Newsjournal Of Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists

www.baptistdigest.com

April 2015Vol. 59 No. 4

Baptistigest

Lenexa Baptist Church, Lenexa, Kan., has grown from a tiny mission that met in schools to a 6,000-congregation with six campuses throughout the Kansas City area. The main cam-pus on 87th Street Parkway in Lenexa is a landmark in the western part of the city. Steve Dighton, who just retired as senior pastor, cited the role of LifeWay Church Architecture (now Visioneering Studios at LifeWay) in creating a master plan for developing the main campus. (Photo courtesy of Visioneering Studios at LifeWay)

Construction is now underway on a 250-seat addition to the Dining Hall at Webster Confer-ence Center, Salina, Kan. Sunday, April 19, has been designated as Webster Conference Cen-ter Sunday. It is designed to raise Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists’ awareness of WCC. Promotional helps are available on the WCC Web site at http://webstercc.org/

WCC SUNDAY: APRIL 19, 2015On Sunday, April 19th will celebrate 35 years of ministry at WCC. A 2-3 minute video is

on the WCC website (www.webstercc.org) for churches to download and show their members. This is not a fund-raising video, nor a fund-raising event. This is a special day to help our KNCSB church members see the ministry of WCC whose first purpose state-ment is “To assist churches in making disciples of Jesus Christ and developing leaders”. There are additional testimonial videos, stats and quotes on the website for your church to also use in newsletters or anytime you want to help your church understand the ministry of your conference center. Contact Terry McIlvain at tmcilvain@kncsb.org if you would like more information on this special day or additional WCC resources.

Chad McDonald (left) and his wife, Faith, were among the 1,000 well wishers who gathered Saturday, Feb. 21, at Lenexa Baptist Church to honor Steve and Mary Dighton (right) as they transition into a new phase of ministry. Steve Dighton served the church as founding pastor for 25 years. He is now senior pastoral adviser. Chad McDonald is the church’s new senior pastor. (Photo by Ernst Weigandt of Weigandt Studios) (See story on page 5)

Lenexa Baptist ChurchSees Leadership Transition

Cowboys pray at an arena event scheduled by Three Wooden Crosses Cowboy Church.(Read more on page 4)

WWW.KNCSB.ORGA

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES:INFORM -- Regularly share information about ongoing training, curriculum, events, support and personnel.RESOURCE -- Serve as a resource pool for practical ideas about what is working in KS-NE congregations and how it relates to all sizes of churches.GENERATIONAL -- Cast the widest net, providing sto-ries and information that will appeal to all generations of Southern Baptists in NE-KS.FAMILY-FRIENDLY -- Be family-friendly with stories, regular columns and helps for families and leaders who work with families.AGE DIVERSE -- Publish stories that address the diversity of age, ethnicity, and geographical regions of KS-NE.MISSION-ORIENTED -- Publish stories about people and congregations involved in missions and regularly publicize ministry opportunities.PART OF WIDER MISSION - Help congregations discover that they are part of the larger work of the Kingdom of God through their ministries.

To give local news:Local church and associational news may be submit-

ted by mail, phone, fax or e-mail.

Advertising:Advertising policy and rates are available upon

request Call 800-984-9092 or e-mail: tboyd@kncsb.org

STAFFEditor: Tim Boyd, PhD.

Associate Editor: Eva Wilson Printing Coordinator: Derek Taylor

Robert T. Mills, D. Min. KNCSB Executive Director

AFFILIATIONSAssociation of State Baptist PapersBaptist Communicators Association

The Baptist Digest (USPS 018-942)

Vol. 60 No.4Leadership Newsjournal for Kansas-

Nebraska Southern Baptists is published monthly (except for January and July)

10 times a year.5410 SW 7th Street

Topeka, KS 66606-2398Phone: (785) 228-6800Toll Free: 800-984-9092

Fax: (785) 273-4992E-mail: tboyd@kncsb.org

Web site: baptistdigest.com

POSTMASTER:Periodical postage paid at Topeka, KS 66606 and additional entries. Send address changes to: The Baptist Digest, 5410 SW 7th Street, Topeka, KS

66606-2398.

The Thought Occurred to MeBy Bob Mills KNCSB Executive DirectorE-mail: bmills@kncsb.org

Christianity seems to be under attack all around the world and even in our country. I sense a heaviness of oppression concerning Christian principles. The Bible tells us that we will be hated because of the name of Jesus. In our country, defending traditional marriage causes conservative evangelicals to be firmly in the crosshairs of the liberal worldview. Persecuted for what we believe is scriptural. It appears we are not permitted to embrace our convictions without ridi-cule. My friends, that is persecution and we will expe-rience more of that in the days ahead.

Christian brothers and sisters all around the globe are being martyred because of their faith in Christ. I am well aware that persecution and martyrdom is not a new reality, but it seems that recently it is accelerating.

Is it possible that further persecution and even

martyrdom could come to our country? I think the answer to that question is yes…especially an acceler-ation of persecution. How will you respond? Is your faith strong enough to handle the verbal or phys-ical attacks? If you were told you had to renounce your faith would you?

