Baptist

Vol. 59 No. 1-2

www.baptistdigest.com

igest

Newsjournal Of Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists

Webster Conference Center 35 Years Old and Still Growing

2015 will mark the 35th Anniversary of Webster Conference Center. In recognition of
this historic milestone, April
19, 2015 has been designated as
WCC Sunday across our two
state convention by the KNCSB
Mission Board. Mr. and Mrs.
O.K. Webster donated the 80 acre
Camp Webster to KNCSB in
1981 and a change in the life of
the camp began immediately.
During the last 10 years Mr.
Webster operated the camp, 300
User Days were logged for the
entire decade. [A User Day is
when one person is on the campus for any portion of a day for
some type of meeting or event.]
In 2014, WCC recorded 46,105
User Days.
By the time Mr. and Mrs. Webster gave KNCSB the camp,
none of the buildings were in
a useable condition and every
building was being used for
storage. The KNCSB Mission
Board and the KNSB Foundation
partnered together and began
to buy the surrounding farm
land around Camp Webster to
enlarge the facility to 225 acres to
fulfill the vision that was being
generated for moving Camp
Webster to become Webster
Conference Center. After a
capital campaign was completed, work began to renovate
the buildings on the campus and
hundreds of volunteers began
the work of transforming the
facility. The first KNCSB event
was held at Webster Conference
Center in 1985.
When KNCSB began the
transformation project, only the
Chapel, Dining Hall, Dormitory,
Snack Shack, Picnic Pavilion and
an amphitheater were on the
grounds. None of the buildings
were climate controlled. Besides
totally remodeling the Chapel,

this building has been expanded

to also include three floors of
sleeping rooms, meeting rooms,
restroom facilities, office space
and a warming kitchen. The
Dormitory has been totally
remodeled and expanded from
a one room open dorm area
to a building with individual
sleeping rooms with restrooms,
plus meeting space and a
warming kitchen. The Dining
Hall has been totally remodeled and the kitchen capacity
has been expanded, a two story
restroom wing has been constructed, sleeping and meeting
rooms have been added and
an additional warming kitchen
has been completed. Today, the
Dining Hall is under construction to expand the capacity of
the dining area to double its size
while improving the dish return
area and adding other amenities for participants including an
outdoor dining area.
In addition to the transformation of the existing buildings,
many new buildings have been
added such as the 29,000 square
foot Multi-Purpose building
with a gym, chapel, kitchen and
several large meeting rooms.
Also, a six room motel unit has
been constructed, as well as the
Maintenance Building. Along
with the new buildings, the
gravel road has been paved and
numerous parking lots have
been constructed around the
campus.
When Mr. Webster gave the
facility to KNCSB, the recreation
facilities included a small patch
of grass immediately south of
the Chapel. WCC Recreation Facilities now include: a swimming
pool, 3 lakes with canoes, kayaks
& paddle boats, a swimming
beach with a blob, as well as
a fishing area. Other recreation
improvements include an 18

hole Disc Golf Course, a Target

Range for rifles and archery,
Skeet Shooting equipment, Low
and High Challenge Courses
which includes over two dozen
team building elements and confidence building elements ranging from ground level to 60 feet
into the air. There are also many
grassy areas to play football,
soccer, plus indoor and outdoor
volleyball and basketball courts
and horse shoe pits, along with
nature trails throughout the
acreage where people can enjoy
a quiet walk or participate in
5 K and 10 K races which are
conducted regularly.
In addition to all the things
your can see as you drive onto
the campus, there is also a
technological side to the facility
which now includes high speed
Wi-Fi, computers, sound & projection equipment, and special
lighting equipment to help the
attendees conduct the training
sessions and worship services

while at Webster Conference

Center. Thanks to the leadership
of the KNCSB Mission Board,
the WCC Board of Directors, a
Strategic Planning Team and
the faithful support of many
individuals, churches and the associations of KNCSB, the facility
has truly moved from a camp
to a conference center and the
plans for the future are just as
exciting.
Some of the future plans include expanding the seating capacity of the Chapel and creating
additional meeting space in the
Dormitory, as well as exploring
the building of additional motel
rooms on campus. Recreational
improvements being considered
include an aquatic park & playground equipment for children
& families, developing a sports
park for softball, soccer and other sports, and plans to improvement the lakefront amenities for
adults near the swimming beach.
Several new ministries are also

January-February 2015
being considered to better serve
the pastors, staff members and
mature adults who might attend the conference center.
As we celebrate the past and
look toward the future for Webster Conference Center, the main
thing that we want to celebrate
and continue to anticipate is the
enormous number of lives that
have been transformed by the
power of God. Thousands have
been saved, hundreds have been
called to vocational ministry and
countless numbers of individuals and groups have been trained
to do the work of the ministry
in Nebraska and Kansas as well
as over 50 countries around the
world!
Beginning in March, your
church can go to www.webstercc.org and download a short
video to show your church,
along with some other information, to make your church aware
of this great facility that God has
given us and to celebrate what
God has been doing at Webster
Conference Center. If you have
any questions about the video,
feel free to contact Terry McIlvain, WCC Administrator, at tmcilvain@kncsb.org for assistance.

