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WINDSOR, ONTARIO – In a recent sermon I disclosed something that made people wince. “For the first five years of my pastoral ministry in a small church in Canada, I did not take a day off, except for vacation. Five years of non-stop work, seven days a week.” I felt justified. People around me, living without Jesus, were on their way to hell. How could I stand by and imperturbably take a day off? They needed me. God needed me (or so I thought). The Bible says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Jesus to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in Jesus if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about Jesus unless someone like me tells them (Rom. 10:14)? So, yes, I felt justified working around the clock. God needed me to declare the gospel so they could be saved. Wrong on so many fronts! God does not need me. He is not served by human hands as if he needed anything (Acts 17:25)! He loves me and he welcomes my service in the name of Jesus but he is not dependent on me. Sadly, my theology and the mission of God back then were not as compelling as my identity crisis. Pastors either get their identity vertically, from who they are in Christ, or they shop for it horizontally in the experiences and relationships of ministry. That was my biggest problem. I excused my workaholic tendencies by appealing to the lostness of mankind, but the way I worked my fingers to the bone and neglected my marriage and family proved that my horizontal search for affirmation was clearly misdirected and hazardously mismanaged. Paul Tripp speaks to this tendency in most of us. He suggests that many church leaders place themselves into a nonexistent spiritual category and see themselves as “arrived” or spiritually mature, or in my case, indispensable. They are quick to minister to others, but slow to receive ministry from others. But, whenever we place our identity in ministry instead of Jesus, then a distorted and skewed sense of self-awareness, pride, and sin will result. Our identity should be found in Jesus only who freely lavishes grace upon us and transforms our hearts, minds, and souls (Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry. Crossway, 2012). In an article for The Gospel Coalition website, Tripp adds a bit of his own testimony: Ministry had become my identity. I didn’t think of myself as a child of God, in daily need of grace, in the middle of my own sanctification, still battling with sin, still in need of the body of Christ, and called to pastoral ministry. No, I thought of myself as a pastor. That’s it, bottom line. The office of pastor was more than a calling and set of God-given gifts that had been recognized by the body of Christ. Pastor defined me. When we derive identity from ministry we develop spiritually unsafe habits. We allow inconsistent devotional habits to take shape, read the Bible only for sermon preparation, and worship songs no longer find the soft spot in our hearts. Loving correction from faithful friends are suspect at best, and often interpreted as betrayal. Ministry as identity is a dangerous place for anyone to live, but especially an elder or pastor. If you find yourself in this space, get alone with God. Seek his face and cry out. Remember all that he has done for you. Repent of your sinful passion to find yourself in what you do, in your performance. Restore your first love in Jesus. Recalibrate your heart for the journey ahead. When Jesus spoke to the church at Ephesus, he said, “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance…. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Rev. 5:2-5 ESV). You may be working hard every day, toiling for the sake of gospel, ministering to your church family, patiently enduring whatever trial is in front of you, and you are doing it for the name and fame of Jesus. But if you forsake your first love in the process, exchanging worship for work, pursuing a sense of worth from work, then it’s all for nothing. Remember what God has done. Repent of your self-sufficiency. Restore your first love. Acceptance by God has nothing to do with performance. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Garth Leno is the Pastor/Planter Care Specialist with the BSCM. He serves in a similar role with the Canadian National Baptist Convention, and he is the founding pastor of The Gathering Church in Windsor, Ontario, a church he planted with his wife, Patty, and a few of their friends. #FEBRUARY24

ADRIAN – It can be difficult to leave the joys of family and the obligations of ministry for three days. It is possible that you might wonder if there is any real benefit to attending this leadership summit or any other conference. Humbly, I suggest there is great benefit to attending the Midwest Leadership Summit. My takeaways had two common themes that have been personal prayer items throughout the past few months. First, how do we saturate the community with the gospel? Second, how do we fully depend on prayer as a congregation? God was gracious to provide insights for both themes. The Midwest Leadership Summit is a collective of nine Baptist state conventions. Pastors and church leaders from twelve states gather in Springfield, Illinois to be refreshed, renewed, edified, and encouraged as they strive