church (Connecticut) Jose Nater, Iglesia Dios con Nosotros (Connecticut) Learn More To learn more about the Chapel Pointe Family of Churches, visit chapel-pointe.org/familyofchurches . Chapel Pointe  is a non-denominational church headquartered in Hudsonville, Michigan. As one church meeting in multiple locations, Chapel Pointe is passionate about seeing the Kingdom of God expand throughout the world. The church is committed to helping communities, existing churches, and people who are far from God respond to God, be rooted in prayer and the Bible, and equip them as disciples of Jesus. Chapel Pointe has additional locations in Byron Center, and Holt, Michigan. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joel Wayne has spent twenty years improving leadership and cultivating healthy culture within organizations and churches in Connecticut, Kentucky, and Michigan. He currently serves as Lead Pastor for Chapel Pointe , a multi-site church in Michigan. His passion for leadership is built on an uncompromising dedication to biblical principles and over twenty years of business leadership experience. Joel holds a business degree from the University of Georgia and a Master of Divinity from Mercer University. He currently lives in Michigan with his wife and four children. #AUGUST24

PLYMOUTH – Have you ever had two hours change your life? Home on a college holiday break, I was invited by my mom to join her for an evening Bible study that she helped facilitate at our church … and  she needed someone last minute to help with tech. I began the teaching segment for the group and sat in the back tech booth with my Bible open. Taking what felt like feverish notes, I was overwhelmingly moved by the teaching. Not only was it powerful to sit and learn under a female teacher in a room filled with a diverse group of women, but when it was finished, several women even stopped by to say hello, to chat, and to ask how they could pray for me. Without a doubt, those two hours changed the course of my life. The excitement that stirred in me to study the Bible like that and the taste of community that I experienced was missing in my everyday life. I returned to college with fervor; within the week, I had changed my major to Theology and Philosophy. Since then, I have completed undergraduate and graduate coursework in both Theology and Education and have had the privilege of working or serving in Women’s Ministry in the local church for decades. I am so thankful that my mom encouraged me to come with her all those years ago. She showed me a glimpse of a thriving Women’s Ministry, invited me in, and God began showing me the plans He had for my life. This is part of our calling as the church, to lead women God’s way. To invite them in, disciple and share the gospel, and help them to gain solid scriptural knowledge. The impact of which has ripples into the home, churches and communities, and into the world. As we lead and shape ministry for women in our churches, I would like to offer three considerations that I hope will inspire and embolden our efforts. (1)  The Significance of Women Pages are filled with incredible female characters with powerful stories. Eve shows us what it means to be a helper to Adam and challenges us to examine our own tempted hearts; Pharoah’s daughter and Esther face risk and even possible death at the hand of their governments; Sarah, Hannah, and Elizabeth all speak to the tender struggles of infertility; Deborah to the boldness of calling; Mary, the courage to obey God in the face of ridicule; Priscilla, the work of teaching and evangelizing. Personally, I love reading Luke 8 where it references “the Twelve and the women”.[1] Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna were all named as followers of Jesus. These women welcomed him into their homes, financially supported his ministry, and often taught others as well. They were by Jesus’ side in his death, burial, and resurrection, key players in the advancement of the gospel. The significance of women is not lost on us. God wanted women to know how important His daughters are to Him as evidenced by their presence in Scripture. It is so important for the church to highlight the faithfulness of these women because their stories are our  stories. Not only do women in the body desire a deeper understanding of the Word of God, but they are being called according to His purposes as leaders, mothers, teachers, caretakers, business leaders, and more. They are looking to the church for help and guidance as they navigate God’s calling on their lives. According to Pew Research,[2] 55% of Evangelical Protestants are women, making up the majority of our church populations. Further, 59% of women say that religion is very important to them compared to 47% of men. Women also surpass men in weekly attendance, frequency of groups participation and weekly Scripture reading.[3]  Whether an official Women’s Ministry is established, or leadership is developing the overall discipleship vision and plan, targeting ministry based on gender should happen in a variety of ways in a healthy church. We should consider and mold our preaching, programming, and community involvement to the needs of our female participants. This in and of itself could be another article; but for now, some things to ponder as church leaders could be including female voices in our teaching teams, regularly involving them into the conversation of the life of the church overall and aligning teaching illustrations and study topics within women’s contexts. These are voices that we need to lean into when appropriate, strengthening the core and heart of our churches.  