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SBC DIGEST: LifeWay ‘Kingdom Man’ event, kids curriculum; Register named associate director in North Carolina


Tony Evans to host virtual “Kingdom Man” event
By Joy Allmond

NASHVILLE (BP) — Tony Evans believes there are few moments in life when our need for God is as evident as right now. He also believes it’s a pivotal time for men to lead in their homes, churches and communities with conviction.

That why he’s delivering a message specifically tailored for men through a virtual “Kingdom Man” event, “Kingdom Men Calling,” streaming concurrently on the LifeWay Men and Tony Evans Facebook pages at 8 p.m. CDT Friday (April 10).

“When men come together, God will watch over our land,” he said. “The attack from this virus is an invasion. But if God sees men humble themselves before Him, submit to His authority, repent and get right with Him, then He will see us and respond.”

Teaching from Exodus 34, Evans will challenge the men of this generation to step up, to meet with God and to place themselves under His Lordship — in unity.

“God told men to gather because there would be a collective impact when they gather,” he explained. “God responds to unity. It gets His undivided attention. John 17 tells us God’s glory will show up when there is oneness among His people.”

Evans hopes this Good Friday message will not only take root in the hearts of the men who participate, but will also transform the homes they’re called to lead and the churches where they’ve been placed to serve.

“Families need to see what it’s like when men operate at the kitchen table — bringing their families together not just for eating, but for blessing, instruction and modeling,” he said. “And we want them to take a responsibility in the churches — not to consume, but to contribute — so all the needs of a church can be met to make it strong and impactful.”

Lastly, Evans hopes “Kingdom Men Calling” will challenge men to unify during the current pandemic, which has revealed a critical need for the presence of godly men in communities.

“Their presence needs to be felt in school boards, the athletic arena and the public square,” he said. “They need to speak into a culture influenced for righteousness and justice, so both are walking side by side for good. God calls us to both right relationship with Him and with each other.”

Ultimately, Evans says, he hopes the men logging on for “Kingdom Men Calling” have a transformation of their lives and priorities.

“I want them to understand the implications of being a Kingdom man and prioritize their position under God so He can work through us to transform not only our lives, but everything men touch and are responsible for managing and taking care of under God,” Evans said.

Also featured are Evans’ sons, Anthony — a worship leader, songwriter and author, and Jonathan — an author, speaker and former NFL fullback. LifeWay President and CEO Ben Mandrell will kick off the event with prayer and opening remarks.

After the event, participants are encouraged to download the fasting and prayer guide at TonyEvans.org that has been created as a way for men to further personalize the “Kingdom Men Calling” experience.

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Free LifeWay resource for at-home children’s ministry
By Aaron Wilson

NASHVILLE (BP) — Jesus may have said, “Let the little children come to me,” but in these strange times, churches are telling kids and their parents to stay at home.

Such is the paradox children’s ministries are facing as they seek to introduce kids to Jesus while also practicing social distancing to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

To help address this challenge, churches around the world are making use of LifeWay Kids at Home, a free discipleship resource that allows families to watch Bible story videos and download activity pages and conversation starters.

One of these churches is Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston — a church that typically sees about 1,000 children and leaders in their children’s ministry each Sunday.

“We began using the Kids at Home curriculum on March 14,” said Rhonda Glasgow, a member of the church and mother of two children ages 9 and 11. “We watch the material right after the entire family watches our church’s online Sunday sermon. This gives our kids a sense of normalcy.”

Stephanie Chase, kids minister at Champion Forest Baptist, said she longs for her church to be able to gather together again physically, but is excited for how God is using this season of social distancing to spiritually strengthen families.

“Our ministry’s goal is to equip parents to be the primary disciplers of their children,” Chase said. “This ‘disruption’ has actually helped our church equip parents to disciple their children now more than ever. Through this curriculum, parents have access to Bible content, video, games and activities — everything they need to do children’s ministry at home.”

Since LifeWay Kids at Home released in mid-March, it has been viewed in all 50 U.S. states. It’s also helped take the Gospel to the nations as individuals in 63 countries have already accessed the material.