to lead their churches well. There are main session speakers. There are ministry testimonies. There are breakout sessions. There are late night conversations. There are meals with other Michigan church leaders. There is prayer, worship, and a replenishing of your soul. Is it possible to pack all of that into three days? Yes, and so much more. On Tuesday evening, Trevin Wax spoke about a few worldview aspects of our culture. I was reminded to allow the gospel to speak for itself. Wax said, “The gospel helps us get beyond the emotions of guilt and shame.” I also wrote down, the gospel is GOOD NEWS, provides rest, fills the gaps, feeds the soul, redirects the lies, and points to the truth. On Wednesday evening, Vance Pittman reminded us that God invites churches into His activity FOR God’s glory. On Thursday morning, Jared Wilson taught from Romans 15. He said, “Our church must be impacted by the gospel before our church impacts the community with the gospel.” He continued by giving six proofs that the gospel impacts our church. The breakout sessions were the focus of Wednesday. Those in attendance chose from sixty sessions in ten categories of ministry. The sessions were led by pastors and ministry leaders who live in trenches, just like you and me. They are familiar with the toil and the weight that we carry in ministry. Writing space will not allow me to share from each of the breakouts, so I will give three highlights. Leading From Your Knees reminded me that God always pursues our relationship. When I pray, I ought to ask him to remove the scales of sin, open the heavens and show me his glory. From Surviving To Thriving reminded me to protect time for rest by establishing biblical rhythms. Lastly, I would like to share the words of a fellow pastor named Aaron. While Aaron was telling the story of his church plant, he said, “God loves to give big vision. Ask him for it and communicate it well.” Fellow church leaders, you are dearly loved, and your efforts are seen! All of us need the reminders that come from the Midwest Leadership Summit. They will fill you up and prepare you for another year of ministry. The archived videos can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/showcase/10932605 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chris Peoples serves as the lead pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Adrian, Michigan. He has been married to Bridget for twenty-five years. They have four children. #FEBRUARY24

SOUTHGATE – I was talking with a young man from our church regarding how 2023 had gone, and what his goal was for 2024. At some point, he made a statement which caused me to stop our conversation for a moment. He had concluded that what he desired for the next 12 months was, “better, not easier.” I paused so I could quickly write that down. While it is February, the year is still in its infancy. For some, you were ready to kick last year to the curb well before the Holiday season. For others, it may have been full of the favor of God. For most, it probably falls somewhere in between. Some highs, some lows, some incredible blessings, and some challenging difficulties. Which is maybe why that statement hit me with such impact. No matter where you fall on the spectrum – you can always aspire for BETTER! Scripture shares with us. Psalm 84:10 gives us the launching pad for pursuing “better” in the months ahead of us. “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.” The more significance we place on the presence of God in our lives, the more confidence His presence will bring, and the more influence His presence will have! While we all are aware of God’s presence, if you’re like me and it took you more than two years to read the “One Year Bible,” then a gentle reminder of the power that comes with that presence may not be a bad idea. We can get so engrossed in the work and busyness of ministering out to others that we fail to allow much ministry into our own hearts and minds. Remember when Jesus and His disciples made their way to Mary and Martha’s home for dinner? One sister was in the kitchen seemingly doing all the work, while the other sister was sitting at the feet of Jesus taking in every word. As Luke shares the story in his gospel, I can’t help but imagine the clanging of pots and pans getting noisier as Martha endeavored to make her point without having to…make her point. But then, she’d had enough and actually interrupted the gathering. “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!” Jesus responds with “Martha, Martha.” Remember when your mom called you by your full name? Never good – kind of the direction I feel this conversation going. “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is (wait for it…) BETTER, and it will not be taking away from her.” (Luke 10:38 – 42) I gave this as a benediction to my church earlier this year, and I share it with you as we bring this article in for a landing. My prayer for you in 2024, is to have moments this year where peace comes flooding over you in a way that is so overwhelming there can be little doubt as to where it came from and who sent it your direction. My prayer for you in 2024, is to have a request so incredibly answered, it’s as if it was from God specifically just for you. My prayer for you in 2024, is that you would experience moments where you are so keenly aware of the presence of God, your eyes fill with tears, you are so overwhelmed by His love. My prayer for you in 2024, is that you would have a greater understanding that you are never alone, but that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the abiding Love of our Heavenly Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, not only goes with you…but before you. Not Easier…Just Better! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Billy Walker is the Lead Pastor of Calvary Church in Southgate, MI and Vice-President of the Billy Walker Evangelistic Association. He and his wife Laurie live in the Downriver area of Michigan. #FEBRUARY24

