Baptist

igest

Vol. 60 No.1&2

Newsjournal Of Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists

www.baptistdigest.com

Blue Valleys Church Library

Provides Many Services
The church library at Blue Valley Baptist
Church, Overland Park, Kan., provides many services to the church.
Library staff members also serve Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptist churches.
Tables filled with free books are a hit every year
at the KNCSB annual meeting. The Blue Valley
church library staff provides this service.
With much help from Blue Valley church members, they are now collecting books to distribute
at the 2016 KNCSB annual meeting. It will be held
Oct. 10-11 at LifeSpring Church, Bellevue, Neb.
The Blue Valley church library staff also would
like to assist churches with their libraries. For more
information about this free service, contact Fay
Hudnall at fayhudnall@gmail.com. She is Blue Valleys church library director.

Tim and Karron Johnson

January-February 2016

New Cov Church Honors

Tim and Karron Johnson

New Covenant Church, Lincoln, Neb., recently honored Senior Pastor Tim Johnson and
his wife, Karron, for their 15 years of service at
the church.
Videos from former staff members and a message from Lance Witt (director of Replenish Ministries and a close friend of Johnson) highlighted
both Sunday morning services on Nov. 15, 2015.
The congregation then surrounded the Johnsons, prayed for them and showered them with
gifts of appreciation. A reception was held in
their honor in the afternoon.
Johnsons stated life purpose is To add value
to every relationship with the hope of connecting
them to Christ!
He has done that well and has led the church
to grow missionally in the community by adding value to five local agencies. These agencies
in Lincoln serve people in crisis and now rely
on volunteers from New Covenant. The church
is one of the first places these agencies contact
when an unexpected need arises.

WCC Receives New Matching Challenge Grant

The library at Blue Valley Baptist Church, Overland

Park, Kan., was full of activity on a recent Tuesday
morning. Library staff members held a work day
while Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) was being
held in another part of the building. Here, library
staff member Nola Hardy reads a story to children
attending MOPS.

A new matching challenge grant has been offered to Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan.
A dollar-for-dollar matching grant of $75,000
has been offered to repave the entry road from just
inside the front gate to the Dining Hall. Please see
the related article in this issue of The Digest for
more information.
Send contributions to WCC, 5410 SW 7th St.,
Topeka, KS 66606. Designate them for 2016 Challenge Grant.
A new record for User Days was set in 2015
with a total of 49,811. The previous record of
47,451 was set in 2012. Praise God! We are reaching
more people than ever with life-changing events at
WCC.
Work is progressing on the Dining Hall expansion. The goal is to have this project completed by
the beginning of the summer camp season in late
May. Volunteers are needed for both indoor and
outdoor projects on this building. Call Bill Cooke

toll free at 1-877-WCC-RESV if you or a small

group would like to work for a day or two.
The new sewer system has been completed and
is in operation.
WCC Sunday is April 10, 2016. Watch for more
details coming soon.
Thank you for your support.

KNCSB Mens Conference

2 Timothy 4:7

March 4 & 5, 2016

Webster Conference Center

Salina, Kansas

WWW.KNCSB.ORG

The Thought Occurred to Me

By Bob Mills

KNCSB Executive Director

bmills@kncsb.org

As a child and then as a young person, the church

was a place that shaped my identity, character and
worldview. The church was a place where I learned
about Christ in the midst of community. I understood the church needed to be in the world intentionally transforming the world with Christ principles
and actions. I found Christ in that Christ-filled environment.
It was in Central Baptist Church in Miami, Florida,
that I first came to understand the call of God in my
life toward vocational service. Nurtured and mentored by several godly people, my journey began.
The church was and remains a beacon of hope in my
life. The church can and should be a reflection of the
Kingdom of Heaven.

