VOL 1, ISSUE 2

SUMMER 2016

Because of YouSee how your giving impacts everyday lives

Branching OutWhen churches look beyond their walls

Your Church’s WebsiteSee what 7 things it should feature

8 20 24

A PARTNERSHIPTWOHAS SIDES

Romania and Virginia Baptists Partner in Ministry

BGAVAdvancing the Kingdom Together

A publication of the Baptist General Association of Virginia

Volume 1, Number 2 Summer 2016

BGAV Express is published quarterly by the Baptist General

Association of Virginia, 2828 Emerywood Parkway,

Henrico, VA 23294.

Send subscription requests to: Linda Peay

linda.peay@bgav.org800.255.2428, ext. 1204

Or visit bgav.org/express.

Send address changes to: BGAV Express

Baptist General Association of Virginia

2828 Emerywood ParkwayHenrico, VA 23294

toll-free 800.255.2428

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: John V. Upton, Jr.

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER & BGAV EXPRESS EDITOR:

Nathan White

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Meghan Wilson

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Linda Peay

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Jennifer Law

It is a joy and privilege to serve as president of the BGAV this year and to represent Virginia Baptists. Since November, I have had the opportunity to preach at two BGAV churches—First Baptist Church of Martinsville and Chatham Heights Baptist Church in Martinsville—and reconnect with many friends from my 20 years in that area.

Serving on the Executive Board as an officer has been a good and insightful experience, and I am impressed with the fine leadership that we have on the board and on our BGAV staff. My goal has been to attend the first meeting of all our standing committees, to thank them for their service, and to enjoy a brief time of fellowship with them as they meet for their various responsibilities.

Our Mission Council meeting in April was well attended and was a good time of inspiration and information. The Mission Council shared their wisdom and advice with our Executive Board and the BGAV staff through dialogue sessions, and I believe we all have a better understanding of how we work together in Virginia Baptist life. It was a holy moment for me as we shared communion together at the close of our meeting.

At the present time, our Program Committee is hard at work planning our annual meeting in November at Bonsack Baptist Church in Roanoke. On May 9 we toured their beautiful campus and made additional program plans. Please prepare now to attend this meeting November 14–16. We’re excited about the program and all the opportunities to rejoice in what God is doing in Virginia Baptist life.

I had the opportunity to meet with many of the past presidents of the BGAV on May 17, as Carl Johnson, Executive Board Chair, called us together to discuss resolutions.

Earlier in June, I was honored to bring greetings on behalf of the BGAV at the John Leland Center for Theological Studies’ graduation. I am also excited about representing Virginia Baptists at the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, in July.

My prayer is that God will enable me to serve as a good and faithful ambassador to and for Virginia Baptists throughout my year of service as president and in the future. Please know that I am available by phone, text, letter, or email if you would like to share joys or concerns with me. May God continue to bless us as we seek to serve, witness, and minister to advance God’s kingdom together in Virginia and beyond!

Blessings,

Rev. Nancy Stanton McDaniel

NANCY STANTON McDANIEL is the

President of the BGAV.

A LETTER FROM OUR BGAV PRESIDENT

The response to the first edition of the BGAV Express was tremendous. First of all, thank you for reading it, for sharing a copy with someone else, and for highlighting the magazine in your church. Secondly, thank you for your feedback, suggestions, and encouragement.

We’re very excited about this edition, because missions is the at the core of what we do. The Kingdom work we do here in Virginia and beyond is made possible by joining together and serving alongside one another. As you read through this magazine, you’ll notice a few new items, including a “Because of You” section, a letter from our BGAV President, and some resource ideas for your church.

We’re printing more copies of this edition in response to the high demand we’ve received. After reading this magazine, I’d encourage you to pass it along to someone who needs to read it. Also, if you’d like to receive a copy in your own home, please visit bgav.org/express to subscribe or call Linda Peay at 800.255.2428, ext. 1204.

I still covet your ideas, feedback, and constructive criticisms. Please drop me an email at nathan.white@bgav.org or give me a call at 800.255.2428, ext. 1206.

Grace and peace,

4 // “I Remember When...”

5 // “Through You, For All”

6 // BGAV News & Notes

8 // Because of You

10 // A Partnership Has Two Sides

15 // Making Mission Matters

16 // New Position Coordinates Long-Term Tornado Recovery Volunteers

17 // Summer Missionaries Serve Across Virginia and the World

17 // Church Planting Updates

18 // “And” the Focus of 3rd Fresh Expressions US National Gathering

20 // Branching Out: When Churches Look Beyond Their Walls

23 // 4 Ways to Appreciate Your Teachers

24 // 7 Things Your Church Website Should Feature

25 // 8 Ways a Leadership Coach Improves My Ministry

26 // BCMs Connect in Ministry to Students of Valley-area Schools

27 // Latino Network Graduates Largest Certificate Class at Averett’s May Commencement Ceremony

28 // BGAV Partnerships Around the World

30 // Who Needs an Association?

31 // Latest Ministry Jobs

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

A PARTNERSHIPTWOHAS SIDES // pg 10

NATHAN WHITE is the Chief Marketing

Officer of the BGAV and editor of BGAV Express.

My family and I have been blessed to have been involved in and affected by partnership missions over the years.

My wife, Douglas, has been involved with the Virginia-Panama Baptist Partnership by going each January to Panama as a nurse practitioner on a medical team from several churches in Virginia. The team works together with the Fundacion Cristiana Medico Social (Medical Social Christian Foundation) in clinics in rural villages.

My brother, Rodney, went on a number of partnership construction team trips both in the states and overseas. One time, we traveled together to St. Croix to replace roofs that had been destroyed by a tropical storm. About 20–30 of us volunteers were there from several states. We ate and slept in a school building and held worship together each night. Because the need was so great and we were so focused on our work, the trip was a moving experience for both of us.

While I was on staff at the International Mission Board (IMB), partnership missions literally exploded. Almost overnight, thousands of Baptists began traveling overseas on partnership missions. Missionaries would identify mission opportunities, and the IMB would work with state conventions to resource the volunteers.

Because of the increased number of volunteers, field logistics, such as securing housing, meals, ground transportation, language interpreters, etc., were sometimes overwhelming. In addition, there was a growing list of needs on the field that the volunteers could take on, such as construction, preaching, evangelism, working with children, camps, mechanics, medical, etc. Sometimes, an entire team might come from one church, while at other times, teams would be from one district association. But no matter how big a group is or how small, how complicated details are or how simple they become, I’m always fascinated when churches respond to missions.

I recall one instance when a missionary from a Caribbean island called in need. He was serving as the mission treasurer, and explained that a pastor with a team of 30 people from one church had shown up to assist without any prior notice to the missionary. This group was so eager to serve, they chartered their own private plane and spent two weeks serving at a church that wasn’t part of the Baptist association. When they were ready to return home to the states, the team discovered the plane wouldn’t start. The airplane contractor only had one plane, so the pastor requested the mission treasurer to purchase tickets for them to fly home. This pastor pledged to reimburse the IMB for this expense, and sure enough, two years later, the debt was paid in full.

The BGAV has ample opportunities for partnership missions through the great work being done in Romania, where my granddaughter will be going on a partnership trip in July. Other mission opportunities include More Than Nets in Ghana, serving with indigenous church planters in Europe, working with the kids at the Source of Light Center in Haiti, and so much more.

So it’s open season on partnership missions. Please check with the Mission Development Staff at the BGAV about specific opportunities!

But no matter how big a group is or how small, how complicated details are or how simple they become, I’m always fascinated when churches respond to missions.