SHELBY TOWNSHIP – With all the media we have access to in our lives now, we are able to gain knowledge and have access to so much more than ever before. However, we aren’t having true and real experiences; we are often living through the experiences of others through the world of social media! I can relate this same idea to my own faith. I grew up in a Christian family and went to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. I even married a pastor and started a church, but for years I was living through a “secondhand faith.” I believe for the majority of my life, my faith came through my parents and then through my “pastor” husband. It wasn’t until I was faced with a crisis of belief that I had an encounter with God, and everything changed for me! I was a very good rule follower growing up and always wanted to please. I accepted Jesus as my Savior as a young girl and then became very good at doing all the right things and looking like a good Christian girl. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was missing a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, I thought I was doing all the right things; but that is where I was misled. I love this quote from Geri Scazzero, author of the book the “Emotionally Healthy Woman”: “Our doing for Jesus must flow from our being with Him. Often, we live vicariously through other people’s spirituality while busily on the run. Going to church, attending conferences, and listening to worship music are all good things, but they should not be a substitute for being quiet and listening to God for ourselves.” I was doing all the right things but was far from God. In Hebrews 5:12-14 (NLT), we read, You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. I was a baby Christian for most of my life. Just like our children when they are babies, they don’t know they are babies. It isn’t until they grow up and look back over the phases and stages of their lives that they realize what a baby is. The same goes for our spiritual life. We don’t know what we are missing until we experience it. Recently I was reading in John about the Samaritan woman at the well. I have read this story and heard it preached more times than I can count. However, God gave me a fresh revelation on this day that I had never seen before. As we know from the story in John 4, the Samaritan woman had an encounter with Jesus at the well and her life was changed. She ran back to tell everyone in her town about her experience. John writes in John 4:39 (NIV), Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. “He told me everything I ever did.” Our testimonies are powerful to the people we share them with. However, their faith should not stop there! They need to have an encounter with Jesus for themselves. When we stop short of encountering Jesus for ourselves, we are living a secondhand faith. John continues in John 4:40-42 (NIV), So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two more days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the women, “We no longer believe because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man is really the Savior of the world. I truly didn’t know what I was missing in my life until I received it. God is so good to continue to pursue us and draw us closer in our relationship with Him. Don’t settle for living a secondhand faith in Christ! He wants to give you so much and grow your relationship with Him. There are so many treasures to be found. Seek God for yourself! Don’t live off someone else’s faith! If you are serious in wanting a deeper relationship with God, pray the following prayer. Father God, Your word says that when we seek you, we will find you. I admit that I have relied on the faith of others in my life. God, I just want to know you more. Reveal more of yourself to me and show me how to walk closely with you. I want to recognize when you are speaking to me and have an intimate relationship with you. Give me a heart to follow you and your ways. Help me turn to you and not to others. I know that you will give me all I need as I choose to put you first and seek you. I don’t want to wait until heaven to see you; I want to see you here on earth. I pray these things with anticipation of experiencing you in my life. Amen ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen Blanchard 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! #FEBRUARY24