The dining hall expansion project at WCC is taking shape as the walls rise.

WWW.KNCSB.ORG

The Thought Occurred to Me

By Bob Mills

KNCSB Executive Director

E-mail: bmills@kncsb.org

I have heard many people refer to Webster

Conference Center as one of our state conventions
best kept secrets. I like to hear that on one hand and
then on the other I am a little frustrated that it is still
thought of as a secret.
Help me get the word out that Webster Conference
Center is an outstanding ministry tool for our churches.
On April 19th, 2015 we will be celebrating Webster
Conference Center Sunday. I want to encourage you
to show the WCC informational video (approx. 2-3

minutes) that will be available to you the early part

of March on the WCC
website. The video is
designed to help each of us
better understand the services our conference center
provides.
The special focus for
the 19th of April is awareness. Webster is doing an
outstanding job providing
tremendous facilities for

conference training, children and youth camps, family

reunions and recreation.
What has impressed me most, is the individual lives
that have been changed while attending WCC for a
conference or camp. I have heard countless testimonies
from children, teens, parents and university students
about the spiritual impact of being Webster Conference
Center. On a personal note, all three of my children,
when they were youth, had significant spiritual experiences while attending Super Summer. I would guess
many of you would have similar testimonies.
Help me get the word out!!!!

Bob Mills

Presidents Perspective
By Andy Addis

KNCSB Convention President

E-mail: andy@crosspointnow.net

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015

I was never a Boy Scout, but for some reason I

remember getting Boys Life magazine during my
growing up years. Id thumb through the articles,
ignoring most since I was not in the running for
any merit badges, but pausing on some that talked
about making a weapon or surviving in the desert both necessary skills for a 9 year old boy,
right?
Without a doubt, my favorite part of the magazine
were the advertisements in the back. They were amazing items, and I was dumbfounded that you could
only find them in that publication.
There were the x-ray
glasses that allowed you
to see through almost
anything, with just a few
exceptions; you know, just
like Superman.
Then there was the
amazing invisible skin
frog that made it possible
to see the inner workings
of an amphibian without
having to dissect the poor
creature.
Or, maybe you checked
out the Joe Weider Body
Andy Addis
Building program guaranteed to put you on the path to a Mr. Universe frame
in just six short weeks. It didnt work, or so Ive been
told.
What still amazes me is how expectant I was for
those mail-order treasures to be real. I would save the
money, get my mom to write a check, and wait ever
so impatiently at the mailbox for weeks until that little
package would arrive!
But, now we are all adults and we dont fall for such
deceiving literature, and our skepticism is a mark of
our maturity and intelligence.
Good for us?
Maybe we have lost something. Maybe there is
a piece of our childhood that wasnt so immature.
Maybe as adults we are hampered by our loss of
expectancy.
A lack of expectancy is most clearly seen, I believe,
in the prayer life of the church.
We offer blanket prayers, trying to cover everything
2 in just a few words. We have formulaic responses that

fall from our lips without thought or effort. And, our

requests are vague and wishy washy, usually tagged
with an if it be Your will.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is
between a request and supplication in the biblical text?
A supplication is a passionate, urgent plea!
Dont forget Jesus amazing teaching on prayer
from Matthew 7. 7 Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened
to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one
who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be
opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for
bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish,
will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your Father who is in heaven give
good things to those who ask him!

The Baptist Digest

(USPS 018-942)
Vol. 59 No. 1&2
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.

We have an amazingly good Father who wants us to

want the right things, and when we do He desires to
give us those things.
Lets make 2015 a year marked by passionate, powerful prayer. Lets ask God specifically for what we
know is on His heart and then live expectantly.
Lets pray for God to move specifically and boldly.
Would you pray that your church would experience
revival and that you would reach 10% of your community?
Would you pray that your church would double its
number of baptisms this year?
Would you pray for the opportunity to share your
testimony with (insert name here) this week?
Lets pray some bold, specific prayers and then live
in the expectancy that we have a great Father who
wants to give us His good things in life!

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 t.he 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

I am enjoying a new chapter in life as an intentional interim with 1st Southern in Garden City. Walking
alongside several members in their evangelism work
has been very fulfilling. As your Evangelism Team
Leader, I have spoken about evangelism, led workshops and enjoyed outreach events. However, I have
found the consistent time in Garden City a refreshing addition.
In mid-December I got a great email message from
one of our young leaders. An apartment complex is
just across the street and one of the residents called
wanting to learn about the church. In the following
weeks we have seen that family hear the good news
of Christ in multiple venues and they continue to
get involved with small groups and childrens ministries.
I have been encouraged and reminded of the elements that help to grow a culture of evangelism
within a church. Praying with and for this family has to be at the top of the list. This important
element of our work should never get old or be
overlooked. We all believe God hears and answers
prayer, but are we asking? Do we see praying for
the lost as an indispensable element of our church
family?
Our connection with this young family would
never have happened if our leader had not been
attentive to the opportunity that was just across the
street. I am so grateful for his commitment to seek
out opportunities of sharing Christ. I have been
encouraged as I see attentive folks being faithful
with these occasions to take that next step to serve,
visit or connect with a visitor. I love to discover

