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MIDLAND – At Christmas, we celebrate the hope that has come. We celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We rejoice in his coming to earth, born of a virgin, laid in a manger. The Jews had been waiting in expectation for the Messiah to come. He would bring hope, peace, and justice. He would establish a new kingdom and reign as King. But it had been a long 400 years since God last spoke through the prophet Malachi. I’m sure there were many times when they cried out to God asking how much longer they must wait; wondering if he had forgotten them. Indeed, it was a joyous miracle when Jesus had finally come. He willingly took on flesh, leaving heaven’s glory to come to a sin-stricken earth. So we join with the angels, shepherds, and wise men to celebrate Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem thousands of years ago. Hope has come. Oh, what a glorious day! But our hope does not end there. You see, we’ve gotten to know more of the story. We know in more fullness what Jesus came on the earth to do. We know he lived the life we could not live and died the death we deserved. He willingly laid his life down as the perfect sacrifice so we can be with God. We know Jesus rose from the grave, defeating sin and death. And we know he is coming back again. We know there is hope that has come, but we also know there is hope that is coming. We live in the space of the already and not yet. Christ has already come and is already King, but he is not yet reigning in the manner that he will one day, with every knee bowed and every tongue proclaiming Jesus is Lord. Christ already restores hearts and makes us new, but he has not yet restored all creation to the fullness of glory to come. As Paul said, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). In his grace, God allows us to experience glimpses of heaven on earth, but it’s just a taste of what is to come. So, like the Jews, we are back in a period of waiting. We eagerly wait for Christ, our living hope, to come back again. He will right every wrong, wipe every tear from our eyes, and make everything perfect. Indeed, sometimes, as we look around at our world and experience the reality and effects of sin in ourselves, others, and all creation, we can feel much like the Jews did in that period between Malachi and Matthew. Where is God? Has he forgotten us? How long, O Lord, must we wait? Yet we wait with hopeful expectation and confidence that the Sovereign One keeps his promises. It could be argued that the Christmas story began back in Genesis when God first promised to send a Savior to redeem mankind and crush the serpent’s head. And Revelation is where the Christmas story ends: when God will complete the work to save his people and destroy that serpent forever. So Christmas reminds us of the mystery of ages, revealed in Jesus Christ. We celebrate the hope that has come, and we look with joyful expectation to the hope that is coming. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Betsy Yurgaites is the church-planting wife of Nate from Damascus Church in Midland. She is the mother of 5, going on 6, and is also a homeschool mom. Doing dishes and changing diapers for the glory of God. #DECEMBER24

Cuba is still reeling from the devastating effects of not just one but three natural disasters. Hurricane Oscar hit eastern Cuba on Oct. 20. Hurricane Rafael ripped through western Cuba on Nov. 6. A 6.8-magnitude earthquake shook the eastern part of the island on Nov. 11, compounding the destruction left by the hurricanes. Within hours of the disasters, Send Relief, through local partners and churches, mobilized to provide critical relief to families in heavily hit areas. When the disasters struck, food and medication spoiled in refrigerators, phone screens cut to black as batteries died, and well water pumps were rendered inoperable due to a series of blackouts over the past month that left 8.5 million without electricity. Cuba is grappling with severe food, water and gasoline shortages, which affect not only cars but also generators. The storms damaged banana, cassava, rice, beans, vegetable, corn and soybean crops. The crippling effects of the natural disasters extend beyond food and water. Massive flooding cut off some regions, delaying aid delivery for days. Landslides left areas in peril. In Havana alone, 460 buildings wholly or partially collapsed. Many buildings are without roofs, and Christians report churches were damaged during the disasters. The ongoing needs are overwhelming, but Send Relief is partnering with local churches, Cuba’s Eastern and Western Baptist Conventions, Florida Baptists and other partners to provide much-needed relief. In Send Relief’s initial response to Hurricane Oscar in the far eastern part of Cuba, food, mattresses and kitchen supplies were distributed by the Western Baptist Convention. The Eastern Baptist Convention shared all the items listed above, as well as 600 water filters donated by First Baptist Church, Opelika, Alabama. Send Relief leadership shared how encouraging it was to see how churches in Cuba’s Western Baptist Convention responded to the devastation in the East. Churches sent several truckloads of food, clothing and other much-needed supplies. A local church in Havana followed Hurricane Rafael’s devastating strike by sending a large bus filled with relief supplies to the hardest-hit areas in the East. More aid is on the way. Donations to Send Relief will help with the purchase of food, generators, clothing, mattresses, roofing materials, and kitchen and cleaning supplies. A Christian in Cuba shared that churches in Cuba are not just places to worship on Sundays; they are the center of communities, making them prime places to distribute aid. Send Relief is working with Christians who are hosting feeding kitchens in churches with intact roofs. Some churches have generators, which are utilized to provide meals, charge phones, pump water from wells and keep refrigerators running so families can store milk, food and medicine. The churches are feeding thousands of their neighbors. Six churches are distributing food and supplies in one area, and one church alone has already fed more than 650 people. Fifty churches are operating out of local churches in the eastern areas affected by the hurricanes. Even amidst their loss, these Christians are selflessly serving. “In the face of the recent disasters in Cuba, we have witnessed the unwavering faith and endurance of our partners on the ground,” said Matt Waldraff, Send Relief’s area director. “Their commitment to serving the most vulnerable in their communities is a testament to the body of Christ in action. Their tireless efforts and steadfast presence have provided much-needed