WOODHAVEN – Fifty-three years ago, Pastor Jones sent people to plant a church in Woodhaven. The church developed a motto that we still use today saying “A Church Born in Love”. When I think of love the first and foremost thing that comes to my mind is our God and how much he loves us. His love is proven to us day after day. Salvation alone is pure proof of that love. Through the love that God has for us we can learn more about love every day. We are required to love him and serve him and are to love one another. John 15:17 says: “These things I command you, that ye love one another.” There are many ways to show love. One example is on February 14th, many will buy candy, flowers, or go out for romantic dinners. While these are ways to show love, I think the greatest way to show love is to pray for others. Think of the disciples, of all the things they could have asked Jesus for, they asked him to teach them to pray. Romans 1:9 says: “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.” Most times when we greet people with “How are you doing?”, so often people answer “I’m doing well” or something general like that, when sometimes that is not always the truth. People try to cover up what’s really going on when in return what they really need is prayer. We MUST take people to the Lord in prayer. Maybe, instead of saying, “How are you doing?”, we can ask, “Can I pray for you?”  You see, we have One who can help, so taking them to God in prayer is very important. Here’s a small story on how I know people are watching us as Christians and need God’s love. When I was in Trenton High School, I played football. One day we were scrimmaging Grosse Ille, and I made a tackle. During this tackle, I got a concussion. I started cussing everyone out and my friend knew immediately that something was wrong—they grabbed me and took me to the coach. They said “Coach, something’s wrong with Rick, he doesn’t talk like this!” That’s when I saw the team doctor and they realized that I had a concussion. The moral of this story is my friend saw that I had a need. They didn’t make fun of me, they didn’t let me keep rambling on, they took me to the coach for help. Folks, people around us are hurting. We are not here to make fun of them, nor to talk about them, but to take them to the one who does or can help, Jesus. We can take our friends to Jesus for help just like my friends helped me. They saw a need in me during that moment, but we should be able to see the daily need in them. God’s love is an eternity of help, not just for one moment. If we love people like God’s Word commanded us to, we shall take them to him in prayer. God is love and prayer changes things! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rick Sparks has been blessed to be pastor of Woodhaven Baptist Church for almost 27 years. His wife, Debbie and he have 6 children, a son-in-law, 2 daughter-in-laws and soon another, and in the best part of life they have 6 grandchildren, 3 boys and 3 girls. #FEBRUARY24

OSCODA – In early January, I received a call from a blood drive center requesting the use of a room at the church for a Community Blood Drive. They had been double booked at another location. I said that we would be glad to host them. Fast forward a few weeks and it is donation day. The crew arrives and sets up shop. They have loads of equipment, and it is freezing outside. I asked if they have a full docket and they replied, “We have 15 scheduled appointments.” I was thinking of all the different people that could come and give their blood when one of the young ladies asked, “Are you going to give?” I told her that it has been a while since I gave so when traffic slows down, I will come back to give. About an hour before they closed, I sat down to give. The needle going in my arm had a small bite, less than a bee sting, then a short wait until the container was full. It took a little less than 10 minutes, and the machine started beeping. That was it. A small poke and a few minutes to help save a life. The ladies working were talking about how many people do not even think to give blood until they or someone else is in need of it. My best friend growing up had a total blood transfusion that saved his life when he was a baby. That has always stuck with me and has been my reminder that it saves lives. Sometimes that life is yours or someone you love. I asked if they would take my picture so I could write an article about the importance of giving blood, and that the blood of Christ is the greatest example of giving blood. His blood redeems us. “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 NKJV The Father showed His love to us by sending Jesus to shed His blood instead of ours. It is for our salvation, our redemption. It is the only thing that would satisfy God for the remission of our sin. When I think of the suffering of the cross, I am humbled to the core. Our gratitude is what should drive us to share the Gospel with others. Many people will not give blood for one reason or another. Maybe they don’t want to experience the small poke, or maybe they think they don’t have time in their busy lives. Maybe they are simply scared. Maybe, just maybe, they don’t think of the love it is showing by saving the lives of those that need it. Many people will not share the love of Christ with others as well. It is so simple and yet so important. The joy that comes with leading someone to saving faith in Christ far outweighs anything we might have to endure. Jesus stepped out of heaven to put on flesh to shed His blood to save the world. There is no greater love story than this. Let’s go share with the world. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pastor Jason Livvix is the Planter/Pastor of Fresh Start Fellowship of Oscoda since 2013. Serving with his beautiful wife Tracy and their four wonderful children, Madeline, Wyatt, Joel and Sophia. (The Three oldest have moved back to Illinois.) #FEBRUARY24