those who are seeking out

people that are not connected or enjoying what
the church offers. I often
get to talk about seeking
the lost but it has been
inspirational in watching
that happen.
People have stories.
They often want others to
listen to them which may
open a door of opportunity. Being active listenJon Sapp
ers to what is going on in
the lives of those not yet
involved has led to positive next steps with two new
families. Just like with prayer and attentive seeking,
active listening takes time. Time has to be one of the
critical resources we have. We need to be available
and capable of listening. We have so many choices
of where to use our time. A cup of coffee, tea or a
cold drink allows us to sit and discover what is going
on with another. Are you getting to do that? With
two of the new families in the church, it was the
balance of seeking them out and then just listening
which opened the door for sharing the good news of
Christs provision for all of us.
We cant assume that people understand what we
believe. As each of us interact with those that are not
relating to God personally, we have opportunities to
share by living out the truth of the good news. Dont
assume they understand what we as Christ followers
are experiencing on a regular basis. J. Mack Stiles
in his book Evangelism, How the Whole Church

The Ideal Pastors Wife

Second, shes married to the pastorthe

only woman in the entire world whos
qualified to be that pastors wife.
If youre a member of a church whose
pastor is married, try one of these ideas
to encourage his wife this week:
n Notice how she encourages her
husband in ministry. Compliment her
privately.
n Be her great cheerleader. Always
have a good word to say about her.
n Be aware that a great deal of her
ministry work may be behind the
scenes.
n Show interest and encouragement
in her outside-the-church involvements.
Understand that God works through
every area of her life.
n Say thank you occasionally. She
joyfully carries many extra responsibilities and burdens.
n Pray faithfully for her.
So what does your churchs ideal pastors wife look like? She looks exactly
like the woman whos married to your
pastor.
Diana Davis is an author and columnist based in Pensacola FL.
www.dianadavis.org

Journey Off the Map

During 2015 VBS Jumpstart

Its February time to start preparation for Vacation Bible School! Reserve
the date, March 28, 2015 at Webster
Conference Center, for KNCSBs annual
VBS Jumpstart training for church leaders. This years VBS Jumpstart has been
scheduled later in the month to allow

more time for churches to enlist VBS

leaders and encourage them to attend.
Journey Off the Map: Unknown to
Us, Known to HimTM will be the focus
of the VBS Jumpstart. Learn how to take
your kids to uncharted territory where
they will begin to understand that obedience to God can lead them beyond the
expected. Kids and leaders alike will be
challenged to toss the map, stick close
to your guide, and prepare to listen for
Gods direction in this journey that is
unknown to us, but known by Him.
Core conferences for leaders of preschool and childrens rotations, plus
pastors/VBS directors will be offered in
the morning. Afternoon electives will
include VBS rotations, enrichment conferences, an overview of BackYard Kids
ClubTM and more.
The $15 per person registration fee
provides conference materials and lunch.
Find more information in the registration brochure posted at http://www.
kncsb.org/ministry/bible_study/. Or
contact Barbara Spicer at bspicer@kncsb.
org, 1-800-984-9092.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015

What does the ideal pastors wife look

like?
Believe it or not, every pastors wife
is one-of-a-kind. Dont fall for the rumor
that theres a cookie-cutter mold for the
ideal pastors wife. Shes not a clone of
your previous pastors wife, or any other
ministry wife you know.
Ive known and observed hundreds of
effective pastors wives, and can assure
you that no two are alike! God created
her uniquelyher personality, giftedness, style, strengths and weaknesses.
She has a distinct background and
Christian testimony.
She may be tall, short, old, young,
introverted or extroverted. She may
wear a ponytail, pixie cute or dreadlocks. There are pastors wives who run
marathons, barrel race, coach, hunt, garden, golf, and raise goats. Theyre vegetarians, foodies, volunteers, drummers,
soccer moms and artists. Theyre biscuit
burners and gourmet chefs. Some even
play the piano.
If you get right down to it, there are
only two requirements for an ideal pastors wife. First, shes a child of Godan
imperfect sinner saved by His grace.

Speaks of Jesus shares an overview of the four core

themes of the gospel. Those are God, Man, Christ
and Response. Here is his outline from page 33-34.
1. God is our Creator. He is loving, holy and just.
One day he will execute perfect justice against all
sin.
2. People are made in the image of God. We are
beautiful and amazing creatures with dignity, worth
and value. But through our willful, sinful rebellion
against God, we have turned from being his children
to his enemies. Still, all people have the capacity to
be in a restored loving relationship with the living
God.
3. Christ is the Son of God, whose sinless life
gave him the ability to become the perfect sacrifice.
Through his death on the cross, he ransomed sinful
people. Christs death paid for the sins of all who
come to him in faith. Christs resurrection from the
dead is the ultimate vindication of the truth of these
claims.
4. The response God requires from us is to
acknowledge our sin, repent, and believe in Christ.
So we turn from sin, especially the sin of unbelief,
and turn to God in faith, with the understanding
that we will follow him the rest of our days.
Finally, follow-up has to be provided with those
that respond to the Lord. I see follow-up as a continuation of the initial listening and interaction with
the other person. For me, follow-up is that continued process of walking with others as they discover
who God is and how we respond to him. That is
indispensable.
I am enjoying this time of working with one
church in a long term relationship. Evangelism is
the responsibility of all of us, but the local church
equips and encourages all of us to be about the business of Gods Plan for Sharing.

