Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 5 2012 --------------------------------------- Tenn. law restricting sex-ed could serve as national model http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38205 Teen STD rates rise, despite high condom use http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38207 Duke: immigration decisions show D.C. must act http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38208 Bourbon Street sex industry is ministry's focus http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38204 NAMB connects churches, planters at SBC http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38206 FROM THE STATES: N.C., S.C., Mo. evangelism/missions news http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38209 BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, July 8, 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38211 FIRST-PERSON: What guests see when they visit your church http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38210 --------------------------------------- Tenn. law restricting sex-ed could serve as national model By John Evans Jul. 5 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38205 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- State legislators in Tennessee have made it official: Sex toys and graphic promotions of sexual activity are not welcome in public schools. With the signing into law of SB 3310 by Gov. Bill Haslam, public schools that teach sex education classes must emphasize abstinence, and teachers are barred from promoting "gateway sexual activity" that encourages students to sexually experiment. "We are very pleased with the passage of the Tennessee law, and we think that it could and should serve as a model for other states to follow," said Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association. Tennessee only mandates sex education in school districts where the teen pregnancy rate exceeds a certain rate. But before the new law, some districts brought in speakers and curriculum that included explicit depictions of sexual conduct. The Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACTN) documented a 2010 incident at Hillsboro High School in Nashville when a speaker with Nashville CARES, an AIDS awareness and education program, taught a sex education class at the school. The speaker used anatomically correct models to show students how to perform a graphic sex act. FACTN also noted that in some schools, Planned Parenthood presented sexual education curriculum that included links to its national website. Huber added that some organizations claim they teach abstinence, but their curriculum goes in a decidedly different direction. "It's asking students to creatively think of what kind of sexual activities they can still engage in and not get pregnant," she said. "Well, that's not how you and I define abstinence." The new law, signed in May, specifically prohibits promoting sexual experimentation and forbids materials that "condone, encourage or promote student sexual activity among unmarried students," as well as "devices manufactured specifically for sexual stimulation." It also gives parents the option to sue if a teacher violates the law's guidelines. While the law prohibits distribution of contraceptives on school property, it allows "medically-accurate" information about contraception to be provided as long as it is consistent with the law's other provisions and emphasizes that only abstinence eliminates all risk. Tennessee's efforts take their place among a larger national struggle over sex education, one that Huber argues is filled with misinformation. She says the NAEA sought to counter that misinformation with a two-part study called "Considerations for Protecting Teen Health" released on June 19. It looks at both so-called comprehensive" sex education (CSE) programs and abstinence-centered sexual risk avoidance (SRA) sex education. "[W]e think that there needed to be a definitive study that would give us the facts rather than the sound bites, and we think that this study does so in a rather exhaustive manner," Huber said. Part one of the study examines CSE programs, exploring their curricula, examining what it calls the "debatable" research metrics being used to promote them, and their current promotion by the Obama administration. "The CSE approach has been the mainstay of sex education for decades, receiving the lion's share of all funding even though research results for this approach are dismal, particularly in the school setting," the study states. A key argument of the study is that the CSE approach focuses only on minimizing the physical risks associated with sexual activity, ignoring the non-physical consequences of sexual activity for many teens. The study cites research that found most teens who had sex reported at least one negative effect, with girls especially saying they felt bad about themselves or felt used, and that teen sex leads to more than twice the risk of divorce later in life. It also points to research that shows teens who engage in casual sex have a higher risk of lower grades, problems in school and are less likely to go to college. Huber adds that depression and suicide rates "skyrocket" among teens who add sex to their relationships, and sexually active teens are more likely to abuse alcohol and use drugs. "If they think that the worst thing they have to worry about is a pregnancy or even an STD, then they aren't receiving all of the information," she said. The study also found that such "comprehensive" programs include very little information about abstinence, with most skill-building activities centering on condom skills. It cites curriculum that suggests teens can be "abstinent" while still engaging in certain sexual activities, which exposes teens to STDs that can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. CSE curricula also exaggerate the effectiveness of condoms in preventing pregnancy and STDs, according to the study, with one curriculum encouraging teachers to withhold information on condom failure rates. The NAEA study tackles the research behind CSE, arguing that among other weaknesses, it uses flawed metrics, is over-generalized and suffers from conflict of interest, since much of the research was led and published by researchers who were either employed by the curriculum publishing companies or wrote the curriculum themselves. Part two of the study seeks to show that abstinence-centered sexual risk avoidance education is the best approach. Starting from the premise that all non-marital teen sexual activity is high-risk and should be avoided, SRA education is designed to prevent all negative consequences by preventing sexual activity in the first place. "Rather than encouraging teens to experiment with gateway sexual behaviors that could compromise their health and their ability to avoid sexual intercourse, SRA programs encourage teens to avoid all risk by focusing on non-sexual activities in their dating relationships," the