My greatest fear is that

the church will become
a reflection of its culture
and less about Christ and
His kingdom. As a church,
it is easy to find yourself
in the gravitational pull
toward current cultural
trends. It becomes difficult then for the church
to stand for what is
Biblically right because
Bob Mills
we have become more
concerned with doing what is politically/culturally
correct. After all, if we offend someone they might
leave the church.
We certainly do not want to be considered narrow

minded, or a hypocrite or some kind of right-winged

fanatic. Being politically or culturally appropriate is
wearing very thin with me. We must be Biblically
correct without apology. Following Jesus will extract
a cost for the church.
Listen to Jesus words in John 15: 18ffIf the
world hates you, understand that it hated Me before
it hated you. If you were of the world, the world
would love you as its own. However, because you are
not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the
world hates you.
Dear friends, as Nebraska-Kansas churches let
us press into 2016 with a new resolve to be full of
Biblical integrity as we address the world around
us. May our churches be a place of hope and healing in an increasingly dark world. Jesus is Lord and
Sovereign over all. Amen!

tion of morality. Those are all important, but they are

symptoms, not the disease.
The truth is that Christians should be outraged by
something. We should be outraged by sin.
Galatians 5:16 says, But I say, walk by the Spirit,
and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
This is where we should start! How is our own
walk going, and what are we gratifying?
Since the days of Adam and Eve, sin has been
crouching at the door. It is the stealer of joy, the ruiner
of marriages, the devastator of dreams, the crusher of
souls, the dividing wall between believers, the separator of people and their God.
If youre going to be outraged be outraged by sin,
and your outrage should start at home!
Dont get upset with what they are putting on TV,
until you have taken control of what you watch.
Dont go rabid on politicians for their flip-flopping
until you are firmly grounded in your mind and
heart.
And, for goodness sake do not start posting, preaching or pushing your public promotions until you have

privately purveyed the principles of the Prince of

Peace and produced some profound practices personally (Sorry, just wanted to see if I could do that).
If we got angry at sin and sin in our own life, thats
when we would start to make a difference.
But, we are currently caught in the currents of
the medias methodology giving us something to
go crazy about every other day or so. Well, get your
head above water, swim to the edge and get out of
that river!
It says in 1 Peter 4:17, For it is time for judgment
to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with
us, what will be the outcome for those who do not
obey the gospel of God?
Lets get real, get honest, and get busy taking care
of the things going on in our own mind, heart and
home.
Go ahead and be outraged, but not at the sinner.
Go ahead and be outraged, but not at the symptom.
If youre going to be outraged, focus your energy
on the real source of brokenness, hurt and evil.
If youre going to be outraged, be outraged at sin.

The Cross Eyed Life

By Andy Addis

FEBRUARY 2016

KNCSB Convention President

E-mail: andy@crosspointnow.net

I have a confession to make. Im currently not outraged by anything.

Sorry.
I thought the new Star
Wars was pretty good,
and I wasnt offended by
anything in it. Probably
because I wasnt looking
for equilibrium in gender
roles, a more plausible scientific basis for the movies
technology, or hidden
contemporary cultural messages. I just wanted to see
Chewbacca.
I havent been whipped
into a political frenzy
Andy Addis
because of something a candidate said this week. In fact, I havent listened to any
of them recently. It kind of helps, and I sleep better at
night.
I havent signed a petition in support of the earth,
reposted an internet picture proving I love Jesus, or
sarcastically hashtagged a tweet typifying the stupidity of some guy who said some stuff about something.
Yeah, sorry. I just havent been outraged lately.
It feels good.
But still, as the 24-hour news cycle continues to spin
we are perpetually urged to be outraged by something: politically, internationally, culturally, or the concern of the day; your choice.
I have a suspicion, though; I dont think this outrage is doing any good.
I think this is especially true for Christians.
Our tribe tends to get just as stirred up like all the
others, but over a whole set of other issues: the war
on Christmas, prayers at football games, any legisla-

The Baptist Digest

(USPS 018-942)
Vol. 60 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.

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

To give local news:

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

Advertising:

Advertising policy and rates are available upon

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

STAFF

Editor: Tim Boyd, PhD.