KNCSB ON MISSION

A Passion for Revitalization

By John Mark Clifton

National Legacy Strategy Leader, NAMB

E-mail: mclifton@namb.net

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015

My values of church health

and church growth were shaped
at the apex of the church
growth movement. I became
an informed proponent of the
homogeneous reality of church
planting and church growth.
I remain convinced that when
our Lord instructed us to make
disciples of all ta ethne He was
instructing us to penetrate every
people group with the Gospel.
People are in the main not
wired up to be alone. People
group together with people like
them or with people who share
common interest. That is a fact.
It is also a fact that planting
the gospel in those identifiable
groups of people is a productive
evangelism strategy
Recently I have begun to separate an evangelism strategy of
penetrating people groups with
the gospel and planting churches. I have come to understand
that a purely homogeneous
church is not at all a picture of
the kingdom. A purely homogeneous church reflects our human
nature to hang with those who
are like us and to shun those
who are different hardly a value
to be found in the kingdom of
God.
Much to my joy I am discovering a core value among young
pastors/planters/re-planters is
to strategically plant multicultural churches. The planting of
multicultural churches is a great
witness to the community. When
a nonbeliever encounters a gospel community that is diverse
in ethnicity they realize there is
something different about this
group. This is not the normal
way people group together.
These people are motivated
by different values. This is a
glimpse of heaven.
As we look at the need to revitalize and replant the hundreds
of churches that die each year in
Southern Baptist life, we must
embrace the multigenerational
church. Many if not most dying
churches are comprised almost
entirely of an older generation. The answer isnt to simply
remove them but rather to plant
something new among them.
Chief among the many things
we can identify about the first
century church recorded in
the New Testament is the fact

that they were a multigenerational church. Paul instructs

Timothy concerning his youth
and his leadership. He guides
young Timothy in the process
of correcting the older men.
Instructions are given to young
women and older women, to
young men and older men. Yet
in most churches today, especially in most church plants,
there are very few older people.
In most dying churches there
are very few younger people.
If the church is a family, like all
families it should contain many
generations.
A church made of many
generations is uncommon and
difficult because Satan fully
knows the powerful testimony
a multigenerational church will
have upon a self centered world.
Satan uses all of the weakness of
our flesh to work against us as
we seek to embrace generations
unlike ours. In our human and
sinful nature we grow weary
with people who see the world,
understand technology, make
decisions and process information differently than we do. It
takes work to love and understand each other. It requires that
people of all generations have
to subordinate their desires
for the Glory of God and the
advancement of His kingdom.
It means we have to think less
of ourselves and much more of
God and the Gospel. It means
we have to live the gospel not
just sing about, talk about and
read about it. It means that when
we battle our flesh and embrace
the joy of self sacrifice for the
Kingdom we discover a joy that
is far deeper then the joy of having things our own way. But it
requires an ongoing battle of our
human nature.
Even in a church with a variety of generations there is a pull
toward separating the generations even within the gathered
church. Various generations
need to worship and serve
together. Growing up in a very
program based church the only
time my family spent together
Sunday morning was the time
in car arriving and leaving the
gathered church. As soon as we
hit the door of the church we
were all funneled into our own
environments of age graded
Bible study and worship. Often
churches that have multiple worship services will design one for

the older members and another

for the younger ones. All of this
generational segregation tends to
reinforce our desire to consider
our particular age group as the
one that matters most.
While there is a place for age
appropriate learning within the
church there is also much to
be learned as young children
observe older children and
adults worshiping and serving.
It is good for adults to rejoice
when small children and infants
are with their parents in worship and activities of the church.
The noise of children in worship
is cause for rejoicing. When we
make accommodations for the
needs of generations other then
our own it serves to remind
us that we are not the focus of
attention. God alone is the desire
of our heart and we can more
fully embrace and enjoy Him
when we think less of our selves.
The disciples tried generational
segregation and Jesus would
have none of it. Let the little
Children come to me.
The struggle to embrace a different generation cuts both ways.
Older people must find their joy
in passing off leadership to the
next generation. They must learn
to find their joy in witnessing
the next generation incarnating
the gospel into their context.
The must let go of the idol of
the past, their need to control
and most importantly their need
to be made much of for all the
work they have put in over the
years. They need to rejoice in
all the work Jesus has done for
them through the years. And the
younger people need to identify
the real and meaningful struggle
that older people endure, the
loss of a career, the loss of loved
ones, the loss of mobility, the
loss of understanding how
things work, like smart phones,
the loss of control of their lives,
knowing that they face an everdeclining future of less independence and more reliance on others. Young people need to show
an overwhelming amount of
compassion to older people and
walk with them through this difficult stage in life. As we focus
more and more on the beauty,
perfection and complete satisfaction that is our bridegroom we
will embrace the reality that all
of us who are in this church are
His Bride. The very young to the
very old, all are His Bride.