Let me talk about some of the things I would sug-gest that we do in the days ahead to strengthen our faith for these possible eventualities. I would suggest you spend time in the Word sorting out just exactly what you believe about marriage, pornogra-phy, abortion, sex trafficking, drug abuse, role of gov-

Bob Mills

By Andy Addis KNCSB Convention President E-mail: andy@crosspointnow.net

Finishing this article is the only bit of work I am going to do this week. As I write this I am on Spring Break vacation camping with my family at Cheney State Park.

We love off-season camping because there is no competition for spots, no late night partiers, and the state park usually belongs to you alone.

On the downside the bathrooms are still closed for the season, the utilities provided are at a mini-mum, and the days must begin and end in coats and hats as it’s usually one step beyond chilly.

But, we pull a 29’ trailer RV camper, so we’re not really camping, we’re “glamping”: baking cook-ies in the oven, popping popcorn in the microwave, watching movies on the Blu-ray player in the media center.

Ah yes, the great outdoors.We’ve owned this camper for three years, but this is

the first trip we have taken with it stamped ‘paid off.’ A great feeling.

And, despite pulling this small house to Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and all kinds of places in Kansas, it still looks like new! Well, kind of…

The crank jack on the hitch broke this time out and my boys and I went on an adventure to replace it with nothing but a car jack, some cut 2 x 4’s and ratchet set. We’re starting to see a little wear in the carpet from repeated traffic patterns of four people living in a pretty tight space. Oooooo, and there is some hail damage… yeah, that happened.

With every small defect there is a story. With every ding, replacement part and mark of wear and tear there is a memory. I wouldn’t trade any one of them

President’s Perspective

Andy Addis

for a brand new, twice the size, totally tricked out new ride… those moments are too valuable.

It reminds me of one of my favorite Proverbs:“Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a

strong ox for a large harvest.” - Proverbs 14:4In ministry we all like a clean stable, or church, or

calendar, or reputation, or whatever. It seems like all is right with the world when the

church building is pristine, the budget is not stressed and the pews are packed (at 75-80% capacity. We don’t want people too cramped, right?).

Yeah, that seems right, but it’s not.A clean stable means that nothing is being done in

the field. A clean stable means there’s no hope for a harvest. A clean stable means the stable isn’t being used for what it was made for, right?

A dirty stable with mud and dung everywhere, a squeaky stall door from overuse and a smell that can only be described as… well, just a smell… that’s where something is happening!

We need to submit to the scriptures right now and admit, ministry is messy! There is absolutely no way to do it right and keep everything neat, clean and just like new.

Your building is a resource that needs to be used and in some cases worn out for the cause of Christ!

Your budget should run lean and mean, but always dance on the razor’s edge to make sure we are sowing seed and siloing grace.

Your should be neck deep in messy, broken, difficult people… just like the one you call Lord did when He walked in this place.

As I finish this article, I feel the wind rocking our camper and see the overcast skies… I know the fore-cast, a storm is on the way.

It’s okay, I’ll take the dings… it’s worth being here.

ernment, etc. Let the Bible speak for itself and know what you believe.

Talk to other Christians about these topics in an open and honest way. Build up your faith by doing life with other Christians in small accountability groups. Deepen your prayer life through regular times of prayer and meditation. Be a regular attender of your local church for worship.

Develop your fellowship with God and your faith family through times of worship. I would encourage you to read books that would support and enhance your faith. When it is time to vote, take every advan-tage to elect godly men and women to government office.

There are many other ideas I might suggest, but I will leave you with just one more. Examine your heart and see if your heart values being an intentional fol-lower of Christ (disciple). If so, take up your cross and follow Him. The coming days will demand faith strength…how strong are you?

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By Jon Sapp KNCSB State Director of Evangelism E-mail: jsapp@kncsb.org

Adding up numbers is not my favorite thing to do. However, each spring as I compile the annual baptism report for our Kansas-Nebraska churches, I get the blessing of watching the “bottom line number” come together. I want to share with you several insights I see in the 2014 Annual Report coming from 334 churches and missions that reported the number bap-tized last year.

2,718 Baptized - 77% of the 434 KNCSB Churches/Missions provided their report 4 Churches/Missions Baptized More than 100 4 Churches/Missions Baptized Between 99-52 34 Churches/Missions Baptized Between 13-51 195 Churches/Missions Baptized Between 1-12 97 Churches/Missions Did Not Baptize 100 Churches/Missions Did Not Submit a Report

I am disappointed that 100 of our churches were not able to complete or submit a report. Filling out reports is not why we exist. However, letting others

God’s Plan for Sharing

Jon Sapp

know what God is doing in your church community and the obedience that precedes a baptism should encourage all of us to thank the Lord and to praise Him for the obedience and faith of those being baptized.

The 2,718 total repre-sents individual stories of God’s speaking and His leadership in the lives of His followers. However during the past two years, we as Kansas-Nebraska churches are hearing fewer of those stories. In 2012 the total was 3,088 then in 2013 down to 2,921. Then this past year we went down another 203 from the 2013 report. A two-year decline is something we must monitor.

There is an encouraging note in this year’s report. 32 Churches/Missions went from 0 to 1 or more dur-ing 2014. Each baptism celebration encourages the heart of those watching as well as those being bap-

tized. These 32 Churches/Missions did not baptize in 2013. Therefore, getting to baptize again brought back that excitement and encouragement.

In addition to these 32 churches, an additional 98 Churches/Missions increased their number of baptisms from the year before. Isn’t that an encour-agement? We have 130 Churches/Missions that increased. Join me in thanking the Lord for the faith-fulness of these leaders and the obedience of those who were baptized in 2014.

