Baptist

igest

Vol. 60 No. 6

Newsjournal Of Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists

www.baptistdigest.com

MK Re-Entry Retreat

We are so excited to be hosting alongside the

International Mission Board this years Missionary
Kid Re-Entry retreat.
IMB puts on a retreat each year for MKs returning to the States for their first year of university.
Purpose of this retreat is to help MKs adjust back
into Western culture as well as learn how to connect and survive when their parents return to their
field of service.
The retreat will be held Aug. 8-12 at Webster
Conference Center, Salina, Kan. IMB staffs the retreat while KNCSB covers transportation, lodging,
meals, snacks and a gift card.
We ask that you pray for these MKs coming back to
the States as well as financially support them if that
is where you feel God is leading you. There are
several ways you can give:
1. Any dollar donation. The retreat cost will be $350
per MK.
Send to: KNCSB

Attn: MK Re-Entry Retreat

5410 SW 7th

Topeka, KS 66606
2. Sponsor one or more students at $350 each.
3. Cover $100 gift cards for one or more MKs.
This retreat is such a blessing and honor to be
hosting! For more information contact Mari Parker
at mparker@kncsb.org or call the KNCSB Sending
Office at (800) 984-9092 ext. 828.

Plan Now to Attend

KNCSB Annual Meeting

The 2016 KNCSB annual meeting

will be held Monday night, Oct. 10,
and Tuesday, Oct. 11, at LifeSpring
Church, Bellevue, Neb.
On-line messenger pre-registration
is now underway. Sept. 9 is the preregistration deadline.
Find more information at http://
www.kncsbevents.org/EM16
KNCSB will mail information
about the annual meeting in late June.

Kansas-Nebraska Campers on Mission performed 761.5 hours of volunteer labor

during their recent two-week work project at Webster Conference Center, Salina,
Kan. One of the COM mens projects was constructing new entrances into the WCC
dining hall. The new entrances connect the original dining hall with the new dininghall addition. (Below) The Campers on Mission ladies work on painting the cabinets
in the dorm kitchen.

June 2016

WWW.KNCSB.ORG

The Thought Occurred to Me

By Bob Mills

KNCSB Executive Director

bmills@kncsb.org

This morning in my time before the Lord, I found

myself reading Psalm 146 over and over again. This
Psalm really spoke to me this morning about the
importance of placing our trust completely in the Lord
for all things. I pray that we as a family of believers
have not lost our absolute dependence on God. Do we
really depend on The Maker of Heaven and Earth?
Let me share this Psalm with you:
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes,

In mortal men, who cannot save.

Soon we will be gathering in St. Louis for

the Southern Baptists
Convention. Each year
the SBC family gathers to conduct business
and celebrate what the
Lord has done through
the Southern Baptists
Bob Mills
Family. My prayer for our
Baptist family is that we will absolutely turn our hearts
toward God and trust The Maker of Heaven and
Earth. Hope to see you in St. Louis.

This church was busy picking sides, playing favorites and following whichever teacher they thought had
the most Jesus juice.
So, its hard for me to stomach Pauls words as he
expresses incredible thankfulness for that church.
In my history, Ive been on the receiving end of
some fairly vicious church member attacks. Ive been
accused of highjacking a church, using a bully pulpit,
and worst of all, not being very Baptist. I remember
changing lights in the foyer because they didnt work
and I was labeled the desecrator of the temple.
I thought that last one was pretty harsh they were
just fluorescent lights.
I promise, immediately following those encounters I
was not hitting my knees thanking God for those precious people in my congregation.
I was spitfire mad, and was searching the scriptures
for wrath, judgment and isnt there something in
there about wailing and gnashing of teeth?
However, Paul was thankful, and it wasnt just
words. He was genuinely thankful.
If you look at his writings throughout the New
Testament, one of the things that marks this leader is a
maturity displayed in excessive thankfulness.
Hes thankful for trials, thankful for much or little,
thankful for people even when theyre difficult. I

believe thankfulness is one of the marks of spiritual

maturity that is overlooked.
We are thankful when we can identify a blessing,
an answer or something that we can post, like and
hashtag (#Blessed).
But, if we can find thankfulness in difficult people
and circumstances, we are actually expressing grace
and acting like Jesus.
In 1 Corinthians 1:4 Paul said, I give thanks to my
God always for you because of the grace of God that
was given you in Christ Jesus.
He wasnt thankful for their negativity, name-calling
or any of that ugliness, but he was genuinely thankful
that the same grace he had received they had received.
Having that spirit of thankfulness allowed him to
correct, endure, and lead out of a Christlike spirit.
Its so important that we learn to be thankful.
Thankfulness not only displays our maturity, it diffuses difficulty. It frames conflict. It paves the pathway
to peace.
Its true, youve been hurt, theyve been wrong, a
huge travesty of justice has taken place. But, if you flip
the script and change the roles around it sounds a little
like the relationship you and Jesus have, doesnt it?
So, dont be thankful for whomever, but...
Just be thankful. Then deal with the rest.

