Baptist

Vol. 57 No. 11

www.baptistdigest.com

2013 KNCSB Annual Meeting Convened

igest

Newsjournal Of Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists

November 2013

WWW Challenges Women To Join Prayer Movement

Jennie Allen (right) author and speaker from Austin, Texas, challenged women to follow the example of Hebrews 12:1, throw off sin and focus on Jesus in running the Christian race. Allen was the featured speaker for Wonderful Weekend for Women. It was held Sept. 13-14 at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan (Read more on page 6)

Bob Mills, KNCSB Executive Director, presented the officers elected for KNCSB 2014, pictured left to right are Susan Pedersen, Assistant Recording Secretary; Andy Addis, President; Tony Mattia, Historian; Bryan Jones, Recording Secretary; Joe Stiles, Vice-President. (see pages 4-5 for story and more pictures) photo by Craig Freerksen

WWW.KNCSB.ORG The Thought Occurred to Me

By Bob Mills
KNCSB Executive Director E-mail: bmills@kncsb.org

By Georges Boujakly

Walking With the Master

I would like to thank each of you who made your way to our annual meeting at the New Covenant Community Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. I want to thank pastor Tim Johnson and the church for their wonderful hospitality. The meeting was inspirational and encouraging. I want to thank John Shields, Brian Albert, Alan Branch and Jason Allen for the powerful messages from Gods Word. For our music leaders, Bret Welstead, Scott Sarnes, Shaun Jones and Jeffrey Wohlfert for an excellent job in leading us during the praise time. It was wonderful to celebrate what God is doing in our land and around the world. We recognize we will be facing challenges as we

move toward become more self-sustaining financially. When we depend on outside entities for financial assistance, then we can expect requirements and expectations that are not always in our best interest in light of our vision and strategies. The time has come for us to begin to move toward the reality of becoming more self-supporting. Andy Addis, the president of our convention, challenged our churches to pray about what God would have them do in considering increasing our gifts to the Cooperative Program. The increased gift might be a quarter of a present, half a percent or a percent or more. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. Also, I would ask you to pray for our Future Directions Task Force as they work through the challenges.

I envision a day when Kansas Nebraska Southern Baptists will experience a mighty movement of God. Through the Holy Spirit of God we will see individual lives, families and communities transformed. Our nation needs a fresh touch from God. I would like to ask you to covBob Mills enant to pray with me about God doing a mighty work in our hearts and in our land.

KNCSB State Director of Missions E-mail: gboujakly@kncsb.org

Hidden with Christ in God My grandchildren love to play hide and seek. The one who is not old enough to know the game will soon come to love it too. She will soon learn that it is a favorite game at our house. Another expected grandchild will soon fall in line with the others. I played it with my own children when they were little. The cheapest fun youll ever have. Its amazing, once you start looking for places to hide in an average home how many nooks and crannies you can find. There were favorite places to hide: the laundry room, under beds, behind doors, in the bathtub with the curtain drawn, or just under a blanket in a corner. We like hiding because in hiding there is an element of surprise. We also hide when weve done something wrong and fear to be found out (we are children of Adam and Eve, after all.) I remember as a ten year old the time my cousin and I broke the water pipe we sat on (water pipes in Georges Boujakly Lebanon are attached to the sides of homesno danger of frost) and hid all day long only to come home to be punished by grandma after all. We love to open packages, mail, .doc files, etc, because they hide something we want or need. Curiosity for what might be revealed is more than we can handle. Even when we almost know intuitively that it might be junk mail or a potential virus. Hiddenness is part of the world. It is innate in people, animals, and plants to hide to avoid danger. For some creatures hiding is elaborate (think of shellfish, turtles, and animals that camouflage themselves by changing color or shape). Secret compartments fascinate us. Babushkas attract young and old in Russia and elsewhere. And some of us people have hiding places in our own homes, be it a shop or an office. Colossians 3:3 says for you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Hiding for us Christians is a gift to be received. It is rewarding to know that as followers of Jesus we have been granted a hiding place: a place to hide called God in Christ where we make our