Now my challenge to all of us. Let’s monitor those responding to the Lord by being baptized. Pastors and church leaders who have not reported or didn’t see a baptism in 2014, could you seek the Lord to be one of those churches that go from 0 to 1? Finally, Andy Addis, our current KNCSB President, is offering the challenge to double our baptism numbers of 2014 for this current year.

As mentioned earlier, if we are going to monitor any element of our churches’ activities, this has to be the primary element to monitor. New believers and others wanting to be obedient to the Lord’s commis-sion of baptism are evidence of the fruit of our imple-mentation of God’s Plan for Sharing.

Boost Up Follow-UpAlong the JourneyBy Tim Boyd Baptist Digest EditorE-mail: tboyd@kncsb.org

Recently, I have heard a number of Southern Baptists including our Executive Director, Bob Mills, express a hunger for a genuine move-ment of God to bring revival to our country. The reality is that the need for revival is not new. It seems that we have reached a place, however, where that need is very much on our radar.

How did we get to this place? Let me suggest several factors:1. We made the false assump-tion that Christian influence in society would never dimin-ish.2. We got lazy in the area of disciple making. We assumed that Sunday School and Training Union/Church Training would always suffice.3. We got lazy in evangelism. Sharing the gospel was no longer a priority.4. We began to assume that bigger churches would solve our spiritual problems. Bigger is not always better. 5. We abandoned our rural roots for the lure of the large cities. We have placed more and more emphasis on our cities of high population, but (in my opinion) at the expense of the traditional strength of

our denomination, the rural church.6. We lost our humility and trust in the leadership of the Father. We (again in my opin-ion) came to believe that we could solve all of our prob-lems with a new emphasis or a new program.7. We mistakenly thought that a restoration of doctrine would bring about a renais-sance in missions, evangelism and discipleship. We were wrong.

Can revival come? Of course it can, if God brings it. What will it take for us to see reviv-al in our day?1. We must learn the les-sons of previous revivals. God always does something unique when revival comes. Revival will not come from the places that we expect it. He acts through people and situations that are unexpected. No one really anticipated the “Camp Meetings” of the Second Great Awakening. Jonathan Edwards was not a “typical evangelist” during the First Great Awakening.2. We must have a desperation for the presence of God in our midst. In spite of various lead-ers who have called for prayer and other emphases, I do not see that kind of desperation.3. We must abandon our

desire to control what God does. That is the surest way to quench the Spirit of God.4. We must recognize that we cannot manufacture a move-ment of God.5. We must bear our souls before God to discern and embrace His passion for our nation.6. We must allow the Spirit of God to remodel our concept of prayer and spiritually break us to prepare us for His work.

I look at the Southern Baptist Convention today and, quite frankly, I find it difficult to believe that we will be at the center of a movement of God. Spiritually, we are off course. Only God can chart the right course. May God help us to seek Him and Him alone—for our sake and for the Kingdom’s sake!

Tim Boyd

When a first-time guest completes a guest registra-tion card at your church, what happens next? The most com-mon answer to that question: absolutely nothing. No, it’s not an intentional oversight, but without an ongoing, im-mediate follow-up plan, your church may miss the opportu-nity to reach guests for Christ and include them in your church family.

Need fresh ideas? Tweak some of these to fit your unique church: n First-Time-Guest Online Survey. People love to give an opinion! Create a brief survey on your church website. (See a sample survey at dianadavis.org) Carefully study survey responses.n Same-Day Contact. A specially-trained volunteer can make a brief phone call to each guest on the Sunday afternoon they visit your church. n Email + Snail Mail. Assign volunteers to send a swift, personal email or handwritten card to each first-time guest. n Small Group Personal Invi-tation. Provide contact info to an appropriate small group or Sunday School class for each family member. A member of that small group may offer to meet the guest at a specific door to escort them to class. n A Personal Touch. Exam-ples: An Indiana church deliv-ers three coupons for a free drink in their coffee area, en-

couraging the guest to return for three consecutive Sundays. In a different church, their volunteers deliver a church coffee mug to the guest’s door before they get home from church. A baking volunteer at First Baptist Garland TX pre-pares fresh homemade cookies for each first-time guest, then a delivery volunteer simply knocks on their door and gives them delicious cookies and a goodie-bag of church info. n Pastor’s letter. Many pastors prepare a warm letter or email to welcome first-time guests; some even jot a handwritten note. Pastor Traylor at Olive Baptist, Pensacola, often texts or phones first-time guests on Saturdays, inviting them to come back on Sunday.

Notice that church mem-bers—not just ministry staff—accomplish the majority of follow-up. Newcomers want to hear what you love about your church. They desire re-lationships, and relationships provide evangelistic oppor-tunity.

When God brings a first-time guest to your church this Sunday and they complete a guest registration card, what will happen next?

“The harvest is abundant…pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2

© Diana Davis is an author, columnist and minister’s wife.

www.dianadavis.org

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The Three Wooden Crosses Cowboy Church has a vision to reach people who are part of the farm and ranch communi-ties of Butler County with the message of Jesus Christ. Don Mayberry is the pastor of this church

BUTLER COUNTY--Hearing the name Three Wooden Crosses Cowboy Church might evoke images of a pastor deliv-ering sermons while seated on a horse, worshipping in an open arena and cowboys roping cattle or riding bulls.