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

KNCSB Executive Director

AFFILIATIONS
Association of State Baptist Papers
Baptist Communicators Association

Sharing & Strengthening

By Mark Elliott

DOM, Eastern Nebraska Baptist Association

melliott@enbasbc.org

Gods Plan for Sharing

A few years ago Dr. Curt Dodd, Senior Pastor of Westside Church in Omaha led
the church to do an all day spontaneous baptism servicethey had an excellent
response. On November 22nd, Westside promoted a similar event with some modifications. 82 people came that day for baptism.
This day long event dubbed Spontaneous Baptism Sunday was the culmination
of preparation that began in June. It was during that time that Dr. Dodd, Westside
Church, explained to the staff that he was about to begin a series on evangelism
called Reel Evangelism where the focus would be to encourage the congregation
to become Fishers of Men. The purpose was to get average church members to
become active participants in personal evangelism. The series, which began at the
end of August, would end 12 weeks later with the staff being prepared to facilitate
the day long open call for baptism of those who had made a decision to follow
Christ.
As the weeks of preaching began, Dr. Dodd covered subjects that ranged from
why we are to be Fishers of Men with a sermon titled Why Fish to being led of
the Spirit in his sermon titled The Best Guide Ever. Towards the end of the series,
Dr. Dodd invited a friend who has the gift of evangelism to preach one of the messages.
Behind the scenes, the staff prepared for this special day: ordering additional
towels, searching for volunteers to assist in the baptistry, identifying which of the
assistant pastors would be available to help with baptism, etc. One of the most
important aspects of this event was the opportunity it provided for each baptismal
candidate to share their story for how they came to Christ with a Deacon (or ministry staff member). This became the most important aspect of the event and was, for
those who assisted, the most rewarding part as leaders witnessed God working in
the lives of each person that was baptized.
Scripture is clear that we are to GO and make disciples of all nations baptizing
them in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all
that Christ commanded. We praise God for churches who are passionate and creative as they fulfill the great commission.
Here is the link to the sermon series http://www.wchurch.tv/reel-evangelismseries

New Matching Funds Challenge Grant

Targets Road Improvements at WCC

KNCSB
VBS Jumpstart
Saturday, April 2, 2016
9:00 AM registration
9:45 AM - 3:00 PM
Webster Conference Center

2601 North Ohio Street, Salina KS 67401

Cost: $15.00 per person

(includes conference fee, handouts, & lunch)

FEBRUARY 2016

On Thursday, January 14, 2016, a generous Kansas family told Webster Conference
Center that they would match dollar-for-dollar any gift given up to a total of $75,000
to completely repave the road from near the front entrance gate to the Dining Hall.
The road has been in desperate need of repaving for the past year or two, but it has
become a critical need since a portion of the road was completely removed during
the new sewer installation.
About $40,000 has already been raised for this project and if this Challenge Grant
can be met, WCC will have approximately $190,000 to repave the road. Plans have
been drawn, free of charge, by a professional service company which specializes
in these types of projects. This has saved WCC thousands of dollars. These plans
are now being reviewed by several paving companies and bids should be available
soon. When received, WCC will know the exact cost of the project and the amount
that will need to be raised.
If you, your small group and/or your church would be willing to join others in
making a great first impression on those who come to WCC, please prayerfully consider giving a gift as soon as possible to WCC. Every gift, no matter how small or
large will help WCC pave the way to the future. More people used WCC in 2015
than ever before and 2016 looks even more promising as WCC attempts to reach
more people with the message of Christ.
Send all tax-deductible contributions to:
Webster Conference Center Administrative Office
Road Project
5410 S.W. 7th Street
Topeka, KS 66606-2398
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT

kncsb on mission

The Lord Claims 3 Men with KNCSB Ties

Three men with KNCSB ties
recently went to be with the
Lord.
Rennie Berry, former Kansas
pastor and KNCSB staff member, died Saturday, Dec. 12,
2015, at his home in Weatherford, Texas.
Neolin Taylor, retired pastor of First Baptist Church,
Mankato, Kan., died Monday,
Dec. 28, in Topeka.
Carl Hunker, retired missionary and veteran Chinese
church pastor, died Thursday,
Jan. 7, weeks short of his 100th
birthday.