home in the love of God in Christ. In this hiding place we fear no evil for thou art with me. In this hiding place we receive instructions as to who we are and are becoming, that is we are being changed from glory to glory in conformity to the image of Christ (2 Cor 3:18). In this hiding place we are bathed in love. Wendell Berry popularized the importance of place in our lives in his excellent writings. Basically, he says that where we live gives shape to who we are and come to be. Likewise, the follower of Christs place is to be in Christ and this place of being in Christ gives a godly shape to our human identity that is not from this world. This is why people who grow up in small towns often feel homesick when they are away. The spiritual place where our identity is set is where we are hidden with Christ in God. Ill not pretend to understand this mystery. Being in Christ or in God is not what we initiate, but what God has done and invites us to receive. God in Christ hides us (note that the verb hidden is in the divine passive mood). Yet, it is our lives that are hidden, which also implies that we participate in the hiding in God through acts of our wills. We participate by receiving and accepting this hiddenness as a grace, an enabling of God to find our identity in Christ. The number of times (89 times, Im told) the expression in Christ or in God in the New Testament is large enough to convince me that it is a major theme of Scripture. The crucial thing here is to come to experience this reality: that in Christ I have received a divine nature (similar to the divine nature of Christ) that is transforming me into a son who resides or hides in Gods house of love (2 Peter 1:4). We Baptists are used to the notion of our home being
The Baptist Digest

Christs home where we are saved. We give invitations to receive Christ into our hearts. But we dont often speak of the other side of the coin: that we also come to be hidden with Christ in God. Do yourself a spiritual favor and read John 17 to see the beauty of this residing with Christ in God that Jesus prayed and made available to us. Either way, the identity we receive from the indwelling Christ and our indwelling of Christ is one of the main characteristics of Christianity. There is nothing like it in all the other world religions. In Colossians 3:3, being hidden with Christ in God is associated with our dying: For we died and our lives are hidden with Christ in God. What a strange thing to say! Why do we need hiding after death? Obviously death here is metaphorical (as in put to death the flesh). Our willingness and actual putting to death (ceasing from a life of self-gratification to live for the glory of God) is an act of love just as the death and resurrection of Christ are acts of love for us. The fact that we can hide with Christ in God is a testimony to the love of Christ. He died, he rose again, he ascended, and he sits at the right hand of God. From this hiding place he rules the world, he shelters us from the enemys onslaught, he shapes our identity, and he bestows love. Thats our home. Thats the house of Gods love for which our souls pant like a deer pants for water! The house of Gods love is where we are hidden. Showered with love in this house strengthens our commitment to die to ourselves and to live with Christ in God. Soon, hopefully, I may have the privilege to transfer the elements of the game of hide and seek to the grandchildren who unknowingly are discovering the truths of a hiding place with Christ in God.
To give local news:

NOVEMBER 2013

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Robert T. Mills, D. Min.

Gods Plan for Sharing

By Jon Sapp
KNCSB State Director of Evangelism E-mail: jsapp@kncsb.org

Sharing & Strengthening

ships Christians all across America will open their homes this month to share the Gospel message with friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors using one of several new evangelistic programs featuring lifechanging testimonies & powerful messages from Billy Graham. Many of our Associations have participated in training for this event. I understand My Hope America will be on various cable and national networks the week of November 7. Please be praying for those that will hear Billy Graham share about the importance of the Cross. He will stress the necessity for understanding the message of the Cross. He will offer the invitation for all to receive Christ resulting from what Christ did for us on the cross and through the resurrection. Be praying with me for this important time for our country. I believe more people than we realize will be watching this powerful and inspirational message. Finally, I want to express my appreciation to the many churches that are using the fall season to share Christ. Churches are using Fall Festivals, Mission Celebrations, One Day of Service and Thanksgiving events to serve their neighborhoods and communicate the good news we have in Christ. Paul in Ephesians 1 reminds all of us of the tremendous blessing we have because of being in Christ.