A mobile clinic in Panama

“I REMEMBER WHEN…” REMINISCENCES OF PARTNERSHIP MISSIONS

CARL JOHNSON is the Chair of the

BGAV Executive Board.

by Carl Johnson

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It is significant that the focus of the second edition of the BGAV Express is mission. The BGAV is essentially a missional body. It is important that we understand that. It is also important that we remind ourselves why that is so important. The answer to that actually goes back to Acts 2 in the birth of the church, to our birth. The church today would do well to hear its birth story afresh. It is a love story that could liberate us from many of the anxieties we face.

Here is your birth story in brief. The Spirit in Acts 2 moved over all 120 in the church, the only church. Peter even said that the Spirit’s moving over everyone was a fulfillment of prophecy that God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh. That means everyone, including you and me, as well. We are told we are the enlivened people of God, every one of us. We each have a voice and place in that mission. Each of us is irreplaceable in bearing witness to the boundless love of God in Christ.

While that should be celebrated, I know, more than ever, that most of us resist a full belonging to anything these days. We are more loosely affiliated, attached, occupied than ever. It is a cultural thing, I guess. It is also a bit of an anti-institutional thing, anti-obligation thing, anti-conformity thing, and it is certainly an autonomous, personhood thing. That is sad because in the birth story of the church, there was no conformity thing going on, everyone spoke in their own tongue, out of their own personhood, and from their own culture. The Holy Spirit has

JOHN UPTON is the Executive

Director of the BGAV.

“THROUGH YOU, FOR ALL”

by John Upton

never made copies. It only makes originals. Each of us has a unique, irreplaceable place in God’s mission.

Our forbearers in Christian faith were given the Spirit entirely for the purpose of a mission to everybody beyond themselves. It is critical that we note that the 120 were not the church until they turned their attention beyond themselves. They had been worshiping and praying together, but that didn’t make them the church. They had loved and cared for each other, but that didn’t make them the church. They had even been with Jesus in person, looked at his face, listened to his voice, and had committed their lives to him forever, and that had not made them the church. It was not until the moment when they received power and turned their face beyond themselves to engage people in their world that they were fully born as the church.

Theologian Emil Brunner famously said, “The church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning.” Our ministry to the world is not our task. It is our life. Engaging the world with the love of Christ is who we are, or we are never the people of Christ.

Holy Spirit, come. Come through the pages of this magazine and retell to us the story of our birth that we might be reminded who we are.

The Holy Spirit has never made copies. It only makes originals. Each of us has a unique, irreplaceable place in God’s mission.

5

only had enough funding to help 65. We could have had another 150 churches planted,” he said.

For lunch, Mission Council members sat with Virginia Baptist Executive Board members, dialoguing over six predetermined questions designed to prompt constructive conversation.

Mission Council members gathered back together to discuss the dialogues. Afterwards, council members met with staff members, learning more about the missions and ministries of the BGAV.

Mission Council members also nominated a slate of 15 people from which the Executive Board must pick to serve in vacant positions. Four current Executive Board members who are eligible and willing to serve additional terms were included in the 15 names.

The meeting ended with closing worship and communion. “We are blessed to serve together,” McDaniel said. “Go now in peace.”

Executive Board Fills Two Vacant PositionsThe Executive Board of the BGAV gathered together for their fourth meeting of the year on May 24. Chairman Carl Johnson opened the meeting and announced that he had received two resignations from the board: Pat Ellis and Bart McNeil, who are both, coincidentally, moving to Georgia this summer.

Becky McKinney, on behalf of the board development sub-committee, brought two names to fill the unexpired terms:

• Shirley Cobb, a member of Harrisonburg Baptist Church to fill Bart McNeil’s term, expiring in 2017.

• Andy Barnes, pastor of First Baptist Church, Gate City, to fill Pat Ellis’ term, expiring in 2018.

Shirley Cobb is an active member of Harrisonburg Baptist Church. She has taught Sunday School for over 30 years and has served as a deacon and on various committees at the church. She is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, where she earned two master’s degrees – one in English and one in counseling. While there, Cobb was active in the Baptist Student Union and served as a summer missionary through the

Mission Council Meets, Dialogues with Executive BoardThe Virginia Baptist Mission Council gathered together May 5 at the Virginia Baptist Resource Center for its annual meeting. Chair Nancy Stanton McDaniel called the meeting to order, walking council members through their duties and purpose as prescribed by the BGAV Constitution/Bylaws. “Your role is valuable in Virginia Baptist life,” she told them.

Treasurer David Washburn gave the financial report, focusing on the 2015 results and the early results so far in 2016. “Thank you for your generosity and for being advocates in BGAV life,” Washburn said. Throughout his report he ensured council members that BGAV staff was spending their contributions well and as they are directed.

Executive Director John Upton shared with council members that “God has something special He wants us to do.”

He went on to tell the BGAV story through numbers, saying “these numbers tell us not just what we’re doing, they show us the future of which we’re moving into… we’re being propelled into a new place—a bigger place than I dreamed of 10 years ago. I don’t know what that place will look like but it will be huge.”

One example that resonated among council members was the number of church planters present at the first-ever Praxis conference last year. “Out of 298 potential church planters, we

BGAV President and Mission Council Chair Nancy Stanton McDaniel convenes the meeting.

6

NEWS NOTES+

Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. For the past 20 years, she has been the Associate Director/Clinical Director of the James Madison University Counseling Center.

Andy Barnes is lead pastor at First Baptist Church in Gate City, where he has served since 2010. Prior to coming to Virginia, Barnes served as pastor in Tennessee and North Carolina. His first step into full-time ministry was with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia as Area Director. Barnes has also previously been a member of the Virginia Baptist Mission Council.

The two were approved. At the conclusion of their respective terms, both are eligible to serve two more terms.

The board also approved the following recommendations:• Nominations of Brad Hoffman and Phil Faig to the Fresh

Expressions US board.• Dates for Executive Board and Mission Council meetings

in 2017.

The Executive Board has a tentative date of August 16 to meet, if needed, else the next meeting will be September 13.

July10–16 Impact Mission Camp, Orange

14–16 Fresh Expressions US Ananias Retreat, Richmond

16–26 Impact Mission Camp, Romania

17–23 Impact Mission Camp, Wise

18–22 Music and Worship Arts Camp: Belong, Lynchburg

21–22 Appalachian Retreat, Lebanon

23–8/ 2 Impact Mission Camp, Romania

24–30 Impact Mission Camp, Saluda

25–29 MC2: Missions Connection Celebration,

Lynchburg

August6 Church Weekday Education Conference,

Richmond

15 Sunday School Training: Teaching Adults – Teaching That Changes Lives, Newport News

16 Sunday School Training: Teaching Adults – Teaching That Changes Lives, Staunton

20 Transform – Teaching That Changes Lives (LifeWay Conference), Falls Church

September8 Compensation Planning Seminar, Richmond

9–10 Youth Ministry Certification – Youth Ministry 101, Richmond

10 Virginia Baptist Women’s Chorale: “On My Journey Home,” Orange

13 Compensation Planning Seminar, Newport News

15 Compensation Planning Seminar, Roanoke

20 Compensation Planning Seminar, Stafford

22 Compensation Planning Seminar, Appomattox

27 Compensation Planning Seminar, Alexandria

Event Calendar

Complete list of events at

bgav.org/events

For more BGAV news, visit bgav.org/news

David Washburn, BGAV treasurer, introduces the financial report to Executive Board members.

7

Because of

You...

