Baptist

Vol. 59 No. 4

www.baptistdigest.com

igest

Newsjournal Of Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists

Construction is now underway on a 250-seat addition to the Dining Hall at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. Sunday, April 19, has been designated as Webster Conference Center Sunday. It is designed to raise Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists awareness of WCC.
Promotional helps are available on the WCC Web site at http://webstercc.org/

WCC SUNDAY: APRIL 19, 2015

On Sunday, April 19th will celebrate 35 years of ministry at WCC. A 2-3 minute video is
on the WCC website (www.webstercc.org) for churches to download and show their
members. This is not a fund-raising video, nor a fund-raising event. This is a special day
to help our KNCSB church members see the ministry of WCC whose first purpose statement is To assist churches in making disciples of Jesus Christ and developing leaders.
There are additional testimonial videos, stats and quotes on the website for your church to
also use in newsletters or anytime you want to help your church understand the ministry of
your conference center. Contact Terry McIlvain at tmcilvain@kncsb.org if you would like
more information on this special day or additional WCC resources.

Cowboys pray at an arena event scheduled by Three Wooden Crosses Cowboy Church.
(Read more on page 4)

April 2015

Lenexa Baptist Church

Sees Leadership Transition

Lenexa Baptist Church, Lenexa, Kan., has grown from a tiny

mission that met in schools to a 6,000-congregation with six
campuses throughout the Kansas City area. The main campus on 87th Street Parkway in Lenexa is a landmark in the
western part of the city. Steve Dighton, who just retired as
senior pastor, cited the role of LifeWay Church Architecture
(now Visioneering Studios at LifeWay) in creating a master
plan for developing the main campus. (Photo courtesy of
Visioneering Studios at LifeWay)

Chad McDonald (left) and his wife, Faith, were among the
1,000 well wishers who gathered Saturday, Feb. 21, at
Lenexa Baptist Church to honor Steve and Mary Dighton
(right) as they transition into a new phase of ministry. Steve
Dighton served the church as founding pastor for 25 years.
He is now senior pastoral adviser. Chad McDonald is the
churchs new senior pastor. (Photo by Ernst Weigandt of
Weigandt Studios) (See story on page 5)

WWW.KNCSB.ORG

The Thought Occurred to Me

By Bob Mills

KNCSB Executive Director

E-mail: bmills@kncsb.org

Christianity seems to be under attack all around the

world and even in our country. I sense a heaviness of
oppression concerning Christian principles. The Bible
tells us that we will be hated because of the name of
Jesus. In our country, defending traditional marriage
causes conservative evangelicals to be firmly in the
crosshairs of the liberal worldview. Persecuted for
what we believe is scriptural. It appears we are not
permitted to embrace our convictions without ridicule. My friends, that is persecution and we will experience more of that in the days ahead.
Christian brothers and sisters all around the globe
are being martyred because of their faith in Christ.
I am well aware that persecution and martyrdom
is not a new reality, but it seems that recently it is
accelerating.
Is it possible that further persecution and even

martyrdom could come to

our country? I think the
answer to that question is
yesespecially an acceleration of persecution. How
will you respond? Is your
faith strong enough to
handle the verbal or physical attacks? If you were
told you had to renounce
your faith would you?
Let me talk about some
of the things I would suggest that we do in the
Bob Mills
days ahead to strengthen
our faith for these possible eventualities. I would
suggest you spend time in the Word sorting out just
exactly what you believe about marriage, pornography, abortion, sex trafficking, drug abuse, role of gov-

Presidents Perspective

ernment, etc. Let the Bible speak for itself and know
what you believe.
Talk to other Christians about these topics in an
open and honest way. Build up your faith by doing
life with other Christians in small accountability
groups. Deepen your prayer life through regular times
of prayer and meditation. Be a regular attender of
your local church for worship.
Develop your fellowship with God and your faith
family through times of worship. I would encourage
you to read books that would support and enhance
your faith. When it is time to vote, take every advantage to elect godly men and women to government
office.
There are many other ideas I might suggest, but I
will leave you with just one more. Examine your heart
and see if your heart values being an intentional follower of Christ (disciple). If so, take up your cross
and follow Him. The coming days will demand faith
strengthhow strong are you?

By Andy Addis

KNCSB Convention President

E-mail: andy@crosspointnow.net

APRIL 2015

Finishing this article is the only bit of work I am

going to do this week. As I write this I am on Spring
Break vacation camping with my family at Cheney
State Park.
We love off-season camping because there is no
competition for spots, no late night partiers, and the
state park usually belongs to you alone.
On the downside the
bathrooms are still closed
for the season, the utilities
provided are at a minimum, and the days must
begin and end in coats and
hats as its usually one step
beyond chilly.
But, we pull a 29 trailer
RV camper, so were not
really camping, were
glamping: baking cookies in the oven, popping
popcorn in the microwave,
watching movies on the
Blu-ray player in the media
Andy Addis
center.
Ah yes, the great outdoors.
Weve owned this camper for three years, but this is
the first trip we have taken with it stamped paid off.
A great feeling.
And, despite pulling this small house to Nebraska,
South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and all kinds of
places in Kansas, it still looks like new! Well, kind
of
The crank jack on the hitch broke this time out and
my boys and I went on an adventure to replace it with
nothing but a car jack, some cut 2 x 4s and ratchet
set. Were starting to see a little wear in the carpet
from repeated traffic patterns of four people living in
a pretty tight space. Oooooo, and there is some hail
damage yeah, that happened.
With every small defect there is a story. With every
ding, replacement part and mark of wear and tear
2 there is a memory. I wouldnt trade any one of them