I enjoyed the time in Lincoln! Our KNCSB Annual Meeting allowed pastors and church leaders to reconnect, hear what is happening across our Convention and do the business that keeps us focused on assisting our churches in making disciples. Praying together before the meeting starts is always a highlight for me. This year we were able to touch five different communities in Lincoln as well as praying for the Convention itself. I joined the team praying with Aaron Householder, pastor of Southview Baptist Church. While driving in the rain, we heard of Aarons vision for intentional outreach in the neighborhood surrounding the church building. One family lives in this community. They are interested in a planting a new place of light in the heart of Lincoln. What a gift it was as we prayed that God would use Southview, Pastor Aaron and this family to extend the church beyond where they are today. As November arrives, My Hope America with Billy Graham provides another opportunity to make Christ known in our communities across Nebraska and Kansas. My Hope America is a nationwide effort to reach people across the United States with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Following a simple biblical model, My Hope America with Billy Graham combines the impact of video with the power of personal relation-

Jon Sapp

These past weeks have reminded me of the riches we have in our relationship with Christ. We are blessed people. Paul reminds us, at least three times in the first chapter that these blessing have come to the praise of His glory. I believe that is at the very heart of evangelism. We are his children, aware of the goodness of what he has done for us and we offer our praise, thanksgiving and worship to our gracious Heavenly Father for all we have found in Christ. So, lets celebrate Thanksgiving with full hearts. Let us express to those around us the blessings we have in Christ as we live out Gods Plan for Sharing.

Thanksvember - Sharing Thanks

Changes to KNCSB Constiitution and By-Laws to Be Voted on in the 2014 Annual Meeting
The committee recommends a change in the wording of Article II, Section 1: From: This Convention shall consist of messengers elected by cooperating Southern Baptist churches who contribute financially to the work of this Convention. To: This Convention shall consist of messengers elected by cooperating Southern Baptist churches who contribute financially to the cooperative program of this Convention equal to the minimum requirements of the Southern Baptist Convention. The committee recommends a change in the wording of Article II, Section 4: From: Each church shall demonstrate its desire to cooperate with this Convention in spirit and in practice by supporting financially the program of the Convention.

Could increasing the thankfulness of Christ followers increase their love for God and others? We believe it can. We invite you to celebrate Thanksvember. Why be thankful for just one day when you can be thankful all month long? Lets share Thanksgiving Day awareness with others for the entire month of Thanksvember. Its a simple idea: Share a brief thankfulness related devotional every day of November at thanksvember.net; share that with everyone you can. Starting with a single pastor in 2011 and spreading to others in 2012, Thanksvember launches throughout KNCSB this November. In 2013, nine writers will contribute. Those writers include Mari Parker and David Manner of our KNCSB staff, Tara Rye of West-

side Omaha, Bill Shiflett of Lenexa, Robb Hand of 12th Avenue in Emporia, Philip Howe of Haven Kansas City, Jill Hart of LifeSpring Bellevue, and Meghan Clark, Shaun Jones, and Aaron Householder of Southview Lincoln. Our desire is to increase the love of Christ followers by increasing thankfulness. Join us. Sign up today for daily email updates at thanksvember.net. Like Thanksvember on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Put it in your bulletin. Tack it on a bulletin board. Tweet it. Post it. Talk about it. Share it with everyone you know. Spread the thankfulness. Increase Gods love. Thanksvember. Aaron Householder, Senior Pastor Southview Baptis Church Lincoln, Nebraska.

To: Each church shall demonstrate its desire to cooperate with this Convention in spirit and in practice by supporting financially the cooperative program of this Convention equal to the minimum requirements of the Southern Baptist Convention. 3

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KNCSB Messengers Gather to Worship, Fellowship and Do Business in Lincoln, Nebraska

Bob Mills, KNCSB Executive Director, presents the 2014 budget to messengers.
By Eva Wilson
Digest Associate Editor E-mail: ewilson@kncsb.org

www.kncsb.org

Jon Sapp, KNCSB Director of Evangelism, encourages those going out to pray and share during the Crossover Event bdfore the KNCSB Annual Meeting. Frank Page, President of the SBC Executive Committee, encourages Cooperative Program (CP) support and challenges KNCSB churches to up their giving to CP by at least 1%.