...hundreds of high school students gathered at Eagle Eyrie Conference

Center for Journey, a retreat to help students be lifelong learners, lifelong

leaders, and lifelong followers of Christ. While there, the students raised nearly $700 towards an

offering for disaster response for the Virginia tornado victims.

...children and youth gathered together into three choirs for the Virginia Baptist All-State

Choirs concert. These auditioned choirs allow the students to discover and utilize their God-given talents within the context of music and worship leadership, as they sang with others outside of their own surroundings who also enjoy singing.

...youth leaders learned ways to engage parents in the spiritual lives of their teens. Attendees were given new ideas to apply to

their ministries, were challenged to keep asking good questions about effective ministry to

teenagers, and were encouraged as they met others who minister to teens.

8

...dozens of college students and young adults traveled overseas on missions, learning about how God is at work in the world. This Kairos Missions Initiative group posed for a photo before leaving for Romania in support of

Virginia’s partnership with the Baptists there.

...the BGAV is assisting in long-term disaster recovery efforts in Appomattox and Essex following the tornadoes that struck earlier

this year. Kristen Curtis has been hired as the Appomattox Rebuild Volunteer Coordinator.

Read more on page 16.

...through worship gatherings, breakout seminars, and mission training sessions, about 200 attendees from BGAV churches across

the state received practical tools and reflected on their unique calling at the first-ever

Mission Matters, held April 29–30, 2016, at Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church.

Read more on page 15.

9

A PARTNERSHIPTWOHAS SIDES

Romania and Virginia Baptists Partner in Ministry

by Jennifer LawJohn Miller, Goshen Baptist Association’s director of missions,

with Brother Iosif Cristea of the Roma church in Bolintin. Goshen and Shiloh Associations sent a small construction team to work together with Roma churches in Mizil and in Bolintin.

“Mission happens when we share life with each other,” explains Craig Waddell, BGAV partnership coordinator.

The concept of mutuality in partnership is what sets apart BGAV partnerships from many other U.S.-based missions and ministry efforts. Since late 2013, the BGAV has been in a partnership with Romania Baptists called Together for Others, a theme that incorporates the two-sided nature of the relationship—where both partners give and receive.

“We include the ‘for others’ part,” says Waddell, “because we work best as the Church when we cooperate to minister outside our own walls. Just as a bird needs two wings to fly, the Church won’t get very far without both parts of its mission—its two wings: working together and for others. The goal of the partnership is to get churches outside our own walls in order to lift up and bless our communities in the name of Christ,” he explains, “and that goal applies to both Romania and Virginia Baptists.”

Waddell further illustrates, “When we began the official partnership with Romania, we were actually intensifying relationships we already had there. We do this in most of the places where we choose to initiate partnerships.”

Because of the BGAV’s connections to the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) and the European Baptist Federation (EBF), Romania and Virginia Baptists have been friends for a long time and have cooperated in several different mission endeavors. The BGAV had worked with Otniel “Oti” Bunaciu, a Romania Baptist leader, pastor, and professor in Bucharest who has become the main liaison between Romania Baptists and Virginia Baptists in the current partnership.

Through his relations with Virginia Baptists, Bunaciu developed an appreciation for the mutuality approach that the BGAV takes in partnerships, and he wanted Romania Baptists to have that kind of experience. “A key moment came,” says Waddell, “when Oti was elected president of Romania Baptists and also president of EBF at the same time. He was able to initiate the partnership he had been hoping for.”

Five Focus AreasTogether for Others focuses on five areas of ministry: church planting and evangelism, working together with the Roma people, women’s ministry, awareness and prevention of human trafficking, and training young leaders/youth ministry. These focus areas provide a wide variety of opportunities for associations, churches, and individuals who are interested in participating—whether short term or long term. Thus far, the partnership has enriched both Baptist communities in several different ways.

The EBF has an indigenous church planters program where the goal is to educate and train leaders who are already living in the countries where they will minister. “For the past 10-15 years, the BGAV has been part of this church planting effort,” explains Waddell. “We support the movement to put resources behind people who live [in the country where they will serve] and already know the economy, the culture, and the people. We’ve sponsored church planters in Romania, and now we are further supporting this effort as part of the partnership.” Church plants are an effective avenue through which a church or association can form a long-term relationship and work together on an ongoing basis.

J.R. Eley of Shiloh Baptist Association gets to know folks in Mizil, Romania (top). Roma children visit the construction site at the church in Mizil to meet the visitors (right).

A PARTNERSHIPHAS SIDESRomania and Virginia Baptists Partner in Ministry

11

The BGAV works together with the Roma people in several ways such as Project Ruth, a coordinated missions effort that includes the Ruth School (educating Roma children), Naomi Center for Women (providing vocational training and counseling), and Gypsy Smith School, or GSS (named for a missionary nicknamed “Gypsy Smith,” who envisioned educating Roma/gypsy people with no formal training but feel called to be pastors). The BGAV has helped by sending pastors to teach GSS Mobile modules, which are short-term intensive courses offered regionally so that Roma pastors don’t have to travel great distances to take the classes. Pastors and volunteers are constantly needed to help with all these ministries.

Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia (WMUV), with numerous resources and expertise to offer, has taken the lead in addressing the women’s ministry and raising awareness of the human trafficking crisis. While Romania Baptist women don’t typically serve as pastors because of cultural expectations, they do initiate and organize many mission projects and ministries. Virginia Baptists have worked alongside Romania Baptist women in ministry training.

Regarding human trafficking, Romanians and Virginians face similar challenges: churches often do not recognize the need to raise awareness because they don’t think it is an issue that affects them. WMUV has made strides in this ministry and is able to resource Virginians and Romanians alike as they work together to learn and to meet needs, but they need volunteers to make these things happen.

In training young leaders and in youth ministry, opportunities abound for both sides of the partnership. Last year, Romania Baptists sent three young ministers to Virginia as summer interns; this summer, they are sending six. Each of the six are serving in a different place of ministry: Bonsack Baptist Church in Roanoke, the Baptist Campus Ministry at the College of William and Mary, CrossRoads Camp and Conference Center, the Peninsula Baptist

Association, Smithfield Baptist Church, and West Main Baptist Church in Danville (along with the campus ministry at Averett University).

In addition, Virginia Baptists have sent students and campus ministers to Romania to offer regional training while also helping organize and send teams to work with Impact Romania. Impact Romania is an event modeled after Impact Virginia, which provides hands-on ministry opportunities for students. Youth ministers in Romania work with youth and young adults through about 25 years of age, and the ministers are challenged by a growing influence of consumerism that brings competition to the church and what it has to offer. Virginians and Romanians are learning from each other about how to reach young people with the gospel amidst these cultural challenges.

Recent UpdatesIn April 2016, Waddell traveled with a small team to Romania to check on existing work, to explore opportunities for new involvement, and to cultivate the relationships that have been built over the last few years.

Team member Joey McNeill, pastor of Fort Trial Baptist Church, went to look specifically for a place where his church and other members of the Henry County Association might establish a long-term relationship. He met Pavel, a minister who feels called to serve in the region of Turnu-Severin. In this area, there are nine mission points (very small churches), and Pavel is the only pastor. McNeill and Pavel found many ways in which they believe they can work together, and future plans are underway.

Waddell challenges Baptists all across Virginia to consider ways they might become involved in the Romania partnership. “Because we have a number of ministries already in place,

The daughter of church planter family Gavril and Mariane, living outside the city of Turnu-Severin, feeds a pet lamb (right). Welford Orrock and the Kairos Mission Initiative team at the Ruth School (of Project Ruth) in the Ferentari neighborhood of Bucharest, Romania (below).