FEBRUARY 2016

Rennie Berry
Rennie Berry, former Kansas
pastor and KNCSB staff member, died Saturday, Dec. 12,
2015, at his home in Weatherford, Texas.
Rennie was born Dec. 23,
1947, in Pahuska, Okla. He
graduated from Spearman High
School in Spearman, Texas, and
received his undergraduate
degree from Friends University,
Wichita, Kan.
He did extensive graduate study in psychology and
religion at Midwestern Baptist
Seminary, Mo., with emphasis
on ministry.
He was senior pastor at
churches in Mulvane and Topeka, Kan., before expanding his
ministry as evangelism director
for the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists.
Before his retirement, Rennie was administrator for the
Alternative School of the Santa
Fe South (Charter) Schools in
Oklahoma City.
Rennie was deeply committed to his Lord Jesus Christ
and shared that love at every
opportunity.
He is survived by his wife,
Tina Berry, of the home; one
sister, Patsy Crittenden; two
sons, Ryan Berry and Jacob
Golden; three daughters, Shama
Berry, Julie Grohn and Jessica
Kemp; three grandsons and
seven granddaughters. He was
preceded in death by his parents, Luther and Marie Berry, of
Oklahoma City.
A memorial celebration was
held Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015,
at Southpark Baptist Church
in Oklahoma City. Memorials
may be sent to the Rennie Berry
Scholarship Fund, Santa Fe
South Schools, 4825 S. Shields
Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK
73129.

Neolin Taylor
Neolin Drexel Taylor, 85, of
Topeka, quietly slipped from
this life into a heavenly life with
his Lord on Dec. 28, 2015.
He was the retired pastor of
First Baptist Church, Mankato,
Kan.
Neolin was born on Oct. 5,
1930, in Woodston, Kan., the
son of Lewis and Estella Taylor.
He married Opal Conn
July 30, 1950, and they spent
65 happy years together. He is
survived by his wife and four
children: Verna (Gary) Napier,
Topeka; Drusilla (Dan) Emmot,
Beloit, Kan.; Bruce (Pam) Tay-

Retired Kansas
pastors Rennie
Berry, Neolin Taylor and Carl Hunker
recently went to be
with the Lord.
lor, Gardner; and Trudi (Rick)
Lee, Big Pine, Calif. He was
blessed with 13 grandchildren
and 19 great-grandchildren.
The funeral was held
Monday, Jan. 4, at First Baptist
Church, Mankato.
Burial was in Mount Hope
Cemetery, Mankato.
Memorials may be sent to
First Baptist Church, 625 E.
South St., Mankato, KS 66956.
Carl Hunker
Carl Hunker, retired missionary and veteran Chinese
church pastor, died Thursday,
Jan. 7, weeks short of his 100th
birthday.
A memorial service was held
Saturday afternoon, Jan. 23,
at Emmanuel Baptist Church,
10100 Metcalf Ave, Overland
Park, Kan.
Memorials may be sent to
the Pastor Hunker Memorial
Fund at Emmanuel Chinese
Baptist Church, 10101 England
Dr., Overland Park, KS 66212.
Make contributions payable to
ECBC with Pastor Hunker Memorial Fund in the memo line.
Hunker and his late wife,
Jeanette, were appointed as
Southern Baptist missionaries
to China. They arrived in 1946
and began the difficult task of
learning one of the Chinese
dialects.

Two years later they reluctantly evacuated China just

before the Communists took
over.
After leaving China the
Hunkers began a long career at
the Baptist Seminary in Taiwan.
The decade of the 1980s
brought the death of his wife
and retirement as a Southern
Baptist international missionary. Hunker then poured his life
into serving Chinese people in
the Kansas City area.
He began teaching a Chinese
Sunday School class at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Overland
Park, Kan. That Sunday School
class grew into Emmanuel
Chinese Baptist Church. In 1999
Hunker passed the leadership
role to George Hsu and was
named pastor emeritus. But
Hunker continued to pour his
life into the church.
During Hsus installation
service in May 1999, Don Reed
(now retired director of missions in Kansas City, Kan., Baptist Association) commended
Hunker:
The Chinese people [were]
his love and life, Reed said.
Hunker was so attuned to the
Chinese culture that he forgot
he was an American, Reed
added.
George Hsu retired as the
pastor of Emmanuel Chinese
Baptist Churchs pastor in
October 2011. He passed the
leadership to Jerry Jean, the current pastor.
Hunker lived in his own
home until age 97. After hip
surgery he moved into an
assisted-living facility in January 2015.
In the past two years he
enjoyed family outings and
visits from friends and family,
his son, David Hunker, wrote
on CaringBridge.
With transportation provided by good friends from
Emmanuel Chinese Baptist
Church, he [was] able to participate in church and other
meetings and activities.
In December 2015 Hunker
was hospitalized with bronchitis but was able to return to his
place. He enjoyed the Christmas Eve service at church and
the Christmas family gathering.
After the New Year arrived
a decline in his health led to his
death.
But Hunker leaves a powerful legacy after touching hundreds of lives.