The Cross Eyed Life

By Andy Addis

Senior Pastor, CrossPoint, Hutchinson, KS

E-mail: andy@crosspointnow.net

JUNE 2016

Ive been married for more than 20 years, and I

have learned a few things. One of which is how to
apologize.
A few weeks ago I was eating out. At a nearby table
a young couple, who by every nonverbal, displayed
there was trouble in paradise.
He was talking, she was
fuming, and the tension in
the air was thick like body
spray in the junior high
boys locker room.
I heard this young
man start down the right
road and then well, he
crashed.
He said in a gentle way,
Well, Im really sorry,
but
Ouch, rookie mistake
Andy Addis
kiddo.
The word sorry should always be followed by a
period, not a comma.
What comes next after an Im sorry should be
silence. Yes, 20 plus years of marriage has taught me
that at least.
I think we often try and say the right thing, but it is
actually more important that we mean and believe the
right thing.
If I asked you to summarize the book of 1
Corinthians in a word youd probably come up with:
division, fighting, backbiting, difficulty, etc.
Youd be right!
Yet, nestled in chapter 1 is a seemingly out of place
paragraph written by Paul about his thankfulness for
the church.
This same writer was the subject of the Corinthian
churchs verbal attacks. A minister whos value they
demeaned, ministry they criticized and name they
defamed.

Your God, O
Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord.

When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;

On that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob,

Whose hope is in the Lord his God.
The Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and
everything in them
The Lord, who remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed

And gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,

The Lord gives sight to the blind,
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,

The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord protects foreigners

And sustains the fatherless and the widow,
But he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever,

The Baptist Digest

(USPS 018-942)
Vol. 60 No. 6
Leadership Newsjournal for KansasNebraska Southern Baptists is published
monthly (except for January and July)
10 times a year.
5410 SW 7th Street
Topeka, KS 66606-2398
Phone: (785) 228-6800
Toll Free: 800-984-9092
Fax: (785) 273-4992
E-mail: tboyd@kncsb.org
Web site: baptistdigest.com
POSTMASTER:

Periodical postage paid at Topeka, KS 66606 and

additional entries. Send address changes to: The
Baptist Digest, 5410 SW 7th Street, Topeka, KS
66606-2398.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
INFORM -- Regularly share information about ongoing
training, curriculum, events, support and personnel.
RESOURCE -- Serve as a resource pool for practical
ideas about what is working in KS-NE congregations
and how it relates to all sizes of churches.
GENERATIONAL -- Cast .the widest net, providing stories and information that will appeal to all generations
of Southern Baptists in NE-KS.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY -- Be family-friendly with stories,
regular columns and helps for families and leaders who
work with families.
AGE DIVERSE -- Publish s. tories that address the
diversity of age, ethnicity, and geographical regions of
KS-NE.
MISSION-ORIENTED -- Publish stories about people
and congregations involved in missions and regularly
publicize ministry opportunities.
PART OF WIDER MISSION - Help congregations
discover that they are part of the larger work of the
Kingdom of God through their ministries.

To give local news:

Local church and associational news may be submitted by mail, phone, fax or e-mail.

Advertising:

Advertising policy and rates are available upon

request Call 800-984-9092 or e-mail:
tboyd@kncsb.org

STAFF

Editor: Tim Boyd, PhD.

Associate Editor: Eva Wilson
Printing Coordinator: Derek Taylor
Robert T. Mills, D. Min.

KNCSB Executive Director

AFFILIATIONS
Association of State Baptist Papers
Baptist Communicators Association

Sharing & Strengthening

Gods Plan for Sharing

By Jon Sapp

KNCSB State Director of Evangelism

E-mail: jsapp@kncsb.org

So naturally we proclaim Christ! These words

have held meaning for me over the years. Found in
Colossians 1:28 and translated by J.B. Phillips, Paul
shares what drives his life and ministry.
During recent weeks, I enjoyed watching David
Platt share on the Secret Church his insights of sharing the good news of Christ with the six major world
religions. Then, with a weekend workshop at First
Southern in Topeka, we were challenged to learn and
share the stories of both the Old and New Testament
to communicate the gospel. Interestingly, in each of
the presentations several insights were common as
the speakers encouraged us to share Christ in todays
world.
First, we need to be praying for the lost. We want to
talk to people but we need to be talking to God in the
first place about people. Begin with prayer. Lets ask,
God how do you want me to bless these people here
in this place you have sent me to?
The second consistent idea was to be a listener.
Dont start by telling them what you want them to
believe. Begin with a listening ear and ask clarifying