“We launched LifeWay Kids at Home as a way of serving churches here in America that we knew needed a short-term solution for helping families facilitate kids worship time at home,” said Chuck Peters, LifeWay Kids director of operations. “At that time, I hadn’t considered that it might reach a global audience.

“The truth is, families all over the world have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis. It’s thrilling to see how God is using LifeWay Kids at Home in places like Abu Dhabi, Australia, India and Malaysia just as He is in California, Colorado, Texas, New Jersey and Ohio.”

LJ James, a small group leader at Redeemer Church in Hendersonville, Tenn., says the curriculum has helped him and his wife facilitate discussions with their 7- and 8-year-old boys about how worship extends beyond just Sunday mornings.

“As we studied the material about the crowds welcoming Jesus with praise, we were able to talk with our kids about how their actions can praise Jesus too — whether it’s through singing, sports, schooling or play,” James said.

Users can access the Kids at Home experience through LifeWay’s Digital Pass platform by following these steps:

Step 1: Go to lifeway.com.

Step 2: Login or create an account (free).

Step 3: Click the LifeWay Kids (or Preschool) at Home icon on the main page of Digital Pass.

Step 4: In the LifeWay Kids at Home interface, download activity pages and conversation guides (button at top right).

New sessions are updated weekly at midnight on Thursday nights so families can have fresh content every weekend.

In addition to Kids at Home, LifeWay is also assisting children’s ministries by providing free access to current Bible study content from Bible Studies for Life, Explore the Bible and The Gospel Project.

And through April 13, LifeWay will provide free content for a 2020 Family Easter Event to lead families through the story of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection as it happened throughout the week. More information about these resources can be found on LifeWay.com/coronavirus.

Ministry leaders such as Chase see such resources as a way for families to fulfill the mandate God gave His people in Deuteronomy 6:4-8 to repeat God’s words to their children, specifically when they are sitting at home.

“There are no baseball or dance practices right now. School is taking place at home,” said Chase. “Now, more than ever, we need to redeem the time and make the most of the opportunity to disciple our children.”

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Chuck Register named associate executive-director treasurer of Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
By Staff

CARY, N.C. (BP) — Chuck Register, executive leader for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s (BSCNC) Church Planting and Missions Partnerships group for the past 11 years, was named the BSCNC’s associate executive-director treasurer on Tuesday (April 7) by a vote of the state convention’s executive committee during a regularly scheduled meeting.

The meeting took place through a video conference call in order to abide by a statewide stay-at-home order and limits on public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Register’s appointment came following a recommendation by BSCNC Executive Director-Treasurer Milton A. Hollifield Jr. In his new role, Register will work closely with Hollifield, N.C. Baptist churches and the state convention’s board of directors in a variety of capacities. He will continue his current responsibilities as executive leader of the Church Planting and Missions Partnership group even as he takes on additional responsibilities related to the associate executive director-treasurer role.

Register succeeds Brian Davis, who resigned effective March 31 to begin a new role in the FaithHealth division of Wake Forest Baptist Health.

Hollifield praised Register as a strategic thinker, visionary leader, effective pastor and strong denominational leader, as well as an outstanding expository preacher who possesses a heart for personal evangelism and missions.

“Chuck is very passionate about reaching the nations with the Gospel,” Hollifield said. “He has given excellent leadership as a member of our executive leadership team, and he has helped the state convention make great advancements in his areas of responsibility.”

Prior to joining the Baptist state convention, Register pastored churches in Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana. Register also served on the faculty of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees.

Register thanked committee members for their vote of confidence and said he looks forward to helping the state convention fulfill its mission of assisting local churches through his new role.

“I look forward to standing next to Milton and helping him fulfill his role to pour our lives, ministries and resources into the local church,” Register said. “We want to do everything we can to make sure that every single North Carolina Baptist congregation is a healthy, growing, Christ-honoring body of Christ.”

Along with Register’s appointment, Hollifield will assume oversight for the majority of the BSCNC’s Administration and Convention Relations group, which had been headed by Davis. However, the BSCNC’s Strategic Focus Team is being reassigned from the Administration and Convention Relations group to the Church Planting and Missions Partnerships group in an effort to bring better alignment to ministry assignments.

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