for a brand new, twice the size, totally tricked out new
ride those moments are too valuable.
It reminds me of one of my favorite Proverbs:
Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a
strong ox for a large harvest. - Proverbs 14:4
In ministry we all like a clean stable, or church, or
calendar, or reputation, or whatever.
It seems like all is right with the world when the
church building is pristine, the budget is not stressed
and the pews are packed (at 75-80% capacity. We dont
want people too cramped, right?).
Yeah, that seems right, but its not.
A clean stable means that nothing is being done in
the field. A clean stable means theres no hope for a
harvest. A clean stable means the stable isnt being
used for what it was made for, right?
A dirty stable with mud and dung everywhere,
a squeaky stall door from overuse and a smell that
can only be described as well, just a smell thats
where something is happening!
We need to submit to the scriptures right now and
admit, ministry is messy! There is absolutely no way
to do it right and keep everything neat, clean and just
like new.
Your building is a resource that needs to be used
and in some cases worn out for the cause of Christ!
The Baptist Digest

(USPS 018-942)
Vol. 60 No.4
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.

Your budget should run lean and mean, but always

dance on the razors edge to make sure we are sowing
seed and siloing grace.
Your should be neck deep in messy, broken, difficult
people just like the one you call Lord did when He
walked in this place.
As I finish this article, I feel the wind rocking our
camper and see the overcast skies I know the forecast, a storm is on the way.
Its okay, Ill take the dings its worth being here.

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

Adding up numbers is not my favorite thing to do.

However, each spring as I compile the annual baptism
report for our Kansas-Nebraska churches, I get the
blessing of watching the bottom line number come
together. I want to share with you several insights
I see in the 2014 Annual Report coming from 334
churches and missions that reported the number baptized last year.

2,718 Baptized - 77% of the 434 KNCSB

Churches/Missions provided their report

4 Churches/Missions Baptized More than 100

4 Churches/Missions Baptized Between 99-52

34 Churches/Missions Baptized Between 13-51
195 Churches/Missions Baptized Between 1-12
97 Churches/Missions Did Not Baptize
100 Churches/Missions Did Not Submit a

Report
I am disappointed that 100 of our churches were
not able to complete or submit a report. Filling out
reports is not why we exist. However, letting others

know what God is doing

in your church community
and the obedience that
precedes a baptism should
encourage all of us to thank
the Lord and to praise Him
for the obedience and faith
of those being baptized.
The 2,718 total represents individual stories of
Gods speaking and His
leadership in the lives of
His followers. However
during the past two years,
Jon Sapp
we as Kansas-Nebraska
churches are hearing fewer of those stories. In 2012
the total was 3,088 then in 2013 down to 2,921. Then
this past year we went down another 203 from the
2013 report. A two-year decline is something we
must monitor.
There is an encouraging note in this years report.
32 Churches/Missions went from 0 to 1 or more during 2014. Each baptism celebration encourages the
heart of those watching as well as those being bap-

Along the Journey

By Tim Boyd

Baptist Digest Editor

E-mail: tboyd@kncsb.org

Tim Boyd

desire to control what God

does. That is the surest way to
quench the Spirit of God.
4. We must recognize that we
cannot manufacture a movement of God.
5. We must bear our souls
before God to discern and
embrace His passion for our
nation.
6. We must allow the Spirit of
God to remodel our concept
of prayer and spiritually break
us to prepare us for His work.
I look at the Southern
Baptist Convention today and,
quite frankly, I find it difficult
to believe that we will be at
the center of a movement of
God. Spiritually, we are off
course. Only God can chart
the right course. May God
help us to seek Him and Him
alonefor our sake and for
the Kingdoms sake!

Boost Up Follow-Up
When a first-time guest
completes a guest registration card at your church, what
happens next? The most common answer to that question:
absolutely nothing. No, its
not an intentional oversight,
but without an ongoing, immediate follow-up plan, your
church may miss the opportunity to reach guests for Christ
and include them in your
church family.
Need fresh ideas? Tweak
some of these to fit your
unique church:
n First-Time-Guest Online
Survey. People love to give an
opinion! Create a brief survey
on your church website. (See a
sample survey at dianadavis.
org) Carefully study survey
responses.
n Same-Day Contact. A
specially-trained volunteer can
make a brief phone call to each
guest on the Sunday afternoon
they visit your church.
n Email + Snail Mail. Assign
volunteers to send a swift,
personal email or handwritten
card to each first-time guest.
n Small Group Personal Invitation. Provide contact info to
an appropriate small group or
Sunday School class for each
family member. A member of
that small group may offer
to meet the guest at a specific
door to escort them to class.
n A Personal Touch. Examples: An Indiana church delivers three coupons for a free
drink in their coffee area, en-