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For more information, visit bgav.org/Romania

volunteers can make a real contribution even if they can only make one trip and participate in the short term,” he explains. “Whether someone wants to work in a sports camp or an English camp, to exchange skills and experiences, to have education dialogues, or to do anything that enhances the standing of these churches in their communities, they can help us use culture to build bridges rather than separating people.”

Waddell also greatly encourages long-term relationships, and as partnership coordinator, one of his roles is to help churches, associations, and individuals identify ways in which they can work together with Romanians for many years to come. “We are linking churches and associations with church planting teams in southern and eastern Romania—starting relationships between them,” he said.

Ongoing Relationships“In Romanian culture, relationships are sought and valued,” explains Waddell. “And it’s important to us at the BGAV to honor our commitment in the long term. Even after the partnership is complete, we will work to foster the relationships we’ve started. We will continue to offer support to teams who want to go and to those who want to keep working with Romania Baptists.”

“We’re not in this just to get the t-shirt, come home and do the slide show, and be done,” comments Waddell. “We’re not going to build things that will fall down when we leave. We are in this to learn from them, too.”

Opportunities for Virginia BaptistsAre you intrigued by this partnership? As a Virginia Baptist, you have the opportunity to share your gifts and learn from others in a relationship of shared ministry. If you, your church, and/or your association wants to learn more about how to get involved with the Romania partnership, contact Craig Waddell at 800.255.2428, ext. 7263, or craig.waddell@bgav.org.

Children sit in class at the Ruth School (top left). Family members, like this Roma woman,

visit children who attend the Ruth School (above).13

Complete allocations available online.Please contact WMUV at 800.255.2428, ext. 8267, or email wmuv@wmuv.org to order additional copies of materials.

Additional Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions materials are also available for download at www.almahunt.org.

“Make the

most

of every

chance

you get.”

EPHESIANS 5:15-17

September 11-18, 2016

$1,167,500

EMPHASIS DATES

OFFERING GOAL

Find out more:

AlmaHunt.org

#AlmaHunt16

Participants at Mission Matters, hosted by the BGAV, spent a weekend this spring wrestling with questions of why mission matters and how they can effectively engage in mission in today’s world.

Through worship gatherings, breakout seminars, and mission training sessions, about 200 attendees from BGAV churches across the state received practical tools and reflected on their unique calling alongside fellow Virginia Baptists on mission.

Dr. Nabil Costa, Executive Director of the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development (LSESD), spoke throughout the weekend about the importance of God’s call to mission.

“Sometimes we pray answers, not questions,” he shared during Friday evening’s gathering. He challenged attendees instead to listen to God, even if, and especially when, it requires stepping outside of their comfort zones.

Costa also shared about the important work of LSESD as a BGAV mission partner. They minister to Syrian refugees, equip leaders for the Church in the Arab world, provide continuing education through a Baptist school, and have expanded services for students with special needs.

Participants who are preparing for upcoming mission service in Romania and Haiti, including projects with Impact Mission Camps, completed orientation sessions to get ready for these experiences. In doing so, they learned cultural specifics about their destinations while engaging with the BGAV’s emphasis on “global discipleship.”

Sessions also included conversations around the local congregations’ role in responding to mental illness in their communities and in serving immigrant neighbors through legal

aid. In addition, attendees explored how to more effectively engage churches in shifting existing local missions strategies from relief to development and in addressing hunger and food insecurity in their communities.

More than 80 volunteers completed certification training with Virginia Baptist Disaster Response, enabling them to respond the next time a disaster strikes. Volunteers who completed the feeding training received additional hands-on instruction as they prepared Saturday’s lunch for conference attendees.

This inaugural event was an energetic gathering of diverse folks from across the BGAV on mission through a wide variety of ministries with a common calling to be Christ’s hands and feet in the world. Look for more information about the next Mission Matters event coming this fall in the Northern Virginia region. We hope to see you there!

MAKING MISSION MATTERS

by Caitlin Figura

BGAV Disaster Response Coordinator Aaron Lee leads a certification training session during the Mission Matters event.

For more information, visit bgav.org/MissionMatters

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New Position Coordinates Long-Term Tornado Recovery Volunteers

In Essex County, pastors Roy Foster (Upper Essex) and Larry Schools (Ephesus) are working hard to help connect volunteers and resources with homeowners who need assistance. Foster is serving as construction coordinator for the Essex County committee, and Schools was active in the formation of the Essex County donation center which collected and distributed food and household items in the weeks following the tornado.

Both pastors were instrumental in providing relief efforts and hosting volunteers immediately following the tornado, and they

are confident the churches in their community are poised and ready to help.

Beyond Appomattox and Essex, Virginia Baptists have been serving their own communities across the state to help homeowners discover their “new normal.” Twelve counties were affected by eight tornadoes, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

“Generous donations from Virginia Baptists following these tornadoes will allow us to complete projects in Appomattox and Essex counties and the town of Waverly,” said Lee.

Several months have now passed since a pair of EF3 tornadoes caused significant damage in Appomattox and Essex counties, and Virginia Baptists are actively supporting the ongoing rebuilding efforts in those localities.

Each county has formed a local Long Term Recovery Committee, comprised of local leaders and tasked with assessing and financing rebuilding projects. BGAV pastors and leaders are in key roles on each committee, including a new position in Appomattox to ensure projects there are completed.

Kristen Curtis, a resident of Appomattox, is serving as volunteer coordinator in a position supported by the BGAV through Virginia Baptist Disaster Response.

“Our teams were some of the first to arrive in Appomattox following the tornadoes,” said Aaron Lee, disaster response coordinator, “and it is important for us to continue walking alongside the community for the long haul. Supporting this position is one way we can offer continued assistance to the community’s rebuilding efforts and help homeowners receive assistance as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Alongside casework, fiscal management, construction coordination, and spiritual care of the committee, this position ensures volunteers are matched with appropriate tasks to help residents continue the rebuilding process. Adam Tyler, pastor of Grace Hills Baptist Church in Appomattox and second vice president of the BGAV, currently serves as chair of this committee.

“Her efforts will help our community match committed volunteers with residents who are in need in the aftermath of the February tornado,” said Tyler. “Kristen is a great ambassador for Virginia Baptists.”

“I am excited,” Curtis said, “to help my neighbors in Appomattox rebuild their homes and find a ‘new normal’ after the terrible destruction they experienced.”

Kristen Curtis

For more information, visit bgav.org/disaster

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Below are two reports from BGAV church plants. Please be in prayer for each church as they work to share the gospel in their communities.

Restoration Church, Gaithersburg, MD“God has been relentlessly giving us a foretaste of what is to come. He is staging us—our leadership, our families, our team, our people—to incarnate the mission God has established for us. We are inviting people into our Jesus-centered way of life and have had several families join us. We host a weekly Vision Gathering each Sunday and Community Groups on Wednesday evenings. God-willing, we will launch publicly in October!”

Austin Mustard Seed, Austin, TX“Austin Mustard Seed is a bustling community, learning together what it means to Practice the Way of Jesus for North/Central Austin. As we enter our third year, we have a lot of joys! Non-believers are finding a sense of community and welcome, and we recently had a baby blessing for the 14 children that have been born within our community. We also have a few big challenges, such as developing an official leadership team that will assist the staff, and establishing a Rhythm of Life that will shape our common life together. It’s a big year, and we can’t wait to see where God takes us!”