Alan Branch, Professor at Midwestern Baptist Seminary, led the Bible Study session for the Annual Meeting.

Brian Albert, Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Lenexa, KS, brought the annual message during the Tuesday morning session.

Jason Allen, President of Midwestern Baptist Seminary, was the keynote speaker.

Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists were challenged during their 2013 annual meeting to join together in even greater levels of cooperation. New Covenant Community Church, Lincoln, Neb., was host to the 68th annual meeting of the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists held Oct. 14-15. It drew 258 registered messengers and 48 registered visitors. Strengthening Churches was the meeting theme. It was based on Acts 16:5: So the churches were strengthened in the faith and were increased in number daily. (Holman Christian Standard Bible) The meeting theme was taken from the KNCSB core values: n Starting n Strengthening n Sharing n Sending Meeting participants were challenged to increase their Cooperative Program giving. They also were urged to join together to combat the loneliness and isolation experienced by many pastors in the two states. New officers elected were: n President: Andy Addis, pastor of CrossPoint Church, Hutchinson, Kan., CrossPoint is a network of churches in central and western Kansas. Addis previously served for two years as the KNCSB vice president. n Vice president: Joe Stiles, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church, Lawrence, Kan. Stiles was elected in a ballot vote. The other candidate was Derek Lynch, pastor of Blue Valley Baptist Church, Overland Park, Kan. Other officers were re-elected by acclamation: n Recording secretary: Bryan Jones, pastor of Tyler Road Southern Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan. n Assistant recording secretary: Susan Pederson, member of Prairie Hills Southern Baptist Church, Augusta, Kan. n Historian: Tony Mattia, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Wamego, Kan. Messengers adopted the 2014 KNCSB budget of $5,413,728. This is a reduction of slightly 1 percent below the 2013 budget. Contributions to the Cooperative Program from KansasNebraska Southern Baptist churches are predicted to be $2,904,000, the same as in 2013. Twenty-three percent will be sent to the national Cooperative Program. After the 2014 Cooperative Program budget requirement is met, 50 percent of additional receipts will be sent to the national CP. Messengers learned that KNCSB is facing budget challenges caused by the recession and changing in funding from the national level. The convention of 423 churches has seen a decrease in Cooperative Program giving of more than $550,000 in the past five years, said Bob Mills, KNCSB executive director. KNCSB also is attempting to accelerate the process of becoming financially self-sufficient. As a new-work convention, it has received much support from the national level. But Mills told of the need to move in the direction of becoming self-supporting. There are 198 counties in Nebraska and Kansas - 88 of them have no Southern Baptist presence. We have a great mission field right here in Kansas-Nebraska, Mills said. Concerning the 23 percent to be sent to the national Cooperative Program, Mill said, Am I satisfied with that? No. He asked churches to consider increasing their Cooperative Program giving. As KNCSB grows stronger financially, more money will be sent to the national CP, Mills said. On Monday night, Oct., 14, the meeting opened with Frank Page bringing greetings from the national convention. Page is president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee. Page urged the crowd to join in the 1% CP Challenge and asked their churches to increase their Cooperative Program giving by 1 percent. The meeting also celebrated the KNCSB connection with Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo.

Seminary President Jason Allen was the keynote speaker. Alan Branch, professor of Christian ethics at the seminary, was the Bible study leader. Allen delivered the keynote address on Tuesday night, Oct. 15, the one-year anniversary of his election as MBTS president. He preached on Better Together - Midwestern Seminary and the Kansas-Nebraska Convention using 2 Timothy 3 as his text. Theological education exists for the local church, he said. The Lord has called me to serve the churches in this region especially. In other activity, John Shields, the out-going KNCSB president, urged Kansas-Nebraska pastors to support each other and combat the isolation and loneliness that many of them face. Shields delivered the presidential address on Monday night, Oct. 14. Shields has pastored Parkview Baptist Church, Lexington, Neb., for 18 years my first church out of seminary. He told how he grew up in the South where there are Southern Baptist churches on every corner. But upon arriving in Lexington, Shields discovered the nearest Southern Baptist churches were 45 and 60 miles away.