couraging the guest to return

for three consecutive Sundays.
In a different church, their
volunteers deliver a church
coffee mug to the guests door
before they get home from
church. A baking volunteer at
First Baptist Garland TX prepares fresh homemade cookies
for each first-time guest, then
a delivery volunteer simply
knocks on their door and gives
them delicious cookies and a
goodie-bag of church info.
n Pastors letter. Many pastors
prepare a warm letter or email
to welcome first-time guests;
some even jot a handwritten
note. Pastor Traylor at Olive
Baptist, Pensacola, often texts
or phones first-time guests on
Saturdays, inviting them to
come back on Sunday.
Notice that church membersnot just ministry staff
accomplish the majority of
follow-up. Newcomers want
to hear what you love about
your church. They desire relationships, and relationships
provide evangelistic opportunity.
When God brings a firsttime guest to your church this
Sunday and they complete a
guest registration card, what
will happen next?
The harvest is abundant
pray to the Lord of the harvest
to send out workers into His
harvest. Luke 10:2
Diana Davis is an author,
columnist and ministers wife.
www.dianadavis.org

APRIL 2015

Recently, I have heard a

number of Southern Baptists
including our Executive
Director, Bob Mills, express a
hunger for a genuine movement of God to bring revival
to our country. The reality is
that the need for revival is not
new. It seems that we have
reached a place, however,
where that need is very much
on our radar.
How did we get to this
place? Let me suggest several
factors:
1. We made the false assumption that Christian influence
in society would never diminish.
2. We got lazy in the area
of disciple making. We
assumed that Sunday School
and Training Union/Church
Training would always suffice.
3. We got lazy in evangelism.
Sharing the gospel was no
longer a priority.
4. We began to assume that
bigger churches would solve
our spiritual problems. Bigger
is not always better.
5. We abandoned our rural
roots for the lure of the large
cities. We have placed more
and more emphasis on our
cities of high population, but
(in my opinion) at the expense
of the traditional strength of

our denomination, the rural

church.
6. We lost our humility and
trust in the leadership of the
Father. We (again in my opinion) came to believe that we
could solve all of our problems with a new emphasis or
a new program.
7. We mistakenly thought
that a restoration of doctrine
would bring about a renaissance in missions, evangelism
and discipleship. We were
wrong.
Can revival come? Of course
it can, if God brings it. What
will it take for us to see revival in our day?
1. We must learn the lessons of previous revivals.
God always does something
unique when revival comes.
Revival will not come from
the places that we expect it.
He acts through people and
situations that are unexpected.
No one really anticipated
the Camp Meetings of the
Second Great Awakening.
Jonathan Edwards was not a
typical evangelist during
the First Great Awakening.
2. We must have a desperation
for the presence of God in our
midst. In spite of various leaders who have called for prayer
and other emphases, I do not
see that kind of desperation.
3. We must abandon our

tized. These 32 Churches/Missions did not baptize

in 2013. Therefore, getting to baptize again brought
back that excitement and encouragement.
In addition to these 32 churches, an additional
98 Churches/Missions increased their number of
baptisms from the year before. Isnt that an encouragement? We have 130 Churches/Missions that
increased. Join me in thanking the Lord for the faithfulness of these leaders and the obedience of those
who were baptized in 2014.
Now my challenge to all of us. Lets monitor those
responding to the Lord by being baptized. Pastors
and church leaders who have not reported or didnt
see a baptism in 2014, could you seek the Lord to be
one of those churches that go from 0 to 1? Finally,
Andy Addis, our current KNCSB President, is offering
the challenge to double our baptism numbers of 2014
for this current year.
As mentioned earlier, if we are going to monitor
any element of our churches activities, this has to be
the primary element to monitor. New believers and
others wanting to be obedient to the Lords commission of baptism are evidence of the fruit of our implementation of Gods Plan for Sharing.

KNCSB ON MISSION
Unconventional Church:
Webster Update
Traditional Message

APRIL 2015

BUTLER COUNTY--Hearing
the name Three Wooden
Crosses Cowboy Church might
evoke images of a pastor delivering sermons while seated
on a horse, worshipping in an
open arena and cowboys roping
cattle or riding bulls.
It all rings true, but Don
Mayberry, the pastor at the local
Three Wooden Crosses Cowboy
Church (3WC), said the majority of people who attend their
worship arent cowboys.
Mayberry explained cowboy
churches were created to lead
people with western roots to
become passionate followers
of Jesus Christ. Our vision is
to make Jesus widely known
among the farm and ranch communities of Butler County.
3WC, located at 5118 SW
100th, began on April 1, 2014,
and is a western-heritage community of faith created for those
who are most comfortable sitting on the back of a horse or in
the cab of a truck. It is affiliated
with the American Fellowship
of Cowboy Churches
and the North American
Mission Board.
For almost 40 years,
Mayberry had served churches
in Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri
and Kansas and served as
the State Missions director
of the Illinois Baptist State
Convention. During that time,
he attended his first annual
Cowboy Church Planting
Conference in Ellis, County,
Texas.
He liked the idea of cowboy
churches. Starting his own, with
the help of his wife, Sherry, represented the beginning of life
long dream.
His father was a great horseman and today, he raises,
trains, shoes and competes
on American Quarter Horses.
Mayberry is a member of
the Cowboy Mounted Shooting
Association. In 2013, he was
the reserve champion mounted
shooter at the Kansas State Fair.
The people of 3WC meet
weekly at 10 a.m. on Sunday
and have a number of small
groups that meet throughout
the week. Arena events are a
part of the weekly schedule.
A bull riding Buckle Series
sanctioned by the International
Rodeo Association is currently
being held. Bull riders from 7-8
different states are competing.
One is featured at 5 p.m. this
Saturday and others on March
14 and April 11. Admission is