study says. SRA programs follow a holistic approach that goes beyond addressing the physical consequences of sex, the study says, examining the reasons why teens have sex in the first place. Effective SRA programs typically include skill-building exercises that focus on topics including goal-setting, skills to resist sexual pressure, the benefits of waiting until marriage for sex, and medically accurate information on how contraceptives such as condoms may reduce the physical risk from sexual activity but don't eliminate them. SRA programs avoid normalizing or promoting teen sexual behavior. The study cites research that shows SRA programs are effective at reducing teen sexual activity, saying that 25 peer-reviewed studies demonstrated "significant and positive behavioral change" among participants. Ideology plays a large role in federal government rejection of the SRA approach, the study argues, citing a 2008 House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the effectiveness of abstinence education programs. Of the seven witnesses assembled, five said that even if SRA was shown to be as effective as or more effective than "comprehensive" sex education, they would still oppose funding for the SRA approach. But the message of abstinence is resonating with teens and parents, the study argues, citing data that shows fewer teens are having sexual contact and that parents support programs that place primary emphasis on abstinence. Huber urges abstinence education supporters to take action in correcting a 16-to-1 funding disparity that favors "comprehensive" sex education programs. "Obviously we are at a dangerous spot for sex education policy right now," she said. "The current administration has virtually eliminated all the abstinence education that they could." She points to a potential fix in the Abstinence Education Reallocation Act introduced into Congress. The bill authorizes grants for SRA programs and clarifies what an authentic SRA program teaches. "We have currently about 70 co-sponsors," Huber said, "but we need a whole lot more, so that we can see this change that is not only what parents want but is in the best health interest of our teens." --30-- John Evans is a writer based in Houston. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). To view part one of the NAEA's study, visit [URL=http://www.abstinenceassociation.org/research/NAEA_Definitive_Report.html]www.abstinenceassociation.org/research/NAEA_Definitive_Report.html[/URL] For part two: [URL=http://www.abstinenceassociation.org/research/NAEA_Definitive_Report_part_2.html]www.abstinenceassociation.org/research/NAEA_Definitive_Report_part_2.html[/URL] -- End of story -- Teen STD rates rise, despite high condom use By Aaron Earls Jul. 5 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38207 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Sexually transmitted diseases rates have continued to grow, particularly in teenagers, despite condom usage remaining at or near record levels, according to recent data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In its 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance report released in June, the CDC found that teen condom use remained near the 60 percent range (60.2). This continues the trend that saw usage rise from 46.2 to 63.0 percent from 1991-2003 and then plateau, with only statistically negligible changes since. Despite this, the CDC estimates the young adult population (ages 15-24) account for almost half of the estimated 19 million new STD infections every year, while comprising only 25 percent of the sexually active population. Since 2000, syphilis rates have doubled, while chlamydia rates have seen similar growth. In 2010, the number of chlamydia cases reported to the CDC exceeded 1.3 million, the largest number of cases ever reported for any condition. The growth of STD rates contrasts other statistical information, such as the continued drop in the teen birth rate. The seeming contradiction, however, can be attributed to other factors. "Rates of oral contraceptive use among females in this age range have increased, which helps explain the lower birth rate," said Dr. David Hager, Ob/GYN and a member of Focus on the Family's Physicians Resource Council. Hager, author of "Women at Risk: The Real Truth About Sexually Transmitted Diseases," also attributes part of the decrease to the 40 percent of teen pregnancies that end in elective abortion. Teenagers are faced with a culture that encourages their being sexually active and a personal tendency to believe they are immune to long-term consequences, according to Sarah Hughes, Executive Director of the House of Hope in Clayton, N.C., a Christian therapeutic school, home and counseling center for hurting and troubled teenage girls. Factors such as these have led to one in four teenage girls having at least one STD, according to a CDC estimate. While the statistical information can be daunting, those involved say parents and churches can work to prevent STDs and to minister after the fact. Hager warns that education should not be left up to "secular organizations with an agenda, such as Planned Parenthood." Pastors and student ministries must address both the potential exposure to sex in the culture and the consequences of non-marital sexual activity. Unfortunately, one of those consequences can be infertility in women who contract an STD. Each year, untreated STDs cause at least 24,000 women in the US to become infertile. In her work with teen girls, Hughes has seen the lasting emotional effects an STD diagnosis can have on an individual. "She can view herself as not worthy or damaged," Hughes said. "It poses a challenge to the truth, which is that she is full of worth and value because there is a Savior who died for her." Gallery Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Baltimore, Md., has seen the damage STDs and the subsequent emotional trauma can bring to a community. The church knew it must get involved after seeing that Baltimore has consistently been one of the five urban areas in the U.S. with the highest HIV rates. Since 2009, Gallery Church has partnered with local government and others to serve those in the community with HIV and demonstrate the practical love of Christ to those around them. One of the primary ways the congregation has done that is through City Uprising, the church's local mission's emphasis. According to Robert Holman, City Uprising director, part of the ministry consists of sending teams from the local church body, as well as from other partnering churches, into the community to inform residents of HIV testing sites. Not only does this lead to individuals becoming tested and connected with care for those in need, it has brought about a spiritual response for some. "As a church, we have welcomed into our body members of the community infected with HIV, who are now living on display for Christ and making disciples," Holman said. Churches can and should be involved in ministering to those with HIV, Holman said. "We believe that only when the church comes together in partnership with the city and other organizations, can we really stamp out the epidemic in our city and other areas in our nation impacted by HIV/AIDS and other STDs." His advice to other churches seeking to start in a similar ministry: "Start somewhere, no matter how small." --30-- Aaron Earls is a freelance writer in Wake Forest, N.C. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). Ideas for churches ministering to families dealing with an STD diagnosis: -- Don't be judgmental and condemning. "Come alongside with compassion and mercy." Dr. David Hager, Ob/Gin and author of "Women at Risk: The Real Truth About Sexually Transmitted Diseases." -- Offer accountability and encouragement. "The church can help those get back on track by making sure the teen and family are plugged in with people who truly care about them." Sarah Hughes, Executive Director of the House of Hope in Clayton, N.C. -- Help the teen learn from the mistake and move on. "For the teenager: It doesn't define you. Focus on who you are in Christ, walk in forgiveness and move forward." Sarah Hughes ************ Ideas for parents of a teen with an STD: -- Make sure proper medical care is received. "The most important thing is to obtain adequate medical care and then discuss ways to avoid repeating the behavior that resulted in the infection." David Hager -- Keep communication open. "Treat teens with respect and be someone they are not afraid to talk to." Sarah Hughes -- Work with the parents of the other child. "Talking with the family of the opposite sex child without shaming and blaming is important." David Hager -- Get help from others. "Counseling is an invaluable resources that can be extremely helpful in dealing with a diagnosis." Sarah Hughes ************ 5 key STD-related stats. -- The CDC estimates there are 19 million new STD infections in the US each year. -- Girls aged 15-19 have the highest rates of gonorrhea compared to every other demographic group. -- Every year, 24,000 women in the US become infertile due to an untreated STD. -- Young adults, ages 15-24, comprise only 25 percent of the sexually active population, but they acquire almost half of all new STD infections. -- In 2010, more than 1.3 million cases of chlamydia were reported, the largest number ever for any condition. SOURCE: Statistics from the CDC's 2010 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance report and the National Abstinence Education Association's Sexual Risk Avoidance Education: Considerations for Protecting Teen Health report. -- End of story -- Duke: immigration decisions show D.C. must act By Tom Strode Jul. 5 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38208 WASHINGTON (BP) -- Recent decisions by both the U.S. Supreme Court and the White House demonstrate anew the need for Congress to provide immigration reform, a Southern Baptist public policy specialist says. The reiteration of a call for Congress to act on the controversial issue came from Barrett Duke of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) after: [IMG=30395@left@80]-- The Supreme Court struck down sections of an Arizona immigration law in its June 25 opinion but upheld a provision that requires a police officer to check the legal status in some cases of a person whom he detains or arrests before he is released. -- The Obama administration announced June 15 an executive action that will immediately permit illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children to apply to be free from the threat of deportation and to seek authorization to work. In its ruling, the high court voted 5-3 in favor of the federal government's position by striking down sections of the 2010 Arizona law that: (1) outlaw the failure to carry proper immigration documents; (2) criminalize applying for or holding a job as an illegal immigrant, and (3) authorize a police officer to arrest without a warrant a person whom he believes has committed a crime that would cause him to be deported. The June 15 White House order postpones action for two years against illegal immigrants who meet the requirements and provides the opportunity for them to renew that status. Among the criteria for eligibility, individuals must have been under the age of 16 when they came to the United States and not be older than 30 now. The order largely acts as a temporary fulfillment of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, legislation Congress has not passed. The Supreme Court's decision on the Arizona law "reaffirmed that immigration is a federal issue," said Duke, the ERLC's vice president for public policy and research. "By doing so, it has emphasized the need for Congress and the White House to fix our nation's broken immigration system with reforms that are workable and constitutional." The ERLC has called for comprehensive immigration reform for several years, but Congress has yet to approve such legislation. The White House's flawed action regarding young illegal immigrants again points to the need for a legislative remedy, Duke said. "It's astonishing that President Obama believes that he has the authority to tell our nation's law enforcement arm which laws it should enforce and which ones it should not," Duke said. "While I appreciate the president's sentiment toward these young people, I am aghast at his lack of respect for the rule of law. "We do not believe the children should be punished for the crimes of the parents," he said. "Our nation should find a way for undocumented young adults who were brought here when they were children to obtain the education they desire and the legal status they need to fully contribute to our nation's well-being and realize their full potential as well. This is a matter that Congress must resolve, not the White House through executive orders, and I hope it will do so soon." The ERLC has withheld support for the DREAM Act, but it has expressed a willingness to back a version of the proposal that meets certain criteria. Last July, ERLC President Richard Land wrote two U.S. senators to say requirements for the entity's support of such a bill would include: -- A program to make legal status possible should be available only to those who were brought into the country, likely by their parents, and did not enter as a result of their own decisions. -- The legal status gained by those in the program would not be transferred to family members or utilized to bring family members into the country. -- It would require those in the program to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces or attend college. The program announced by the Department of Homeland Security June 15 includes the following conditions for individuals to qualify for the program: -- They must have graduated from high school, be attending school or be honorably discharged veterans of the military or Coast Guard. -- They must have been residents of the United States for at least five