It all rings true, but Don Mayberry, the pastor at the local Three Wooden Crosses Cowboy Church (3WC), said the major-ity of people who attend their worship aren’t cowboys.

Mayberry explained cowboy churches were created to “lead people with western roots to become passionate followers of Jesus Christ. Our vision is to make Jesus widely known among the farm and ranch com-munities of Butler County.”

3WC, located at 5118 SW 100th, began on April 1, 2014, and is a western-heritage com-munity of faith created for those who are most comfortable sit-ting on the back of a horse or in the cab of a truck. It is affiliated with the American Fellowship of Cowboy Churches and the North American Mission Board.

For almost 40 years, Mayberry had served churches in Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri and Kansas and served as the State Missions director of the Illinois Baptist State Convention. During that time, he attended his first annual Cowboy Church Planting Conference in Ellis, County, Texas.

He liked the idea of cowboy churches. Starting his own, with the help of his wife, Sherry, rep-resented the beginning of life long dream.

His father was a great horse-man and today, he raises, trains, shoes and competes on American Quarter Horses. Mayberry is a member of the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. In 2013, he was the reserve champion mounted shooter at the Kansas State Fair.

The people of 3WC meet weekly at 10 a.m. on Sunday and have a number of small groups that meet throughout the week. Arena events are a part of the weekly schedule.

A bull riding Buckle Series sanctioned by the International Rodeo Association is currently being held. Bull riders from 7-8 different states are competing. One is featured at 5 p.m. this Saturday and others on March 14 and April 11. Admission is

Unconventional Church: Traditional Message

free. This Saturday’s will be held in the indoor arena.

“Admission is always free. The competing bull riders are required to pay an entry fee and our 25-30 sponsors help make it all possible,” he added. “But everyone knows that there will be a presentation of the gospel at some point. It’s a great way to enjoy the sport of rodeo in a family atmosphere.”

The bull riding events have seen close to 400 in attendance, with around 60 bull riders.

Mayberry explains the Saturday night bull bucking event includes a flag presenta-tion, prayer and during the rodeo activity the action will stop and he will share the gospel while sitting on a step ladder.

He is proud that 3WC will be hosting 14 Cowboy Mounted Shooting events this year.

“All the 2015 shoots will be held at our arena except for the State Championships,” he explained.

Everyone is invited to attend the arena events, as well as the worship settings. People from all backgrounds, income levels and interests are there.

“We strive to remove many of the barriers that might be found in more traditional set-tings,” he said. “It’s a more relaxed atmosphere and we take out all the trip wires that might keep people from attend-ing church - no excuses.”

For more information on Three Wooden Crosses Cowboy Church, contact Pastor Don Mayberry at 316-258-3734, go to: www.3WC-KS.com, or find them on Facebook.

By Belinda LarsenReprinted by permission

The Butler County Times-Gazette

Don Mayberry, Pastor of The Three Wooden Crosses Cowboy Church has a real heart for the horse men and women of Kansas. His pas-sion is to share the Gospel with these folks who share a western heritage. During a recent event, Mayberry shares the message of Christ from a step ladder in an arena area.

RACING TOWARD THE GOAL In about two months, we have raised $32,998.52 as of March 20th

and we have about three months to raise $42,001.48 to reach our goal and receive the Mabee Foundation grant of $100,000 to finish the Dining Hall project. (If we miss this goal, we lose the $100,000 from the Mabee Foundation.) Join us as we race toward the goal, so we can better meet the needs of those who use WCC. Make checks payable to WCC and send all tax-deductible gifts to: WCC at 5410 SW 7th Street in Topeka, KS 66606.

WCC SUNDAY: APRIL 19, 2015On Sunday, April 19th will celebrate 35 years of ministry at WCC.

A 2-3 minute video is on the WCC website (www.webstercc.org) for churches to download and show their members. This is not a fund-raising video, nor a fund-raising event. This is a special day to help our KNCSB church members see the ministry of WCC whose first purpose statement is “To assist churches in making disciples of Jesus Christ and developing leaders”. There are additional testimonial videos, stats and quotes on the website for your church to also use in newsletters or anytime you want to help your church understand the ministry of your conference center. Contact Terry McIlvain at tmcilvain@kncsb.org if you would like more information on this special day or additional WCC resources.

PRAYER REQUESTRegistration is beginning now for churches that plan to send

children and students to Associational Children’s Camps, Hispanic Super Summer and Super Summer. Therefore, now is the time to pray for those who need to attend these camps at WCC. Pray for sponsors, children and students who attend that they will hear clearly the voice of God as He speaks to them about life and eternity.

Webster Update

Work proceeds at Webster Conference Center. As money comes in, the work will continue.

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Lenexa BaptistHonors Dightons

More than 1,000 well wishers gathered Saturday, Feb. 21, at Lenexa Baptist Church, Lenexa, Kan., to honor Steve and Mary Dighton as they transition into a new phase of min-istry. Steve Dighton served the church as founding pastor for 25 years. He is now senior pastoral adviser. (Photo by Ernst Weigandt of Weigandt Studios)

Chad McDonald is New SeniorPastor at Lenexa Baptist Church

Chad McDonald became the senior pastor of Lenexa Baptist Church, Lenexa, Kan., on Sunday, March 1.