The Three Wooden Crosses Cowboy Church has a vision to

reach people who are part of the farm and ranch communities of Butler County with the message of Jesus Christ. Don
Mayberry is the pastor of this church
free. This Saturdays will be
held in the indoor arena.
Admission is always free.
The competing bull riders are
required to pay an entry fee and
our 25-30 sponsors help make
it all possible, he added. But
everyone knows that there will
be a presentation of the gospel
at some point. Its a great way
to enjoy the sport of rodeo in a
family atmosphere.
The bull riding events have
seen close to 400 in attendance,
with around 60 bull riders.
Mayberry explains the
Saturday night bull bucking
event includes a flag presentation, prayer and during the
rodeo activity the action will
stop and he will share the
gospel while sitting on a step
ladder.
He is proud that 3WC will be
hosting 14 Cowboy Mounted
Shooting events this year.

All the 2015 shoots will be

held at our arena except for
the State Championships, he
explained.
Everyone is invited to attend
the arena events, as well as the
worship settings. People from
all backgrounds, income levels
and interests are there.
We strive to remove many
of the barriers that might be
found in more traditional settings, he said. Its a more
relaxed atmosphere and we
take out all the trip wires that
might keep people from attending church - no excuses.
For more information on
Three Wooden Crosses Cowboy
Church, contact Pastor Don
Mayberry at 316-258-3734, go
to: www.3WC-KS.com, or find
them on Facebook.
By Belinda Larsen
Reprinted by permission
The Butler County Times-Gazette
Don Mayberry,
Pastor of The
Three Wooden
Crosses Cowboy
Church has a
real heart for
the horse men
and women of
Kansas. His passion is to share
the Gospel with
these folks who
share a western
heritage. During
a recent event,
Mayberry shares
the message of
Christ from a
step ladder in an
arena area.

RACING TOWARD THE GOAL

In about two months, we have raised $32,998.52 as of March 20th
and we have about three months to raise $42,001.48 to reach our
goal and receive the Mabee Foundation grant of $100,000 to finish
the Dining Hall project. (If we miss this goal, we lose the $100,000
from the Mabee Foundation.) Join us as we race toward the goal,
so we can better meet the needs of those who use WCC. Make
checks payable to WCC and send all tax-deductible gifts to: WCC at
5410 SW 7th Street in Topeka, KS 66606.
WCC SUNDAY: APRIL 19, 2015
On Sunday, April 19th will celebrate 35 years of ministry at WCC.
A 2-3 minute video is on the WCC website (www.webstercc.org) for
churches to download and show their members. This is not a
fund-raising video, nor a fund-raising event. This is a special day
to help our KNCSB church members see the ministry of WCC
whose first purpose statement is To assist churches in making
disciples of Jesus Christ and developing leaders. There are
additional testimonial videos, stats and quotes on the website for
your church to also use in newsletters or anytime you want to help
your church understand the ministry of your conference center.
Contact Terry McIlvain at tmcilvain@kncsb.org if you would like
more information on this special day or additional WCC resources.
PRAYER REQUEST
Registration is beginning now for churches that plan to send
children and students to Associational Childrens Camps, Hispanic
Super Summer and Super Summer. Therefore, now is the time to
pray for those who need to attend these camps at WCC. Pray for
sponsors, children and students who attend that they will hear
clearly the voice of God as He speaks to them about life and
eternity.

Work proceeds at Webster Conference Center. As money

comes in, the work will continue.

KNCSB ON MISSION

Lenexa Baptist
Honors Dightons
By Brent Hoskins

The Journey at Lenexa Baptist Church

For 25 years Pastor Steve

Dighton has led the congregation of Lenexa Baptist Church
with unparalleled devotion,
preaching from the churchs
pulpit around 1,300 times directly from Gods Word, just as
he was called to do.
He has prayed for LBCs
members and countless others.
He has a seemingly infallible
ability to greet members by
name, despite the significant
number. He has shown dedication, compassion, humor and
generosity. Above all, however,
Steve Dighton the man from
humble beginnings in Ada,
Okla., led to Lenexa to build the
conservative flagship church
in Johnson County, Kan. has
daily shown a love of the Lord
that is inspiring to all who
know him.
On Saturday, Feb. 21, more
than 1,000 members of LBC and
friends from across the country
gathered to express their gratitude and love during a special
day in honor of Pastor Steve
and his wife Mary, marking a
new phase in their life journey.
Culminating months of
transition as Chad McDonald
became the new senior pastor
on March 1, Pastor Steve is tran-

