Springfield | Upon opening their mail-boxes in mid-November, many IBSAchurch and associational leadersfound something new, but vaguely fa-miliar: A magazine titled Resource,which replaces the previous IBSACalendar and Directory. The new pub-lication features articles on ministry,ideas for outreach, and brainstormingspace, along with calendar dates forupcoming IBSA and Southern BaptistConvention events.

The magazine will be publishedthree times a year (January-April,May-August, September-December)to coincide with the main seasons ofthe church. Resource is mailed toIBSA churches, local associations andmembers of their leadership teams,and additional copies can be requested

by e-mailing Communications@IBSA.org. An online version is alsoavailable at Resource.IBSA.org.

In the first issue, focused on the

As the number of meals prepared byDisaster Relief volunteers topped 1.5million in the wake of Hurricane Sandy,the North American Mission Board pre-pared for the next phase of response tothe super storm.

Church-to-church partnerships and astudent mobilization effort are keys tosustaining the response to devastatedcommunities in the Northeast, saidNAMB’s Jerry Daniel. But the focuswill be different than that of other disas-ter responses, like Hurricane Katrina,which needed volunteers to help rebuilddamaged or destroyed church buildings.After Hurricane Sandy, much of the

Volume 106, No. 23 DECEMBER 10, 2012

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Christmas memories, reflections, and a cookie recipe • Special section inside

IB Insider

Nate Adams: It’s hard tosend a son page 3

A truly international feastpage 4

A strategy for reachingyour city page 5

Illinois missionary servesSouth African youthpage 8

Pat's Playbook:Plan a memorableholiday servicepage 10

Continued on page 2

Digital firstFind us online at:

facebook.com/IllinoisBaptisttwitter.com/IllinoisBaptist

Vimeo.com/IBSA

And check out our blog atiB2news.org

The disappearance of Jesus washeadline news in Chicago severalyears back. A life-size handcraftedfigurine was stolen from the mangerscene at Daley Plaza.

After news coverage that rivaled re-porting of the Lindbergh kidnapping,a tipster alerted police to the where-abouts of the missing Christ Child.

A locker at Union Station. Soon the Baby Jesus was safe in his

manger, swaddled with bands of steelso no one could steal away with him.

For those few days, the street talkwas amazing. People were searchingfor Christ (sort of). Find Jesus!Spread the word!

Now, when “none” is fast rising asthe religion of choice, the search forJesus seems to be waning. Thedecades that sandwiched arrival of thenew Millennium, which experts saidwould be marked by angel-talk and“spirituality,” have ultimately desen-sitized many to spiritual things.Nearly one in five Americans nowclaims no religious affiliation, and it’sone-in-three among young adults.

The generations that grew up on thescientific method choose not to be-lieve what they cannot see. And a pur-ported “spiritual openness” amongpost-moderns is proving to meanopen to most anything but Christ.

That’s why it’s time for reneweddiscussion of the Incarnation.

It’s time to discussthe Incarnation

Church partners,students key toSandy recovery

Why Jesus CameThe ministry of 'being there'

Continued on page 2

New magazine updates IBSA calendar

WHAT CHILD IS THIS? – More than 100nativity scenes, large and small, were ondisplay in Springfield in early December.See more photos on page 9.

By Eric Reed

Continued on page 9

In the years before the exile to Baby-lon, the Jews had what they thoughtwas a firm understanding of God fromthe Law and Moses, from the Ark ofthe Covenant and the Holy of Holies,and from the cloud and fireball that ledtheir ancestors to freedom. But after the second captivity, the

remnants of Israel pinned their mes-sianic hopes on a human. They wanteda visible, flesh-and-blood delivererwho would stamp out their oppressors,reestablish David’s kingdom, and ruleover the new Israel. So Isaiah’s prophecy was a welcome

one: “Therefore, the Lord Himself willgive you a sign: The virgin will con-ceive, have a son, and name him Im-manuel” (7:14).What the Jews did not grasp was that