hope in a time of crisis. They consistently show the love of Christ through both words and deeds, and it is a blessing to be able to serve alongside them. Their resilience is not just a reflection of their strength, but of God’s faithfulness to His people.” The island nation, by many accounts, is in the midst of a spiritual awakening. Two years ago, churches reported that 101,514 people made professions of faith. Last year, 142,634 committed their lives to Christ. The 22 new churches and the 6,086 house churches that have formed have opportunities to be salt and light in their communities. “The church in Cuba is growing stronger, even as the island faces so much hardship after these disasters. Pray that as we partner with believers there to bring much-needed help, they will be a light to their neighbors and earn the opportunity to be heard as they show and share the love of Jesus,” said Bryant Wright, president of Send Relief. Southern Baptist churches and conventions in the U.S. have answered the call to help. The Florida Baptist Convention joined ranks with Send Relief and the Cuban conventions to deliver aid. Send Relief staff and volunteers plan to travel to Cuba to deliver water filters and other supplies. Your gifts to Send Relief will help provide food, water and shelter to communities recovering from the hurricanes and earthquake. Donate now. You can also partner through prayer. Join us in praying for Cuba. Pray for survivors in Cuba, as many are suffering from a lack of food, electricity and water. Pray for families who have lost or suffered damage to their homes. Pray for those who have lost their livelihoods and crops. Pray for Cuban church partners as they minister to their neighbors. Pray for the spiritual revival that continues across Cuba, as thousands come to faith in Christ. Pray for Send Relief as it continues to respond with partners. Pray that Send Relief and our partners will be able to offer help and the hope of Christ amid the loss and recovery. #DECEMBER24

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP) — Buddy heaters, blankets and winter clothing are among the items being distributed by Baptists to those dealing with western North Carolina’s first cold blast of the season amid recovery from Hurricane Helene. Rain and snow showers move through the area today are accompanied by overnight temperatures dropping into the 30s. Stacy Harris, pastor at Trinity of Fairview in Fletcher, lost power at his house this morning but is keeping warm thanks to his gas logs. “The cold weather is certainly a player for the folks displaced and staying outside,” he said. “Churches have done a marvelous job of finding them a temporary place to reside until their housing situations are dealt with. God has been good, and we’re thankful for the goodness of so many others that have helped us in these times.” Cold weather items have been popular, of course, but the urgency to rebuild has grown with the winter months looming. Harris’ church has engaged with five families to assist in their rebuild. Similar efforts across the area have received a boost from North Carolina Baptists and Baptists on Mission through the Essentials Rapid Repair Program (ERR). The program isn’t designed to finish homes but provide a safe and warm environment for families, Baptists on Mission executive director-treasurer Richard Brunson told the Biblical Recorder . “We want to get them into a home that’s safe, secure, functional,” Brunson said. Perry Brindley, associational mission strategist for Buncombe County Baptist Association, told Baptist Press that multiple homes each week are already being impacted by the program. “Trained, skilled Disaster Relief volunteers are able to get homes ready within a couple of weeks,” he said. Churches and the association continue to hand out items. The relatively inexpensive Buddy heaters have become highly sought-after due to requiring only one small propane tank and being usable indoors. “Getting those items and others like heavy clothing, sleeping bags and blankets are the main thing right now,” he said. At the same time, some distribution sites have scaled back in anticipation of the next recovery phase – housing church mission teams. “We’ve had teams from churches respond already,” Brindley said. “But we need to remember that this recovery is going to be a marathon.” Hard-hit Swannanoa has progressed in its recovery, said First Baptist pastor Jeff Dowdy, whose church continues to serve as a distribution site for donations. “Power has come and gone for some,” he said. “There aren’t many in tents that don’t have alternate help. We’ve given away a lot of heaters, blankets, sleeping bags and other items in the last couple of days.” If people don’t visit the area as part of a mission group, they can also help by doing so as a tourist. Helene’s arrival came just prior to the most lucrative season for the local economy. More than $2 billion came in direct visitor spending in 2023, said the state’s executive director over travel marketing. This year, Asheville itself could see a tourism decline of 70 percent . Most highways in western North Carolina are open with destinations ready for travelers. Some sections of I-40 and I-26 remain closed, however. Areas of the Blue Ridge Parkway have reopened, with numerous tourist attractions like the Biltmore Estate once again welcoming visitors. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott Barkley is chief national correspondent for Baptist Press. #DECEMBER24

AUSTIN, NV (BP) – Smack dab in the middle of Nevada is the tiny town of Austin, home to First Baptist Church, where Charles Vaughn has been pastor since 2008. The population has declined to about 100 people, down from 167 four years ago. Fifteen to 25 people attend services. Vaughn also pastors Yomba Baptist Church on the nearby Yomba Indian Reservation where the town’s population is down to about 25. Usual worship attendance is three to five. Vaughn lives about 75 miles in any direction from the nearest Southern Baptist church. He deals with the isolation because, “Bottom line, I’ve got a wife who loves me,” Vaughn said. “I try to go to the monthly associational meetings just for the fellowship. And we pour ourselves into other people, which keeps us from loneliness that could become an issue.   “We’re not the only ones in remote areas who struggle with it,” Vaughn continued. “Helping people find the Lord opens the door to communication with them that helps them deal with the loneliness as well.” Vaughn attended the mid-October annual meeting of the Nevada Baptist Convention because, “rural churches don’t always have opportunities to engage with the new concepts people are talking about,” the rural pastor said. “That’s why the state conventions and associations are so important to rural churches. They help bridge the gap.” The annual meeting “had topics I was interested in,” Vaughn continued. He said he wanted to attend a workshop about the Evangelism Toolkit produced by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and learn some new ideas about what other pastors of rural churches are doing by participating in a seminar led by Kyle Bueermann, rural specialist for NAMB’s Replant team. “Communities will be changed when the churches love the communities they’re in,” Bueermann said in a message based on 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. “The church exists for the sake of the community.” Statistics tell the tale, Bueermann said. About 800 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention close each year, an average of 15 each week. Eighty percent are in metropolitan areas of more than 50,000 residents. Nine percent are in “micropolitan” areas of 10,000 or less. “When an urban church closes, there’s often another SBC church within a short driving distance,” Bueermann said. “But if a church closes in a rural community, the only evangelical witness in 50 to 60 miles in any direction might be lost.” “But there is hope,” Bueermann said. “It’s both-and: plant and revitalize.” Mark Clifton, NAMB’s executive director of church replanting and rural ministry, published an updated version of “Reclaiming Glory” in January 2023. Bueermann listed the book’s six main points and added commentary: Pray without ceasing Love the remaining members (realize these are the people God thought you could lead) Exegete your community (find out who lives in it now, rather than 20 years ago) Simplify your strategy (being bogged down with committees, programs, structure is not good for small churches) Focus on reaching young men (go where they hang out, ie: local gym, become a volunteer firefighter or police chaplain) Make disciples who make disciples. “We need to rethink our definition of rural,” Bueermann said. “Rather than referring to a geographical area, change that to refer a people group. It’s said, ‘If you’re rural you’ll know it.’ “Rurality encompasses a sense of isolation, cooperative living – such as farmers’ co-ops – and small-town values,” he continued. “Rural churches matter! Our smaller churches, they’re the backbone of the SBC.” Common denominators to churches closing include members not seeing the danger soon enough. “Often churches don’t get serious about it until they say, ‘We can’t pay our light bill anymore,’” Bueermann said.   But that’s still not too late, when Southern Baptists stand in the gap. Around 92 percent of the churches across the SBC have fewer than 250 in Sunday morning worship, and around 50 percent have fewer than 50. “That’s important for pastors to know,” Bueermann said. “That the vast majority of churches in the SBC look just like you. I wish I had that understanding when I was a pastor in New Mexico.  “For churches with a pattern of decline, there is hope for them. God can breathe new life into declining and dying churches. It takes a pastor who knows his church and loves his church as it exists now,” he continued. “He can’t love his vision more than he loves his people. Unless the pastor loves his church and his community, he’s not going to lead his church to a place of health.” Bueermann quoted Mark Clifton as saying, “A revitalized church starts with a revitalized pastor. A church that is making disciples, making the community noticeably better, is a church that appears to be healthy, Bueermann said. “If the church ceased to exist, would there be a hole in the community?” the rural ministries strategist asked. One example of a church’s involvement in its community: At First Southern Baptist Church in Glenrock, Wyo., teen volunteers, at the request of the city, maintain the flower garden at the town’s entrance. A church that reaches out to help other churches is a church that shows its health, the rural strategist said. A Southern Baptist church in Englewood, Colo., now called Calvary Church that replanted with a new pastor has now planted and replanted more than 20 churches. Crosspoint Church in Hutchinson, Kansas, has formed a network with 14 rural Kansas churches by providing location pastors and connection with the Crosspoint family. Cornerstone Bible Church in Port Jefferson, New York, is a replant that has become a multiplying church.  “Don’t wait until you have everything you need before you help others,” Bueermann said. “The Lord fills the void when you give your best.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen L. Willoughby is a national correspondent for Baptist Press. #DECEMBER24

HIDALGO, MEXICO (BP) – About 150 Baptists forcibly displaced from their homes in Hidalgo, Mexico, since April have sought refuge in a neighboring state after Catholic village leaders reneged on an agreement that would have welcomed the Protestants home. According to a Nov. 21 report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide, the members of Great Commission Fundamental Baptist Church began moving to Chalma, Veracruz, after it became clear that the Sept. 27 agreement would not be upheld. Instead of being granted the religious liberty guaranteed in Mexico’s constitution, the indigenous Baptists in the majority Catholic community would be required to pay financial contributions and fees to the Catholic church and would be banned from speaking about their religious beliefs. Religious conversions would be banned, travel and communication within their residential villages of Coamila and Rancho Nuevo would be monitored and limited, and the Baptists would be withheld from official residency rolls for a year, barring their access to health, education and government benefits. Under the agreement, Baptists would have returned home over a period of time and enjoyed religious freedom. Utilities to their homes would have been reconnected, and members of the church would have paid to a beneficial community fund, which they had been blocked from contributing to since 2015. But as village leaders refused to adhere to the terms of the agreement, Baptists told CSW, city and state officials refused to intervene or secure the Baptists’ safety. Anna Lee Stangl, CSW co-director of advocacy, expressed disappointment at what she called the Mexican government’s neglect at every level to uphold the nation’s constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion or belief. The Mexican government “has placed the responsibility to resolve the egregious violation of their fundamental rights on the victims. This group’s resettlement in Veracruz was wholly preventable and, in effect, affirms the criminal actions of village authorities in Coamila and Rancho Nuevo in their insistence that religious minority