questions. Get to know the people God has placed

around you. Engage in their struggle and their pain.
As you listen to people, you discover whats going on
in their lives. You identify places where you can walk
alongside of them, help them, and carry their need to
the Lord.
Then, why not share a meal. Eat together. One of
the most common ways to build a relationship is to
share a cup of coffee or a meal. Tim Chester, a pastor and author once asked the question, How would
you complete the following sentence: The Son of Man
came.? He presented three ways that sentence was
completed in the New Testament.
nThe Son of Man came not to be served but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many
(Mark 10:45. ESV)
nThe Son of Man came to seek and to save the
lost (Luke 19:10, ESV)
nThe Son of Man came eating (Luke 7:34, ESV)
Jesus explained his purpose for coming in the first
two verses. However, in the third verse, he explains
his pattern of behavior of eating with people and he
was accused of being a glutton and drunkard. He was
neither, but he did spend time over meals with people

that were not attending

the synagogue and that
gave opportunity for
complaint. Never the
less, Jesus connected
with folks over the table.
Finally share your
story. In both of the
training events mentioned above, learning
how to connect your
story to meaningful pasJon Sapp
sages in scripture was
presented. The consistent element was listen first and
share second. Share your story of how Christ has met
your need. Share how God communicated his love to
you. Use biblical events where we see Gods character,
our need and His provision to meet our need.
Naturally proclaiming Christ is a goal that all of us
should have. As we pray for others, listen to them,
enjoy coffee or a meal with them, and then share the
good news of Jesus. I trust you will enjoy living out
Gods Plan for Sharing.

Featured Videos

Available to churches cooperating with KNCSB

by contacting library@kncsb.org or calling either
785/228-6800 or 800/984-9092. Ask for Barbara
Spicer.

1 Peter: A Living Hope in Christ by Jen Wilkin

Our inheritance through Christ is imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading. In 1 Peter, a man of
faith and flaws and eyewitness to the life of Christ
challenges us to look beyond our current circumstances to a future inheritance. He shares
his concerns on big picture issues for the early
church, describes believers true identity in Christ,
and ultimately helps readers discover what it
means to experience the Living Hope they have
in Christ. Key themes of humility, submissions,
and identity in Christ guide the study of 1 Peter as
participants are challenged to read the book in its
entirety each week.

More Than Pretty by Ocielia Gibson

More Than Pretty is a six-session Bible study for

nIntroduction
nThe Flavor of Beauty
nThe Aroma of Beauty
nThe Sound of Beauty
nThe Touch of Beauty
nThe Visual of Beauty
The Gospel of Mark by Lisa Harper
Throughout his account, Mark unveils a Jesus of
unparalleled power and authority but also a Jesus
of humility and love. And while this Jesus invites
each of us into a greater story through His teachings, He demands we come as active participants.
This study shows what it fully means to be the
recipients of His overflowing compassion and the
very reason for His all-consuming passions.
nAggressive Grace
nChickens and Champions
nThe Scandal of a Scarcity Mentality
nGiving Up the Right to Ride Shotgun
nThe Beginning of His Earthly Ministry
nThe Beautiful Outcome of Our Lords
Betrayal

The Cooperative Program

and KNCSB: Reaching out
to Nebraska and Kansas as
well as the whole world.
Partnering with all Southern Baptists to carry out
the Great Commission.
JUNE 2016

n1 Peter Introduction
nA Living Hope
nThe Believers Identity
nLiving Stones
nSubmission Part 1
nSubmission Part 2
nSubmission Part 3
nSelf-Controlled and Sober-Minded
nClothed in Humility

teen girls that explores the definition of true beauty. Using our five natural senses, this resource
will serve as a tool to guide girls in exploring how
to spiritually and practically develop multifaceted
beauty that ultimately honors God.

KNCSB ON MISSION

Leaders Urged to Stay Passionate about Jesus

Jon Sapp of the KNCSB staff welcomed Gracia Burnham to the KNCSB Normative Church Conference held April 22-23 at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. Burnham spoke during the final
retreat session on Saturday afternoon, April 23. She and her husband, Martin, were held captive in
the Philippines for more than a year in the early 2000s. Martin died in the firefight that resulted in
Gracias release. Gracia Burnham is a member of Metro East Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan. To learn
more about her ministry, visit her Web site at http://graciaburnham.org/
the last time you took a few of your leaders and all you
did was pray? Lawless asked. Prayer puts us in a
position for God to work in us.
He also emphasized the need to pray constantly
instead of waiting until tough times come. What we
must learn to do is to pray proactively, not reactively.
Spiritual leaders need to keep going to the moun-

taintop in order to minister effectively in the valley,

Lawless continued.
If you stay in the valley long enough you will lose
the power of God in your life.
To get back to the mountain, dont do it alone.
Find someone to hold you accountable and ask people
to pray for you regularly.