Founding Pastor Steve Dighton, who served for 25 years, is now senior pastoral adviser.

McDonald came to Lenexa Baptist Church from Valley, Ala., where he served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church. He originally came to Lenexa to be the campus pastor at The Fellowship at Greenwood where he served for two years. He became the Senior Pastor Elect at the main campus in June 2014.

During high school Chad surrendered his life to vocational ministry. He attended Southwest Baptist University and received his bachelor of arts degree in Bible with a minor in biblical languages. He then attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he received a master of arts degree in Theology in 2003. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Leader-ship at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Read this entire article at http://lenexabaptist.com/staff/chad-mcdonald/

After serving as found-ing pastor for 25 years, Steve Dighton is now se-nior pastoral adviser at Lenexa Baptist Church.

By Brent HoskinsThe Journey at Lenexa Baptist Church

For 25 years Pastor Steve Dighton has led the congrega-tion of Lenexa Baptist Church with unparalleled devotion, preaching from the church’s pulpit around 1,300 times di-rectly from God’s Word, just as he was called to do.

He has prayed for LBC’s members and countless others. He has a seemingly infallible ability to greet members by name, despite the significant number. He has shown dedica-tion, compassion, humor and generosity. Above all, however, Steve Dighton — the man from humble beginnings in Ada, Okla., led to Lenexa to build the conservative flagship church in Johnson County, Kan. — has daily shown a love of the Lord that is inspiring to all who know him.

On Saturday, Feb. 21, more than 1,000 members of LBC and friends from across the country gathered to express their grati-tude and love during a special day in honor of Pastor Steve and his wife Mary, marking a new phase in their life journey.

Culminating months of transition as Chad McDonald became the new senior pastor on March 1, Pastor Steve is tran-

sitioning into retirement after 25 years of service as LBC’s found-ing senior pastor, now becoming senior pastoral advisor.

In his new role, Pastor Steve will preach at least 10 times each year. He will also be available to coach and mentor Pastor Chad and the campus pastors. In addition, he will be available to advise and assist other SBC churches as needed.

The Feb. 21 celebration began with a reception in Koinonia Hall allowing LBC members and many friends from outside LBC — including a contingent traveling from Ada, Okla. — to express their personal thanks and appreciation to Pastor Steve and Mary. The lengthy reception line was an unmistakable testament to the impact the Dightons have had on the lives of others over the past 25 years.

A two-hour celebration fol-lowed in the Worship Center, in part showcasing the talents of the LBC choir and a number of solo-ists, so often praised by Pastor Steve through the years. As the celebration got underway, Pastor Steve welcomed those who had gathered for the special evening.

“It is really a night of cel-ebration of God’s great favor on our ministry and what we have enjoyed in serving you here at

Lenexa Baptist over these past 25 years,” he said.

Pastor Steve then began to recount the history of LBC, beginning with the milestone of Jan. 21, 1990, when Westside Baptist Church voted 78 to zero to call him as senior pastor.

The next year, the church became independent of the sponsoring church, Emmanuel Baptist, ultimately changing the name to Lenexa Baptist Church in 1994. Throughout the celebration, he shared memories of the challenges, transitions and victories of the growth of the church, eventually leading to the three-phase construction of today’s LBC, now with 6,000 members.

In addition to the songs performed by the choir and soloists, the celebration featured videos of a number of honoring messages from Southern Baptist pastors and leaders.

There were also video testi-monial tributes to Pastor Steve from two long-time LBC mem-bers and servant leaders, John Lauster and Jim Stockwood. In his testimony, Stockwood noted

that during the first message he heard Pastor Steve preach he wrote down 30 scripture refer-ences.

“My wife asked me, ‘What did you think?’ I said, ‘The man

preaches nothing but the Word of God and God is going to honor him. We’re going to raise our children here,” he recalled. “That’s been almost 18 years ago and a lot has changed in this church since that time, but I have seen God’s sovereign hand of blessing on this church and on Pastor Steve.”

Near the end of the celebra-tion, Mary Dighton addressed those who had gathered, shar-ing her memories and reading tributes from family members, referring to Pastor Steve as the “man of my dreams, the man of my forever.” She also cited the

four main goals of Pastor Steve in recent years that have now been achieved: n To see 2,000 people bap-

tized at LBCn To see the church become

debt freen To consistently have more

than 3,000 in attendance each Sundayn To find the right successor Returning to the pulpit fol-

lowing Mary’s comments, Pas-tor Steve took the opportunity to share words of encourage-ment for his successor.

“Mary touched on that last goal of mine: to find the right successor. And boy, did I get one,” he said. “Chad McDonald is my dear friend and nobody is more thrilled about the next chapter in this wonderful church.

“As you know, he has a humble spirit, he is a visionary, he cares about people and he is an excellent preacher. I am con-vinced this church is going to prosper and do great things and I am honored to have him fol-low me as the next senior pastor at Lenexa Baptist Church.”

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KNCSB Student Team to Return to Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan, with a population of 33 million is the largest city in the world. Evangeli-cal believers comprise only one half of one percent of the population. The KNCSB Super Summer international mission trip will return to Tokyo June 1-10. KNCSB teams served in Tokyo for three years and then went to Amsterdam for four years. (Below, left) In Am-sterdam, the teams targeted people from a country in North Africa. There were only a handful of believers in that people group when KNCSB teams first arrived in Amsterdam. Now there are 75-80 believers and a church has been started. (KNCSB file photos by Terry McIlvain)

“God is so amazing! I have been accepted to return to Tokyo next summer with iGo Global Missions!