years. -- They cannot have been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor or multiple misdemeanors, or be a threat to the public's safety or national security. The order will enable such individuals to apply for driver's licenses and other privileges. The executive action is a "temporary stopgap measure," Obama said the day it was announced. He denied it is amnesty, immunity, a way to citizenship or a "permanent fix." As many as 1.4 million people may qualify for the new program, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, a research organization based in Washington, The New York Times reported. The administration announced its order three days after a coalition of evangelical Christians released a statement calling for a "bipartisan solution" on immigration reform. The statement had 150 evangelical endorsers, including more than 20 Southern Baptists. Land and Bryant Wright, then-president of the Southern Baptist Convention, were among the signers. Obama, as well as various evangelical leaders, also said the Supreme Court opinion on the Arizona law showed the need for Congress to adopt comprehensive immigration reform. "A patchwork of state laws is not a solution to our broken immigration system -- it's part of the problem," Obama said. Messengers to the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix, Ariz., approved a resolution on immigration reform that called for the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus while pursuing justice and compassion. The measure urged the government to make a priority of border security and holding businesses accountable in their hiring. It also requested public officials secure the borders, and with secure borders, establish "a just and compassionate path to legal status, with appropriate restitutionary measures, for those undocumented immigrants already living in our country." It specified the resolution was not to be interpreted as supporting amnesty. Land has consistently called for comprehensive reform that includes a pathway to citizenship that would consist of such requirements as paying fines, undergoing a criminal background check, learning English, pledging allegiance to the American government, accepting a probationary period and going to the back of the line behind those seeking to enter the country legally. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Bourbon Street sex industry is ministry's focus By Marilyn Stewart Jul. 5 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38204 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- New Orleans' Bourbon Street is awash nightly in neon light and lewd images. Some in the crowd disappear into the strip clubs that line the street. Others come only to gawk. One Crossover team prior to this year's Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting -- all women -- came to pray. Three couples from First Baptist Church in Florence, Ala., joined with Mosaic, a church plant in New Orleans' Mid-City area, during Crossover to serve alongside Inward, a ministry of women from New Orleans churches that is reaching women in the sex industry. The Florence team served in New Orleans days after a strip club dancer was found brutally murdered and one day after Inward successfully helped another woman escape her pimp. "These women [of Inward] are on the frontlines of ministry," said Rickey "Ric" Camp, pastor of First Baptist Florence and vice chairman of the North American Mission Board's board of trustees. Inward, in its third year of operation, goes into the clubs to show God's love. As a result, several have left the sex industry. One dancer came to faith in Christ. The Florence team women, two of them retired, prayerwalked along Bourbon Street while Inward members delivered gift baskets with gift cards and snack items to club dancers and workers. While the women prayerwalked, husbands gathered at Mosaic to pray. Camp said he texted Scripture verses such as Joshua 1:7, "Be strong and courageous," to his wife, Lisa Camp. "I was really frightened at first," Lisa Camp said. "These women showed us how to look at people and see them as God sees them." Ric Camp said that while the men prayed, the women sent text message updates. One message read, "Pray that we get into the club," and later, "We're in." The murder victim worked at the club where Inward has hosted six breakfasts after closing time in order to share the Gospel with club workers. "We felt an urgency to pray," Ric Camp said. "There is a sense of lostness and darkness there." Inward goes into the clubs every third Wednesday and gathers to pray the two weeks in between. Dozens of women from several Southern Baptist churches are actively involved. Because of the Mosaic-Crossover team partnership, a Friday night outing was added. Christi Gibson, Inward director and a staff member at First Baptist Church in New Orleans, said they decided to target smaller clubs just off the beaten path of Bourbon Street that Friday evening. "These clubs are looked down upon, even by the other clubs," Gibson said. The gift baskets provided by Mosaic and assembled by the Crossover team "allowed us to show them lavish love," Gibson said. Lisa Camp said Inward prays when they go out that business in the clubs will be slow so opportunities to talk will be available. God answered. At one club, the women talked to dancers for 45 minutes. Ashley Burgamy, an Inward member, led the Florence team in prayerwalking down a side street she described as "creepier than Bourbon Street." "Sometimes I forget how weird this [ministry] is," Burgamy said. "Hearing their prayers and how God impacted them was sweet." Burgamy said she prays that others will not only partner with Inward but will catch the vision for beginning a similar work where they live. "Don't just be excited about what we're doing here," Burgamy said. "Take it home." Ric Camp said the experience was a lesson that God can use churches of all sizes to reach others. At home, his church is beginning a ministry to homeless children. "I learned there is a whole world outside the box that I live in," Lisa Camp said. "I asked myself, 'What is there back home that I need to be radical about?'" --30-- Marilyn Stewart is a regional reporter for the Baptist Message in Louisiana and a freelance writer. To learn how to be involved with Inward, email Christi Gibson at [URL=http://www.Christi.Gibson@fbno.org]www.Christi.Gibson@fbno.org[/URL] Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- NAMB connects churches, planters at SBC By Tobin Perry Jul. 5 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38206 [IMG=32991@right@250]NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Pastor Mitch Whidden came to the North American Mission Board's exhibit during this year's Southern Baptist Convention with a purpose: to get some help with planting a new church. Barrington Ridge Baptist Church in Hobart, Ind., where Whidden serves as pastor of the 200-member congregation, launched a church last Easter in