Thank you for supporting the Cooperative Program

Carl Hunker, retired missionary and veteran Chinese

church pastor, died Thursday, Jan. 7, weeks short of his
100th birthday. A memorial service was held Saturday,
Jan. 23, at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Overland Park, Kan.
After retiring as an International Mission Board missionary in China and Taiwan, Hunker started a Chinese Sunday
School class at Emmanuel Baptist Church. That Sunday
School class grew into Emmanuel Chinese Baptist Church,
Overland Park, Kan. Memorials may be sent to the Pastor Hunker Memorial Fund at Emmanuel Chinese Baptist
Church, 10101 England Dr., Overland Park, KS 66212.
Make contributions payable to ECBC with Pastor Hunker
Memorial Fund in the memo line. (KNCSB file photo)

Week of Prayer for North American Missions will be held

March 6-13. KNCSB will mail Annie Armstrong Offering
prayer guides and envelopes to Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptist churches. Find complete resources to promote
the offering at http://anniearmstrong.com/

KNCSB ON MISSION

Memorial Service Honors KC Murder Victims

2015 murder victims in
Kansas City were remembered
during a service Saturday night,
Dec. 19, at Leawood Baptist
Church, Leawood, Kan.
The annual event is called
The Longest Night. It is designed to help bring comfort to
the victims families and to pray
for peace in the city.
2015 marked the fifth Longest Night service. It originally
was held at Wornall Road Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo.,
but was moved to Leawood
Baptist Church for the 2015
service. White crosses bearing
murder victims names were
placed on the church lawn.
The Longest Night service
grew out of the murder of
Rickey King on Nov. 20, 2011.
He was an honor student
at Southwest High School. He
lettered in varsity baseball, and
he excelled at ROTC, one of
his true loves. He was a leader
and a gentleman, Mark Clifton
wrote in a Facebook post.
At the time Clifton was
pastor of Wornall Road Baptist
Church, which is located two
blocks north of Southwest High
School. The church serves the
school in many ways including
serving pre-game meals to the
athletic teams.
Clifton now serves as senior
director of church replanting
at the North American Mission
Board. He and his wife, Jill,
continue to make their home in
the Kansas City area.
The day Rickey King was
shot and killed in a driveby shooting he picked up a
Thanksgiving turkey to deliver
to his grandmother.

I knew Rickey. He was a senior at Southwest High School

he had eaten pregame meals
at our church.
His death opened my eyes
to the scourge of murder in
our city. We placed a cross on
our church lawn for Rickey a
few days after his murder. But
then realizing he was only one
of more than 100 that year, we
placed a cross on our church
lawn for every murder victim
in our city. Then we placed the
name of that murder victim on
that cross.
And then on the longest
night of the year we personally
invited all the families of murder victims to come together so
that we could embrace them in
their sorrow and let them know
they were not alone at Christmas their first Christmas
without their loved one.
2015 marked the fifth Longest Night service. Since we
began the services well over 500
citizens of our city have been
murdered. Think of the collateral heartache, all those families
affected by the violent death of
a loved one, Clifton continued.
Christians must run toward
the pain in our world just as
Christ ran toward us in our
time of helplessness and need.
Christians, sometimes we need
to peel ourselves away from
parties, festivals and pageants
and hang out with people who
are deeply hurting at Christmas.
The date and location of the
2016 Longest Night service will
be announced in November. For
more information, contact Mark
Clifton at mclifton@namb.net

2015 murder victims in Kansas City were remembered during a service Saturday night,
Dec. 19, 2015, at Leawood Baptist Church, Leawood, Kan. The service is called The Longest Night. The service was designed to help bring comfort to the victims families and
to pray for peace in the city. 2015 marked the fifth Longest Night service. It originally
was held at Wornall Road Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo., but was moved to Leawood
Baptist Church for the 2015 service. White crosses bearing murder victims names were
placed on the church lawn.