sitioning into retirement after 25

years of service as LBCs founding senior pastor, now becoming
senior pastoral advisor.
In his new role, Pastor Steve
will preach at least 10 times each
year. He will also be available
to coach and mentor Pastor
Chad and the campus pastors.
In addition, he will be available
to advise and assist other SBC
churches as needed.
The Feb. 21 celebration began
with a reception in Koinonia
Hall allowing LBC members
and many friends from outside
LBC including a contingent
traveling from Ada, Okla. to
express their personal thanks and
appreciation to Pastor Steve and
Mary. The lengthy reception line
was an unmistakable testament
to the impact the Dightons have
had on the lives of others over
the past 25 years.
A two-hour celebration followed in the Worship Center, in
part showcasing the talents of the
LBC choir and a number of soloists, so often praised by Pastor
Steve through the years. As the
celebration got underway, Pastor
Steve welcomed those who had
gathered for the special evening.
It is really a night of celebration of Gods great favor on
our ministry and what we have
enjoyed in serving you here at

Chad McDonald is New Senior

Pastor at Lenexa Baptist Church

Lenexa Baptist over these past

25 years, he said.
Pastor Steve then began to
recount the history of LBC,
beginning with the milestone
of Jan. 21, 1990, when Westside
Baptist Church voted 78 to zero
to call him as senior pastor.
The next year, the church
became independent of the
sponsoring church, Emmanuel
Baptist, ultimately changing
the name to Lenexa Baptist
Church in 1994. Throughout the
celebration, he shared memories
of the challenges, transitions
and victories of the growth of
the church, eventually leading
to the three-phase construction
of todays LBC, now with 6,000
members.
In addition to the songs
performed by the choir and
soloists, the celebration featured
videos of a number of honoring
messages from Southern Baptist
pastors and leaders.
There were also video testimonial tributes to Pastor Steve
from two long-time LBC members and servant leaders, John
Lauster and Jim Stockwood. In
his testimony, Stockwood noted

that during the first message he

heard Pastor Steve preach he
wrote down 30 scripture references.
My wife asked me, What
did you think? I said, The man

After serving as founding pastor for 25 years,

Steve Dighton is now senior pastoral adviser at
Lenexa Baptist Church.
preaches nothing but the Word
of God and God is going to
honor him. Were going to raise
our children here, he recalled.
Thats been almost 18 years
ago and a lot has changed in
this church since that time, but I
have seen Gods sovereign hand
of blessing on this church and
on Pastor Steve.
Near the end of the celebration, Mary Dighton addressed
those who had gathered, sharing her memories and reading
tributes from family members,
referring to Pastor Steve as the
man of my dreams, the man of
my forever. She also cited the

four main goals of Pastor Steve

in recent years that have now
been achieved:
n To see 2,000 people baptized at LBC
n To see the church become
debt free
n To consistently have more
than 3,000 in attendance each
Sunday
n To find the right successor
Returning to the pulpit following Marys comments, Pastor Steve took the opportunity
to share words of encouragement for his successor.
Mary touched on that last
goal of mine: to find the right
successor. And boy, did I get
one, he said. Chad McDonald
is my dear friend and nobody
is more thrilled about the next
chapter in this wonderful
church.
As you know, he has a
humble spirit, he is a visionary,
he cares about people and he is
an excellent preacher. I am convinced this church is going to
prosper and do great things and
I am honored to have him follow me as the next senior pastor
at Lenexa Baptist Church.

APRIL 2015

Chad McDonald became the senior pastor of Lenexa Baptist

Church, Lenexa, Kan., on Sunday, March 1.
Founding Pastor Steve Dighton, who served for 25 years, is
now senior pastoral adviser.
McDonald came to Lenexa Baptist Church from Valley,
Ala., where he served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church.
He originally came to Lenexa to be the campus pastor at The
Fellowship at Greenwood where he served for two years. He
became the Senior Pastor Elect at the main campus in June 2014.
During high school Chad surrendered his life to vocational
ministry. He attended Southwest Baptist University and received
his bachelor of arts degree in Bible with a minor in biblical
languages. He then attended Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary where he received a master of arts degree in Theology
in 2003. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Read this entire article at http://lenexabaptist.com/staff/chadmcdonald/

More than 1,000 well wishers gathered Saturday, Feb. 21, at Lenexa Baptist Church,
Lenexa, Kan., to honor Steve and Mary Dighton as they transition into a new phase of ministry. Steve Dighton served the church as founding pastor for 25 years. He is now senior
pastoral adviser. (Photo by Ernst Weigandt of Weigandt Studios)