neighboring Highland. "There's hardly any Gospel presence in this area. It's overwhelming," Whidden said. "We've got to revitalize churches and plant new churches. It's the only way we're going to reach the area. There was a vacant building that belonged to the association in a neighborhood that really needed a church. We just said that we'd plant a church there." Today -- just a little more than a year later -- that church has about 80 in attendance on a typical Sunday and baptizes regularly. Now another building has become available in another local neighborhood in need of a church. Barrington Ridge wants to try it again. But this time they want help, and they believe they found it at the NAMB exhibit. "I was really behind on [church planting]," Whidden said, despite the early growth of the initial church plant. "I didn't know how to plant a church at all. I probably made more mistakes than I did things right. But we're going to do it again." Whidden was just one of many Southern Baptists who were engaged in Send North America at the NAMB exhibit during the Southern Baptist Convention and Pastors' Conference in New Orleans in June. The exhibit featured cityscapes of each of NAMB's five regions and videos on church planters in those regions. At the heart of the exhibit were NAMB mobilizers who personally helped visiting Southern Baptists engage missions in North America. Those who visited the exhibit were encouraged to complete a Mobilize Me card, which allows NAMB staff to get back in touch with them after the convention and connect them with specific church plant or other missions opportunities in North America. NAMB has set a goal of seeing a net gain of 5,000 SBC congregations by the end of 2022. That will require 13,500 new churches and a church revitalization initiative to help struggling congregations. NAMB's Send North America strategy includes church planting, evangelism, ministry evangelism, disaster relief and several other ministries centered on local churches. One pastor came to NAMB's exhibit after wrestling with getting involved personally in church planting in the Pacific Northwest. After talking with several NAMB mobilizers at the exhibit and praying about it much of the night, he woke up the next morning ready to explore church planting even further, saying that God had "broken my heart" for a particular city in the Northwest. --30-- Tobin Perry writes for the North American Mission Board. Southern Baptists who didn't attend the convention can get involved in Send North America by visiting [URL=http://www.namb.net]www.namb.net[/URL] and clicking "Mobilize Me." Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- FROM THE STATES: N.C., S.C., Mo. evangelism/missions news By Staff Jul. 5 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38209 EDITOR'S NOTE: From the States, published weekly by Baptist Press, relays news and feature stories from state Baptist papers and other publications on initiatives by Baptist churches, associations and state conventions in evangelism, church planting and Great Commission outreach, including partnership missions. Reports about churches, associations and state conventions responding to the International Mission Board's call to embrace the world's 3,800 unengaged, unreached people groups also are included in From the States, along with reports about church, associational and state convention initiatives in conjunction with the North American Mission Board's call to Southern Baptist churches to broaden their efforts in starting new churches and satellite campuses. The items appear in Baptist Press as originally published. Today's From the States features items from: Biblical Recorder (North Carolina) The Baptist Courier (South Carolina) The Pathway (Missouri) N.C. churches, associations ready to partner long-term in Toronto By Melissa Lilley, BSC Communications CARY, N.C. (Biblical Recorder) -- One year after launching a partnership in Toronto, North Carolina Baptists are responding to the need to come alongside church planters and engage in long-term partnerships. Yet, with a population less than 2.5 percent evangelical and only 40 Southern Baptist churches serving 5.5 million people, a lot more help is needed. Through its Office of Great Commission Partnerships, the Baptist State Convention of N.C. (BSC) partnership with the Canadian National Baptist Convention (CNBC) is focused specifically on the Greater Toronto Area. The partnership encourages N.C. Baptist churches to plant a church in Toronto, or to join groups of N.C. churches in partnering with a specific Toronto church plant. Dan Collison, director of Toronto Church Planting and southern Ontario lead church planting catalyst for CNBC and the North American Mission Board, has learned that building relationships and serving the community are the best ways to create opportunities to share the gospel. "Canada has always been secular. No one gives a second thought to what the church may say about a particular topic or issue," he said. "This forces us to begin understanding, on a much deeper level, how to be people of faith and how we communicate the gospel. You develop a stronger, practical understanding of how the church represents the gospel to the community." Effective partners Toronto church planters need partner churches in order to serve their community and reach people for Jesus Christ. However, Collison urged potential partners to remember that church planting in Canada can be very different than in the United States. "In Canada, it usually takes 8-10 years for a church plant to become fairly self-sustaining," he said. "The American statistic is 3-5 years, at most. This reality makes long-term partnerships all the more critical. If churches pull out too soon, after a couple of years, they leave the planter just as he really begins to hit his stride. Collison said an effective mission team moves a church plant forward three to six months down the road. "An effective mission team is a team that comes back," he said. "When mission teams come to a location only once, they drain more energy out of the field than they contribute." The second year a team comes they help push momentum forward, by the third year things are falling into place, and after that "it's friends helping more than a project being accomplished," Collison said. Churches are encouraged to help the church plant until it has planted a church of its own. Effective mission teams are also teams that serve with the right "posture." "They come and fit themselves into the strategy of the church planter," Collison said. Hometown ministry Jason McGibbon is a Toronto church planter ready to partner with North Carolina churches. McGibbon grew up in Hamilton, near the western end of the Niagara Peninsula and Lake Ontario, and for the past year has been working with The Hamilton Fellowship's church plant. About a quarter of the 550,000 people in Hamilton live below the poverty line. Hamilton includes many refugees and Muslim residents. Although once