“My passion for world mis-sions began there as I looked out the windows of the tallest building in Tokyo and observed as far as the eye could see the homes of millions of people who needed the hope of Jesus Christ their Redeemer.”

That is what Brenda Evans of Hays, Kan., posted on Facebook in fall 2014.

Evans has participated in all seven KNCSB Super Summer international mission trips. She serves as an “AC” or “Adult Chaperone.” The ACs serve alongside the students and sup-port them.

KNCSB Super Summer international mission trips serve with iGo Global which cooper-ates with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board.

The KNCSB team served three years in Tokyo and then went to Amsterdam for four years.

This year the team will return to Tokyo. The trip is scheduled for June 1-10. Two days of base camp will be held at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan., before the group leaves for Japan.

Amsterdam, with a popu-lation of about 800,000, is “relatively small by a lot of standards,” said Terry McIl-vain, KNCSB director of youth ministries.

But Amsterdam is important because it is a “gateway city”

into Europe.“It is a tough place to minis-

ter because evangelical work is almost non-existent,” McIlvain said.

In Amsterdam, the KNCSB team targeted an area of the city inhabited by Muslims from a country in North Africa.

“Our primary ministry was to prayerwalk, engage people in conversation and share as much of the gospel as people would allow,” McIlvain said.

When the KNCSB team first arrived in Amsterdam, there were only a handful of believers in that people group. Now there are 75-80 believers and a church has been started.

The KNCSB Super Sum-mer international mission trips began in Tokyo in 2008. As in Amsterdam, the group works with iGo Global to support Southern Baptist international workers.

Tokyo is the largest city in the world with 33 million people. Evangelical believers comprise only one half of one percent of the population.

The purpose of the KNCSB international mission trips is to teach students and adults how to have a missional lifestyle. They are encouraged to practice what they have learned when they return home.

Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists are encouraged to begin praying now for this summer’s project in Tokyo. Participants in the trip must raise $3,600. This will cover all of their expenses except souvenirs.

SBC Annual Meeting to be Held in Columbus, OhioThe 2015 Southern Baptist

Convention annual meeting will be held June 16-17 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio.

Motel reservations are now available online. Find more information at http://sbcannual-meeting.org/sbc15/default.asp

Details are being announced for some of the events that will precede the SBC annual meet-ing.

WMU Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting

The Woman’s Missionary Union-SBC Missions Celebra-tion and annual meeting will be held June 14-15 at First Baptist Church of Grove City, Grove City, Ohio. The church is a 10-15 minute drive from the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Find more information at http://bit.ly/1C6FUVT

SBC Pastors’ ConferenceThe SBC Pastors’ Conference

will be held June 14-15 at the Greater Columbus Convention

Center. Speakers will be:n David Platt, new president

of the International Mission Board.n J.D. Greear, pastor of The

Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, N.C.n Dean Fulks, an Ohio

native who is lead pastor of LifePoint Church on the north side of Columbus. n Clint Pressley, senior pas-

tor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C. n Vance Pitman, senior

pastor of Hope Church in Las Vegas, Nevada.n James MacDonald, founder

and senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, one of the fastest growing churches in the Chi-cago area.n H.B. Charles Jr., senior

pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla.n Russell Moore, president

of the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commissionn Paul David Tripp, presi-

dent of Paul Tripp MinistriesVisit the Pastors’ Conference

Web site at http://sbcpc.net/

Ministers’ Wives LuncheonThe annual Ministers’ Wives

Luncheon will be held at noon Tuesday, June 16, in the Regency Ballroom in the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The hotel is attached to the Greater Columbus Conven-tion Center where the SBC an-nual meeting will be held.

Angie Smith will be the guest speaker. She was the featured speaker at the 2014 KNCSB Wonderful Weekend for Women.

Smith is the wife of Todd Smith, lead singer of Dove Award winning group Selah. She is the author of numerous books including “I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy” as well as the popular blog “Bring the Rain.”

Tickets for the luncheon are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

Find more information at http://lfwy.co/1kw3ndU

Thank you for supporting the Cooperative Program

Nails, really?Romans 12:6 - We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.

Yes, nail art is what I am currently enjoying as a hobby. I find myself relaxing when I do my nails or someone else’s nails.

Doing nails helps me reach out o the young ladies in my family and allows me to have some girl time. When I do the girls’ nails, I get to connect with them on a personal level and share quality time. It also is a way to avoid the drunken, rowdy crowd at family gatherings, which is a blessing in itself. I get to talk with the young ladies about school, dating, or anything else they may want or need to talk about. I believe that this also provides an opportunity to minister to them.

I have two wonderful boys at home. As they get older, I realize that I do not get to enjoy the girly things that women with daughters get to experience, as I can be a girly girl myself.

God’s given me a gift of service. It makes me smile to see God filling my small need with this hobby. It is a great blessing to see him working in me even in the most trivial way. ~ Maria Christensen, Women4Him Team

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds... Hebrews 10:24

The seminary team sat around the table discussing our assignment on the “one another” verses when Dr. Catanzaro, the Dean of the Doctoral pro-gram said, “The word of encouragement is not defined in Greek the way most people would expect. It has the word condemnation in it.” I thought, How is that possible? He went on to explain that when we encourage someone to do something we cannot do it without con-deming them for not doing something. For example, when I encourage someone to read their Bible it implies that they are not reading it.