KNCSB ON MISSION

KNCSB Student Team to Return to Tokyo

God is so amazing! I have

been accepted to return to
Tokyo next summer with iGo
Global Missions!
My passion for world missions began there as I looked
out the windows of the tallest
building in Tokyo and observed
as far as the eye could see the
homes of millions of people
who needed the hope of Jesus
Christ their Redeemer.
That is what Brenda Evans of
Hays, Kan., posted on Facebook
in fall 2014.
Evans has participated in all
seven KNCSB Super Summer
international mission trips. She
serves as an AC or Adult
Chaperone. The ACs serve
alongside the students and support them.
KNCSB Super Summer
international mission trips serve
with iGo Global which cooperates with the Southern Baptist
International Mission Board.
The KNCSB team served
three years in Tokyo and then
went to Amsterdam for four
years.
This year the team will
return to Tokyo. The trip is
scheduled for June 1-10. Two
days of base camp will be held
at Webster Conference Center,
Salina, Kan., before the group
leaves for Japan.
Amsterdam, with a population of about 800,000, is
relatively small by a lot of
standards, said Terry McIlvain, KNCSB director of youth
ministries.
But Amsterdam is important
because it is a gateway city

into Europe.
It is a tough place to minister because evangelical work is
almost non-existent, McIlvain
said.
In Amsterdam, the KNCSB
team targeted an area of the city
inhabited by Muslims from a
country in North Africa.
Our primary ministry was
to prayerwalk, engage people in
conversation and share as much
of the gospel as people would
allow, McIlvain said.
When the KNCSB team first
arrived in Amsterdam, there
were only a handful of believers
in that people group. Now there
are 75-80 believers and a church
has been started.
The KNCSB Super Summer international mission trips
began in Tokyo in 2008. As in
Amsterdam, the group works
with iGo Global to support
Southern Baptist international
workers.
Tokyo is the largest city
in the world with 33 million
people. Evangelical believers
comprise only one half of one
percent of the population.
The purpose of the KNCSB
international mission trips is to
teach students and adults how
to have a missional lifestyle.
They are encouraged to practice
what they have learned when
they return home.
Kansas-Nebraska Southern
Baptists are encouraged to begin
praying now for this summers
project in Tokyo. Participants in
the trip must raise $3,600. This
will cover all of their expenses
except souvenirs.

SBC Annual Meeting to be Held in Columbus, Ohio

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 online. Find more
information at http://sbcannualmeeting.org/sbc15/default.asp
Details are being announced
for some of the events that will
precede the SBC annual meeting.
WMU Missions Celebration
and Annual Meeting
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. The church is a 10-15
minute drive from the Greater
Columbus Convention Center.
Find more information at http://
bit.ly/1C6FUVT

APRIL 2015

Tokyo, Japan, with a population of 33 million is the largest city in the world. Evangelical believers comprise only one half of one percent of the population. The KNCSB Super
Summer international mission trip will return to Tokyo June 1-10. KNCSB teams served in
Tokyo for three years and then went to Amsterdam for four years. (Below, left) In Amsterdam, the teams targeted people from a country in North Africa. There were only a
handful of believers in that people group when KNCSB teams first arrived in Amsterdam.
Now there are 75-80 believers and a church has been started. (KNCSB file photos by Terry
McIlvain)

Thank you for supporting the Cooperative Program

SBC Pastors Conference

The SBC Pastors Conference
will be held June 14-15 at the
Greater Columbus Convention

Center. 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, an Ohio
native who is 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, one of the fastest
growing churches in the Chicago area.
n H.B. Charles Jr., senior
pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan
Baptist Church in Jacksonville,
Fla.
n Russell Moore, president
of the SBC Ethics & Religious
Liberty Commission
n Paul David Tripp, presi-

dent of Paul Tripp Ministries

Visit the Pastors Conference
Web site at http://sbcpc.net/
Ministers Wives Luncheon
The annual Ministers Wives
Luncheon will be held at noon
Tuesday, June 16, in the Regency
Ballroom in the Hyatt Regency
Hotel. The hotel is attached to
the Greater Columbus Convention Center where the SBC annual meeting will be held.
Angie Smith will be the
guest speaker. She was the
featured speaker at the 2014
KNCSB Wonderful Weekend for
Women.
Smith is the wife of Todd
Smith, lead singer of Dove
Award winning group Selah.
She is the author of numerous
books including I Will Carry
You: The Sacred Dance of Grief
and Joy as well as the popular
blog Bring the Rain.
Tickets for the luncheon are
$15 in advance and $20 at the
door.
Find more information at
http://lfwy.co/1kw3ndU

Calah Titus

Hello!