He told how he found support through the Cafe Boys, a gathering of area pastors coordinated by the late Dennis Hampton. Hampton served as a director of missions in Nebraska and a KNCSB staff member in charge of small-town and rural ministries. He died of injuries suffered in a wreck in late July 2005. We need each other, Shields told pastors. We need to overcome the vulnerability of our isolation by connecting on purpose. The annual meeting also honored two couples who have provided great support to KNCSB: n John and Patty Lucas of Junction City, Kan., were honored for their retirement after more than 20 years of service in KNCSB disaster relief. n Wayne and Ruth Ann Kittelson of Omaha, Neb., were named Mission Service Corps emeritus missionaries. MSC is the North American Mission Boards long-term volunteer program. The Kittelsons are the long-time volunteer coordinators for the state of Nebraska. They are continuing to serve in that position but are scaling back on traveling. The 2014 KNCSB annual meeting will be held Oct. 13-14 at CrossPoint Church, Hutchinson, Kan.

John Lucas (center) and his wife Patty (not pictured), were honored Monday night with a reception following the evening session.

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photos by Craig Freerksen

WWW Challenges Women To Join Prayer Movement

Kansas-Nebraska women were challenged to follow the example of Hebrews 12:1-2, throw off sin and focus on Jesus in running the Christian race. About 500 women gathered Sept. 13-14 at Webster Conference Center for Wonderful Weekend for Women. It is hard to throw off the sin that so easily entangles us, said Jennie Allen, the featured speaker. [But] it is worth it because of the Person our eyes are fixed upon. Allen is a Bible teacher and author from Austin, Texas. She recently released two DVD Bible studies entitled Stuck and Chase, as well as her first trade book, Anything. Visit her Web site at http://www.jennieallen.com/ WWW participants were challenged to take action on hard issues in todays society. In recent years the retreat has focused on human exploitation. It takes many forms including sex trafficking, labor trafficking and pornography. WWW 2013 focused on battling pornography. An initiative called Join One Million Men was launched at the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Houston. Join One Million Men calls on Christian men to shun pornography and commit themselves to sexual purity. Women were challenged to start a prayer movement in support of One Million Men. The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and Womans Missionary Union-SBC jointly sponsored the initiative along with Jay Dennis, pastor of First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Fla. Read more about One Million Men in the Baptist Press story at http://bpnews.net/ bpnews.asp?id=40528 Visit the One Million Men Web site at http://www.join1millionmen.org/ Mari Parker, KNCSB director of womens ministry, shared statistics about the crippling effects of pornography in todays society. She urged WWW participants to be a part of the prayer movement battling pornog-

KNCSB on mission

WWW participants were challenged to take action on hard issues in todays society.
raphy. The women received a booklet called Our Hardcore Battle Plan: 1 Million Women Praying, published by New Hope Publishers, a division of WMU-SBC. Other resources from New Hope Publishers in the fight against pornography are: n Our Hardcore Battle Plan: Joining in the War against Pornography by Jay Dennis, pastor of First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Fla. n The companion volume for wives, Our Hardcore Battle Plan for Wives: Winning in the War against Pornography by Dennis and Cathy Dyer. WWW participants continued to take action to battle other forms of human exploitation. This year the conference tote bags were again purchased from Freeset Global, a fair-trade organization that employs women who were trapped in the sex trade in India. WWW participants had the opportunity to buy more tote bags to take home with them. In other activity, Life session offered WWW participants the