groups will not be tolerated,” Strangl said in a press release Nov. 21. “While we welcomed the municipal and state governments’ proactiveness in brokering (the) agreement,” Strangl said, “this means little in the absence of enforcement and accountability measures for village leaders who continue to openly break Mexican law.” CSW continued to urge the Mexican government to protect religious freedoms for all, including indigenous people, and to prosecute those who criminally violate such freedoms. Beginning April 26, the indigenous Nahuatl-speaking communities in Hidalgo were forced to flee their homes after village leaders cut off their electricity, vandalized and blocked access to some of their homes and the Great Commission Fundamental Baptist Church, and posted guards at village entry points. Despite the guarantee of religious freedom in Mexico’s constitution, a dual legal system allows local indigenous communities to govern under the Law on Uses and Customs. The laws, which vary by village and customs, are often exploited against religious minorities, several religious freedom watchdog groups have reported. The violations have intensified in the villages since 2015, CSW said, with local authorities repeatedly attempting to force the Baptists to participate in Roman Catholic religious festivals. Local authorities have tried to force the church members to monetarily support Catholic events and actively participate in acts of worship. Protestants in several Hidalgo villages have also faced severe beatings, lack of access to medical care, arbitrary detainment, employment discrimination and confiscation of property. Children of religious minorities have been blocked since 2018 from attending the local school. Hidalgo has one of the highest numbers of such cases in Mexico, CSW said, and the local government refuses to cite the actions as religious freedom violations. The U.S. Department of State, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and persecution watchdog Open Doors have all reported that customs and use laws have led to the persecution of religious minorities in Mexico. Open Doors ranked Mexico as 37 on its list of the 50 countries where Christians suffer the most persecution. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer. #DECEMBER24

An ice cream break. That’s what they needed. Luis Baltazar and Hugo Gonzalez recently traveled to a South Asian city to discover whether there were any believers among an unreached people group. They had no contacts, and they didn’t know where they were going to spend the night. The hotels they walked into were too expensive. The weather was also bad, which made everything more stressful. They decided to stop for ice cream and regroup. This pitstop turned out to be the turning point in their search.  Gonzalez and Baltazar moved to South Asia from Venezuela to serve as Global Missionary Partners (GMPs). GMPs are financially supported by their sending church or organization and serve with IMB teams. The IMB team ministers to 17 people groups.  The men met at a training at Baltazar’s church in Venezuela, and they went through the same sending organization that trains and sends missionaries from Latin American countries.    Ice cream and bumper stickers  The wall of the apartment they share has pieces of paper pinned to the wall. One column has the label “English,” and another for the local language.    Eight months ago, Gonzalez could not speak English or the language of the South Asian country. For six months, both he and Baltazar studied the local language for four hours a day, and Gonzalez also spent four hours a day studying English.  Now, both Gonzalez and Baltazar actively and successfully seek out, find and train believers using the predominant language in the most unreached areas where their IMB team serves. Gonzalez is also now comfortable using English.  IMB missionary James Andretti said the GMPs are pioneers and live in strategic places with the least amount of access to the gospel.   “These guys love and invest deeply in their national partners, helping our team with our goal of ‘going farther’ into unreached areas, and ‘going deeper’ in discipleship,” Andretti said.  Now, back to their ice cream break. As their ice cream melted, Gonzalez and Baltazar prayed and prayed. They’d traveled to a city to look for believers among one of the IMB team’s 17 people groups. It was getting late, and they’d made no progress.  After they finished eating their ice cream, they hailed an auto rickshaw. As they slid into the back seat, they noticed a sticker that read, “God bless you.”    “Is it possible?” they asked each other, excitedly.   The auto driver, a Christian, was the contact they’d been praying for. They asked if he could take them to meet his pastor because they had a training they’d like to offer.   The driver helped them find a hotel, and they made plans to meet the next day. On their trip, they met the driver’s family, who are also Christians, and they had the opportunity to pray for them.   Baltazar and Gonzalez met with the pastor, and he was interested in the training. The pastor invited them to speak at a meeting that evening with a group of pastors, who they were then able to train.    They went into the city knowing nothing and came out with contacts and trained churches.   “You cannot start a work before praying,” Baltazar said. “God made it all happen.”   They plan to return later this month.  Andretti said on their trip, Gonzalez and Baltazar opened doors in an area their team had never visited and resulted in two discipleship and church planting trainings.  From having nothing to having everything  Searching, walking and praying are themes of Gonzalez and Baltazar’s term in South Asia.  Gonzalez and Baltazar wanted to have a final conversation before they moved to their current city.   They walked around the city for more than an hour.   “God, please, I need your help in this moment because I want to talk to the people about Jesus,” Gonzalez prayed. “I want to talk to the people about the gospel, about Jesus, about the Bible, about truth, about the life.”  Soon after, the Lord led them to a man from the lowest caste. Gonzalez and Baltazar were moved listening to his story.  The man told Gonzalez he was sad and felt alone. Gonzalez told him he was not alone. God loved him and wanted to have a relationship with him. Gonzalez shared that he wanted to give him a gift, the gift of knowing his Savior and how he could have forgiveness from his sins.  The man chose to commit his life to Christ.  Mobilizing a missions force  Baltazar and Gonzalez film videos they send to churches in Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Brazil. The videos are in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Their hope is to encourage and mobilize more Latin Americans to serve overseas.    