www.knwomen.com

Sex Trafficking Awareness, Part 1

Marca Deimund

Life Session Leader-WWW

KN Womens Leadership, Women4Him Team

Wonderful Weekend for

Women ... what is this anyway?
Maybe you are part of a
church that has taken a group
but youve not ever been able
to go. Maybe your church
group hasnt ever been, youve
never heard of this, and youre just reading this because youre
intrigued by the title and could use a little wonderful weekend for
yourself. Maybe youre a guy reading this article and you have a wonderful wife that deserves a wonderful weekend. Keep reading!
If you are anything like me, you are slightly curious but need some
details. Ok. Heres the Cliffs Notes version. Ready? !
WWW is September 11-12 at Webster Conference Center in
Salina, KS, hosted by the KNSCB Womens Ministry. There are great
breakout sessions with a variety of topics to choose from! Theres
food! Theres fellowship! Theres worship! Theres laughter! Theres
sleep (sort of)! Theres relaxation! There are friends! Theres GOD!!
Where do I sign up, right?
Registration starts late June but go ahead and block out those dates
on your calendar and let your family, place of business, and anyone
else know that you will be unavailable those two days for a little
personal rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation!
Im thrilled to tell you that years keynote speaker is Sophie Hudson
who has written A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet in 2013 and Home
is Where My People Are earlier this year. If you dont know who
Sophie is yet, you will! Please check out her website www.boomama.
net to learn more. Last years www speaker, Angie Smith, had this
to say about Sophie. If getting a book in the mail, putting your
kids in front of Disney Jr., and abandoning all your deadlines is
wrong, I dont want to be right. When this little gem showed up at
my doorstep, I knew I was going to take a journey with Sophie that
would lead me to laugh out loud in public places and shake my head
at how she weaves the smiles into profundity before you even realize
you were on your way. Sophie Hudson, youve done it again. Youve
reminded me why I love you as a person and as a writer; quite simply,
your words make us feel like were all your people. If thats home, I
dont want to be anywhere else.
Ill be there with my people and would love to see you with your
people!

I have a great concern for our children and teens. The average age to be taken into Sex Trafficking is 12 to 14 years old, and 7 years is the average life span of a Sex Trafficking victim. One out
of every 3 runaways is in the hands of a Human Trafficker within 48 hours. As you can see, my
concerns are well grounded.
The more I learn about Sex Trafficking the more I realize Ive only scratched the surface of
the maze. Violence, poverty, prostitution, pornography, sex crimes, pedophiles, cyber crimes,
sexting, slavery unfortunately Im sure the list will lengthen over time.
The recruiters or groomers are people who are out to add kids to the sex trafficking industry. A pimp can earn from 100,000 to 150,000 dollars a year per sex victim they own. These recruiters/groomers are everywhere our kids are; on the internet, in the malls, at school events,
in school hallways, anywhere our kids are hanging out, they are hanging out as well.
They are very clever at hiding who they really are, they appear to be well groomed kids or young adults who have your childs
best interest at heart. They are very understanding when your child is being held accountable for their actions by their parents or
school system. The will tell your child they can provide them a place of acceptance and love them like they deserve.
They can pick up on a young person who has low self-esteem or those who fall prey to their flattery tactics! After all, who
wouldnt fall for someone who tells us that we are smart, pretty and deserve to be treated better than we are being treated!
I know a young teenager who said she was 18 so she could sign up for a dating service on line. She was looking for a boyfriend,
a relationship, love. When her mom found out, she brought her to me to scare her with the truth! After I shared some of the
dangers and she shared some polite eye-rolling, I asked her if she believed if someone would lie about who and what they really
were on a website. I then asked her how honest she was in signing up for the dating website. Her face changed and a keen sense
of awareness came over her. I reminded her she signed up with innocent intentions but many people sign up for dating websites,
Facebook, Skype, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. intentionally looking for someone to prey upon. They stalk these sites for the purposes of human trafficking or its a pedophile looking for pictures for their pleasure. She was lucky her mom found out what she
was doing and deleted her account. I love this young woman and it scares me that our kids and teens are not more aware of the
dangers of the internet.

Nails, really?
Romans 12:6 - We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.
Yes, nail art is what I am currently enjoying as a hobby. I find myself
relaxing when I do my nails or someone elses nails.
Doing nails helps me reach out o the young ladies in my family and allows
me to have some girl time. When I do the girls nails, I get to connect
with them on a personal level and share quality time. It also is a way to
avoid the drunken, rowdy crowd at family gatherings, which is a blessing in
itself. I get to talk with the young ladies about school, dating, or anything
else they may want or need to talk about. I believe that this also provides
an opportunity to minister to them.
I have two wonderful boys at home. As they get older, I realize that I do not get to enjoy the girly
things that women with daughters get to experience, as I can be a girly girl myself.
Gods given me a gift of service. It makes me smile to see God filling my small need with this hobby.
It is a great blessing to see him working in me even in the most trivial way.

~ Maria Christensen, Women4Him Team

Encouragement

Simply,
Tara

April 2015

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds...
Hebrews 10:24
The seminary team sat around the table discussing our assignment on the one another verses when Dr. Catanzaro, the Dean of the Doctoral program said, The word of encouragement is not defined in Greek the way most people would expect. It has the word condemnation in it. I
thought, How is that possible? He went on to explain that when we encourage someone to do something we cannot do it without condeming them for not doing something. For example, when I encourage someone to read their Bible it implies that they are not reading it.
Through the years, I have tested this out and I have discovered that how a person responds to a word of encouragement is also a
reflection of what is in their heart. If I say to someone you need to read your Bible and they respond, Yea, your right!, it reveals that
they took what I said as an encouragement. However, if their response was something like, I am so tired of people telling me to read my
Bible!, it reveals that in their heart they heard only the condemnation instead of the word of encouragement. Once I realized that encouragment can reveal the condition of a heart, I used this as a starting point to pray. I used to take the rejections so personally, but once I
understood that God was allowing me a window into their heart condition, I was then able to better serve the one I shared the encouragement.
When have you received encouragement and not received it well? Or when have you given it and it was ignored? Remember that this is
a reflection of the heart. Once we recognize that our heart is not where it should be then we can surrender ourselves and allow the word of
encouragement to become the spur we need to move forward.
Father, please help me to be an encourager that spurs others on in love and good deeds, but also help me to see the condition of the heart
that I might know how to better serve!