Immanuel, “God-with-us,” would notbe a mere representative of God, butGod himself. And He would not onlybe “with” us, He would be one of us. No longer is God distanced from us

by His holiness and our sinfulness,sending messengers to tell us He cares.But He is here personally to show usHe cares. We have reassurance thatGod-in-the-flesh knows what it meansto laugh, to cry, to sing, to ache, to betempted, to hunger, to yearn. Heknows, because He is one of us.And God knows about our sin, the

depth of our need, and our predica-ment. We can’t save ourselves; weneed a sinless savior. Only in the flesh can He offer Him-

self as our perfect substitute sacrifice.He came to be with us, one of us, andultimately to replace us on the cross,taking the punishment for our sin, inorder that He might save us. Those who struggle with the di-

chotomy of deity and humanity needonly consider the purpose of the In-carnation: In his body, Jesus put feet toGod’s plans.

And dwelt among us

During the Blitz, Londoners wereheartened when the royal family re-fused to leave the city as Nazi planesrained bombs. King George VI andQueen Elizabeth would tour the vastcity just hours after the nightly raids tosurvey the damage and encourage thesurvivors. Britons took comfort that their king

was with them. He represented all thatwas worth fighting for. He so obvi-ously wanted to win the war. But it was another man who made

victory possible. A bulldog of a man with a stump of

a cigar clenched in his teeth, this once-failed politician became prime minis-ter in Britain’s darkest hour. WinstonChurchill convinced the nation theymust win the war. He invented the “Vfor Victory” sign. Churchill was not a royal who ad-

mirably visited hospitals and cheeredthe injured, but a commoner. He wasdown-to-earth. Churchill took up thedefense of his brethren, rallied them,enlisted them, instructed them, and ledthem all to freedom. One commentator said of Churchill,

“He was able to lead because he knewthe people he was leading and neverseparated himself from them. He was,quite literally, willing to die for them.”This generation of church leaders

has written much about incarnationalministry – the importance of “beingthere.” But is being there enough, ormust something more happen?Incarnation is at the root of the “mis-

sional” movement – serving as mis-sionaries wherever we are, and livingin the way of Jesus, who spread theWord just by being there.Incarnation is at the heart of rela-

tional evangelism, allowing people tolive up close to us so they can see thatour faith in Christ is real to us, and soit may become real for them. Incarnation is the theological foun-

dation for vocational mission servicein foreign countries and for a wave ofyoung church planters returning toinner cities in the U.S. It is a method-ology for introducing Christ to un-reached people groups worldwide andfor reclaiming gang-dominatedneighborhoods right here. Missionar-ies operate in the way of Jesus: “TheWord became flesh and took up resi-dence among us. We observed…”(John 1:14 HCSB).

Incarnation is more than theology ormethodology, however. It is a calling:Be the body of Christ, wherever weare. But also be intentional aboutwhere we go. Make Christ real to

those who question his reality. BeHis hands and feet.

And we beheld His glory

The story is told of a mission-ary who labored for years inIndia. In the account credited toJ. Oswald Sanders, the man ar-rived in a village where nonehad heard the Gospel. The peo-ple ran from him, refusing tohear his message. Exhausted,the man laid down to rest,slipped off his shoes, andrubbed his aching, blisteredfeet. He fell asleep.

A short while later he awoke, sur-rounded by villagers. The startled mis-sionary was certain this was his end,but instead, the people helped him upand urged him to speak to them. “Weknew you were a holy man when wesaw your blistered feet,” the head ofthe village said. “Only a holy manwould suffer so that he might sharewith us.”We knew He was holy when we saw

His feet. Spread the Word.

AWAY IN A MANGER – Eachyear, a retreat center in theSpringfield area invites people tolend their nativity displays, includ-ing the scenes pictured on thispage, for a weekend-long festivalopen to the public. More than 100scenes were part of the sixth an-nual festival, including nativitiesfrom IBSA staff members SandyBarnard and Sylvan Knobloch.

9December 10, 2012

– Declare that the Jesus of Christmas isthe Lord of the universe and the Savior ofthe world.

– Ask God to give you fresh ideas of howyou can declare his name as you sendChristmas cards, give and receive gifts,and gather with friends and family.

Pray through the news

ILLINOIS BAPTIST

The Word became fleshContinued from page 1

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