Andretti said they already have mobilized many churches in Latin America to pray for entry into areas where gospel witness is unknown.  The GMPs translated a gospel-sharing tool that shares stories from Genesis to Jesus into Spanish that is used to help Hispanic volunteers understand this tool in their heart language before they arrive in South Asia.  Their commitment to serve is for two years, and they can renew for another year.    Baltazar said there is so much work to be done, and two years isn’t enough time. He plans on serving longer. Gonzalez plans to return to Venezuela to cast vision to churches. His desire is to see many churches join the task of reaching South Asians with the gospel.    Andretti commends Baltazar and Gonzalez for accepting the challenge of raising the missions- sending capacity in Venezuela and other Latin American countries.  Gonzalez and Baltazar continue to walk, search and pray as they seek to contact more people from the 17 people groups.   Some names may be changed for security reasons.  ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tessa Sanchez writes for the IMB. #DECEMBER24

Someone recently asked me, “What does it mean to have people praying for you?” It’s a very timely question. You are about to pray for my ministry, Project 3000 , and so many others as part of Week of Prayer for international missions beginning Dec. 1, and I want to say, “Thank you.” But I also want you to see why this is so important. Getting people engaged in the work of International Mission Board missionaries has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had since arriving on the mission field. At first, this seemed to be another requirement for my job. As part of the IMB’s renewed commitment to finding the last 3,000-plus unengaged and unreached people groups, missionary explorers are asked to report back to virtual explorers . Sometimes this is through mass email distribution, and other times it is through a smaller prayer circle group. Asking people to pray felt like another pointless task. Then I got to the field and realized my utter dependance on God and prayer! I found there is an indescribable difference in the effectiveness and outcomes of the work when you alone are praying versus when an entire group of people are praying all around the world. These prayer warriors are in different time zones, allowing their own convictions and faith to be tested as they pray for seemingly impossible tasks. These prayer warriors are people who, in most cases, never talked about overseas missionary work or had direct steady communication with missionaries on the field. They are not just random people receiving pointless updates. Some are church choir members, women’s and men’s groups who spend hours lifting us up. They rejoice in tears as they praise God for answering requests they made known only to Christ. When I allowed God’s people to pray for me, that was the moment my entire ministry in South Asia changed. As a result, we now read stories like Lahud‘s and so many others who are among the first of their people to proclaim Jesus’ name. I can’t wait for the day Lahud will meet you, the men and women who have prayed for him faithfully. So, when you ask, “What does it mean to have people pray for you?” it means God STILL answers prayers. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14 Name changed for security ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Pratt is an IMB missionary explorer serving in South Asia. He is part of Project 3000, the IMB’s renewed commitment to find, research and share the Gospel with the last remaining 3,000-plus unengaged, unreached people groups in the world. #DECEMBER24

F rom passages at sea to airplanes, from shortwave radio to tape recordings, from smartphones to social media, the evolution of technology creates opportunities for greater gospel access among the nations.  Now, more than ever before, Southern Baptists are in a time and place to leverage technology to reach more people for Christ. When the International Mission Board tested a new digital engagement strategy during the Paris Summer Olympics earlier this year, the results were thrilling.   “I am so encouraged,” said John Brady, IMB’s vice president of global engagement. “This is a new chapter in the IMB’s effort to reach the world for the Lord Jesus. We have never seen this before.”  Using the Olympics as a springboard, IMB teams explored the intersection of digital engagement with on-the-ground outreach. What they found was that the online and offline strategies fit together seamlessly to provide even greater gospel access.  “It dovetailed perfectly with on-the-ground strategies,” explained IMB missionary Jack Bentley, who serves as a digital engagement strategist for IMB’s Asia-Pacific Rim affinity. “The gospel is proclaimed mouth-to-ear on the ground. Those pins are given out and the QR code is scanned and more gospel truth is shared. Maybe someone starts with a pin and ends up at a Bible-reading plan.”  Brant Bauman, IMB’s global digital engagement lead, said the results demonstrate how God used the collaborative efforts of Southern Baptists around the world to engage people in Paris and beyond this summer. He shared the story of one woman’s cry for help.  Sara, a South African woman desperate for community, was contemplating suicide when a digital ad on Facebook caught her attention. The ad, one of several posted by the IMB during the Olympics, asked “How can I pray for you?”   The IMB shared Sara’s story earlier this fall.   When Sara responded to the ad, she was connected to a volunteer and then to IMB missionaries who lived close to her. All the while, people around the world were praying. Now, months later, Sara is thriving in community and being discipled by women from her church.   Sara’s story is a testament to the faithfulness of God and the faithfulness of Southern Baptists working together to bring the gospel to the nations.   During the Olympics, almost 9 million people scrolled past one of IMB’s digital ads. “This is not a vanity number,” said Glenn Ansley, who serves as part of Europe’s digital engagement team for the IMB.  “It’s a testimony to the faithfulness of SBC churches regularly giving to missions. We wouldn’t have the resources to put these ads out there without those churches. That’s 9 million opportunities for the Holy Spirit to reach into someone’s life and to move them towards the word of Christ,” Ansley said.  More than 170,000 people engaged with the digital ads and almost 7,500 started conversations with a digital responder. The IMB trained 183 virtual volunteers from 23 states in the U.S. and 26 different countries to be digital responders during the Olympics. As individuals like Sara interacted with IMB’s digital ads, responders shared the gospel and prayed with them.   