a "blue collar" town centered on steel mills, Hamilton now has a growing arts community and many young families and new residents. Before serving as church planters in Hamilton, the McGibbons attended The Sanctuary Church in Oakville, which is about 30 minutes north of Hamilton. When The Sanctuary decided to plant a church in Milton, the McGibbons went to Milton to help with the plant. And when that congregation knew God was leading them to plant a church, McGibbon knew God was calling him to be the church planter. "We heard God clearly say, 'Who are you waiting for? If you're going to be a church that plants churches, what are you waiting for?'" About 12-16 people meet in McGibbon's home every Tuesday. He is praying for more house fellowships to be established and for the church to love its community and engage it with the gospel. McGibbon knows church planting requires sacrifice. "Our sending church could have used a children's minister five years ago. They gave up paychecks to keep church planting going," he said. Now is the time Just as McGibbon answered God's call to go, so are churches from Rowan Association. Director of Missions Ken Clark went to Toronto last year and again this year to learn how to help involve his association in Toronto church planting. "Our plan as an association is to become a global impact network. We want to get to the point where we will have teams come up at least quarterly, so we have a constant presence there," Clark said. "If I can help tie smaller churches with larger churches, they can make an impact as well. The excitement will then spread." Through the Office of Great Commission Partnerships, global impact networks are being established across N.C. A local church or association that serves as a global impact network serves as a missional center, helping connect other local churches and associations with partnering churches. Three churches in Rowan are already committed to partnering in Toronto with Scott Rourk and Rendezvous Church. Rourk is on his third church plant in Toronto, all in very different and diverse settings. The Rendezvous church plant in midtown, in the Forest Hill neighborhood, is an area with affluent, working professionals who are mostly unchurched. The Rendezvous plant in the Parkdale neighborhood, however, will reach mostly immigrants of various religious backgrounds. "Our goal as a church plant is not just to plant a church, but to reach a city. Our hope is to plant 10 Rendezvous churches within the next 10-15 years in Toronto. In order for us to do that we need church planters for each and every one of those church plants," Rourk said. Clark is praying for partnerships to also lead to revitalization among North Carolina churches. "I have a lot of churches that think they are missional because they give to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and support the Cooperative Program, and have a missions speaker. But they are not living missionally," he said. "I'm hoping they will see the difference between talking about missions and giving to missions, and committing themselves physically to doing missions," Clark said. "And I hope that will make a difference in their own personal lives with Christ. "We've got to get beyond waiting on someone else to do it. If God has impressed on you to do it, there's no reason to sit back. --30-- ********** Kershaw Association 'adopts' unreached people group in Peru CAMDEN, S.C. (The Baptist Courier) -- Sitting at a table at DeBruhl's Café in Camden, Jimmy Hanf launches into a spirited discussion of Kershaw Baptist Association's Peru Mission Adoption Partnership. Kershaw Association director of missions Jimmy Hanf has led the churches of his mostly rural association to take the unusual step of adopting an unreached people group — villagers who live alongside the Rio Tigrillo River, a tributary of the Amazon. A 24-page partnership booklet, a brochure and a CD of photographs serve as testimony to the excitement over God's work among the unreached Urarina people. The partnership extends through 2014. "Our first team went down in August 2011 to understand the ministry potential and report back to the association," said Hanf, director of missions for Kershaw Association. "It was a unanimous decision by our association to enter this partnership." The story began when Gloria Shull, ministry assistant in the South Carolina Baptist Convention's missions mobilization group, called Hanf. "Gloria asked me to pray about going to Peru," said Hanf, who had been to Brazil as pastor of St. George Baptist Church in Orangeburg. "I had been to Chile," Hanf added. "I had experience going into the jungle." Hanf agreed to go on the trip and found five other ministers willing to go with him. Among them was Steve Lee, pastor of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Camden. Lee also had missions experience, having served five years in New Guinea. Pastors Terry and John Corder, Roy Broughman and Craig Blankenship rounded out the exploratory team. It is not easy getting to a part of the world where the Amazon River diverges into the Maranon River, which then diverges into the Airico, Chambira, and Rio Tigrillo rivers. Missionaries from Florida and Texas have adopted Urarina villages along the Airico and Chambira. Kershaw Association has adopted villages along the Rio Tigrillo. The larger village of San Juan, strategically located on the Chabria, serves as the base for missional expeditions down the rivers. "On that [first] trip," Hanf said, "we were able to connect with Jeremy Nelson, who at the time was a Southern Baptist missionary in the area. We were just building relationships with people, and Jeremy wanted us to meet the village leaders. We also taught Bible classes and had about 30 believers attend those classes." In March 2012, Hanf and Lee returned for the association's second trip. By this time, missionary Nelson was no longer on the field, but Luis Rios had joined the team as its interpreter. With Luis' aid, Hanf and Lee were able to visit the village of Curuhinsi on the Airico River and visit five villages along Rio Tigrillo. Pastor Julian of Nuevo Union along the Espejo River went with the team. "This area is very similar to a Native American reservation," Lee said. "The area is self-governed and self-protected. To enter safely, you must have a known person, and that was what Luis provided for us. As we approached a village, Luis was the first one off the boat to interact with the people. Some of the villages can be hostile, especially deep along the river." Once they were allowed in the villages, Hanf said, the men were welcomed. "We went in with the statement, 'We are here to help,' and the question, 'What do you need?' " Hanf said. "Many of these people have never seen a white person, and some refer to white people as face stealers. The women, especially, [wouldn't] look at us because they thought we would steal their faces." Hanf and Lee spent nights in some of the villages and ate meals — mostly