JUNE 2016

If were going to develop spiritual leaders, we need

to be deeply in love with Jesus, Chuck Lawless said.
He urged participants in the KNCSB Normative
Church Conference to re-gain their passion for Jesus.
The Normative Church Conference is designed for
leaders in smaller-membership churches. It was held
April 22-23 at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan.
Lawless was the featured speaker for the event. He
is vice president of Graduate Studies and Ministries at
Southeastern Baptist Seminary, where he also serves
as professor of evangelism and missions. Visit his Web
site at http://chucklawless.com/
The meeting also featured a special appearance by
Gracia Burnham. She and her husband, Martin, were
held captive in the Philippines for more than a year
in the early 2000s. Martin died in the firefight that
resulted in Gracias release.
Gracia Burnham is a member of Metro East Baptist
Church, Wichita, Kan. To learn more about her ministry, visit her Web site at http://graciaburnham.org/
Developing Spiritual Leaders was the retreat
theme. Lawless spoke from the Gospel of Mark which
shows patterns in Gods work:
n Jesus shows up.
n He teaches like no one has ever taught.
n As a result, people are astonished.
nPeople talk about Him and spread His fame.
Part of his emphasis during the retreat was to help
church leaders regain their passion for Christ so they
can develop spiritual leaders.
Our job is to go speak about Jesus even if our
names are never recorded in the story, Lawless said.
Lawless offered these tips for developing spiritual
leaders:
n Know people. Youre not going to raise up leaders in your church unless you know your people.
n Recruit potential leaders face to face.
n Work with a few people. Follow Jesus example as
he worked with his 12 disciples.
n Keep a strong passion for Christ. Pastors need
such a strong passion for Christ that people want to be
on board.
nRemember
youre a sinner
and work with
sinners.
During his
final teaching
session Lawless
spoke from Mark
9 on Living
between the
Mountain and
the Valley. Jesus
took Peter, James
and John up on
a high mountain
to pray, and He
was transfigured.
When was
Chuck Lawless

The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists unified giving plan. Find resources to promote
the Cooperative Program at http://www.sbc.net/cp/default.asp

Southview
Easter Pageant
Marks 25 Years

KNCSB ON MISSION

Find where God is working and join Him.

That is one of the key points in Henry Blackabys Experiencing God.
Southview Baptist Church, Lincoln, Neb., has been
joining Gods work for 25 years through its annual Easter
pageant This Day of Resurrection.
Sylvana Airan, a long-time member of Southview, wrote
the pageants script, based on the Bible, and serves as the
director. She and her family left Pakistan in 1978 to escape
persecution of Christians. Here she shares some of her
thoughts about the background of the Easter pageant.
By Sylvana Airan

As a child growing up in Pakistan I received a Bible

in the format of a comic book. I found myself always
reading the last few years of Jesus life miracles, the
arrest, denial, crucifixion and the resurrection. But I
couldnt bring the comic book with me to America I
came with only one suitcase.
My father owned a View-Master and he had a reel
on the Life of Christ. I would sit for hours going over
this reel. But I also couldnt bring the View-Master
when my family came to America.
When I was about 10 years old the Karachi (Pakistan) American school held an annual outdoor play in
the mountains. The play was about the life of Jesus. We
went to it every year until the government put a stop
to it.
My mother was interested in the performing arts.
She directed an outdoor Christmas play at Trinity High
School in Karachi and surprised everyone by having
the wise men enter on live camels.