Some volunteers have even continued responding. Bauman shared his father is still responding to someone he’s been talking with for four weeks, discipling him until he’s able to connect with believers locally.  Most exciting of all, 43 people professed new faith in Christ.  “We’re boasting in the faithfulness of the body of Christ and the faithfulness of our good God,” Ansley said. “We celebrate these numbers because they are a testimony to the faithful service of missionary-minded believers across the world and, more importantly, they celebrate the faithfulness of a God who graciously calls people out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Eternal results are worth celebrating.” Sara represents many others around the world, people on the outskirts of society who have been unreached by traditional outreach methods. Some are people who live in hard places, hungry for discipleship and community. Others are seekers, people who have never heard the gospel before.   The IMB is excited about the potential for digital engagement to bring the good news to people groups and places that remain closed to missionary presence and still have no gospel access.  “My heart overflows with gratitude to the Lord just to let my eyes see this in my day. I have dreamed about something like this for a long time,” Brady said. “Southern Baptists ought to be proud about what their Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® produces. I can’t think of a better investment of their resources.”    Some names have been changed for security.   The work of the IMB is sustained through faithful giving of Southern Baptists through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® .   ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kristen Sosebee is a writer for the IMB.  The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® is a registered trademark of Woman’s Missionary Union.   #DECEMBER24

Candidate Recommendation from the Executive Director/Treasurer Search Committee The search committee appointed to find the Executive Director-Treasurer for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM) is thrilled to announce that Ed Emmerling is the candidate that will be presented by the search team at the annual meeting on November 1. The search committee reviewed dozens of resumes, conducted several interviews, and committed time personally and corporately to prayer. They are grateful for the prayers, counsel, and trust of Michigan Baptists as they evaluated candidates seeking the will of God for the BSCM. Emmerling has served at Westside Church in Flushing, MI since 1997 and as the Lead Pastor since 2002. He has served the BSCM in numerous capacities, most recently as president of the BSCM. The committee is especially impressed by his love for people and the state of Michigan. He is a collaborative leader who is comfortable sitting down with pastors and church leaders from diverse parts of the state with a sincere desire for their health and success in accomplishing the mission of Jesus. In addition to his local church work, Emmerling has played a key role in BSCM partnerships with national ministries such as Send Relief, helping mobilize resources and volunteers for gospel outreach efforts throughout the state. His experience with these entities has given him a healthy perspective on connecting Michigan churches with the larger Southern Baptist family. Emmerling was heavily involved in the recent partnership with Send Relief through theServe Tour stop in Flint. At this gathering, over six hundred believers from many states came together for two days to bring the gospel into the community and to support churches ministering in Flint and the surrounding areas. As the ED-T candidate, Emmerling has expressed his desire to see the churches of Michigan flourish through a deepened commitment to the Great Commission. He is passionate about fostering strong, united, and mission-driven congregations that work collaboratively to see the gospel continue to spread in every corner of the state. In response to the selection, Pastor Ken Render of Lakeside Community Church in St. Clair Shores said, "There is no better choice the search team could have made than Ed Emmerling. He knows our state. He loves and knows pastors. Ed has a passion to see our churches grow. Ed Emmerling will serve our state well." "I was thrilled to hear that the Executive Director search committee has chosen to bring forward Ed Emmerling's name to the convention. I have known Ed for many years and have seen his faithful service in his church, association, and in our State Convention. I believe that he will provide steady leadership for us in the days ahead." adds Wayne Parker, Send Detroit Missionary and Senior Pastor of Merriman Road Baptist Church. More opportunities to get to know Emmerling will be announced soon including a video interview hosted by search team member Travis Whitaker, Lead Pastor of Mile City Church in Plymouth, MI. In addition to the video interview, several regional meet-and-greet events are being planned where messengers and church leaders can personally engage with Ed and his wife, Renee. Dates and locations for these events will be announced soon. The search committee is thrilled to have unanimous support for Emmerling as the candidate for the next ED-T of the BSCM. As the state convention approaches this important decision, the search committee encourages all Michigan Baptists to continue in prayer for Ed Emmerling, his family, and the Convention as they seek God’s guidance for the future. May this season of discernment bring unity, purpose, and excitement for what lies ahead for the BSCM. Messengers from the BSCM will consider the search committee's recommendation during the BSCM Annual Meeting on November 1. #OCTOBER24