www.KNCSB.org
Mission Opportunity

Baptist churches in the Vina del Mar area of Chile have invited Baptist churches from
America to send teams to work with them in sharing the Good News. There is a tremendous need for evangelism in this area. The trip will be October 16-25, 2015.
This trip is sponsored by the International Convention. Scott Mayse is the coordinator for this trip. To get more information about the trip contact him at ScottM@
IC-World.org or call 913-731-0539.

April 24-25, 2015--Webster Conference Center

For Leaders in Churches Running
Under 150 in Worship

Church Seeks Youth Pastor

CrossPoint Church, Hutchinson, Kansas is seeking a Youth Pastor to work with the
local campus pastor to disciple youth in the church. Please apply at the link: https://
crosspointnow.formstack.com/forms/employment. Applicants should send a resume
and cover letter outlining how they meet the specific requirements of the position to
hr@crosspointnow.net. While we sincerely appreciate all applications, only those
candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

Church Seeks Worship Arts Pastor

Metro East Church in Wichita, KS, is seeking a Worship Arts Pastor to lead a bandstyle God-centered worship while utilizing state-of-the-art technology, sound and
lighting in a 400 seat worship center. This staff member will be part of team-oriented
staff approach. For more info on the church go to www.metroeastbaptist.com. If
interested, send resume, worship samples and references to mpenick@metroeastbaptist.com.

Church Seeks Pastor

First Baptist Church, Chama N.M. Is seeking the Lords direction for a full-time pastor to serve this Southern Baptist congregation in northern New Mexico in a beautiful
mountain community. Please submit resumes by email to Tim Kaul, Chairman, Pastor Search Committee at tim@nnmre.com or by hard mail at FBC Chama, P.O. Box
1216,Chama, NM 87520

Church Seeks Worship Pastor

Growing Southern Baptist church in Kansas is seeking a bi-vocational Associate Pastor

of Music Ministry to work with the Senior Pastor, be responsible for planning and leading Sunday morning worship service, working with the choir, praise team, and all instrumentalists. This position would also plan and lead music for Sunday and Wednesday
evening. For more information, visit http://www.cornerstonelawrence.com/

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

Psalter Used for Treasury of David

Commentary Discovered in Midwestern
Seminarys Spurgeon Library

By T. Patrick Hudson

PREPARE TO
MAKE AN IMPACT.

MIDWESTERN COLLEGE EXISTS

TO PREPARE AND EQUIP STUDENTS
TO BE THE LEADERS OF TODAY
AND TOMORROW.

APRIL 2015

Are you ready to make a difference?

APPLY. VISIT. LEARN MORE.

5001
Trafficway
5001 N
N Oak
Oak Trafficway

Kansas City,
City, MO
MO64118
64118
Kansas

(816) 414-3733
414-3733 mbts.edu/college
(816)

E-mail: phudson@mbts.edu

Scholars at Midwestern Baptist

Theological Seminary have discovered,
within the institutions Spurgeon Library
collection, a Psalter that 19th-century
Baptist pastor Charles Spurgeon used
in the compilation of his commentary
on the book of Psalms, The Treasury of
David.
One of the purposes for the existence
of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern
Seminary is to advance the gospel of
Jesus Christ for the church and the academy by preserving the personal library
of Charles Haddon Spurgeon and fostering a deeper appreciation of his life,
legacy, theology, and preaching, said
Jason Allen, president of Midwestern
Seminary. It is, I believe, exhilarating
and important to uncover such an artifact that Spurgeon personally used to
create resources for fellow believers to
study and better understand the book of
Psalms.
It is an evident blessing from God to
allow for such a discovery, and we are
grateful to Brian Albert for his dedication in combing, page-by-page, through
Spurgeons library. It is our hope, that
as we delve further into the collection

in the season ahead, we will discover

many more such artifacts that provide
better insight into the life and ministry
of Charles Spurgeon.
In recent months, Albert pastor of
Calvary Baptist Church in Lenexa, Kan.,
who is also a research assistant at the
Spurgeon Library has dedicated one
day a week to combing through the
librarys books. His process includes
reviewing a book twice, looking for
notations, dates, and other pertinent
data. He then attempts to trace the book
to other sources of Spurgeon.
Upon his discovery of the Psalter,
which was published in 1864, Albert
brought the work to the attention
of Christian George, curator of the
Spurgeon Library and assistant professor
of Historical Theology. George analyzed
the book and concluded that much of
the handwriting in its margins belongs
to Spurgeon and that it was, in fact, a
working Psalter that Spurgeon had used.
To see the full article go to
http://www.mbts.edu/psalter-usedtreasury-david-commentary-discovered-midwestern-seminarys-spurgeonlibrary/