DID YOU KNOW?The BGAV is fueling a church planting movement in Virginia and beyond. Out of hundreds of eligible and trained church planters, we have the opportunity to fund a large percentage of these church plants with your financial support. Want to help spread the gospel? We are seeking to raise $750,000.00 in order to (a) increase the total number of BGAV churches to 1,500 by 2020 and (b) plant a BGAV church in every state by 2025.

Visit bgav.org/donate or give to the Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions (almahunt.org) to help with BGAV church-planting efforts.

Thanks to our fellowship with partners, both domestically and internationally, the BGAV is able to send out summer missionaries to places near and far for six to eight weeks. “We have a great group of students this year,” said Glenn Maddox, missions mobilizer. “We are excited to serve in locations that provide students with real-world training while supporting the ministries we have in place with our partners,” he added.

Venturers• Alma Vela and Sarah Phillips are serving with the Lebanese

Society for Educational & Social Development in Beirut. Alma attends Virginia Tech and is a member of Columbia Baptist Church at Crossroads. Sarah attends James Madison University and is a member of Round Hill Baptist Church.

• Drew Dellinger is serving in Vienna, Austria, with Cesar Sotomayor, a church planter whom BGAV leaders met through the partnership with the European Baptist Federation. Drew is a Virginia Tech student and serves as a youth leader at Northstar Church.

• Lindsey Hughes is serving in Yendi, Ghana, in support of More Than Nets and other ministries. Lindsey attends William and Mary.

CHURCH PLANTING UPDATES

Via Vite — San Bernardino, CA

The Journey Church — Chesapeake, VA

New Life Connections Ministry — Glen Allen, VA

The Brooks Church — Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Somang Church — Falls Church, VA

Glocal Community Church — Fairfax, VA

2016 Church Plants

• Hannah Strouth and Kristin Marker are serving with the Southwest Virginia Partnership in Nickelsville. Hannah is at William and Mary and attends Williamsburg Baptist Church while at school. Kristin is at James Madison University and is a member of Kenbridge Baptist Church.

Impact Mission Camps• Mikayla Clarke is a returning Impact Staffer and attends

Longwood University.• Kyle Julius is a member of Falling River Baptist Church

and attends Liberty University.• Erin Waddell is a member of First Baptist Church,

Richmond, and attends James Madison University.• Meghan Young is a member of Olive Branch Baptist

Church and attends Liberty University.• Fiona Waddell is serving with Impact in Romania, after

having completed her time as a Venturer in Austria. She is a member of First Baptist Church, Richmond. Fiona is working alongside Romanian youth in various ministries through the BGAV/Romania Baptist Partnership.

In addition, Fredrik Aasen and Amalie Lund, two students from Norway, are serving at the Impact Virginia sites.

Each missionary is writing blog posts and sharing pictures from their experiences throughout the summer so that Virginia Baptists and other supporters can know better how to pray for them. Follow their stories at bgav.org/2016summer.

Summer Missionaries Serve Across Virginia and the World

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“AND” THE FOCUS OF 3RD FRESH EXPRESSIONS US NATIONAL GATHERING

by Nathan White

Over 400 folks from a number of denominations across the nation gathered in April at First Baptist Church, Alexandria, for the third Fresh Expressions US National Gathering.

Gannon Sims, director of ministry formation and communications, welcomed attendees, explaining how Fresh Expressions US was born out of a vision of the BGAV several years ago, and Methodists, Anglicans, and other denominations soon joined in as key partners. He introduced Bishop Graham Cray, one of the pioneers of Fresh Expressions in the United Kingdom, and shared how Virginia Baptists traveled to London to learn from him. Cray later related, “We were not marketing Fresh Expressions; they came to us!”

Bishop Cray presented the origin of Fresh Expressions, stating that the movement began in the Church of England by asking the question, “Who are the churches not serving?”

He explained that Fresh Expressions is designed to equip churches to reach those who they are not currently reaching. He challenged the crowd that, while discerning what God would have their respective churches and ministries do, to “always, always, always do what the Holy Spirit says.”

Jo Saxton, co-pastor of Mission Point Church in Minnesota and chair of the Board for 3DMovements, spoke from Acts 2, sharing that in the early church, people were living in difficult times. “They had a hard time imagining how God would move, but move He did,” she said.

Saxton added, “We need to look at both our posture and our practices,” and explained that Paul entered Athens and studied the artifacts and practices and then preached into that culture. “We need to actually see where God has placed us,” she said.

John Upton brought greetings from the BGAV and spoke to the “And” theme. He said, “We live in a world of praise and fellowship—and a world of pain and despair. We have to live in both. Anguish and praise have to hold hands. Loss and hope have to hold hands. We live in the reality of ‘And.’”

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In addition to plenaries, a number of breakout sessions were available, as was a concert by worship leader Audrey Assad, a recording artist from Nashville.

Several dozen BGAV pastors, along with Upticks from Spence Network, joined together for a meal at Downtown Baptist Church. There they had an intimate Q&A session with Bishop Cray.

During that discussion, John Upton, Wayne Faison (Growth-Venture Staff Coordinator), and John Chandler from Spence Network were able to more fully explain how the BGAV discovered Fresh Expressions and how it was launched. “As we looked at the future of denominational life, we needed space to move into,” Upton shared. To Bishop Cray, Upton said, “Thank you for helping us find that space.”

For more information, visit FreshExpressionsUS.org

Bishop Graham Cray speaks to attendees during the Gathering (left). Fresh Expressions conducts a panel discussion among key BGAV staff (right).

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BranchingOutIf you peruse a BGAV church directory, you will see some churches listed with multiple campuses. You may wonder why a Texas church has the same name as a church in Hampton Roads. Why would a church in Powhatan establish a separate campus 40 miles away? Church congregations have often pondered where and what God wants them to be. By reviewing factors among the church members’ habits as well as the needs of the community, some churches take a leap of faith in branching out of its central location.

From Virginia to TexasThe original campus of Freedom Life Church in Hampton, VA, is less than five miles from Langley Air Force Base. Because of its location, some of its congregation consists of military families—families which are often transient. When they started offering their church services online, they noticed something fascinating: as many of their military families moved from Hampton to their next base assignment in San Antonio, they continued to participate in Freedom Life Church through an online connection.

Anyone can access Freedom Life Church services by logging onto its website. As Glenn Akins, BGAV assistant executive director, described, “When reviewing internet activity, the church discovered a significant amount of traffic from San Antonio. Further exploration showed that those families would gather together and view a church service via the Internet.” There was enough activity for the Hampton-based church to move a pastor, his family, and a core of trained leaders to San Antonio, TX, to facilitate church services for those members. Akins attended the commissioning service and presented a BGAV grant check to the church. Freedom Life Church in San Antonio, TX, is a growing campus and now hosts Saturday services in a chapel of a sister church.

Church by RequestPowhatan Community Church (PCC) has recently changed its name to Passion Community Church because its reach extends beyond Powhatan County. PCC now boasts three physical campuses as well as an online campus. Church leaders noted

that a significant contingent of its members were commuting from Midlothian, a nearby locality. In response, PCC opened its Midlothian campus in a movie theater, and soon moved to a nearby middle school as they continued to grow.

The church also noticed a group of their attenders commuting from Fork Union—a 45-minute drive—so they began to consider launching a new campus in southern Fluvanna County. They acquired an old building supply store, retrofitted it for worship services, and launched the site. Akins said, “PCC is a regional church in a rural community, and with this campus, they are putting the ‘local’ into the local church.”