New Hope Baptist Mission is a beacon of hope in a povertystricken mobile home community in Marion, Ark. (West
Memphis). The churchs complex consists of three aging
double-wide mobile homes. At right in this photo is Hope
House, a facility for women who are getting back on their
feet after serving time in the local correctional facility. The
church is in the process of constructing a new building
(left) and needs both volunteers and money to help finish
it. New Hope wants to be in the new building by the time
school starts this fall. The church also needs mission teams
to do outreach and community-service projects. For more
information on how you and your church can get involved,
contact Pastor John Rech at johnrech58@yahoo.com. Or
look for the New Hope Baptist Mission group on Facebook.

New Hope Baptist Mission, Marion, Ark. (West Memphis) is

located in Lakeshore Estates, a mobile-home community
on the west side of Interstate 55, just north of the junction with Interstate 40. Many of the residents there live in
poverty. New Hope Baptist Mission depends on volunteer
teams to help reach its community. One of its major events
is the annual Christmas party that celebrates the birth of
Jesus (below).

KNCSB ON MISSION

Long-time Foundation Consultants Retire

By Eva Wilson

Baptist Digest Associate Editor

Because we do not have the

promise of tomorrow, we need
to do estate planning today,
Charles Wood said.
A career in estate planning
was a natural ending to 65 years
of ministry by Wood and his
wife, Janie.
The Woods retired on Dec.
31, 2014, after serving for 23
years as estate-planning consultants for the Kansas-Nebraska
Southern Baptist Foundation.
Its important for a person
to do Christian estate planning
if they desire to leave any of
their assets to Christian causes,
Wood said. Without proper
estate planning, the state determines where our assets will go
when we die.
Wood previously was a pastor for 43 years. He and his wife
served churches in five different
states. Their last pastorate was
at University Baptist Church,
Wichita, Kan., where they
served from 1979 to June 30,
1991. They celebrated their 64th
wedding anniversary on Aug.
4, 2014.
Stewardship, finance and
budgeting have been a very
strong point in my ministry,
Wood said. I never hesitated to
ask people to tithe.
While pastoring the Wichita
church, Wood served three
years on the Foundations board

of directors, including two as

chairman. So I was intimately
acquainted with the Foundation
while I was pastor.
During their career as
estate-planning consultants, the
Woods helped draft more than
1,700 estate plans all over Kansas and Nebraska. These estate
plans will leave more than $171
million to Kansas-Nebraska
Southern Baptist causes.
Wood also is known as a
talented woodworker, true to
his last name. Their home in
Derby, Kan., features furniture
that Charles designed and built
along with elaborately crafted
bowls and other creations.
His woodworking shop
occupies half of their two-car
garage. A wide variety of wood,
collected during their travels
through Nebraska and Kansas,
is neatly stacked along one wall.
Everything is so well organized
that there is still room to park
their car.
Wood working is a passion
for Wood. But he still found the
greatest satisfaction in seeing
people remember Christian
causes in their estate plans and
seeing the joy and comfort
they experience.
As Wood looked back on
his career as an estate-planning
consultant, he reminded Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists,
God is the owner of all. We are
merely the stewards.

Foundation Offers Help in Estate Planning

The Kansas-Nebraska
Southern Baptist Foundation
provides free Christian estateplanning consultation to members of churches affiliated with
the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists who
are willing to leave a charitable
interest in mission causes supported by KNCSB.
These estate-planning services include free confidential consultations and free preparation
by an attorney of all necessary
estate-planning documents.
Clients are requested to
designate a minimum of 10
percent of their residual estate
after both spouses are deceased,
all debts are paid and all chil-

Bob and Marie Clark

dren are grown and educated
through college.
For more information or to
set up an appointment, please

contact Bob Clark at (800) 9849154 or send e-mail to bclark@

kncsb.org.
You also may contact Clark
to schedule an estate-planning
seminar in your church.
The Foundation offers free
estate-planning seminars to
KNCSB churches.
An hour-long Christian
Estate Stewardship Seminar is
available. These seminars can be
scheduled at any time. Those attending the seminar who would
like the assistance of the Baptist
Foundation in preparing a
Christian estate plan may make
an appointment for a confidential interview to develop their
estate plans.

Thank You for Supporting the Cooperative Program

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

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015

Charles and Janie Wood traveled all over Nebraska and

Kansas during their 23 years as estate-planning consultants for the Kansas-Nebraska. He collected many different
types of wood during their travels. Here he displays a piece
of hedge (Osage orange) collected in the Hutchinson, Kan.,
area.