Southview Baptist Church, Lincoln, Neb., celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Easter pageant,
This Day of Resurrection, in March. It is a powerful outreach event. Church members of all ages
work together in every part of the pageants production. (Photo by Becky Jansen)
makeup and so forth.
When I left college the department chairperson met
with me and asked me what I was going to do with my
theatre classes. I told him I didnt know.
At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln I was in two
plays. And at the church I joined Southview Baptist
in Lincoln I had an opportunity to direct small skits
and then one-hour plays.
Then in 1991, I had a vision from God to direct a
passion play. I talked to Pastor Bob Grayson and Jim
Esslinger, the assistant pastor. The pastor gave me his
blessing and said, Go for it.
But who was going to write the script? I knew what
scenes I wanted. After all I had seen it in my comic
book, View-Master reel and the play in the mountains
of Pakistan. So I went to the Bible and guess what: the
Bible is quite dramatic and the script was already written. I just wrote some words for the narrator to help
non-church goers understand.
The Easter pageant at Southview started out as a
20-minute play for two nights. Then we had to add
a night the next year. Presently, the pageant has five
hour-long performances.
God has used the Easter pageant to reach out to
Muslims, Hindus, Atheists, Jews and not forgetting
lukewarm Christians.
Gods hand is in the play because there are only two
rehearsals for the entire cast. The main cast holds four
rehearsals and the choir practices about 12 times.
The whole church is involved and works as a team.
We do not take an offering. The budget is now about
$1,500.
We at Southview Baptist Church have truly experienced God through the pageants success. For us, the
pageant is the burning bush.

JUNE 2016

My mother encouraged me to be in plays and she

took me to plays in town. I remember playing the part
of the mother in Cinderella.
When I was in my early 20s a Catholic gentleman
had returned from America. He led a group of young
Catholic college singles and they staged Jesus Christ
Superstar. This was staged in a very respectful manner. I went to this every day by myself and was just
intrigued by it all.
Again here I remember when the guy playing the
part of Jesus was brought in for the entry into Jerusalem. I locked eyes with him and it reminded me of
Jesus in the View-Master.
I could only come to America as a student and I had
to choose a
major that
was not
offered in
Pakistan.
I chose
architecture
and hated it.
But I found
I could
change majors to theatre. During
this two- or
three-year
period, I
learned a
lot about
stage sets,
lighting,
costumes,

KNCSB ON MISSION

Teams Mark 24 Years of Service in Fort Worth

Editors note: This article is
reprinted from the Southeast Kansas
Baptist Association newsletter.

JUNE 2016

ready to use Sunday

morning. It looks so good!
Thanks to all who helped.
The men from Iglesia
By June Newman
Bautista Communidad in
Webb City laid the final
In school we learn our ABCs
carpet on the front stage
by saying them over and over
and in the choir area. They
and writing them many times
did a great job!
to commit them to memory. The
This years team
same goes for math skills adtotaled 110 people from
dition, subtraction, multiplica20 years. The youngest
tion and division. Each one
was a 9-year-old boy and
builds on the other until we learn
the oldest was 80. There
the basics.
were many first timers
The alphabet letters become
and several who have
words that become sentences.
been coming for 12 years
The addition and subtraction
or more.
turns into balancing our checkEach year is differbooks and putting a budget in
ent new faces, new
place. Skills! We continue to
projects, different situalearn and develop ways to do the
tions, and various talents
task easier. But it always begins
and skills. But together
with skills.
we form the Beautiful Feet
Thats the way the 2016
team and we are ready to
Beautiful Feet mission trip to
serve the people of Fort
inner-city Fort Worth, Texas,
Worth.
began doing the basics. This
We have seen a difwas the 24th annual mission trip
ference
over the years
to The Feet and we started with
Southeast Kansas Baptist Association recently took its 24th annual mission trip to inner-city
Christ is making the
our leadership. Touch Touchton
Fort Worth, Texas. The team works at the Beautiful Feet homeless ministry. This years major
difference.
and his son, David Touchton, led project was refinishing the pews in the Beautiful Feet sanctuary. (Photo by Chris Wyan)
For the first time in
the whole team. But they also
2016, a second mission
knew how to put key people in
left, the shelves in the clothing closet were packed full.
team from our area went to Beautiful Feet the following
leadership positions.
Luke Oldweiler headed the team for the childrens
weekend. First Baptist Church, Baxter Springs, Kan.,
Maxine Thorne took care of the food needs for the
event on Saturday. The childrens laughter was contaand First Baptist Church, Joplin, Mo., joined together.
team. We were well fed!
gious as they learned the Bible story and participated
Jeff Street reported, There were about 45 of us who
Kris Smilko was the leader for the Street Ministry
in crafts, music and snacks.
went to Beautiful Feet the last weekend in January.
teams that went out to the homeless Friday night and
Then there were the construction project leaders.
Nine were from First Baptist, Baxter, and the rest were
throughout the day on Saturday. Smaller groups going
Some were experienced in electrical work and comfrom First Baptist, Joplin.
out at various times of the day allowed many more
pleted several jobs.
Even though it was a separate trip, we did almost
people to be a part of this ministry.
The big project for the weekend was refinishing the
everything exactly like we have been doing every other
June Newman was in charge of the clothing, which
year Ive been going and exactly like the group from
included sorting, sizing and bundling mens clothes for pews in the Beautiful Feet sanctuary. Many hands and
the association that went the week before us.
distribution on Sunday. Thank you for providing cloth- sanders kept the place buzzing Saturday morning as
The work we did included some construction-type
ing, jeans, shoes, underwear and warm coats. When we the pews were prepared for stain. It reminded some of
a bunch of bees. Windows were
maintenance around the Beautiful Feet building; sortopen to let the sawdust drift
ing clothes, although not as many as we usually deal
outside.
with; and a kids club on Saturday afternoon for the
The stain was quickly applied
children at the Hispanic church where we stay.
and wiped off. Then a crew came
Street ministry was our groups focus. We passed
right behind to apply the polyout 700 care packets, 300 stocking caps (all made by our
urethane.
very own Shirley Morton), 50 knapsacks and more than
This was a huge project. But
30 sleep mats (also made by Shirley).
with everyone following the
As usual, most of the homeless we ministered to
plan, it was completed by 5:30
were extremely grateful for what they received.
p.m.
(June Newman is secretary for the Baptist Area Office in
All the pews were dry and
Altamont, Kan.)