OffshootsOn Easter Sunday 1995, Highlands Fellowship held its first service in a recreation center in Abingdon, VA. To date, they have seven campuses with plans for more. In addition to the Abingdon location, their church campuses include local schools in Wise, VA, and Norton, VA, as well as in Elizabethton, TN; in Bristol, VA, over 1,000 people gather and worship in a shopping center location. Later this year, the Bristol campus will be moving to a former Sprint call center. Other locations are Johnson City, TN; Marion, VA; Bluefield, VA; and an online campus.

There are other success stories of multi-sites in Virginia and beyond. New Hope Church in Lorton, VA, noticed that U.S. military personnel were viewing its services in Germany. New

Attendees gather outside Highlands Fellowship’s Bristol campus.

When Churches Look Beyond Their Walls

by Linda Peay

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Hope began providing online resources to facilitate small groups in different locations, including sermon outlines and Bible study materials.

Bon Air Baptist Church in Chesterfield has four locations, including the Robious Hall Mission Center. That site is in a strip mall near a mobile home community where many Latinos reside. They offer worship and materials in Spanish and

English. In this situation, Bon Air decided to take church to the community, and they have found success in providing staff and mission volunteers to serve in various ministries.

Things to ConsiderWhen churches consider launching another site, Akins reviews a predictable range of options with them. Which option is the most realistic and which can most effectively work? There are many factors to research before opening a separate location.

Churches must research the areas from where the members and visitors are traveling. If there is a significant number of people from one area, then a small group can form and grow to serve that area.

What is the commute time for members? Are some people only showing up on Sunday mornings and no other weekly activities? If a one-way trip is 30 minutes or more, there may be a perceived inconvenience for that member or visitor to plug into the church’s ministries, committees, and meetings.

Is there cultural diversity in the community? Some churches open another location to serve cultures that may worship in a different way, and they offer an alternative model.

Is there a connection in another community that would benefit from a merger? Unfortunately, some church congregations find their best option is to close their doors, yet there are some who are looking for a building into which to move. A new church and resources can bring new life to the building and community. Sometimes the congregations merge, and sometimes the new church fully takes over the building.

Thanks to your generous contributions, the BGAV is able to assist churches in expanding their ministries to other localities/campuses. To learn more about this specific funding, visit bgav.org/grants.

Recent Multi-site Launches• New Hope Church, Lorton, VA – online campus

(September 2015)• Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, Stafford, VA (September 2015)• Highlands Fellowship, Bluefield, VA (September 2015)• Highlands Fellowship, Elizabethton, TN (December 2015)

BGAV Churches with Multi-site Campuses• Atlee Community Church, Mechanicsville, VA• Bon Air Baptist Church, Richmond, VA• Columbia Baptist Church, Falls Church, VA• Fairview Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, VA• Franklin Heights Baptist Church, Rocky Mount, VA• Freedom Life Church, Hampton, VA• Highlands Fellowship, Abingdon, VA• Mount Ararat Baptist Church , Stafford, VA• New Hope Church, Lorton, VA• New Life Christian Fellowship, Blacksburg, VA• Northstar Church, Blacksburg, VA• One Way Church, Fairfax, VA• Portico Church, Charlottesville, VA• Passion Community Church, Powhatan, VA• The District Church , Washington, DC• The Saint Paul’s Baptist Church , Richmond, VA

Bon Air Baptist Church pastor Tom Stocks (pictured right) and Bon Air @ the Village campus pastor Jake Maxwell (pictured left) conduct baptisms in the James River (left). Churchgoers participate in worship at Freedom Life Church. (below)

For more information, visit bgav.org/multisites21

BGAVAdvancing the Kingdom Together

Join Us in the Valley for the

November 14-16, 2016Bonsack Baptist Church

Roanoke, VA

BGAV ANNUAL MEETING

2016 THEME:

“The New Way” (John 13:35 NIV)

More information at bgav.org/meeting

#BGAV16

main speakerGABE LYONS

Monday, November 14

Registration open, Ministry Fair4:00 p.m. Breakouts5:30 p.m. Dinner7:00 p.m. Gathering I

Tuesday, November 15

Registration open, Ministry Fair8:45 a.m. Business Session10:00 a.m. Gathering II2:00 p.m. Regional Meetings3:45 p.m. Breakouts5:15 p.m. Family Reunion Dinner7:00 p.m. Gathering III8:30 p.m. Family Fellowship

Wednesday, November 16

Registration open, Ministry Fair8:45 a.m. Business Session10:00 a.m. Gathering IV

Note: Schedule is tentative and subject to change.

4 WAYS TO APPRECIATE YOUR TEACHERS

“Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19 NIV) Bible study teachers work tirelessly to share Scripture and life applications with their students. They teach out of love and a passion for God’s Word, so they expect no form of compensation. Showing them appreciation, however, is always appropriate. Here are four ways to let teachers know you care: 1. Share some love the first week of October. Whether you have a new teacher or a veteran, thank all teachers for their work. Send them a letter or have a commissioning service during worship to help them know that they are missionaries and disciple makers! 2. Thank them throughout the year. Send cards for birthdays, wedding anniversaries, teaching anniversaries, and ask them how to pray for them and their classes.

3. When they experience grief in their class, let them know you care. Classes experience grief. Let them know you are praying. 4. Teachers become mentors over a lifetime. Celebrate with them. They are “Mr. Holland’s Opus!” (Perhaps you should send them the movie on DVD!) Visit bgav.org/celebrateteachers to watch a true story of how to encourage them. Teachers have the greatest opportunity in the world; they are sharing God’s Word and inspiring others to do the same!

by Tony Brooks

SS AdSUNDAY SCHOOL TRAINING

August 15, 2016Orcutt Baptist Church

Newport News, VA

August 16, 2016Memorial Baptist Church

Staunton, VA

transformational teaching • practical teaching methods • classroom dynamics

Led by some of our nation’s best practitioners in Adult Sunday School ministry, this fast-paced training will equip teachers to build groups with a central focus

on seeing lives transformed through the teaching and ministry of the group.

No registration required. Visit bgav.org/sundayschool for more information.

Teaching Adults: Teaching that Changes Lives

7 THINGS YOUR CHURCH WEBSITE SHOULD FEATURE

Does your church website need a fresh start? Is your church in the middle of rebuilding its website? In addition to typical items such as staff pictures, bios, info on the church’s ministries, and sermons or recent publications, here are seven things you’ll want to ensure your website has before its opening day:

1. The church’s locationBefore you say “duh” and turn the page, consider how many churches are named “Bethel” or “First” or “Calvary,” etc. When a visitor finds your church website, be sure to communicate on the homepage that they found the correct church and that they know exactly where you are located.

2. Service timesGone are the days when one could assume Sunday School is at 9:45 and the worship service is at 11:00. Imagine being a visitor walking into church thinking worship begins at 11:00, only to discover it actually began at 10:45. Oops!

3. The “When visiting” or “I’m new here” pageChurches will want to answer a visitor’s questions ahead of time. Explain where to park, what folks wear, and what they can expect worship to be like. There are many different types of churches with the word “Baptist” in their name – what happens at your church?

4. The “Why I attend this church” pageNotice that I didn’t write “Why I’m a member,” as many churches have long-time attenders that, for whatever reason, have not joined. Find a cross-section of attenders that represent different life stages and various lengths of time at the church. Find people who are there three out of four Sundays and are more inclined to smile and greet visitors.

Then ask them to answer the question “Why do you attend this church?” in a few sentences or via a video. Take their picture and post it along with their answer on the website. Think about different ways to break through the walls of the church and put real, identifiable faces and voices to the website.