2) Women on Mission Women’s Ministry should primarily be under the authority of God. It should serve as an expression of the home church and clearly represent its mission. When building and shaping such an effort, we must be sure that every event, program, and action be centered on The Great Commission. The reality is, there is no shortage of events and opportunities hollering at women to attend, volunteer, and participate: The library is hosting S’mores and Stories. The Historical Society has a Fall Festival. There’s a charcuterie night at a local pop-up shop. On and on it goes. We are inundated with Stuff To Do. As a leader in Women’s Ministry, I have loved hosting similar events in the church – they’re not a bad thing! – but there is so much more we can offer the women in our churches and communities. Instead of a revolving door where we run the risk of women being another number in a social club, we must ask ourselves: Where is the gospel? How are we making disciples? Are we answering the call of the Great Commission for the women in our church? A helpful way to look at it is a balance between the relational and the transformational.[4] Fun events are great! But we simply cannot underestimate the capabilities and spirit of women. They are skilled, passionate, and able to engage with deeper study and understanding of God’s Word. We must equip, encourage, and challenge them to rise to the occasion in the very things that God has created them to be and to do in the world. Many of which are specifically female roles that are integral to the kingdom. Author Gena B McGown says it well: “[we] do them a disservice when we underestimate their capability or even their interest. Sitting in your church right now may be a woman into whose heart God has put the fire, but for whatever reason, she lacks the confidence. She is waiting for someone to say: “I see this in you. I know you can. I’ll help you get there.”[5] Part of the mission for Women’s Ministry is to find that woman, to give her resources and community, and send her out; ensuring that she is armed with Scripture that shapes her identity and purpose. I think it’s also important to point out that influencers and celebrities alike would love to convince us that virtual connection is essential. It can certainly have many benefits, of course. However, in this time of being more “connected” than ever before, women seem to be feeling more and more alone. Scrolling for some sense of virtual connection can never  replace genuine community and discipleship. As church pastors and leaders, we must rise to the call to show these women what it looks like when the church helps bring the hurting to the foot of the cross and be grounded in the Word of God.[6] In a study by Barna in 2015, I learned that 43% of women said that they do not feel any emotional support at all from church.[7] How unfortunate and sad. The report also makes the point that without the strong relational bonds within a church community, a woman’s absence is more likely to go unnoticed[8] and thus, her connection to the church will likely flounder. Striving to specifically help women be aligned with purpose, grounded in their knowledge of Scripture, and connected to their church body will have numerous positive outcomes for their lives and for the health of our churches. Some action steps might be to consider the strength and access to Biblical study opportunities, the integral role of building up mentorship teams or programs (let us not forget Titus 2!)[9], and spending time teaching women about how their spiritual gifts are vital and needed in our churches. Women in the body desire a deeper understanding of the Word of God – we can and should eagerly meet that desire. 3) A Heart for Women Women are amazing creatures. We are smart. We are passionate. We are relational. To minister specifically to the needs of our women is to boldly proclaim their value to the world. As ministry leaders, we can all agree that the world needs Word-filled women. These are the daughters, mothers, aunts, grandmothers, neighbors, and friends who are changing the world, one relationship, one conversation at a time. With so many competing narratives about a woman’s identity, the noise and constant barrage is maddening. We need to know who we are, and we need those ahead of us to show what it looks like to be rooted and grounded in the Word: heart, soul, mind, and strength. Women’s Ministry is important because it has the opportunity to reorient the women coming through the doors with their true identity, in a safe space with other women around them, inviting them to ask harder questions and discuss personal things that they wouldn’t feel comfortable doing in a co-ed setting. Women also need to know that they were created by a loving Father God who delights in their gifts and designed their hearts to reach the world through their art and love and worship. Through their work as nurses, entrepreneurs, and homemakers. The ripple effect of equipping women is immeasurable. It sends them out into the world, shining light into areas that only they can reach, through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. The church is facing generational shifts where the women sitting in the pews are largely unchurched. When they taste and see the goodness of God, there is a gospel fire that burns and spreads – to the pickleball courts, to the PTA meetings, and the soccer fields. To the grumpy neighbor, the young adult making lattes, friends at work, and unbelieving family members. Women are strategically positioned by God to embrace other women who would never step foot into a church. And by pursuing them, with the Word on our lips and in our actions, we are shining the light of Jesus to those who desperately need to know of His love for them. This is world changing. To have a heart for women means we empower them. It means we lean on them. It means we embrace their gifts and shepherd them. May our efforts in the church aim to cultivate faithful women who are fiercely committed to iron sharpening iron[10], who learn and practice how to pray deeply with and for each other, who challenge and love and inspire each other to bring these Jesus-truths out into the world. Let’s train women for the work of the ministry. Let’s help them find each other in our churches and let’s equip them. It can happen in many contexts. Bible study, over a cup of coffee, mentoring programs, running groups, and so much more. It happens when women gather together and pray, serve, disciple, feed, celebrate, and grieve together. This call to arms is not in terms of weapons wielded. This is a call to our arms being open, ready to hold each other up when the road looks unsteady. We need each other. We are voices filled with wisdom and perspective and when we step into the mission field, we are armed with the truth of the gospel and can inspire hope wherever the Lord takes us. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Samantha Baruzzini has been serving and teaching in Women’s Ministry circles for decades. Working at Mile City Church in Plymouth, Michigan, she lives her life in grateful response to the goodness and beauty of truth in Scripture. She considers herself a forever-student; thankful for the depth of training and spark that ignited in her theology studies at the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota. Samantha lives in Livonia, MI with her husband and three children. She loves to read, eat delicious food, and delights in true Sabbath rest.  Works Cited “Five Factors Changing Women’s Relationship with Churches.” Barna.com , 2015. https://www.barna.com/research/five-factors-changing-womens-relationship-with-churches/ . “Gender Composition among Evangelical Protestants.” Pewresearch.org , 2014. https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-tradition/evangelical-protestant/gender-composition/ . McGown, Gena B. 2019. Women's Ministry With Purpose . Abilene: Leafwood Publishers.   [1] Luke 8:1-3 [2] 1. “Gender Composition among Evangelical Protestants,” Pewresearch.org , 2014, https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-tradition/evangelical-protestant/gender-composition/ . [3] “Gender Composition among Evangelical Protestants,” Pewresearch.org , 2014 [4] (McGown 2019, 65) [5] (McGown 2019, 65) [6] (McGown 2019, 70) [7] 1. “Five Factors Changing Women’s Relationship with Churches,” Barna.com , 2015, https://www.barna.com/research/five-factors-changing-womens-relationship-with-churches/ . [8] “Five Factors Changing Women’s Relationship with Churches,” Barna.com , 2015. [9] Titus 2:3-5 [10] Proverbs 27:17 #AUGUST24

BERKLEY – World news has been littered with hype about the recent “Wedding of the Year” as Anant Ambani, son of the richest man in Asia, finally tied the knot. When the eleventh wealthiest person in the world plans a wedding for his son and sends out a nine-page dress code that guests like Tony Blair, Ivanka Trump, the Kardashians, and Mark Zuckerberg are all expected to adhere to, we smile. When God Almighty details for His redeemed how they are to enter His presence, how much more should we eagerly comply. (And just to keep things in perspective, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb alone will far surpass the grandeur and significance of even the most extravagant earthly celebration.) How we should come into His presence Prayer has been a centerpiece of Christ’s church since its inception at Pentecost (Acts 2:42). The first Christians devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer . Church leaders in Acts 6:4 opted out of personally meeting understaffed food service needs to devote themselves to their priorities- prayer  and the ministry of the Word of God. So, we too must be vigilant to maintain the priority of prayer in our ministries. But merely prioritizing prayer is not enough. It is vital that our prayers conform to Scripture in purity, in purpose, and in power. We come to the King of Kings on His terms. James selects the prophet Elijah to illustrate three core prayer principles. A survey of Elijah’s ministry (I Kings 17-22 and 2 Kings 2:14) readily demonstrates how integral prayer was in this highly honored servant of Yahweh. Elijah did it right. In I Kings 17 and 18:41ff God uses Elijah to communicate to King Ahab that it will stop raining (a critical concern for an agrarian-based economy) and only start again when God wills. James tells us that this was done by Elijah’s righteous prayers . Next, Elijah prays, and a widow’s son is raised from the dead. Elijah then confronts 850 false prophets and is victorious through answered  prayer . Although James mentions prayer throughout chapter five, the culmination of his exhortation on this topic and his reference to Elijah’s example is found embedded in verses 14-20. From these four verses we find three essential elements for potent, Elijah-like praying: Pray in Purity (verses 15-16A) Pray God’s Promises (verses 17-18) Pray in Power (verses 16B)   Pray in Purity Before stating a famous verse about powerful praying in James 5:16, James explains the only acceptable context for prayer is purity. He calls on God's people to confess their sin to one another. Prayer that pleases God requires that we acknowledge, confess, and repent from sin (Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:2; I Peter 3:7). We dare not approach our Thrice Holy God in the filthy garments of self-righteousness or stained with an adulterous love for the world. To make supplication in such attire is to make a mockery of God’s gracious invitation to enter His throne room. Prayer is no act of ceremonialism but initiates a divine transaction of forgiveness and restoration whether it be on the human-to-God or the human-to-human level (“to one another”) or both. The path to prayer is now free from this obstacle. Further, what modifier does James attach to the person whose prayers are “effective and “accomplish much”? He or she is righteous. Yes, at the core of effectual praying is holy living. But what should we pray?   Pray God's Promises James details for us in verses 17-18 the content of Elijah’s prayers. He asks first that it would not rain and later that it would. Why? Is he single-handedly curating a national crisis to get King Ahab’s attention? Not at all. He is praying precisely what God promised to do when Israel sinned. He would withhold rain (Lev. 26:14ff, Deuteronomy 11:17; 2 Chron. 6:26-27).  