Through the years, I have tested this out and I have discovered that how a person responds to a word of encouragement is also a reflection of what is in their heart. If I say to someone you need to read your Bible and they respond, “Yea, your right!”, it reveals that they took what I said as an encouragement. However, if their response was something like, “ I am so tired of people telling me to read my Bible!”, it reveals that in their heart they heard only the condemnation instead of the word of encouragement. Once I realized that encour-agment can reveal the condition of a heart, I used this as a starting point to pray. I used to take the rejections so personally, but once I understood that God was allowing me a window into their heart condition, I was then able to better serve the one I shared the encourage-ment.

When have you received encouragement and not received it well? Or when have you given it and it was ignored? Remember that this is a reflection of the heart. Once we recognize that our heart is not where it should be then we can surrender ourselves and allow the word of encouragement to become the spur we need to move forward.

Father, please help me to be an encourager that spurs others on in love and good deeds, but also help me to see the condition of the heart that I might know how to better serve!

Simply, Tara

www.knwomen.com

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April 2015

Encouragement

Sex Trafficking Awareness, Part 1 Marca DeimundLife Session Leader-WWW

I have a great concern for our children and teens. The average age to be taken into Sex Traffick-ing is 12 to 14 years old, and 7 years is the average life span of a Sex Trafficking victim. One out of every 3 runaways is in the hands of a Human Trafficker within 48 hours. As you can see, my concerns are well grounded.

The more I learn about Sex Trafficking the more I realize I’ve only scratched the surface of the maze. Violence, poverty, prostitution, pornography, sex crimes, pedophiles, cyber crimes, sexting, slavery… unfortunately I’m sure the list will lengthen over time.

The “recruiters” or “groomers” are people who are out to add kids to the sex trafficking indus-try. A pimp can earn from 100,000 to 150,000 dollars a year per sex victim they own. These “re-cruiters/groomers” are everywhere our kids are; on the internet, in the malls, at school events, in school hallways, anywhere our kids are hanging out, they are hanging out as well.

They are very clever at hiding who they really are, they appear to be well groomed kids or young adults who have your child’s best interest at heart. They are very understanding when your child is being held accountable for their actions by their parents or school system. The will tell your child they can provide them a place of acceptance and love them like they deserve.

They can pick up on a young person who has low self-esteem or those who fall prey to their flattery tactics! After all, who wouldn’t fall for someone who tells us that we are smart, pretty and deserve to be treated better than we are being treated!

I know a young teenager who said she was 18 so she could sign up for a dating service on line. She was looking for a boyfriend, a relationship, love. When her mom found out, she brought her to me to scare her with the truth! After I shared some of the dangers and she shared some polite eye-rolling, I asked her if she believed if someone would lie about who and what they really were on a website. I then asked her how honest she was in signing up for the dating website. Her face changed and a keen sense of awareness came over her. I reminded her she signed up with innocent intentions but many people sign up for dating websites, Facebook, Skype, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. intentionally looking for someone to prey upon. They stalk these sites for the pur-poses of human trafficking or it’s a pedophile looking for pictures for their pleasure. She was lucky her mom found out what she was doing and deleted her account. I love this young woman and it scares me that our kids and teens are not more aware of the dangers of the internet.

Hello! Calah TitusKN Women’s Leadership, Women4Him Team

Wonderful Weekend for Women ... what is this anyway? Maybe you are part of a church that has taken a group but you’ve not ever been able to go. Maybe your church group hasn’t ever been, you’ve never heard of this, and you’re just reading this because you’re intrigued by the title and could use a little ‘wonderful weekend’ for yourself. Maybe you’re a guy reading this article and you have a won-derful wife that deserves a wonderful weekend. Keep reading!

If you are anything like me, you are slightly curious but need some details. Ok. Here’s the Cliffs Notes version. Ready? !

WWW is September 11-12 at Webster Conference Center in Salina, KS, hosted by the KNSCB Women’s Ministry. There are great breakout sessions with a variety of topics to choose from! There’s food! There’s fellowship! There’s worship! There’s laughter! There’s sleep (sort of)! There’s relaxation! There are friends! There’s GOD!! Where do I sign up, right?

Registration starts late June but go ahead and block out those dates on your calendar and let your family, place of business, and anyone else know that you will be unavailable those two days for a little personal rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation!

I’m thrilled to tell you that years’ keynote speaker is Sophie Hudson who has written A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet in 2013 and Home is Where My People Are earlier this year. If you don’t know who Sophie is yet, you will! Please check out her website www.boomama.net to learn more. Last years’ www speaker, Angie Smith, had this to say about Sophie. “If getting a book in the mail, putting your kids in front of Disney Jr., and abandoning all your deadlines is wrong, I don’t want to be right. When this little gem showed up at my doorstep, I knew I was going to take a journey with Sophie that would lead me to laugh out loud in public places and shake my head at how she weaves the smiles into profundity before you even realize you were on your way. Sophie Hudson, you’ve done it again. You’ve reminded me why I love you as a person and as a writer; quite simply, your words make us feel like we’re all your people. If that’s home, I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

I’ll be there with my people and would love to see you with your people!

www.KNCSB.orgA

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April 24-25, 2015--Webster Conference Center

For Leaders in Churches Running Under 150 in Worship

Keith Strasburger and Gene Jacobs from Real Life Ministries

Our Focus This Year Will Be on Building a Disciple-Making Process in the Local Church

On Campus Registration for those staying at Webster Conference Center is

$40.00 per adult or $60.00 per couple. This includes one night’s lodging, Saturday breakfast and lunch.