Michigan Baptists elect new executive director By Karen L. Willoughby HOLT, MI – Messengers to the Nov. 1 annual meeting of the State Baptist Convention of Michigan elected Ed Emmerling as its new executive director. They also honored retiring Executive Director Tim Patterson, heard exciting reports of church planting and other ministry areas, and were encouraged by Jeff Iorg, new SBC Executive Committee president and CEO. “I’m super honored and a little overwhelmed to be asked to serve Michigan in this way,” Ed Emmerling told Baptist Press. A Flint, Mich., native, he’s been pastor since 2002 of Westside Baptist Church in Flushing, a church his grandfather started in 1956. “I’m excited at the opportunity to serve alongside Michigan pastors and churches to help start and strengthen churches and people in our state.” Emmerling said his church knows he plans to resign from Westside Flushing Dec. 31 and to start at BSCM Jan. 1, 2025. Michigan’s 67th annual meeting took place Nov. 1 at Chapel Pointe Holt Campus church in Holt, with 159 messengers (plus eight guests) from 71 of the state’s 257 churches, which together reported 1,066 baptisms over the last year. The meeting’s theme was “Praise Him” from Psalm 145. The worship team was from Chapel Pointe Holt, assisted by Chapel Pointe Hudsonville. Along with the excitement generated by good news statewide was the “sweet and sorrowful” final report by outgoing Executive Director Tim Patterson. He used Shakespeare’s words as he expressed the sweetness of ministering in Michigan for 10 years, and the sorrow of perhaps not seeing many “wonderful” Michiganders again before eternity. He and his wife Sabrina plan to return to Florida. “No place of service has given us greater joy and fulfillment than our time here surrounded by the Great Lakes and great love,” Patterson told messengers. “The pain of parting is indeed hurtful, but it is softened and soothed by the reality that God is still on His throne and sovereign in nature and attributes. He is in control! Not only will we leave you in good hands, but we will leave you in God’s hands.” Celebrating ministry Mixed in with reports from the state convention staff and national entities were nine testimonies from Michigan pastors and leaders describing the speakers’ experiences in church starting, church strengthening and missions. Business consisted of electing Emmerling, approving the budget and electing a new slate of officers. Iorg preached. Matt Thompson, Michigan’s lead church planting catalyst, reported 109 out of the state’s 257 Southern Baptist churches in the state engaged in planting churches and the Send Network church mobilization pathway. “We live in a state of 10 million people with roughly 6 million people that still need Jesus,” Thompson told the messengers. “If we are going to reach 1 percent of the lost in Michigan, this means we will need to reach 60,000 people with the Good News of Jesus.” He spoke of churches being mobilized, maturing and multiplying. The state’s 42 churches under give years old saw 323 professions of faith and 187 baptisms over the last year. Fifteen new churches were planted last year, and this year, another 15. Wayne Parker, the Send City Missionary in Detroit, spoke of 64 churches planted over the last 10 years. The goal had been 72. The new goal is “perhaps 150 churches” started over the next 10 years. Tony Lynn, Send Network’s Language/Ethnic church planting catalyst, described for messengers the ways Michigan churches are reaching out in several languages, including Arabic, Romanian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and the multiple languages spoken by people from the Philippines, Myanmar, and Africa. Business Messengers approved a $2,065,000 budget, same as last year, including $1,335,600 anticipated from Michigan churches, of which $467,460 (35 percent) is to be forwarded for the SBC’s national and global mission causes. That percentage is also unchanged from last year. New officers are President Josh Tovey, pastor of Redemption Church, for eight years in a “set-up/tear-down” location in Hudsonville, which recently acquired its own building in Grandville; First Vice President Cornelius Roberson, pastor of Heart and Soul Community Church in West Bloomfield and in Detroit, and director of the Michigan African American Fellowship; Second Vice President Michele White, a member at Middlebelt Baptist Church in Inkster; Recording Secretary Chris Peoples, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Adrian; and Assistant Recording Secretary Nate Click, pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Monroe. All officers are in their first, one-year term. “The best part of our annual meeting was the election of our new executive director treasurer, Ed Emmerling,” Patterson told Baptist Press. “I know that I will be leaving the leadership of this wonderful family called the Baptist State Convention of Michigan in great hands.” Patterson said he was “amazed at what is happening in our campus ministry church plants and the impact they are having on the students and communities in which they minister.”  He also noted the “great diversity” of Southern Baptist churches across the state, and the revitalization taking place among many. “There is no doubt in my mind that without the genius of the Cooperative Program, our ‘non-South’ state convention could not impact our state with the Gospel at the level we experience now,” Patterson said. “And church planting would be almost non-existent.” The 68th annual meeting of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan is set for Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at Ekklesia Church in Grand Blanc. Mississippi Baptists see largest gathering since 2016 By Tony Martin/Baptist Record JACKSON, MI (BP) – The Mississippi Baptist Convention held its annual meeting Oct. 29-30 at First Baptist Church in Jackson under the theme “Impact: Mississippi.” The 803 messengers and 70 guests made for the largest attendance since 2016. The convention celebrated the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ way of funding national and international missions and ministry, during a morning session as well as by passing a resolution. Messengers also heard from Ben Mandrell, president of Lifeway Christian Resources, and Jeff Iorg, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee. MBCB Executive Director Shawn Parker preached a sermon from Revelation 7:9 titled “The Big Picture.” Business Officers elected include President Bill Hurt, pastor of Pleasant Hill Church, Columbus; First Vice President David Hayes, senior pastor of First Church Senatobia; Second Vice President Shane Freeman, pastor of Macedonia Church, Petal; Recording Secretary Michael Weeks, pastor of Pleasant Hill Church, Olive Branch; Associate Recording Secretary Will McNeese, Pastor, First Church, Polkville. The Cooperative Program budget for 2025 totaled $30,890,325, which was unchanged from 2024. The portion allocated for national Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries is 39.5 percent, a slight increase from last year. Messenger Jacob Vollm, pastor of Grace Memorial Church in Gulfport, made a motion that the Mississippi Baptist Convention authorize a new method of cooperative giving for its churches, allowing churches the option to withhold funds from selected Southern Baptist Convention entities without withdrawing from Cooperative Program support altogether. It was seconded from the floor. After discussion, another messenger made a motion to refer the original motion to the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board’s Executive Committee. That motion was approved by a two-thirds vote, which means the state’s executive committee will present a report on the issue at next year’s meeting. Congregational music was led by Kristopher Smith, director of worship ministries for the MBCB, with a mass choir from several churches, as well as Worship Collective of Mississippi College. Anthony George, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta, Ga., delivered a messaged entitled “The Impact We Make Through Prayer,” using Ephesians 6:17-19 as his text. The 2025 MBCB Annual Meeting will be Oct. 28-29 at Broadmoor Church in Madison #NOVEMBER24