Thank you for supporting the Cooperative Program.

Find resources to promote the Cooperative Program at http://www.sbc.net/cp/default.asp

www.knwomen.com
Adoption
We are HOME!!!

I have a huge heart for adoption. I think I always
have. One of my dearest childhood friends who was adopted
from foster care opened my eyes to the beauty of
adoption even as a young child. Now as a mother to four girls,
two of which are adopted, I find myself often surrounded by
it. Adoption is a big part of my familys every day life. But I
also struggle with adoption. I hate that so many children have
endured such horrific trauma in their lives that adoption has
become their reality. These children have seen death, abuse,
neglect, or abandonment. Their birth mothers may have faced
extreme poverty, rape, or some other awful situation that led
her to make this decision. I long for a day when there are no
children desperately in need of parents, a day when the foster
system does not exist and the waiting child lists are empty.

So while I am grateful and blessed to get to parent
my two adopted girls, I also wish that they had not had to
endure all that they did to get to my home. I ask myself, how
can I help to prevent this from happening to more
children. How can we, the church, help to keep children with
their biological families?

I wont pretend to have all of the answers, but I do
think one big piece of the puzzle is for us to support single
moms (or dads) in every way that we can. Nearly every time

in scripture that God calls for the church to

care for orphans he also calls us to care for
widows. I think
widows in scripture can refer to more
than just women whose husbands have died.
I think that single mothers or vulnerable
women fall into this category as well.

Lets do our part to support these women. You
could volunteer at a pregnancy center. You could mentor
a struggling mom who may have no clue what it means
to be a Godly mother. Maybe you could offer to baby sit
or provide car repairs for a single mom. You could help
women battling substance abuse or escaping the sex
trafficking industry. You could find ways to provide health
care, education, and vocational training for women all
over the world. The possibilities are endless and the needs
are great.

I hope we will each pray and ask God to reveal
ways to us that we can help and be part of the solution.
May we take Gods command to support orphans and
widows seriously and search for how God would have us
live this out in our daily lives.

Wonderful Weekend For

Women

Melissa

Life Liquid Offering

With Wonderful Weekend for Women
coming September 16th and 17th, it's time
to get excited and get prepared for what God
has in store for you. Not only is He planning
something great for you, but this is an opportunity to share with those who surround you,
whether they are in your neighborhood, friends
from school or right there in your church. God calls us to
seek those around us, worship together and praise Him; it's
something that will change a relationship.

Sometimes it's hard to go up to somebody and
just ask them if they'll join you for an event, the worst they
can say is no, and the best they can say is YES!!! Relationships change when you allow God to intervene; you become
closer and connect spiritually. I personally experienced this
at WWW 2014 when I invited a friend to come with me.
Our friendship changed from a day-to-day friendship to a
spiritual friendship where we often discuss Gods Word and
what he is doing in our life. I am thankful I asked her to join
me and even more thankful she said yes!

So I urge you to pray that God will put someone
on your path and then be bold enough to invite them to
join you for the weekend. Once the weekend rolls around,
use your time to talk and be vulnerable. This years theme
is A Beautiful Mess, and I know there is a little mess in
all of us, so start there. Ask God to help you identify your
beautiful mess and then share. James 1:2-3 Count it all joy,
my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you
know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ESV

I have seen first hand how God has used a hard
place in my life and turned it into hope for someone else. It
took courage and trust on my behalf. God will put us next to
someone that needs to hear our story, or maybe we need to
hear theirs.

God is so good and we can see a glimpse of His
goodness in those relationships when we jump in!