True to his last name, Charles Wood is a skilled wood worker. He and his wife, Janie,
retired on Dec. 31, 2014, after serving 23 years as estate-planning consultants for the
Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptist Foundation. Their home in Derby, Kan., features furniture that Charles designed and built along with elaborately crafted bowls and other wood
creations. When Janie Wood was asked if she works with her husband in his shop, she
laughed and replied, Not one bit.

KNCSB ON MISSION

Gifts of Love Warm Hearts in Valentine, Neb.

By Edna Conner

First Baptist Church, Valentine, Neb.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015

Every year First Baptist

Church, Valentine, Neb., does
a reach out with love project.
These are given to our shut-ins,
church family that are in elderly
care units, college students and
anyone else we feel needs to
know they are loved.
They are given a Valentines
card, stuffed critter either
handmade or purchased a
Valentines treat and a picture
colored by our students with a
Bible verse on it. We also make
Valentine cards for all of the
elderly and assisted care units
in town.
We do a theme-based project.
In 2014 it was penguins. Past
themes were D.O.G. (Depend
On God), F.R.O.G. (Forever Rely
On God), bears and several others. We choose a Bible verse to
go on the cards and pictures.
We find coloring pictures
that go along with the theme
that the children color. The children are given several ideas on
How to Draw and they draw
the picture along with an appropriate greeting to go on the
front of the card. They are given
a specific area so all pictures
will fit the cards. Then these pictures are copied to several cards
using the copy machine and are
massed produced.
We delivered more than 250
Valentines in 2014. The children
help pass out the cards during
the Wednesday evening Kids on
Mission class. They love doing
this and the residents enjoy it
as well.
We get together after church
to put the Gifts of Love together. Someone cuts the cards
apart with the paper cutter and
others fold them. A group then
adds heart stickers on the front
of the cards to add some color.

We have a team that packs the

Valentine bags and another
group that counts the cards to
be put in bags so they are ready
to deliver to the different places
in town. Everyone in the church
is able to participate in this
ministry.
Laura Vrooman, a member
of our church, creates sewing
projects. The last two years
weve used her kits to sew
simple frogs and penguins to
put in the Gifts of Love bags.
We get together and cut the
patterns out of felt, then put the
pieces in a zip-top bag along
with embroidery floss, buttons
for eyes, and anything else that
is needed to put them together.
During this time anyone that
wants to sew instead of cut and
assemble kits begins making
the cute little critters. These
sewing projects have made it a
lot easier to do the theme-based
project. The Bible verse and idea
are ready to go.
If anyone would like to check
out her Web site it is FearNotPatternCo.com. It is a Christian
based company. The projects all
have scriptures that deal with
life situations for themselves or
for others who are experiencing
difficulties. Stitch by stitch, pray
for the recipient, even if its you.
Fear Not Pattern Co is also on
Etsy.
The penguin represents love,
even when the recipient may
be feeling cold, left out, or have
an icy heart. The scripture that
goes with this: For I am persuaded that neither death nor
life, nor angels nor principalities
nor power, nor thing present
nor things to come, nor height
nor depth, nor any other created
thing, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 (NKJ)

Every year First Baptist Church, Valentine, Neb., does a reach out with love project. The
gifts consist of a Valentines card, stuffed critter either handmade or purchased a
Valentines treat and a picture colored by our students with a Bible verse on it. The church
also makes Valentine cards for all of the elderly and assisted-care units in town. It is a
theme-based project. In 2014 the theme was penguins. Past themes were D.O.G. (Depend
On God), F.R.O.G. (Forever Rely On God), bears and several others. A Bible verse accompanies the cards and pictures.

Churchs Winter VBS is a Success

By Doug Lee
Hastings Baptist Fellowship,
Hastings, Neb., held its annual
Winter Vacation Bible School,
Dec. 29-31, 2014, from 12:30 to
3:15 pm.
They used the Agency D3
material published by Lifeway
Christian Resources.
Calvary Baptist Church of

North Platte, Neb., provided the

materials.
The objectives of the winter
VBS were to:
n Share the good news of
Jesus Christ
n Discover prospects for the
church
n Develop future church
leaders
Accomplishments were:

Two professions of faith

A new prospect family
was discovered
n At least one new person
joined each day
n Total enrollment: 18
n Winter VBS workers
came from the church
(Doug Lee is Church Planter
Catalyst based in North Platte,
Neb.)