5. Preschool/children’s ministry security policiesThe children’s ministry is an often-overlooked front door to the church. As the father of three young children, I am definitely interested in learning more about a church’s children’s ministry. However, my first question as I drop them off with strangers is, “How will you keep my children secure?” Unfortunately, in this day and age, that question is asked more and more often.

6. What is your church’s purpose in your community? Cut out the boilerplate language and explain why your church exists. How is your church engaging the community? There are dozens of other churches in the area; how has God called your church? Church histories and statements of faith are fine, but people want to know how God is using the church now and where the church is heading.

Last, but definitely not least...

7. Is your church’s website mobile-friendly? The majority of web traffic now comes from handheld devices. How does your church website look on the small screen? If it’s hard to navigate via a phone or tablet, count on a website visitor leaving very quickly.

by Nathan White

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8 WAYSA LEADERSHIP COACH IMPROVES MY MINISTRY

I am busy!I have lots of voices calling for my attention!

I really do believe I have some good ideas floating in my head!I need someone to help me, but not another director in my life!

So I decided to invest in a leadership coach. My attention span is short, and lots of people are clamoring for my time. There are so many things that need to be done. My coach helps me choose appropriately.

So how has my leadership coach improved my ministry?

1. My coach is a thinking partner. My coach helps me think. A coach asks great questions that forward my thinking. Of course I can think on my own, but something clicks better when I have a set time twice a month for someone else to help clarify my thinking. My coaching phone call creates discipline for my thinking. In some ways, all of the following reasons are built off this one tremendous element.

2. My coach helps my confidence.Jane Creswell, a master credentialed coach, wrote a book called Christ-Centered Coaching: 7 Benefits for Ministry Leaders. She shares several strong benefits of coaching, and one that really caught my attention is the confidence coaching brings. In our negative and critical world, we often allow difficult people to create insecurity and fear in our lives as ministers. My coach helps me be confident about my call and what I bring to the Kingdom.

3. My coach sees the big picture.In the midst of the swamp, the nipping alligators get me thinking only about the urgent. My coach helps me remember the larger vision and call for my ministry. When we get together, my coach brings me back to my larger life goals and even helps me dream those BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) that Jim Collins writes about in his books.

4. My coach identifies “ruts and rivers.”Robert Hargrove, a master executive coach, shares that most of us live in ruts rather than in rivers. Ruts keep us bogged down; rivers are where we are flowing. When I have my coaching conversation, I can engage my coach to help me stay out of the ruts and find ways to create flowing ideas and thoughts in the midst of this world.

5. My coach sees my blind spots.As confident as I am in my journey and my strengths, my leadership coach helps me spot the things I cannot see. Many of us as church leaders get overconfident in our “closeness to

God” and our stubbornness to our ideas. My coach has helped me stay grounded and humble in my leadership approach. The well-placed powerful question reminds me of places I cannot see when I am planning and thinking by myself.

6. My coach helps me process what I learn.I am constantly reading articles and books, searching websites, listening to podcasts, and attending conferences. An additional benefit of coaching is a learning component. When I come back from a conference, I ask my coach to help me process my “takeaways” from that conference that I want to put into action. When I choose not to do that, I tend to lose valuable lessons, and therefore, I am not being a good steward of the resources I have used. When I was in college and seminary, grades and class expectations kept me accountable. Now, my coach helps me hold myself accountable for what I am going to do with what I learn.

7. My coach helps me with follow-through and execution.Many of us, including myself, have been good about coming up with ideas, but executing the ideas has been our weakness. We are so busy. A good coach helps me focus on results and execution.

8. My coach hones my focus and clarity.My attention deficit disorder kicks in easily – just ask those who participate in learning settings with me! With all the plates I spin, my coach helps me get a clarifying focus for the days, weeks, and months ahead.

I could keep going. I have heard others talk about how their coaches help orient them toward their strengths, bring encouragement, and more.

Have you tried coaching? If you are interested in having a coach, contact Ken Kessler for a free 30-minute coaching session and see whether you can use the assistance. Major business leaders are investing thousands of dollars and huge chunks of time in coaching every month. They see the results!

Contact Ken Kessler, Empower coaching network director for the BGAV, at 800.255.2428, ext. 5295, or ken.kessler@bgav.org.

by Ken Kessler

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BCMs Connect in Ministry to Students of Valley-area Schoolsby Daphne Almarode

The Augusta Baptist Association has four colleges and universities within a 45-minute drive of each other. Of those four, two have active Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM) on their campuses. Over the years, the BCMs have looked for ways that they could expand to include more college students as well as work with the churches in the association to minister to young adults in the area.

Years ago, Daphne Almarode, full-time campus minister at James Madison University ( JMU), began doing this by partnering with volunteers and self-funded ministers at some of the other schools. Pam Traylor, a volunteer campus minister at Mary Baldwin College, and Brian Clabough, who raises his own support to serve at JMU, are two of those partners.

Recently, Kim Davis came on board as a part-time staff member to work on rebuilding the BGAV ministry at Bridgewater College and to connect with the young adults at Laurel Hill Baptist Church, where many students from Blue Ridge Community College attend. That is how Kim met Ashley.

Ashley, who has been at Laurel Hill her entire life, responded to Kim’s invitation and began attending Thursday young adult worship at the BCM center in Harrisonburg. She became active in that young adult ministry and attended the Collegiate/Young Adult Fall Gathering at Eagle Eyrie, allowing her to meet and connect with JMU and Mary Baldwin students.

Ashley has built new relationships with these young adults, attended a regional spring retreat, and participated in a spring break mission trip to Bear Branch, Kentucky. These connections have provided opportunities for her that she may not have had as a member of a small church in a small town who chose to stay in the area to study and work.

Ashley says it’s because of the people she has met that she continues to participate in BCM events, which allow her to grow in her faith and learn more about God’s plan for her life.

Zechariah 4:10 says, “The Lord rejoices to see the work begin,” and this year, Kim and Daphne have witnessed the ministry at Blue Ridge Community College begin with Ashley, a special young woman seeking to find community with the young adults in the Shenandoah Valley.

Ashley works during a JMU BCM mission trip.

For more information, visit KairosInitiative.org

James Madison UniversityBridgewater College

Blue Ridge Community CollegeMary Baldwin College

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For more information, visit LatinoNetwork.org

LATINO NETWORK GRADUATES LARGEST CERTIFICATE CLASS AT AVERETT’S MAY COMMENCEMENT CEREMONYby Greg Smith

Averett University in Danville serves as the Certificate program’s educational partner. The May 7 ceremony was the first time in which the program’s Latino graduates participated.

At the ceremony, Dr. Timothy Fulop, vice-president for academic affairs and student services, underscored the value of the school’s diversity and global reach and highlighted “its partnership with the Latino Network though the school’s covenant relationship with the Baptist General Association of Virginia.” After the ceremony, graduates and family members assembled at First Baptist Church in Danville for a luncheon in their honor. Dr. Fulop, along with Dr. Ralph Hawkins, associate professor of religious studies, were on hand to greet the students and offer words of congratulations. The graduates received their certificates from Dr. Habacuc Diaz, Latino Network coordinator, and Dr. Greg Smith, Certificate program director. “The value of partnering with Averett University to provide the Certificate in Ministry Formation cannot be overestimated,” remarked Dr. Smith. “Averett is a strong and growing institution serving Virginia and beyond, and it has solid ties with the Baptist General Association of Virginia and the Latino Network. The school well exemplifies the best in undergraduate education, and we are proud for their support of the Certificate in Ministry Formation program. We look forward to growing our partnership with Averett in the years to come,” he said.