Southviews Easter Pageant to Celebrate 25th Year

Church member Sylvana Airan wrote the script and serves
as pageant director with help
from the entire congregation.
Admission is free and free
childcare is provided for children ages 6 and under. Refreshments are offered after every
performance with a chance to
meet the cast.
Pastor Aaron Householder

invites Kansas-Nebraska
Southern Baptists to pray for
and plan to attend one of the
pageant performances:
n Wednesday, March 16, at
7 p.m
n Friday, March 18, at 7 p.m.
n Saturday, March 19, at 3
p.m. and 7 p.m.
n Sunday, March 20, at 7
p.m.

Beth Moore to appear in Omaha April 15-16

Renowned womens Bible
teacher Beth Moore will appear
in Omaha in April.
The event, called Living
Proof Live, will be held Friday
night and Saturday morning
April 15-16 at Baxter Arena,
6001 Dodge St., in Omaha.

YOU Lead womens ministry

training will precede Living Proof Live. It will be held
Thursday and Friday, April 1415, at West Hills Church, 3015 S.
82nd Ave, in Omaha.
YOU Lead begins at 1 p.m.
Thursday, April 14, and ends

on Friday, April 15, at 2:30 p.m.

LifeWay Christian Resources
sponsors both of these events.
Bundle prices are available.
Find more information at
http://www.lifeway.
com/n/Women-&-BethMoore?type=events

FEBRUARY 2016

Southview Baptist Church,

Lincoln, Neb., will celebrate the
25th anniversary of its Easter
pageant, This Day of Resurrection, in March.
The pageant is a powerful
depiction of Christs death and
resurrection.
Watch a 1-minute trailer at
http://southviewbaptist.org/
easter-performance/

WWW.KNCSB.ORG

Featured Videos

Normative Church Conference

Webster Conference Center
Salina, Kansas

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

To Live Is Christ (DVD) by Beth Moore

Discover new insights about the Apostle to the Gentiles who said To live is
Christ and to die is gain. This ten session study presents fascinating Bible
truths from the life and ministry of Paul that will help you gain a new appreciation of servanthood.
#1 The First Footprints
#2 Finding the Way
#3 Miles and Missions
#4 Unexpected Sojourners
#5 An Unfamiliar Road
#6 Travel Ties and Hard Good-byes
#7 A Walk of Faith
#8 The Pathway to Rome
#9 Letters Bridging the Miles
#10 Going Home

April 22-23, 2016

For leaders in churches running under 150 in worship

Theme: Developing Spiritual Leaders

We would like to invite you to attend a conference for Normative churches.
This includes churches that have fewer than 150 in attendance. It is designed for
pastors, key leaders and spouses. The conference begins Friday evening, April 22,
and ends Saturday afternoon.
Cost is $50 per adult or $75 per couple. This includes one nights lodging at
Webster Conference Center and two meals. We have also blocked motel rooms in
Salina should you prefer those accommodations.
More information will be sent the first of the year. Please mark your calendar
now and plan to attend.

What Love Is (DVD) by Kelly Minter

The letters of 1, 2, & 3 John were written to encourage followers of Jesus
to remain faithful to the truth. Believers are challenged to look at contrasting
themes such as walking in the light instead of darkness, truth versus lies and
deception, loving God more than loving the world, and the meaning of true
fellowship and community rather than shallowness. This study reveals not
only the heart of John but also the heart of Jesus.
#1 The Finest Ingredients
#2 Living For What Lasts
#3 To Remain
#4 Easter Everyday
#5 Experiencing The Word
#6 This Beautiful Bride
VIDEO STUDIES ARE A MINISTRY OF THE KNCSB LENDING LIBRARY.