The 2015 Southern Baptist

Convention annual meeting
will be held June 16-17 at the
Greater Columbus Convention
Center, Columbus, Ohio.
Motel reservations are now
available on line. Find more
information at http://sbcannualmeeting.org/sbc15/default.asp
Details are being announced
for some of the events that will
precede the SBC lmeeting.
The Womans Missionary
Union-SBC Missions Celebration and annual meeting will be

held June 14-15 at First Baptist

Church of Grove City, Grove
City, Ohio. Find more information at http://bit.ly/1C6FUVT
The SBC Pastors Conference
will be held June 14-15 at the
Greater Columbus Convention
Center. Among the speakers
will be:
n David Platt, new president
of the International Mission
Board.
n J.D. Greear, pastor of The
Summit Church in RaleighDurham, N.C.

n Dean Fulks, lead pastor of

LifePoint Church on the north
side of Columbus.
n Clint Pressley, senior pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist
Church, Charlotte, N.C.
n Vance Pitman, senior
pastor of Hope Church in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
n James MacDonald,
founder and senior pastor of
Harvest Bible Chapel in the
Chicago area.
Visit the Pastors Conference
Web site at http://sbcpc.net/

n
n

Plan Now to Attend SBC Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio

www.knwomen.com

Up Purposing with Caroline

We are in a new year!!! 2015 is in full swing. What have you done different
or started new? A diet? A new bible study? A personal makeover, or maybe
a kitchen makeover? I decided my cabinets needed a makeover and it was
a simple one too. One that didn't require much money so it was a husband
pleaser as well!
It all started because I got some
beautiful new jadeite dishes for Christmas and I did not want to hide them
behind doors.......so I took the doors
off. The problem was the insides
didn't have quite the charm my new
dishes deserved.
I started by painting the inside
of the cabinets white and then I
stained and cut tongue and groove
Before
knotty pine boards to use as the
backing. You can use any wood you would like, I just happened to
have all this on hand. The good thing is knotty pine boards are only about
one fourth an inch thick.
To attach the board I simply used a nail gun to secure them. The last step
was replacing the shelves. I had 1x12 boards so I stained and cut those and
added them in. I love the mix of light and dark, and now with a touch of
green.
I am really enjoying the new refreshing look this
adds to my kitchen, but it's also a reminder that
the new year is a time for ME to start new, to hit
the refresh button and ask God things such as,
"Have I followed your path this year?" and "Am I
starting to look like and live like the woman you
created me to be?"
We all will say "We could have done better",
we have all messed up and wished we could
have said something different. But the best
part is......this is where we grow and where
we learn. Sometimes it takes a mess to get us
After
where we are, to a place where we can recognize our
wrongs and ask for forgiveness. This is the time to make that change, to
allow God's beauty to shine through you even in the midst of a mess.

~Caroline Bivens, Women 4 Him Team

Gl w

by Sarah Schmidt

God Loves A Cheerful Giver

KNCSB Womens Leadership Childrens Resource Team Leader

T his years theme for GLOW, the annual mother/daughter retreat for 1st-6th grade girls,
is Give. T he theme verse is 2 Corinthians 9:7 You should each give what you have decided
in your heart to give. You shouldn't give if you don't want to. You shouldn't give because
you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver.NIrV. We will be talking about the state and
national missions offerings and how they help the missionaries they support. If you have a
daughter, granddaughter, or special girl in your life, look for more information in your church
office or online at knwomen.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KNCSBGlow

myMISSION
Do you have a heart for missions
but no time for meetings? Try myMISSION. Check out blogs with college
students, young professionals, moms
and missionaries. There are features
and mission opportunities all available online.
myMISSION is about faith, community and living out missions wherever
you are. And if you want to meet
together there is help for a myMISSION group.
Visit tinyurl.com/WMUMyMission
and check out this exciting new option.

Bev Hilton
KN WMU President

Intimacy in Marriage
with Debra Bonds
Fresh Start

Old things are

passed away
and all things
are new. So
let us stay
focused ladies,
pressing toward
the mark of a
higher calling
in every area of our lives. Today, that area is our marriage
our husband. Wives love
your husbands.

LEmbarras du choix

Simply,
Tara

January-February 2015

Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, Who is the LORD? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:7-9
"Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?" I said to one of my students as we chatted about God and life at school. It was quite a sight to see his 6' 4" frame bend low
to look inside the little vanity drawer that held all of the choices. This is when I heard him mumble, "L'Embarras du choix." I asked him, "What did you just say?"
Stefan was a little surprised that I caught him talking to himself in French. He grew up as a MK serving as church planters in France for 18 years of
his life.
"You heard that? The French have a saying, 'The embarrassment of the choice.'"
Instant conviction gripped my heart. I thought of all the sacrifices our missionaries make in order to carry the gospel message and of all
the sacrifices his family had to make to be church planters and how I live in the "L 'Embarras du choix." I don't even drink coffee, yet I have
enough coffee choices that it is embarrassing. I then began to think of all the areas of my life where there are more choices than necessary... Bibles, books, shoes, clothes, food... honestly my list is way too long. All of these items are necessities in their own right, but I have too
much.
For several months after this conversation, I will look at something I have or I am interacting with and this little mumbled phrase convicts
me once again, "L'Embarras du choix." I understand a little more why the Psalmist Agur asked God for self awareness in relation to deception,
riches and poverty. It is so easy to become dependent upon something or for that matter someone other than God. Somehow, I have fallen
into the trap that we need choices, lots of choices, and without realizing it, I depend upon my right to have a choice. I am embarrassed by my
"entitlement" mentality that permeates America that says, "Who is the Lord?"
Father, forgive me! Help me to be aware of how "L'Embarras du choix" could possibly be something I should give away, not spend so much on, or
have even celebrated when I should only celebrate You!