NOVEMBER 2013

opportunity to grow in Christ and get involved in missions. During one of the Life Sessions, Melissa Busby shared her familys story of international adoption. She is pastors wife at First Baptist Church, Mulvane, Kan. The Busby family adopted Mercy, an orphan from Uganda, three years ago. Melissa was in Uganda for 11 months, waiting for the adoption to be finalized. Busby shared how her life was changed forever on June 20, 2009, when she held the threeweek-old Mercy in her arms for the first time. Mercys mother had died in childbirth with no medical care. God told Busby, This is your daughter. While she was in Uganda going through the long process of adopting Mercy, Busby learned more about the extreme lack of medical care for women giving birth in the country. At least 15 women die in childbirth every day in Uganda. That is 40 times the rate in the United States. So Busby found a new calling: to help prevent more orphans. She launched a ministry called Mercy for Mamas that provides medical kits for women giving birth in Uganda. Each kit costs $7, and supplies are purchased in Uganda. Learn more on the Web site at http://www.mercyformamas. com/ Women also were urged to start planning now to attend WWW 2014. It will be held Sept. 12-13 at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan. Author and speaker Angie Smith will be the featured speaker. Visit her Web site at http://angiesmithonline. com/ Information about WWW 2014 will be posted on the KNCSB Womens Leadership Web site at http://knwomen.org/

Jennie Allen (left) author and speaker from Austin, Texas, challenged women to follow the example of Hebrews 12:1, throw off sin and focus on Jesus in running the Christian race. Allen was the featured speaker for Wonderful Weekend for Women. It was held Sept. 13-14 at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan.

The long process of adopting a baby from Uganda gave Melissa Busby (left) a new calling. Busby was one of the Life session leaders during WWW 2013. She shared about her ministry called Mercy for Mamas that provides medical supplies to help women in Uganda safely give birth. With Busby is Kim Gunter who serves on the Mercy for Mamas board of directors. Gunter is pastors wife at First Southern Baptist Church, Lansing, Kan.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering 2013

KNCSB is mailing Lottie Moon materials to churches. For other materials to promote the offering, visit the International Mission Board Web site at http://www.imb.org/ and click on Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in the Quick Links menu bar on the left side of the page.

Mari Parker

Surviving the Holidays

www.knwomen.com
Missionary Advocate

Priscilla Sapp

Connect with KN missionaries

KN Womens Leadership Director

Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming! I love this time of year more than any other time. Its all about family and giving and special treats and Christmas music and decorating the house and For some, all of that is depressing and sad and anxiety producing and lonely and stressful and After dreading these upcoming Holidays a few years ago due to a change in my family unit, Ive been thinking back to how I got through those few years. Maybe, if you are feeling stress and sadness building because your life is not what is was last year, my thoughts will help a little. Depending on where you are, your focus may need to be on just getting through these next Holidays this year. Keep them simple! If your life is broken, so are your traditions, so do the Holidays different. Maybe a quiet time with God is just what you need. Spend time meditating on His storybe creative in expressing your thanks for His presence in your life. Celebrate His birth in ways you never have candles, scripture reading, journaling, small gatherings of family and friends. Or take the focus off of you altogether and make a gift of yourself in service to neighbors or residents of nursing homes or a charity of your choosing. Give yourself permission to change the way youve celebrated in previous years. The Holidays do not have to be an elaborate, huge production. Redefine family. Accept invitations. Do new and different this year. Mary, you will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. Keep the Holidays real.

