Mission Leader

BibleTelling is a dynamic method of telling Bible stories without memorizing words. Those attending this seminar will learn tips, techniques, and skills that will enable them to internalize and tell stories with ease. In addition to learning how to tell, they learn how to lead Bible discussions that will engage their audience.Internationally-known BibleTelling leaders will lead each session in this ministry-changing workshop. The 2018 training is in Memphis, TN. Our host: 

Much thanks to my friend Mike Lopez for forwarding this article my direction. Tim Elmore of GrowingLeader.com has written an informative article about the uniqueness of the up and coming generation.

Take a look.

From Growingleaders.com

History is full of people who’ve gone first, especially during the last century. There is something about being first that tugs at the human spirit, and pushes it forward.

• Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the moon.
• Howard Perry was the first black man to enlist in the Marines.
• Second Lieutenant Kristin Bass was the first female F-16 fighter pilot.
• Roger Bannister was the first person to run a mile in under four minutes.
• Ann Bancroft was the first woman to reach the North Pole on foot
• Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
• Sergei Krikalev was the first cosmonaut to spend ten months in space.

Did you know you have some “firsts” on your campus as well? Your high school or college students are among a generation who’s the first to experience a number of realities. In fact, because they’re initiating these realities, they may present a challenge to your parents and teachers. Adults are grappling with how to raise this population of kids who grew up on-line, with a screen in their hands. The pixels and format of those screens have re-wired their brains: they think differently, react differently, communicate differently, and process information differently than adults. Some call them “screenagers.” Consider the following “firsts” they represent.

This is the First Generation of Youth Who:

1. Doesn’t need adults to get information.

Consider how this difference changes the role of an adult. Because information is everywhere, we are no longer brokers of data. They don’t need us for information, but for interpretation. We must help them make sense of all they know. Our job isn’t to enable them to access data, but to process data and form good decisions.

This story, along with many others at CommissionStories.com gives a telling picture of the day-to-day realities in disaster areas around the world. Volunteers are there making a difference.

‘No bottled answers:’
Haitians ask volunteers ‘what do I do’ now?
Staff
See more stories at CommissionStories.com
What do I do?” the Haitian man asked helplessly. The Jan. 12 earthquake had destroyed his home and taken the lives of his wife and two children. He was living out of a suitcase.

Butch Vernon, pastor of Thoroughbred Community Church in Nicholasville, Ky., struggled to answer the man’s question. Vernon was in Haiti as a volunteer with a Kentucky Baptist disaster relief team.

“I’m not asked that question a lot back in the States, you know?” said Vernon, his voice cracking with emotion.

“It’s not one of those deals where you can say, ‘take two [Bible] verses and call me in the morning. It’s the only time I’m going to see that guy, and there are no bottled answers.

“I prayed with him and I hugged him, and we gave him some medicine that won’t fix [his problems], but it made him feel better,” he added. “We’re seeing a lot of that.”

Teams on the ground in Haiti
From Jan. 31 to Feb. 8, Vernon and the Kentucky team joined forces with a Mississippi Baptist disaster relief team. They were part of a coordinated effort among the Florida Baptist Convention, which has a long-standing relationship with Haitian Baptists; Baptist Global Response, a Southern Baptist relief and development agency; the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board.

The toughest part for a volunteer is accepting that you can’t help everyone, said Daniel Edney, who directed the medical response efforts with the Mississippi disaster relief team.

“But we can take care of those who God puts in front of us,” said Edney, a member of First Baptist Church, Vicksburg, Miss., who had led relief teams in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and in South Asia after the tsunami.

“When those you help walk out with a smile on their face, you know you’ve done something.”

When the Mississippi volunteers pulled up to a church on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, they were surprised to see people praising and worshipping God — so many of them were struggling to get by without food and water.

“It was a neat thing to drive up and hear them singing and praising the Lord and worshipping,” said Kay Cassibry, Mississippi’s state WMU executive director who led the 10-member relief team.

“They have been so receptive,” added Cassibry, a member of Highland Colony Baptist Church in Ridgeland. “People do not know us, but they are receptive to our hugs and everything.”

Many helped during week
During the week, the Mississippi team helped at makeshift medical clinics and saw more than 1,100 patients.

“We have treated all kinds of things,” said Cassibry, while walking through one of the clinics. “There were a lot of respiratory problems, a lot of infection. We had to set a couple of bones.