SHELBY TOWNSHIP – We are in an election season which often this brings anxious thoughts about what will unfold in the future. It is easy to look around at the state of our world and become fearful. This is what our spiritual enemy wants us to do. He wants us to get trapped in our earthy circumstances and begin to question God’s goodness to us. I know there have been times in my life when I have allowed the fear of the future to creep in. The following steps have helped me tremendously when battling anxious thoughts, especially when it comes to the fear of the future.  Below are four steps to battling anxious thoughts: 1 – Recognize the battle within. Once the enemy can gain a foothold in our minds, he can get access to our hearts. It is vital to recognize when fear or anxiety first begins to creep in so that we can battle it. If we don’t battle the enemy, we can begin to make agreements with the enemy and believe the thoughts that don’t come from God. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV), Paul was teaching the people in Corinth the importance of their thoughts. He said,  “We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 – Remember who God is. Anxiety comes when we become more focused on ourselves or our situation than we are on God. We must remember that God is sovereign which means that God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, has authority over all things and is in complete control. Often, we allow the fear to overtake us because we aren’t resting in God’s sovereignty in our lives.  3 – Speak God’s promises over the fear. Once we recognize the fearful, intrusive thought, and we remember who God is, we are then able to speak one of God’s promises over that fear to take away the power the enemy is trying to get over us. When I recognize a fearful or anxious thought and I stop it and replace it with a promise of God, then the neural pathways in my mind begin to be rerouted and redeveloped.  I love the verses in John 14:26-27 (NIV) when Jesus was talking to His disciples before He ascended into heaven.  "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  In verse 26 Jesus tells us that He is sending a Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who will remind us of God’s promises when we need them. This is great news to us! As we speak those promises over the fear or anxiety we are experiencing, Jesus promises to give us His peace.  4 – Stay connected to God. In Isaiah 26: 3 (NIV) Isaiah writes,  “ You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”  As soon as we recognize when anxiety or fear is creeping into our mind, we must shift our perspective higher and stay connected to God. The word steadfast in this verse means “unwavering.” God wants to remain steadfast and unwavering in our thoughts towards Him. He doesn’t want us to be tossed about by all of life’s worries! I love this quote from Corrie Ten Boom,  “When we look to the world we will be distressed, when we look within ourselves, we will be depressed, but when we look to God, we will find rest.” The goodness of God is not a feeling; the goodness of God is a perspective. His goodness never changes based on our circumstances. God is good because of Who He is and what He has done for us. We can rest in His sovereignty when it comes to our future because He is in complete control. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen is married to Scott Blanchard, pastor of Lakepointe Church, and moved from Florida to Michigan in the summer of 2009 to plant Lakepointe Church in Shelby Township. She enjoys mentoring and discipling women and also leads women’s life groups through her church. She is passionate about helping women find their purpose in who God created them to be. She is on staff at Lakepointe Church and loves being part of what God is doing in the Metro Detroit area! #NOVEMBER24

I have a friend who is particularly good at identifying spiritual seasons in her life. With or without the benefit of hindsight, she seems to be able to “sit” in whatever season she’s currently in, while also enumerating the blessings and challenges of seasons that have passed. She told me recently of a prolonged “waiting season” she was in, when she had to trust God was at work even if she didn’t immediately see the evidence. I don’t think it was a particularly trying season, just a quiet one that lasted long enough to foster doubt if she had allowed it. In her heart, she knew God had called her to the deep purpose of living faithfully, and even to a few more pressing endeavors that were just out of reach. Thus, the waiting. I certainly can relate to waiting seasons, although I’ve not been astute enough to call it that. My waiting seasons have generally been times I’ve been too quick to give up on good, small habits. Or times when I should have relied on decades of experiencing God’s faithfulness, only to flap around wildly because I didn’t get the answer I wanted when I wanted it. Mostly, though, my waiting seasons have lacked energy. My mind and heart have taken their cues from the quiet of the season, atrophying despite the opportunity presented by the drop in activity. But I have an inkling that waiting will mark the rest of my life, so I’d like it to count for more than just an intermission between louder seasons. With my friend’s faithful testimony ringing in my ears, here are a few ways I’m resolving to wait out a waiting season: I will stay watchful. A quiet season doesn’t have to result in apathy. I won’t idolize deliverance , as easy as it would be to set my mind on the next, non-waiting season.  I won’t go it alone. Like my friend shared her waiting season with me, I’ll look for opportunities to bear witness to God’s work. I will trust the process. I’ll pray for patience and the slow growth of new fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Believing that God is author of every season, I will trust him to reveal beauty and purpose in this one. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Meredith Day Flynn is a wife and mother of two living in Springfield.She writes on the intersection of faith,  family, and current culture. #NOVEMBER24