Honor at the City Gates

Yami and I were sitting on the bench under the shade of a tree discussing life and marriage. She is only twentyone and I have been married now twenty-one years. I love my moments with Yami because she wants to honor God in every area of her life. I said to her, Do you realize I have been married as long as you have been alive? WOW! she replied. Yami, this morning in my prayer time, I realized something. For twenty-one years, I have prayed that I am like the Proverbs 31 woman. I have asked God to use me to bring honor to my husband at the city gates based on Proverbs 31:23, but I have never asked God to specifically bring me honor through my husband at the city gates. Yami replied, Wouldnt it be wrong for you to ask God to bring you honor through your husband? No, not in the way that Proverbs 31 is referencing character. See, by praying for me to bring my husband honor at the city gates, I am praying for Godly influence and character. This is not about a personal focus, but a recognition that I am for God and true in all ways. It is a prayer for integrity, honesty, hard work, and open arms that lend a hand. So, this morning when it occurred to me that in twenty-one years of marriage I had never asked God to bring me honor through my husband at the city gates, it wasnt so much about me, but about what this implies about praying into his character. A person who brings honor at the city gates based on Proverbs 31 is someone that fears the LORD and all who know of this person will see this and praise the person (Proverbs 31: 31). If I am walking in these truths, my husband is honored because he has chosen well and has a wife of noble character. If I am brought honor at the city gates because of my husband, it is the same. It is all about noble character that glorifies God. Of course, I have prayed many of these principles into my Greg, but honor at the city gates sums up so many truths that will bring about the glory of God. I like how the phrase sums it all up! How about you? How are you praying for you to bring your husband honor at the city gates or that your husband bring you honor at the city gates? These are prayers that give our marriages strength and in the end bring glory to God. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. Give her the reward she has earned and let her works bring her praise at the city gate (Proverbs 31:23. 

What does it mean to be Totally His? Wanting to be Totally His, missionaries with ties to Kansas and Nebraska live in unfamiliar cultures among people that may never hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. They pay a great personal price to communicate Gods love, plan and redemptive work. They grew up in our two state area, attended our churches and sensed God stirring their hearts for the world. God used Super Summer, our campus ministry through Christian Challenge or a FOCUS trip for them to begin to entertain the idea of missions. Hearing Gods call, they left home, family and the plains of Kansas and Nebraska for an unknown country and people. They are just like you and me and want to be Totally His! As Christmas approaches those Kansan and Nebraskan missionaries trust you to pray and give in order to support their work around the world. You can find a short story, picture, and specific prayer items for many of them at: https://www. dropbox.com/sh/3z8969jv69n4tsw/vcmgMK85k or contact Mari Parker at the KNCSB Office, mparker@kncsb.org. Will you join them in being Totally His by valuing what Christ values as you pray for them and their work? Have you set aside resources for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering? They would Thank You from the bottom of their hearts as you join them in making a difference around the world.

There are other ways to support and encourage these missionaries from your home state. As they return for their stateside time (furlough) you could help them with housing, giving them opportunities to speak and share their story. Many of our missionaries want to be near their Kansas and Nebraska families and are looking for churches to welcome them and allow them to serve. Associations are working at pulling together resources to support these Kansans and Nebraskans but continue to look for churches and people to be involved. Another opportunity for encouragement is the annual International Parents Meeting. Every August, parents of these home grown missionaries gather for learning, fellowship, and support. They learn how to be the best parents to their children and grandchildren. During the weekend they share the joy and grief of living far from their loved ones. Would your church want to contribute items or meals for this venture? Would you know those that need to be included in this meeting? If so, please contact Mari Parker at the KNCSB Office. What is God calling you to be or do to be Totally His? Where are you choosing to reach out to people that do not understand the Good News of Christ? Although missionaries with ties to Kansas and Nebraska are just like you, you can choose to be just like them as you become a witness to all Christ has done for you! Lets all choose to be Totally His!

Marca Deimund
KN WMU Past President

Simply, Tara

Whether youre a WMU Age level Missions Leader, pastor or lay leader in your church who is passionate about missions the time is quickly approaching for the Lottie Moon International Missions Offering! If you go to www.imb.org Home Lottie Moon- youll have several options to look at about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, who Lottie was, who the offering supports, the week of prayer and more. One feature that touched me was the Lottie Moon@work: stories about how 75 cents to buy two pounds of fruit in Thailand opens the doors for Missionaries to Share the Gospel. Two dollars provides the Word in South Asia and $1,500 allows a family in South America to teach their autistic son. Every gift amount counts in the Kingdom of God. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering provides the largest portion of IMBs income 54 percent and 100% of the offering goes straight to the mission field. Missionaries are giving their all and waiting for us to give our all to reach the lost, and just as Lottie Moon gave her life to the Chinese people many years ago, her spirit of giving lives on in this present generation. This years theme is Totally His heart, hands, voice - Matthew 22: 36-39. A special way to promote the offering this year is to go to www.thedigest.org and download the stories of KS and NE missionaries serving in international settings. We come up with all kinds of challenges to get our church to give to missions. Whether its contests or goals, its really a matter of the heart and how much your heart is in tune with Our Fathers desire to reach all of His children, to the ends of the earth! Totally His