“We’ve got a guy on an IV,” she added. “He asked for a Bible as soon as he woke up. We were pretty excited about that.”

For Hester Pitts, another Mississippi volunteer, the biggest blessings were the thank you letters she received from Haitians.

“I know what it means for us to be here,” said Pitts, a member of First Baptist Church of Vicksburg, “but [these letters are] tangible evidence of what it means for them.”

Pitts admitted her life-changing trip to Haiti was almost a missed opportunity.

Vacation interrupted to serve
She was on vacation with her husband, Kerry, and two other couples in Tampa, Fla., when she was contacted about joining the relief team. Pitts — a retired medical technologist — admitted she wanted to wait until later to volunteer, but she couldn’t shake her burden for Haiti.

Pitts agreed to go to Haiti immediately and asked others in her vacation group if they wanted to join her. One of her friends, David Baldwin, broke down in tears.

“He said, ‘Hester, I’ve been sitting here praying that God would open that door for me to go,’” Pitts said. “I could not believe it.”

Within two hours, the couples were on the road back to Mississippi so that Baldwin and Pitts could prepare for their trip. For Pitts, giving up her vacation was an opportunity of a lifetime.

“I’m just thankful that I didn’t miss the experience,” she said. “I came so close to telling God ‘no.’”

Dreams do come true! Several weeks ago it was unclear as to whether my dream of some family fun on the beach would be possible. Well, we’ve just returned from a great time together in Florida. At one point, Betsy pulled us aside for a family photo; to be honest, we were not all “happy campers.” Her request meant that we had to drag ourselves out of the water or out from under the comfortable umbrella for a hot, sandy walk to a certain deck. BUT…at the second of the snap, Betsy set the camera timer, ran from her tripod and jumped in the middle of us with a beautiful, BIG grin to announce: “One, Two, Three…everybody say BETSY’S PREGNANT!” The shocked excitement was captured on film–“Very clever, Betsy!” We are so delighted. John recently returned to Iraq from an 18-day “R & R.” It was so wonderful to see him. Ask God to grant focus to John’s platoon and patience and health in the 130 degree, grueling heat! Back in Clarksville, Please remember Betsy and the health of the baby, as she starts up a kindergarden job soon. Thank you.

Best News: Jesus

Thank you for praying that the “aroma of Christ” spread even though the situation regarding our friend who is missing in Afghanistan is still unresolved. May God’s fame extend all over that nation, as the Holy Spirit directs and empowers His people.

We regret that we won’t be attending the Concerned Christians for Afghanistan gathering in Ohio at the end of July. Pray for those will be there. Please remember Afghans and so many across the globe suffering under severe famine/drought/economic woe.

Will you also please pray for Steve Moses and interns Ashley, David, Katie, Elise, Pace, Ryan, Heather, and Alex who have spent the summer in missional training? They are concluding their summer right now with a ministry trip among the least reached.

Personally, Mark and I have started studying the book of Hebrews. There is nothing better to adjust one’s perspective like a fresh reminder of the person of Jesus:

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Hebrews 1:3)

May we daily acknowledge the perfect Character of Christ and by so doing know afresh of His agape love for us, a love we pray will overflow to those near and even those a far—all for His pleasure.

With you on the journey,

Cindy and Mark

Take a look at the following link to an article in the New York Times. This article is from a secular media perspective on an unconventional Southern Baptist Church, The Journey, led by Darrin Patrick of St. Louis. The church is connected to Mark Driscoll’s, Acts 29 Network. Read it with interest.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/us/01evangelical.html?pagewanted=1&_r=4&ref=us

What do you think about:

A church in a pub?

Young believers who express Christian convictions through “not-so-conservative” political means?

A “green movement” among Southern Baptist Churches?

What other issues does this article raise for you?

I look forward to seeing your comments.

Mark

With fear and trembling Mission Leader comes of age, entering the blogosphere. Be gentle we’re learning. We’re in the process of taking three different Missionleader sites (.com/.org/ & .net) and rolling them into one. Hang on as Steve Moses and I get started. Pretty soon, you should have all of the resources available that you are accustomed to – links, and W.O.R.L.D. Christian documents. In addition, the site becomes interactive, facilitating an ongoing dialogue on local-church missional topics. Thanks for your patience as we go through the rebirthing process.

Welcome to Mission Leader, your source for the latest World Christian resources and you can expect regular updates soon! We are very excited to start this conversation with you! If you have any feedback or ideas for the site leave them in the comments below.

See you soon…