GRAYLING – Twenty-one years ago, I gave my life to the Lord. God had been working on my heart for six months since the first time I had stepped into a church. It can take that long when you are taught your whole life the opposite of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I had a wonderful upbringing with parents who loved me dearly and took great care of me. But sadly, the name of Jesus was not present or even welcome in our home. In the months following my radical life change, I had two people speak the same verse over me. I will never forget the feeling of awe that I had that second time. One was at our church, and one was at a visiting women’s conference. This was no coincidence since I hadn’t shared it with anyone. God had a word specifically for me. It was Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” I can imagine that most of our desires are similar as born-again believers: to see the lost saved, to love our families well, and to enjoy the short time God has given us on this beautiful earth. It is humbling to be used by God when you feel so imperfect, so lacking. Do most of us not mess up every single day? But God is there to pick up the pieces and to use even our weakness to draw others to Him. This summer our family experienced many extreme life changes. Our beautiful firstborn daughter began her college career in Alabama, we moved from Gaylord to Grayling, and I resigned my career to devote more time to family and ministry. Within a month of the move, my father-in-law was diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer. We purchased a home and did extensive remodeling, which took about two months. We moved into our new home in early November, and hence the holidays felt quite odd as we processed all the changes, with the underlying possibility that this would be our last Christmas with the patriarch of the family. To say that we have been a bit overwhelmed may be an understatement! But God. Through it all, God has been our rock. It was clear that He wanted us to live closer to our church family and to my in-laws. The church had been steadily growing since we were called almost seven years ago, but in the last year we are bursting at the seams. This summer/fall has been an intense time of nonstop ministry and strengthening of the body of believers. The building campaign that we began four years ago is getting close to coming to fruition. God is moving at Grayling Baptist Church. I can tell you that where I am at right now (in a worldly sense) is not where I would have pictured myself a year ago. Every change that has occurred recently has been emotionally taxing. Finding a balance in personal time with God, family, work, ministry, and the household has always been a struggle for me, and now even more so. We have five children, and as my youngest is now nine years old, the tasks and time with them look very different than they did in the days of constant feeding and diapering. Now it looks like juggling after school sports and activities, monitoring friends and entertainment, and being available at the drop of a hat when they need to talk. I know the next stage of empty nesting/grandparenting will be different as well. It is so important to take delight in each stage of life that we have been given. So that when we look back on our lives we can know that we did our best with the time God has given us. When our desires for our lives align with God’s, there is no end to the possibilities! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jennifer and her husband, David have been married for almost 20 years and have five children ranging from 9 years old to 18. They planted several churches in the U.P. and one in Texas and have been ministering to their flock at Grayling Baptist Church for seven years. #FEBRUARY24

PORT AUSTIN – A few years ago, the ladies in our church did an incredible study on the armor of God from Ephesians. It was one of those passages that I had heard and read about my whole Christian life, but it wasn’t until we did that study together that I realized how real spiritual warfare is and how powerful the armor of God is to fight it. Now, I’m not one of those people who believes there’s a demon behind every bush. But, when I realized that we have a real enemy who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” my eyes were really opened to his evil schemes. One of the pieces of armor that specifically stood out to me was the sword of the Spirit, which the Bible says is the Word of God. For me personally, a common area the enemy tries to get at me is my thoughts. Late at night when I can’t fall asleep, I replay a situation over and
 over, analyzing every detail, or I’m overtaken by fears of the future. These are just a few
 examples of ways my thoughts can consume me. But what is so powerful about the sword of
 the Spirit is we are literally using God’s Word as a weapon to fight those anxious thoughts.