But I will rejoice even if I lose my life,
pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like
your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want
all of you to share that joy. (Philippians 2:17/NLT)

Life Liquid offering... when we flooded in
98, one of the things we discovered about water is
that there is no place it did not permeate or penetrate.
The water had even penetrated a vacuum packed and
plastic sealed container of deodorant. When I opened
it there was nothing in the deodorant container. No
water and no solid deodorant. The liquid had moved
in and out while totally dissolving all the contents
within. This astounded me. There were no signs that
the water had even moved through the sealed plastics.
Yet, the contents were radically changed because it
had poured through it.

This made me think of the power of God's
Word and the movement of the Holy Spirit. When we
pour out the life-giving water of the LORD JESUS,
we can expect the same. His Word can penetrate anything and wash away all the contents inside that seem
so solid or immovable. It is not always visible that the
Spirit of God has been poured out, but when the Word
of God has been given it does not return void. Heres
to living as a life-pouring liquid in Jesus.

In what ways have you been poured out as
a life liquid offering this week? Father, make us into a
liquid offering. In this we will rejoice!

Simply, Tara

Caroline

JUNE 2016

So many of you have asked, prayed, and supported us throughout our adoption process, so I wanted
to give you a personal update. Our adoption process
began for me at WWW 2011, when Jen Hatmaker was our
speaker. I left the weekend praying, seeking God, as I felt
Him prompt our family toward adoption. With 4 biological children, Ryan and I had never discussed adoption, so
it was out of the blue. After returning home, I just asked
Ryan to pray about it (and TRIED to not nag or keep asking him what God was saying!) Almost a year and a half
later, Ryan was ready to pursue adoption of a little girl
it was amazing how God used various things, including
our children, to lead us in this direction. So our process
officially began in January 2013. We experienced many
struggles and changes throughout the process (adoption
program closures, country changes) before finally being
matched with our daughter in Uganda. We received our
court date with just 3 weeks to plan our trip and figure out all the logistics. I was unable to attend WWW
2015, because we left just a few days after the weekend
for Uganda! Our entire family traveled to Uganda on
September 17, 2015 (what an adventurea family of 6,
on a international flight!) The kids did great, and were so
excited to experience Africa! We arrived in Uganda on
Saturday afternoon, and FINALLY were able to meet our
daughter on Sunday, September 20. By the next day, the
children were holding hands as they walked, and playing
like long lost best friends.

Our family stayed in Uganda for 2 weeks, then
Ryan and our bios came back home, to get back to work
and school. I remained in Uganda with Suubi for another
6 weeks to complete the adoption process on the Ugandan
end. Our process in country was almost picture perfect,
with no real delays to speak of. But it was definitely a
LONG time to be away from the rest of our family! We
returned home on November 13, and it has been nonstop ever since! With doctors appointments, paperwork,
recovering from being overseas so long, and just adjusting
to life as a family of 7, the last 7 months has been nothing short of a whirlwind. Suubi is doing amazing, and
has loved experiencing so many firsts: snow, American
school, sneakers, birthday parties, dance and gymnastics,
and her favorite, BACON!

The verse we clung to for Suubi before we
even knew her was John 14: 18 I will not leave you
as orphans, I am coming to you. God had been preparing her heart as wellmonths before she was told of her
adoption, she began telling workers at her orphanage that
she had a family coming for her from America, and that
she was being adopted! We believe God was preparing her for us at the same time preparing our family for
her! Adoption was not anything we had ever planned for
our family, but we cant
imagine our family any different now. God designed
each step of the process,
and provided all along the
way. Thank you for your
prayers!


Sarah

WWW.KNCSB.ORG

FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN
MAGICIANS (FCM)
Free Clinic to learn Magic,
Clowning, Puppets, Skits, Balloons, etc

August 19-20, 2016

Friday Sign-In 4-5 pm

Early Bird Workshops 5-8 pm
Saturday Sign-In 8-9 am
Workshops 9-5 pm
First Baptist Church, 11400 Johnson Drive,
Shawnee, KS. 66203 (2 blocks WEST of Neiman Rd
on Johnson Dr.)
Registration Deadline: Aug.15, 2016
Call Bev Dowling: 913-236-8808
or email: luckybev@sbcglobal.net for more information or
to register. Pre-registration is required.

WICHITA CHURCH is looking for part time Director of Worship to plan and
lead a blended worship service working with a praise team. Please send
resumes to Tyler Road Baptist Church, 571 S. Tyler Road, Wichita, KS 67209
or to staff@tylerroad.org.