fish and rice — with villagers. That involvement, and Pastor Rafael's assistance, helped the team introduce 10 people to Jesus and see two other rededications during the trip. Teams in September 2012 and January 2013 will return with medical supplies, fishing hooks and lines, and clothes, and each of the villages has been promised fishing nets. Terry Corder, pastor of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, Jefferson, and Craigan Blankenship, pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, Westville, will lead the September trip. John Corder, youth and children's pastor at Hillcrest Baptist Church, Elgin, will lead the trip in January 2013. "We will have some women going as part of the September team," Hanf said. "Village women won't approach the men in our teams." Among the women going in September will be a nurse and a nurse technician. They will be "vital, almost crucial" to the success of the trip, Hanf said. To save costs over the length of the partnership, the association is purchasing a river boat from Oklahoma Baptists, who have concluded their ministry in the region, at a cost of $12,000. Currently, the team is leasing a boat at a cost of about $2,400 per week, including daily rental and gasoline. To ease travel to the area, the association is storing equipment and non-perishable supplies in San Juan, minimizing the need to pack and repack tents, stoves, and other camping gear. Tim Rice, interim director of the SCBC's missions mobilization group, said it's not unusual for associations to have mission partnerships, but Kershaw is unique in that it has adopted an unreached people group. (The International Mission Board defines an unreached people group as a population where less than 2 percent of the people are evangelized.) "When more than 2 percent of a population knows Jesus, studies show that people can begin to evangelize their own people," Rice said. "We want to share the gospel in places where it's not heard and help start reproducing churches." Rice credits Hanf's vision with kindling enthusiasm among the churches in Kershaw Association. "Jimmy led a team there and wanted to go back, doing whatever it takes to reach the Urarina people," Rice said. "We don't have many churches talking about adopting unreached people groups. This has come together around the power of a visionary leader who cast a vision to his churches, and they enthusiastically support it. "It's a great story of taking Jesus to the edge of the world. I hope others will follow their lead, seeing that missions like this are possible." Hanf said the trips are open to any believer interested in joining the association's work. Volunteers must be in good health, provide their own funding, be approved through the association and its team leadership, and be at least 18 years of age. -- SCBC --30-- ********** Church planter does his part within larger outreach By Allen Palmeri Associate Editor KANSAS CITY, Mo. (The Pathway)--Rich Casebolt loves people. His heart is for Christ to reach them on Independence Avenue. "If you look at what has died in the last 50 years, all these big (church) buildings, and you can talk all day about whether they were really reaching the neighborhood, but that was God's sovereignty and provision for this neighborhood to have the gospel," Casebolt said. "Some of them maybe lost the gospel, and these are mostly empty shells. Certainly the gospel has all but disappeared, so you've got to think about what's going to replace all these empty shells. I believe it's going to be new plants that are gospel-centered." Casebolt, 37, holds a Master of Divinity degree in collegiate ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City. His focus is on leadership development. His wife, Vicki, is behind him, and his three young children, Caleb, Kenan, and Chloe, are being raised in a somewhat undesirable neighborhood where a father must concern himself at times with the sound of gunfire. "The inner city has high crime, high poverty, high unemployment, drug and alcohol ridden, prostitution," Casebolt said. "It's a calling to be a catalyst for the gospel, and that means being a catalyst for church planting." Presenting the gospel through a new work is his heart. His calling is apostolic; he hopes that word will not scare Missouri Southern Baptists. Apostolic is a good word in the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) assessment process. In a nutshell, Casebolt is grateful that "apostolic" is not a charismatic cuss word. "For me, that's the fulfillment of the Great Commission," he said. His target is Centerpoint. Home now to a pair of missions, the Latino-led Center Church and the Vietnamese Baptist Church, the building is located at the corner of 7th Street and Beacon Avenue. "It needs a church plant, because there's not really anyone reaching the average Joe and Jane English speaker," Casebolt said. "I'm praying about God raising up a team to plant a church there and prayerfully in several other neighborhoods." A former church-sent missionary to Thailand, Casebolt is now part of the MBC's outreach to northeast Kansas City. His brand of southeast Asian evangelism extends from a Thai hub to ethnics out of Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, and Laos, among others, that may emerge at any time up and down the avenue. His vision is tied to the Antioch School of Church Planting through the Biblical Institute of Leadership Development (BILD). The BILD philosophy is for local churches to train church leaders through discipleship and church planting. "I am excited about starting this school because of the potential to initiate church planting movements across our city, state, country, and world," he said. Casebolt also works to support his family of five in his mission field as a manager for Eleos Coffee. --30-- -- End of story -- BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, July 8, 2012 By Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Jul. 5 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38211 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curriculum and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the MasterWork curriculum. Bible Passage: Mark 12:29-31 Discussion Question: How many people would accept Christ if they knew that it would bring difficulties? Food for Thought: Numerous times throughout Scripture, we are reminded that as Christians we will be persecuted. Ours isn't an easy road, for Satan wishes to make our lives treacherous as we seek to share the Gospel throughout the world. Missionaries in some countries encounter difficulties regularly. The International Mission Board shared the following story on their website: Pabitra Kata and Niladri Kanhar were jailed earlier this year simply for proselytizing. Both men have suffered beatings for claiming Christianity in their small Indian province. Kata has a jagged line over his right ear where his head is caved in from an attack, and Kanhar has a lengthy scar along his right side. They