When the devil tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, we know in an instant He could have just defeated the devil with a flick of his finger. But what did He do instead? He quoted Scripture to
 fight him. How powerful! We have the same weapon available to us and can use the Word of
 God to fight the lies of the enemy. Here are just a few ways using the Word as a weapon has helped me: 1. Take every thought captive. II Corinthians 10:5 says “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the
 knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” When we immediately take our thoughts captive and recognize that it’s from the enemy and not God, we have the power to fight that thought with His Word and not spiral into worse thinking. 2. Trade anxious thoughts for prayer and gratitude. Philippians 4:6-7 says “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
 supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of
 God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Sometimes it’s hard if our anxious thoughts take over and won’t leave, even after we try to take them captive. Replacing them with praise and thanksgiving to God helps realign our focus. 3. Filter my thoughts through Scripture. I like to look at the rest of the Philippians passage and analyze every thought through this verse. Are my fears true? Are my thoughts lovely or honorable, etc.? Usually not. So, I want to be reminded of God’s promises and that what He says IS true. (Philippians 4:8-9) Having a weapon as powerful as the Word of God is as good as it gets to win this spiritual battle. We need to be utilizing this amazing power God gave us to fight the enemy’s schemes and lies. As James 4:7 says “Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” His Word is a weapon. Use it! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shannon Goforth is a pastor’s wife in the thumb of Michigan. She works part time as a social media manager and serves alongside her husband Michael, as he pastors Mercy Hill Church in Port Austin, MI. This includes singing on the worship team, helping in children’s church, teaming up with other women in their church to help lead their summer women’s Bible study, and more. Shannon and Michael have been married for nine years and are expecting their first child, a baby girl due this May, and are very excited to become first time parents. #FEBRUARY24

YPSILANTI – I was 5 years old as I watched Godly men work on the building of North Prospect Baptist Church block by block. This church was built in 1957. I have many personal feelings, happy memories, and lots of love within the walls of this very building. My parents raised my brother, sisters and myself in this church. I was married here, and raised my own family here. My three daughters were saved and baptized here. God called me to be a deacon in 1974 and I served as a deacon until 2018. At that time I felt a calling to preach. I met that call as my church voted me to be their pastor. My journey as pastor of this church has been blessing after blessing. I feel in my heart that God is not through at North Prospect. I foresee that God has great and mighty things ahead for this very church. I pray he will show me this vision (Jeremiah 33:3). The congregation here is very loving and God-fearing people. My prayer is that God will give me the wisdom to lead His people to build his church in the way he desires. Our congregation is small, older and slightly handicapped, but I know with God's help we can do wonderful and mighty things. Many other things could be said about this congregation; they are very friendly, loving and a very generous and giving group of people. Small in number, but mighty in their love for the Lord. I love this church and I thank God every day for calling me to preach and also calling me to be the pastor of North Prospect Baptist. Our congregation is small, older and slightly handicapped, but I know with God's help we can do wonderful and mighty things. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Doyle Parks is the pastor of North Prospect Baptist Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan. #FEBRUARY24

EXPORT, PA (BP) – Most adult evangelicals were saved in childhood with several factors influencing their decisions, according to newly released findings from Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research and Consulting. More than 90 percent of the 59 million adult evangelicals in the U.S. each said several factors motivated them to accept Christ as Savior, the study found, with parents, churches, other family members, individual Bible reading and pastors ranking highest. A total of 72 percent of adult evangelicals were saved before 18, and only 4 percent of respondents said they chose Christ in the four years preceding the study. The age of belief and the factors influencing belief are valuable insights in designing evangelism strategies, researchers said. “Parents are an enormous influence on their children. Do you try to reach adolescents directly,” researchers posed, “or do you also invest in teaching or training parents or other family members how to have spiritual conversations with their children?” The influence of both parents was cited as the strongest factor in their faith decision by a plurality of those polled, 28 percent, followed by 16 percent who cited the church they attended as the strongest factor for them personally. Other family members were cited as the strongest factor by 11 percent of respondents, followed by 10 percent who cited their personal Bible reading, and 7 percent who referenced pastors. Researchers were not discouraged by the low percentage of evangelicals saved in the four years preceding the study, as 16 million respondents were saved in adulthood. “Adult evangelism is far from futile,” researchers wrote. “But by far, the biggest impact is among youth and children, especially between the