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November 2013

www.KNCSB.org
Looking Forward to the Spring March 21-22, 2014--Webster Conference Center For Churches Running Under 150 in Worship Guest Speaker--Richard Blackaby

PacificNorthwest Church Looks for Associate

Pacific Northwest church with a strong Missions and Bibleteaching culture seeks an Associate Pastor for Education and Family, to help lead the church to the next level of discipleship, family, and relationships. Church is seeking a seminary graduate with experience, training, or interest in modern small group Bible study methods (Life Groups, ABFs). In addition, we envision a strong family emphasis will be critical to preparing our congregation for a challenging future society. The Church has built and sustained a strong platform of missions, outreach, Bible study, discipleship, and age group ministries. We are preparing for the future and need an energetic small group leader with a proven record of making Godly things happen, and who wants to join a solid, caring staff team. Contacts: Informal inquiries Bob Marshall 509-521-2494 www.Richland Baptist Church.org

Cooperative Program Giving Is the Lifeblood of Missions in the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists

www.thearkontablerocklake.wordpress.com James & Marilyn Easley (417-271-4530 or jeasleyark@yahoo.com

Retreats - Camps

The Ark

WCC Update
God continues to bless WCC and below are some of the areas of progress which continue to be made at the conference center in Salina, KS. 1) September set new Year-to-Date records for both User Days and Revenues for WCC. 2) The new lighting system for the sidewalk from the Swimming Pool to the Dining Hall has arrived and will be installed soon. 3) Development of the Disc Golf Course and the Mulberry Creek Beautification Project continues. 4) As of October 21, 2013, the $50,000 Matching Challenge Grant has received $41,728.78. Please consider helping us reach this goal by sending tax deductable checks payable to WCC to Webster Conference Center, 5410 SW 7th Street, Topeka, KS 66606-2398. 5) Cheryl Tenbrook, Heart of Kansas Baptist Association, was elected by the KNCSB Mission Board in September to fill an unexpired position on the WCC Board of Directors. 6) At the KNCSB Annual Meeting, three new WCC Board Members were elected and will begin their service in 2014: a. Jeff Cody, South Central Association, Impact Church in Rose Hill, KS b. John Craighead, Southeast Kansas Association, Jefferson Street Baptist in Eureka, KS c. Danny Parker, Western Kansas Association, First Baptist in Dighton, KS

Available to churches cooperating with KNCSB by contacting library@kncsb.org or calling either 785/228-6800 or 800/984-9092. Ask for Barbara Spicer.

Featured Video
Sacred Secrets By Beth Moore

Includes two DVDs and study journal with leader guide. The world is obsessed with telling secrets for the sake of sensationalism. But not all hidden things are poisonous and dark. Some secrets are forgiven, some are covered, and some are kept between you and God. This Living Proof Live experience was taped at Greensboro, NC. It explores the power of secrets in our lives. Find out what happens when we let God teach us wisdom in the secret heart (Psalm 51:6, ESV) Session 1: The Theology of Secrecy Session 2: Authentic Intimacy Session 3: The Rewards of the Secret Place Session 4: Your Father in Secret Session 5: Secret Whispers & Rooftop Shouts

Seeking Senior Pastor

1st Baptist Church of Holcomb Kansas is seeking a Senior Pastor. Holcomb is a suburb of Garden City, Kansas a progressive 30K plus community in southwest Kansas. Currently we have 50 to 60 people worshiping at 1st Baptist Church on Sunday mornings with growth aspirations. Please e-mail, fbcsearch committee@yahoo.comor mail response to Search Committee Box 11, Garden City, Kansas 67846

NOVEMBER 2013

The MAIN THING is that people are being reached and discipled for Christ and His Kingdom.

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

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