Forty-six Latino Baptist leaders—including pastors, worship leaders, and Bible study teachers—participated in Averett University’s spring commencement ceremony on May 7. This marks the seventh year the Latino Network of Virginia Baptists has offered the Certificate in Ministry Formation, and 2016 had the largest graduating class to date. This year’s graduating class serves in first-generation, Spanish-speaking churches in Virginia and, for the first time, North Carolina. Teaching sites were located in Culpeper, VA, and Pittsboro, NC. In 2013, the Certificate program was introduced in Panama among the indigenous Kuna Baptist leadership.

(from left to right): Drs. Greg Smith, Daniel Carro, Ralph Hawkins, Habacuc Diaz, Timothy Fulop

The Latino Network’s 2016 graduates pose with their Ministry Formation certificates from Averett University.

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BGAV Partnerships Around the Worldby Fred Anderson

Virginia Baptists have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to partnership missions. By 2012, with nearly 30 years of partnerships, there had been so many mission projects at home and abroad that few could remember them all, much less in chronological order. The Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies knew that the history needed to be documented and recorded before memories faded. The Heritage Center commissioned several individuals who were instrumental in partnership missions history to write their stories which were combined into an anthology entitled Arms Reaching Around the World.

The story actually pre-dated the BGAV’s involvement. In 1979 the newly-appointed president of the Foreign (now International) Mission Board, Keith Parks, sent a questionnaire to the staff of the Board, asking them for the best ways to fulfill the agency’s mission. Charles Bryan, then area director for Middle America and the Caribbean, answered, as follows: “Increase involvement of Southern Baptist churches in meeting field needs. The Foreign Mission Board should involve state

convention leadership in determining ways of involving pastors and churches through denominational channels.” The power of suggestion led to the encouragement of partnership evangelism and partnership missions by the Foreign Mission Board in collaboration with various state associations and conventions.

In 1984 the BGAV endorsed its first partnership missions project and two years later, in 1986, a group of Virginia Baptists visited the African country of Tanzania. At the beginning of 1987, Reginald McDonough became executive director of the BGAV, and he asked Charles Bryan, who was about to retire after a long missionary career, to give leadership to the Virginia partnership effort.

A grassroots swelling of interest and enthusiasm propelled the Tanzania partnership. Volunteers from numerous district associations went in teams. They were there to evangelize and to help meet the goal of establishing 100 churches.

Charles Bryan later reflected: “When I accepted the Tanzania assignment, I was well aware of the primitive conditions of the country. I also knew that in Tanzania the fields were ‘already white for harvest.’ The Lord permitted Virginia Baptists to

Tanzania was the first partnership and pictured in February 1986 are a group of Virginia Baptists engaged in the first missions project. At far right is Christine B. Gregory, who was president of the BGAV and a nationally-known leader among Baptists. On the front row, second from the right is John C. Ivins, who directed the Tanzania planning for the BGAV. [Photo courtesy of Ivins personal papers, VBHS]

Brochure promoting Tanzania with the

partnership logo [Photo courtesy of VBHS]

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share in that harvest. The Mission of Tanzania reported more than 70,000 baptisms during the years of our partnership.” With the success of Tanzania still in the hearts of Virginia Baptists, there were two more partnerships in the works: Costa Rica/Mexico City and Hungary.

From 1992–1995, Tom Prevost directed the work of the BGAV partnership missions office. He was followed by John V. Upton, Jr., who had served as a missionary to Taiwan and as a Virginia pastor. Upton arrived as planning was underway for other projects including Panama and the Czech Republic. Upton’s involvement

with partnership missions would place him in a strategic position when McDonough retired and—unimagined at the time—when a future presidency of the Baptist World Alliance would be offered. When Upton became executive director of the BGAV, Jerry Jones, a career missionary in Austria, soon began to direct partnership missions, which expanded into other mission opportunities such as disaster response, mission camps, community missions, etc. Today, the work is led by Dean Miller.

Ray Allen gathered the stories of the numerous partnership missions projects and wrote the bulk of Arms Reaching Around the World. His accounts show the wide sweep of partnerships: the Croatia Cattle Project, the Seeds of Hope project in Liberia, the work with the Romany people, the friendship with Christians in China, the Gateway Ministries among the Muslims in Paris, the partnership with Italian Baptists, the Standing Rock mission in the Dakotas, and the work by Virginia Baptists in India. Rolen Bailey, a veteran in Virginia Baptist ministry and the long-time

director of the large Roanoke Valley Association, joined the BGAV staff to coordinate intrastate partnerships. The work involved Virginia Baptist churches which were engaged with Baptist churches in New England as well as Pennsylvania/New Jersey. All around the world, Virginia Baptists have been there. “Partnership missions has been the pathway for thousands of Virginia Baptists to rediscover that the alive church is the mission church,” wrote Ray Allen. “Missions is something to which church members donate and something vital for which they should pray and in which they should participate. These efforts, often small in their beginning, have traveled around the world changing lives and even changing some countries.”

The full story of partnership missions is told in Arms Reaching Around the World, which can be ordered for $21 plus $4 shipping and handling from Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies, P.O. Box 34, University of Richmond, VA 23173.

John Ivins at pulpit inside of a church in Tanzania visited by Virginia Baptist partnership evangelists. Ivins served as assistant executive director, BGAV, 1967-90 (top). [Photo courtesy of Ivins personal papers, VBHS]

In 1997 Ray Allen (at far left) and John Upton (at right) laid the cornerstone for the International Baptist Theological Seminary in India. Pictured in the middle is Kunjumon Chacko, the founder of the seminary as well as a children’s home in India, who has been a frequent visitor to the BGAV annual meetings (left). [Photo courtesy of VBHS]

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It can be disconcerting to hear a Christian believer say, “I can understand why we need Jesus, but why do we need the church? I can be as good a Christian without going to church.” Pastors usually respond quickly to such statements by pointing out the benefits of church—corporate worship, fellowship with brothers and sisters in the family of faith, and local and worldwide opportunities for service and ministry. Then someone (sometimes a pastor) comes along who says, “I can understand why we need the church, but why do we need an association? Our church does fine without help from other churches, so the association

Who Needs

an Association?

seems like a dinosaur to me.” The New Testament pattern of churches worshiping together—cooperating in evangelism, and giving jointly to support missionaries and help people in need—prompts churches today to do the same. Besides this, there is a very basic reason why churches should relate in an association: we need each other. “No man is an island,” and neither is any church. No human being was ever intended to live and function independently—we are social beings who do far better interdependently. Together Everyone Achieves More. Not only do we accomplish more together, we enjoy life more together—in families, so we don’t get lonely; in communities, so we don’t feel isolated; and in churches, so we don’t become self-righteous and self-centered.

Being friends with Christians involved in worship and ministry in other congregations enhances our personal and local church faith journeys. Our individual lives and churches are enriched immeasurably by relationships we have with each other. Thank Heaven we do not make this journey alone. The Lord walks alongside us, and He blesses us with other believers—and churches—who encourage us to persevere in this odyssey of walking with Jesus. Enjoying fellowship—“two fellows in the same ship”—we get acquainted with ministry colleagues who are engaged, like us, in the noble goal of advancing our Redeemer’s Kingdom. Why do we need an association? If for no other reason, here’s one that is life-transforming: fellowship.

Johnny Almond currently serves as pastor of Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church outside Fredericksburg.

by Johnny R. Almond

...there is a very basic reason why churches should relate in an association: we need each other.

Not only do we accomplish more together, we enjoy life more together—in families, so we don’t get lonely; in communities, so we don’t feel isolated; and in churches, so we don’t become self-righteous and self-centered.

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