ages of 5 and 12. Half of today’s evangelical adults came to their beliefs during these formative years; a total of around 43 million evangelical Protestant adults came to their faith before adulthood.” Other significant factors leading people to salvation were life’s difficulties, events, spouses, friends, other church leaders, direct experiences with God, radio or television, and books other than the Bible. “Something online” ranked lowest. The numerous factors in play in salvation can encourage evangelicals in ministry, researchers said, and understanding the findings can help evangelicals reach the unsaved. “One commonly expressed frustration Christians have with evangelism is the failure to see results. They plant a seed, and hope or expect to see something sprout directly from that effort,” researchers wrote. “You may not see the plant actually sprout, but you may be one of those important factors influencing someone’s eventual decision.” Only 46 percent of evangelicals point to a specific time when they were saved. Instead, 37 percent said they were raised as Christians, and 16 percent said their decision to follow Christ was gradual. Researchers defined evangelicals to encompass 23 percent of the population, using a definition developed by Lifeway Research, which is racially inclusive. Specifically, evangelicals are considered those who view the Bible as the highest authority in their beliefs, say it’s important to them to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus as their Savior, cite Jesus’ work on the cross as the only sacrifice for forgiveness of sin, and that salvation is in Christ alone. The online study was conducted in early 2023 among 1,010 evangelical Protestants, using several research access panels and using stringent quality controls, researchers said. The study did not include non-Protestants such as Mormons, Roman Catholics or Orthodox Christians. The study’s findings are available here. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer. #FEBRUARY24

WASHINGTON (BP) – More than half of religiously unaffiliated Americans, identified as ‘Nones,” say they don’t like organized religion or have been mistreated by religious people, Pew Research said Jan. 24. Specifically, 55 percent of Nones cited one of the two factors in explaining their reason for being nonreligious. Nearly half of respondents, 47 percent, said their dislike of religious organizations is an extremely or very important reason they’re nonreligious, while 30 percent said the same about bad experiences with religious people. Maltreatment by religious people was cited more often among women Nones, at 32 percent, than among men, at 27 percent. Skepticism of religious teachings and a disbelief in God were the most common reasons cited by Nones in explaining themselves, with 60 percent questioning a lot of religious teachings and 32 percent not believing in God or a higher power. Altogether, 67 percent cited one or both factors. Others, 44 percent, say they’re nonreligious because they either don’t have time for religion (41 percent) and/or don’t need it (12 percent). Nones comprise more than a quarter of American adults, 28 percent, with 20 percent of them describing themselves as agnostic, 17 percent saying they are atheists, and 63 percent saying they are “nothing in particular” religiously. While Nones’ 28 percent share of the population marks a continual decrease since 2021, and is equal to findings in 2020 and 2019, Pew’s researchers said that doesn’t necessarily mean Nones are decreasing among the population. “These kinds of trends are best assessed over the long haul, based on many survey readings. After all, every estimate from a probability survey comes with a margin of error,” researchers wrote. “Furthermore, it’s always possible that any single survey could be an outlier – that is, any one survey can defy the odds and produce an estimate that differs from the “true” value by more than the margin of error.” Pew culled its findings from the 3,317 religious Nones among the 11,201 respondents in a study among Pew’s American Trends Panel conducted in the summer of 2023. That sampling included 658 atheists, 678 agnostics and 1,981 “nothing in particular” adults. Researchers detailed various characteristics of Nones, including their civic engagement, spirituality, attitudes towards religion, and views of science and morality. Most Nones, 70 percent, believe in God or a higher power, followed by 67 percent who believe humans have a soul or spirit, and 63 percent believing there is something beyond the natural world we can’t see. Strong majorities (61 percent) don’t believe in heaven, nor hell, 69 percent. Nones are not automatically hostile to religion, Pew found, with 41 percent saying religion is just as good as it is harmful to society. More, 44 percent, said religion is more harmful than good. About a fifth of Nones, 19 percent, consistently cited negative views of religion in all five categories Pew addressed, saying religion does more harm than good in society, encourages superstition and causes division. This segment also rejects notions that religion encourages people to treat others well, and helps society by giving people meaning and purpose in their lives. Among other top findings: 39 percent of Nones voted in 2022 midterm elections, compared to 51 percent of the religiously affiliated; but voting was nearly as high among atheists, at 50 percent, as among the religiously affiliated. 10 percent of Nones say a belief in God is necessary to be moral and have good values. Nearly all agnostics, 98 percent, and atheists, 97 percent, said a person can be moral and have good values without believing in God. 44 percent of Nones believe there is a scientific explanation for everything, with the highest adherence among atheists at 78 percent. In addition to its 2023 American Trends Panel, Pew also relied on earlier ATP studies and its National Public Opinion Reference Surveys in drawing its conclusions. Pew’s report is available here. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer. #FEBRUARY24