FT Worship Pastor sought to lead blended worship in conservative, reformed

SBC in Bartlesville, OK (www.highlandparkbaptist.net) Choir conducting, media skills preferred. Send resume to office@highlandparkbaptist.net.
Seeking Resident Managers at Flagler, Colorado. We need a self-supported couple (consider
seasonally or long term) who can do maintenance and oversight of the lodging aspect and
enlisting temporary paid persons (room cleaning and laundry). Manage program and engage in
evangelistic conversation with guests and groups. Wheatland can provide a furnished apartment,
utilities, and a monthly stipend. We will also assist you in acquiring appropriate part-time work.
Inquire my email to george@georgegarner.com and check out www.wheatlandcenter.com

Webster
Update

SUMMER CAMPS AT WCC BEGIN MAY 30:

Associational Childrens Camps begin on May 30 and run through mid-June.
These camps are followed immediately by the Latino Youth Summer Camp and
six weeks of Super Summer. Pray for Gods will to be done in the lives of children, youth and sponsors, as well as their churches and communities when they
return home.
THE DINING HALL SHOULD BE USEABLE FOR THE SUMMER CAMPING
SEASON:
1. The area connecting the old Dining Hall to the new addition has been opened.
2. The dry wall has been installed, the taping completed and mudding has been
finished.
3. Cabinets have arrived and are being installed now.
4. Plumbing connections and painting has begun.
With the completion of the interior, an occupancy permit will be issued and the
exterior work will continue through the summer. Final landscaping should be
done this fall and the renovation of the old Dining Hall should be completed by
the end of the year.
MATCHING CHALLENGE GRANT: About $60,000 has been raised to date and
the final $15,000 needs to raised by mid-July. If this challenge is met, and some
additional funds are raised, the original bid will be honored and paving will begin at the end of summer. If this goal is not met by mid-July, the price may go up
due to the cost of materials. If you or your church would like help, send your tax
exempt gifts payable to Webster Conference Center and mail them to: WCC, 5410
S.W. 7th Street, Topeka, KS 66606-2398. God has opened the doorit is up to us to
respond. Thank you!
Sign up for the free monthly WCC E-Newsletters by going to the WCC website
www.webstercc.org and click on the newsletter link to begin receiving the newsletter.

Thank you for your continued support of WCC!

JUNE 2016

Vacation Bible School - An Evangelism Opportunity

Vacation Bible Schoolits not just for church kids!

VBS can be a fantastic evangelism event. Catch a
vision for how your VBS could impact eternity.
Here is a simple plan to involve every member of
your church or small group to engage unchurched
children in life-changing VBS. Its called: I Invited 1
Issue a challenge.
The goal is for every individual in your church to
personally invite one unchurched boy or girl to VBS.
Anyone can do that. Specifically call out every child,
senior adult, youth, single adult, couple, and college
student to take the challenge.
They personally invite a child in their life path
who doesnt attend churchneighbor, acquaintance,
schoolmate, stranger, work associates child.
Ask church members to bring the first name of
that child next Sunday.
Make it easy.
As you issue the challenge, give each person a
VBS invitation for the child theyll invite. It can be
a business-card size invite or a card. Include the
church website for details and online registration.
Pray over the invitations, and ask God to direct each

person to a child who needs Him.

Make it visual.
nCreate a huge Jesus loves the little children
wall display in a visible area of the church.
nA couple of Sundays before VBS, give each
church attender a colorful die-cut paper doll, to write
the first name of the child theyre inviting, and add it
to the wall display as a prayer reminder.
nPrint well-designed, round stickers with large
letters I invited 1 for every person to proudly wear.
Purchase and print sheets of circle stickers, or order
stickers from a print company. Picture this: grannies
and four-year-olds, teens and newcomersall wearing I Invited 1 stickers. Wouldnt it be fun if some
needed a dozen stickers?
nAnnounce the total number whove been personally invited so far. Pray for them. Challenge others to
invite one.
Create excitement.
nStrive for 100% involvement. Though many are
already fully engaged in VBS planning, the majority of members probably cant offer hands-on help
because of work, schedule or health conflicts. Every

person of every age and circumstance can invite one

child. Imagine what God can do if every member
participates.
nChildrens Sunday School teachers give tips on
how to invite friends, how to include and welcome
newcomers, and how to invite them to your church
after VBS.
nJust before VBS begins, encourage members to
remind the child they invited to come.
nInstead of an all-church project, this could be
done in your choir, womens ministry, youth group,
deacons, small group, etc.
nPlan an enormous follow-up on Saturday after
VBS, and prepare to welcome many new parents and
children on Sunday.
So wear your I Invited 1 sticker with pride and
prayers. And, VBS staffers--hold on to your hats!
Gods at work, His church is excited about inviting,
and this may be the most thrilling VBS in history.
Diana Davis is an author, columnist
and ministers wife. www.dianadavis.org