If they would repent, He would send rain again and heal their land. This is exactly what happens. Elijah is praying in accord with the heart and revealed plan of God in Scripture. What does this mean for us? Struggles with doubt about whether we are praying the will of God are removed when we pray the Bible. The Apostle John asserts “And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us…” (See 1 John 5:14-15) Romans 8:26 reminds us that “we do not know how to pray as we should but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” So humbly seek the Spirit’s enablement in both the manner and content of prayer. Often the Spirit links particular passages of Scripture to people on our prayer list which we may pray specifically for them. And how encouraged they often are when we share that with them! This kind of praying is productive and potent.   Pray in Power  Have you ever wondered why Elijah was used so mightily by God when he prayed? We may feel at times rather useless with all our weaknesses and fears. But take courage at James’s words in verse 17. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours….” He was “but dust” yet was called to minister by God’s enablement - an enablement he accessed in prayer . Yes, more than any other characteristic, James zeroes in on how Elijah prayed. He prayed “fervently.” We too actively participate in the works of God when we pray that way.   This intensity does not result from an emotional experience or a personality type. Rather, fervent prayers are fueled by the Spirit of God. Jude 20 reminds believers of the importance of prayer with a noteworthy qualifier-” Praying in the Holy Spirit ”. It is sobering to realize that it is possible to pray apart from the third Person of the Trinity.  May God save us from that. How can we know that we are praying in the Holy Spirit? Praying in purity and praying the Bible are two strong indicators. And when our prayers are answered in the affirmative, “we know that we have what we’ve asked of Him” (I John 5:15). Although we will probably not see every prayer we pray answered in our lifetime, we can rest in peace and confidence that God wisely and faithfully responds in His time. George Mueller prayed for the salvation of three specific individuals for decades. One came to faith before George went to glory. The other two were converted after George’s death. That is Spirit-empowered praying. There is no greater gift of love we may bestow than to pray for each other, our congregations, and our missionaries. Let us devote ourselves anew to this often-neglected spiritual discipline- praying in purity the promises of God in the power of His Spirit. Consciously relying on God’s grace, commit yourself to continually climbing to new heights of biblical prayer. The ascent is arduous, but the view from above is amazing. Jer. 33:3 “Call to Me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things you have not known.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sonya Smith has served for 20 years as a missionary in Asia and Central Europe with her husband Peter who now pastors Hope in Christ Bible Church, a growing congregation in Berkley, Michigan. Sonya holds a Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies from the Master's University and a Master of Arts in Theology from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has spoken to ladies' groups in California, Washington, Michigan, and in the Czech Republic. She, and a team of gifted teachers, lead the 'Women of Hope'  Bible study which meets twice weekly. #AUGUST24

TROY – America or Uncle Sam’s country as they like to call it in the Middle East for it’s a lot of people’s dream to enter and enjoy the benefits that come with being here. According to Franklin Roosevelt’s famous speech “The Four Freedoms Speech”, there are four freedoms that every person in the world can enjoy. These freedoms are freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from fear, and freedom from constriction. But there is a fifth freedom that only God can give to Arabs in America. It is the freedom from sin. This is granted not by the law or any human constitution, but only the Lord can grant it to each man through the ministry of his local church. Here was born the necessity for planting Arabic churches in America. You can find Arabic speakers who have fled from different wars in their countries, and many have lost the most precious things. Some have lost their family through death or separation. Many have lost their money, and others have lost positions. Due to that, they have gained the most precious thing in the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. He covers all the necessities and needs that any man can have, and here lies the local church that the Lord instructed us to complete before his ascent back to heaven.   Here begins the importance of what started last month in Alpharetta, Georgia. More than 60 men and women gathered who account for church planters, leaders, and their wives to achieve their mission in America which is the proclamation of the grace of Christ and his salvation that he has gifted to all people. For this movement is not the goal or achievement of one, but it’s a community that is being built to have churches that are honest in proclaiming the Word of Christ to the millions who are in America and have made it a shelter. Now, may they also find shelter in Christ, and safety in what he has done on the cross. We must acknowledge the role of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM), and more specifically of Dr. Tony Lynn and Pastor Tim Patterson. They have supported this movement from the moment it was launched.   Dear brothers, sisters, believers, and shepherds from our convention, I plead with you to pray for the continuation of the movement, just as the first church prayed and the ground shook. We believe that through your support in prayer that the ground of this ministry will shake as well. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amgad Beshai is the pastor of Evangel Arabic Church of Troy, Michigan. He and his wife, Eman, have three wonderful children. Amgad is also an Arabic Consultant for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. #AUGUST24