www.KNCSB.org

Webster
Update

1. Revenues ($877,643.71) were down a little in 2014, but User Days (46,105) were up.
2. WCC continues to operate in the black and if an additional $237,000 can be

raised by July 1, 2015, WCC will receive $100,000 from the Mabee Foundation to
finish the Dining Hall expansion.
3. Construction on the Dining Hall Expansion Project continues. Walls are going
up and the roof trusses have been ordered.
4. Three new members will join the WCC Board of Directors in February:

a. Bruce Brown: Wichita, KS; Heart of Kansas Baptist Association

b. Paul Folk: Benkelman, NE; Oregon Trail Baptist Association

c. Michael Gray: Sterling, KS; Central Baptist Kansas Association
5. Your 2015 WCC Board Officers are:

a. John Craighead: President (Eureka, KS)

b. Craig (Zach) Zachariasen: Vice-President (Lincoln, NE)

c. Bryan Jones: Secretary (Wichita, KS)
6. The WCC Board of Directors will meet in February to continue implementing
the 2014-2018 Strategic Plan for WCC.
7. Associations can begin reserving dates for 2017 at WCC beginning February 16th.
8. KNCSB Churches can begin reserving dates for 2017 at WCC beginning April 1st.
9. All other organizations can begin reserving dates for 2017 at WCC beginning
May 16th.
10. To reserve dates at WCC, call Sarah Jaster toll free at 1-877-WCC-RESV (1-877-
922-7378).

Thank you for your continued support of this mission facility as we

continue to reach people for Christ and train believers for the work of
the ministry! The WCC Staff

Church Seeks Worship Leader

First Baptist Church of Farmington, Missouri, is seeking a full-time associate pastor

with an emphasis in worship. Please email inquiries or resumes to fbcfarm@sbcglobal.net, attn. personnel committee, or mail to Personnel Committee, 210 North A.
Street, Farmington, MO 63640.

Church Seeks Worship Leader

CrossPoint Sterling in Sterling, KS is currently looking for a part time worship pastor.
The goal of this position is to oversee the worship ministry team and to coordinate,
develop and build up future leaders and worship team members. Interested parties
should email cover letter and resume to michael@crosspointnow.net.

Church Seeks Bi-Vo Pastor

New Life Church (SBC) of Osawatomie, KS, is seeking a bivocational pastor.

Osawatomie is a town of 5,000 and is 30 miles from Olathe, KS. We seek a pastor to lead us in reaching our community for Christ. Submit resume to: Sarah_
Dorsett1013@hotmail.com.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015

Church Seeks Worship/Student Leader

First Southern Baptist Church of Hutchinson, Kansas is requesting prayerful applicants for the following full- or part-time ministry opportunity combination: Corporate
Worship Leader/Student Minister. FSB is a healthy and unified body of believers
genuinely seeking Gods person(s) to serve and grow here. Please send your
resume (including ministry philosophy and five references) to FSBC, 1201 E 23rd,
Hutchinson KS 67502.

Church Seeks Bi-Vo Pastor

First Baptist Church of Nickerson is now accepting resumes for a Bi-Vocational

Pastorate Position. The Candidates should embrace the Baptist Faith and Message and Cooperative programs For additional Information, Please contact Brian
@ 620-960-3827. Please send resumes to: First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 377,
Nickerson, Ks 67561.

Kansas and Nebraska Southern

Baptists are in partnership with
all Southern Baptists through
the Cooperative Program.

Keith Strasburger

Gene Jacobs

April 24-25, 2015--Webster Conference Center

For Leaders in Churches Running
Under 150 in Worship
Keith Strasburger and Gene Jacobs from
Real Life Ministries
Our Focus This Year Will Be on
Building a Disciple-Making Process in the Local Church
On Campus
Registration for those staying at Webster Conference Center is
$40.00 per adult or $60.00 per couple.
This includes one nights lodging, Saturday breakfast and lunch.
Off Campus
If you would prefer to stay off-campus your registration cost is
$15.00 per person. This includes Saturday breakfast & lunch.
Childcare is provided at no cost.
Please mail registration and payment to:
KNCSB, 5410 SW 7th St., Topeka, KS 66606
If you have any questions or information about hotels if you prefer to
stay off campus, contact Jana Gifford (jgifford@kncsb.org)
or call 1/800/984-9092 (Ext. 840).
Registration Deadline: April 10, 2015

Stewardship Quotes

The principal hindrance to the advancement of the kingdom of God

is greed It seems that when the back of greed is broken, the human
spirit soars into regions of unselfishness. I believe that it is safe to
say there can be no continuous revival without hilarious giving. And
I fear no contradiction: wherever there is hilarious giving there will
soon be revival! (O.S. Hawkins)
I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid
the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if
our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the
standard common among those with the same income as our own,
we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all
pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to
be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable
expenditures excludes them. (C.S. Lewis)
Seek joy in what you give, not in what you get. (Anonymous)