Off CampusIf you would prefer to stay off-campus your registration cost is $15.00 per person. This includes Saturday breakfast & lunch.

Childcare is provided at no cost.

Please mail registration and payment to: KNCSB, 5410 SW 7th St., Topeka, KS 66606

If you have any questions or information about hotels if you prefer to

stay off campus, contact Jana Gifford (jgifford@kncsb.org) or call 1/800/984-9092 (Ext. 840).

Registration Deadline: April 10, 2015

Church Seeks PastorFirst Baptist Church, Chama N.M. Is seeking the Lord’s direction for a full-time pas-tor to serve this Southern Baptist congregation in northern New Mexico in a beautiful mountain community. Please submit resumes by email to Tim Kaul, Chairman, Pas-tor Search Committee at tim@nnmre.com or by hard mail at FBC Chama, P.O. Box 1216,Chama, NM 87520

Church Seeks Worship PastorGrowing Southern Baptist church in Kansas is seeking a bi-vocational Associate Pastor of Music Ministry to work with the Senior Pastor, be responsible for planning and lead-ing Sunday morning worship service, working with the choir, praise team, and all instru-mentalists. This position would also plan and lead music for Sunday and Wednesday evening. For more information, visit http://www.cornerstonelawrence.com/

Church Seeks Worship Arts PastorMetro East Church in Wichita, KS, is seeking a Worship Arts Pastor to lead a band-style God-centered worship while utilizing state-of-the-art technology, sound and lighting in a 400 seat worship center. This staff member will be part of team-oriented staff approach. For more info on the church go to www.metroeastbaptist.com. If interested, send resume, worship samples and references to mpenick@metroeast-baptist.com.

Mission OpportunityBaptist churches in the Vina del Mar area of Chile have invited Baptist churches from America to send teams to work with them in sharing the Good News. There is a tre-mendous need for evangelism in this area. The trip will be October 16-25, 2015. This trip is sponsored by the International Convention. Scott Mayse is the coordi-nator for this trip. To get more information about the trip contact him at ScottM@IC-World.org or call 913-731-0539.

Church Seeks Youth PastorCrossPoint Church, Hutchinson, Kansas is seeking a Youth Pastor to work with the local campus pastor to disciple youth in the church. Please apply at the link: https://crosspointnow.formstack.com/forms/employment. Applicants should send a resume and cover letter outlining how they meet the specific requirements of the position to hr@crosspointnow.net. While we sincerely appreciate all applications, only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

Are you ready to make a difference?

MIDWESTERN COLLEGE EXISTSTO PREPARE AND EQUIP STUDENTSTO BE THE LEADERS OF TODAYAND TOMORROW.

APPLY. VISIT. LEARN MORE.5001 N Oak Trafficway Kansas City, MO 64118 (816) 414-3733 mbts.edu/college

PREPARE TO MAKE AN IMPACT.

By T. Patrick HudsonE-mail: phudson@mbts.edu

Scholars at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary have discovered, within the institution’s Spurgeon Library collection, a Psalter that 19th-century Baptist pastor Charles Spurgeon used in the compilation of his commentary on the book of Psalms, The Treasury of David.

“One of the purposes for the existence of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Seminary is to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ for the church and the acad-emy by preserving the personal library of Charles Haddon Spurgeon and fos-tering a deeper appreciation of his life, legacy, theology, and preaching,” said Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Seminary. “It is, I believe, exhilarating and important to uncover such an arti-fact that Spurgeon personally used to create resources for fellow believers to study and better understand the book of Psalms.

“It is an evident blessing from God to allow for such a discovery, and we are grateful to Brian Albert for his dedica-tion in combing, page-by-page, through Spurgeon’s library. It is our hope, that as we delve further into the collection

in the season ahead, we will discover many more such artifacts that provide better insight into the life and ministry of Charles Spurgeon.”

In recent months, Albert – pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Lenexa, Kan., who is also a research assistant at the Spurgeon Library – has dedicated one day a week to combing through the library’s books. His process includes reviewing a book twice, looking for notations, dates, and other pertinent data. He then attempts to trace the book to other sources of Spurgeon.

Upon his discovery of the Psalter, which was published in 1864, Albert brought the work to the attention of Christian George, curator of the Spurgeon Library and assistant professor of Historical Theology. George analyzed the book and concluded that much of the handwriting in its margins belongs to Spurgeon and that it was, in fact, a working Psalter that Spurgeon had used.

To see the full article go tohttp://www.mbts.edu/psalter-used-

treasury-david-commentary-discov-ered-midwestern-seminarys-spurgeon-

library/

Psalter Used for “Treasury of David” Commentary Discovered in Midwestern Seminary’s Spurgeon Library

5001 N Oak Trafficway Kansas City, MO 64118 (816) 414-3733