NEWARK, DE (BP) – More than 200 Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) leaders and volunteers from across North America arrived at Ogletown Baptist Church for the SBDR Roundtable Jan. 23-25. The mostly gold-bedecked army of SBDR volunteers is a unique group. For Dan Hyun, BCM/D partnership team leader, who led a breakout session titled “Healthy Rhythms for Helpers,” it was the first time being at a large SBDR event. “You have a particular culture and feel,” he told the group. “You ‘get’ each other.” Hyun called attendees heroes — giving of themselves to help others in times of distress. Disaster Relief volunteers refer to that culture as the “DR Family,” and that family bond was very much in evidence as volunteers from 38 of 42 Baptist state and regional conventions, including Canada and Puerto Rico, reunited with partners they have worked with side by side in difficult, often traumatic situations. Many recalled challenges and innovations surrounding recent disasters, including Hurricane Idalia, flooding in Vermont, the Maui fires and other major events. There was immediate camaraderie as strangers became engaged in conversation while perusing the SBDR response trailers in the parking lot or between classes — sharing ideas and discovering ways to improve their work. The conference offered a wide range of advanced training opportunities for volunteers in chaplaincy, using drones in damage assessment, managing a mass care feeding site, incident management administrative best practices, equipment safety and maintenance and other technical and ministry topics. Crisis Response Director for Send Relief Coy Webb said in addition to a wonderful turnout and some great training sessions, one of the highlights this year was an anticipated strengthened partnership with the Salvation Army. “It will be beneficial to both organizations, and we’re very excited,” Webb said, adding that he is particularly pleased that the Salvation Army is faith-based. “I think we’re going to see, in the near future, a great opportunity for us to have some partnership with them that will release some resources to strengthen our feeding ability in times of disaster,” Webb said. Webb spoke highly of the newly updated and revamped Disaster Relief Operations Manual. The annual training conference and business session was planned this year by the four Northeast state conventions with Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D) SBDR Director Ellen Udovich and the Maryland/Delaware team hosting. The SBDR team with the Baptist Resource Network (Pennsylvania/South Jersey) assisted in preparing hundreds of meals and serving at the awards banquet. Awards One of the most anticipated events of the annual roundtable is the awards dinner. Each year, volunteers are nominated for national awards by their state convention SBDR directors, with the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Steering Committee making the final selection. This year’s keynote speaker for the dinner was longtime national SBDR Leader Eddie Blackmon, who shared about the need to trust in the Lord. “Partners are important, but we need to partner with the Lord,” he said, sharing that he has witnessed many times how God has provided what was needed on the field. Henry Blackaby’s book, “Experiencing God,” had a huge impact on Blackmon’s life, and that carried over to serving disaster relief. One of Blackaby’s major themes in the book was recognizing where God is working and joining Him in what He is doing. There’s no better ministry than SBDR for putting that into practice, said Blackmon. “God is all around you.” The following awards were presented: Distinguished Service Awards for exceptional service Michael Fujimoto, Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention Daniel Arnold, Northwest Baptist Convention Brian Gueringer, Louisiana Baptist Convention Tom Malott, Missouri Baptist Convention Debbie Klepinger, State Convention of Baptists in Ohio Artie Horn, Missouri Baptist Convention Joel W. Phillips Outstanding Achievement Award Tom Waites, Louisiana Baptist Convention Mike Bastin, Kentucky Baptist Convention George Blevins, Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware Robert E. Dixon Award for a lifetime of service Linda Gregory, Florida Baptist Convention Jerry & Andy Cable, Kentucky Baptist Convention Laddie Adams Retiring State Director Award: Mike Bivins – California Southern Baptist Convention SBDR Steering Committee Service: Mark Wakefield, Alabama Baptist Convention Kenton Hunt, Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey Roundtable Business The Roundtable itself was held on the final day of the conference. State SBDR directors, along with Coy Webb and other national leaders, met to set the direction of the organization, hear reports, delegate to working committees and set policy. Highlights of the session included greetings from national partners, including the Red Cross, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), and Lowe’s. The state directors also approved recommendations clarifying the basic qualifications of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief chaplains and discussed the new SBDR Operations Manual, which provides a framework for the various entities of the SBDR network to maximize organizational leadership in coordinating disaster responses at both the command and functional levels. The meeting concluded with a challenge for the network to prioritize mutual aid and support as SBDR is being called upon to respond to more frequent and severe disaster and crisis events locally and nationally. Next year’s Winter Roundtable will be in San Antonio, Texas. The convention directors also meet each June following the SBC annual meeting. #FEBRUARY24