endure such beatings for the sake of the Gospel. They met more than five years ago when Kata, a pastor who wished to impact just one family for God, followed the Lord's leading to the edge of a terrorist village. He returned to his home thinking he'd made a wrong turn and continued to pray that God would lead him to a family that needed Him. Meanwhile, Kanhar who was one of the most feared terrorist leaders in the village, was praying to one his gods for healing for his family members. During the night, his oldest daughter died. Kanhar left to take her body to a hospital for the death certificate. Moments later, Kata arrived having been prodded by the Holy Spirit to return to the village and the terrorist leader's home. Kata pleaded with the grieving mother not to give up hope but to pray "in Jesus' name" throughout the night. He promised to return the next day. The following morning, Kanhar and his daughter, who'd been pronounced dead, walked hand-in-hand back to their village. Kata, who stood in the family's doorway, extended his hand to Kanhar and introduced himself, "I'm your new friend, Pabitra Kata." Kanhar listened as his wife explained what had happened the evening before and began to believe. By that afternoon, he had given his life to Christ. Over the next few weeks, the two men met together in Kanhar's home for prayer and Bible study. Kata told him to expect to suffer for his newfound faith. It didn't take long. He and his family were forced to leave their home; he couldn't find work; his brothers disowned him; and his children were kicked out of their school. Then Kanhar himself was brutally attacked. He leaned on God throughout the beating. Even as he was warned that he would die if he didn't return to Hinduism, Kanhar fought back saying, "Even if you kill me or my children, I will remain a Christian until my last breath. I will stand firm in the truth of Jesus Christ." Will you stand firm for Him in the face of persecution? MasterWork is an ongoing Bible study curriculum based on works from a variety of renowned authors, offering practical messages that adults will find uplifting and enriching. The list of authors and their books to be studied in upcoming months can be found at [URT=http://www.LifeWay.com/MasterWork]www.LifeWay.com/MasterWork[/URL]. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at [URL=http://www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool]www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool[/URL]. --30-- Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: What guests see when they visit your church By Thom S. Rainer Jul. 5 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38210 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- In the context of serious theological discussions, it may seem trivial to write about first impressions of guests when they visit your church. But if we could understand that a returning guest has more opportunities to hear the Gospel and experience Christian love and fellowship, we might take the issue a bit more seriously. Prior to assuming the presidency of LifeWay Christian Resources, I led a church consulting company. One of our first steps in the consultation was to send one or more first-time guests to the church. Those individuals would then report back to us on their experiences. Many times those we enlisted were unchurched non-Christians. As I write this, I am working at home because a handyman is working on several small items around my house. I love his approach. When he first enters our home, he asks for permission to take a quick tour. Within minutes, he commented on several items that might need his attention, items that weren't on the list I gave him. I appreciated his thoroughness, and it was good for his business as well. The handyman did something very basic and very simple. He looked at my house through outside eyes. I am in my house every day, so I don't notice those things that may not be just right. The same is true for church members and church leaders. They see their church on an ongoing basis, so they don't have the benefit of outside eyes. WHAT THEY SEE After two decades of church consultation, a clear pattern emerged. These were the areas that engendered more comments and concerns from first-time guests. These areas are listed in order of frequency of response, and they deal only with physical facilities. -- The women's restrooms. Almost 100 percent of the female guests we retained addressed this issue. They noticed first and foremost the cleanliness of the restrooms. Then they noticed the convenience of getting to the restrooms. Finally, they noticed the capacity of the restrooms. Did they have to wait in line? -- The preschool and nursery area. This area was a focus of near unanimity of young families. Is the area secure? Is it clean? How do I know someone else won't pick up my child? Do the workers appear concerned and qualified? -- Parking. Guests often commented on the difficulty or ease of finding a parking spot. Was there a covered drop off if the weather was bad? Were there guest parking spots? Were there reserved places for young mothers and expectant mothers? Were there sufficient handicapped parking places? -- Signage and information. Recently my wife and I were in a mall we had never visited. The first thing we did was go to a sign that had all the stores and their locations on it. Even small churches can be intimidating to first-time guests. Do you have adequate signage throughout the facilities? Is there an obvious information booth or table? Members know where to go; guests don't. -- Worship seating. First-time guests desire to find a place to sit as quickly as possible. They feel awkward otherwise. Is your worship center more than 80 percent full? If so, the guests perceive it is completely full. Are your members trained to move to the middle of pews or seat rows so guests don't have to climb over them? Are their ushers or greeters available to lead guests to seats? IT IS IMPORTANT When a guest has a good experience, he or she is more likely to return. When they return they are more likely to hear about and experience the love of Christ. When I was a pastor of a church with 70 in worship attendance, we decided to do something about our deplorable restrooms. We had a workday and almost half the church showed up. People donated materials, labor and even toilets. At the end of the day, we had some of the nicest and cleanest restrooms in town. I don't know how closely it's related, but our attendance bumped up to 90 immediately and never went back in my tenure. Maybe it was the church working together. Maybe it was the community observing the unity of the church. Or maybe we just had clean restrooms. It is that important. --30-- Thom S. Rainer is president of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. This column first appeared on his website, [URL=http://www.ThomRainer.com]www.ThomRainer.com[/URL]. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: bpress@sbc.net