FEBRUARY 2016

International Projects Planned in 2016

Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists are invited to participate in two international evangelism projects in 2016.
Scott Mayse is an enlistment coordinator for International Commission
which cooperates with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board.
Mayse will be leading two international teams in 2016. The first team will
serve April 1-10 in Lima, Peru. The second team will serve Sept. 29-Oct.
10 in Asuncion, Paraguay. Team members will work with local churches in
sharing the gospel.
For more information, contact Mayse at ScottM@IC-World.org.Visit the
International Commission Web site at http://ic-world.org/

Kansas and Nebraska Southern Baptists

are in partnership with all Southern Baptists
through the Cooperative Program.
6

Our guest speaker is Chuck Lawless. He is Vice-President of

Graduate Studies and Ministry Centers at Southeastern
Seminary in Wake Forest, where he also serves as
Professor of Evangelism and Missions.
Chuck is a conference leader and author of several books,
including Discipled Warriors, Putting on the Armor, Mentor,
and Nobodies for Jesus. He has a strong interest in discipleship and mentoring. He was pastor of two churches in Ohio.
Chuck and his wife, Pam, have been married for more than
20 years, and live in Wake Forest, NC.

CHUCK LAWLESS
If you have any questions, contact Jana Gifford (jgifford@kncsb.org)
or call 1/800/984-9092 (Ext. 840).

KNCSB Volunteer Leader Dies

Lewis Schwartz went to his heavenly reward on January 8, 2016. He

was 82.
Lewis had an active career working with Kansas Gas and Electric
Company (later Westar Energy).
Following his retirement, he and his
wife Verletta began working with
the Mission Service Corps and traveled part of the nation as encouragers to MSC volunteers serving in the
field.
According to Bob Mills, who
supervised Lewis and his wife at that
time, They did excellent work in
encouraging field personnel.
Later they came to KNCSB and
worked as volunteer mobilizers for
the state of Kansas. They worked

under the direction of Tim Boyd,

who was the mobilization leader for
KNCSB at that time.
Lewis and Verletta were dedicated to the cause of Christ and gave
themselves fully to volunteer work.
His wife and children survive him.
He will be missed by KNCSB.

www.knwomen.com
Each year,
we honor
the life and
advocacy
of Annie
Walker
Armstrong
(18501938)
when we give to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American
missions. Annie Armstrong led women to unite in missions endeavors that
ultimately led to the formation of Womans Missionary Union. Annie believed
in and followed Christ with all her heart, but it was her hands that expressed that
belief in tangible ways. Her hands held her own Bible as she studied to know
how best to share Gods love with others. And, most important,
Annie was a woman of prayer, folding her hands in prayer to
intercede for the missionaries and for those they were helping
discover Christ. Annie rallied churches to give more, pray more
and do more for reaching people for Christ. As modern-day
missions advocates unite to continue that work today, we can be
confident that her legacy will also be ours.

Warmth in the Winter

Do not merely look out for your own

personal interests,
but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:4
As the team crawled under Nick, our Resident Director, and
through the grass and over rocks while blind folded, it occurred to me that one of the most difficult obstacles I face as
a Christian leader is the people. So without a thought, I went
and curled up in a ball in front of the line of blind folded leaders so that they would have a human obstacle in their way. Only the leader at the front of the
line could see me, but he was given the rule that he could not speak. He was only allowed to
use body language to
communicate.
As each blind folded leader approached me there was surprise when they kicked the obstacle
in their way. Some would cry out, Oh! What is that? Others, when they realized it was soft
asked, Is that a person? This started to cue others in and so as a team they slowed the line
down and began to take smaller steps and once they hit the obstacle (me) great caution was
taken to determine how to get over me. No one wanted to hurt the person that was in their
way. When they took their blind folds off many were surprised to learn that they had kicked
me in the head or stepped on my back.
After each team building excercise, we take the time to debrief. We asked the leaders things
like Why was it a surprise to find a person in the middle of the path? ;Why must be
aware of the people that get in our way?; What can you do to help make sure you do not
hurt the person?; Why is it important to slow down and take cautious steps as people get
involved?; How can you make sure you do not walk over people as you lead?
As a Christian leader, we must always be aware of the human obstacles around us. This
means we must always be attentive to peoples needs and interests even when they are an
obstacle in our path. How have you been challenged by a human obstacle this week?
What did you do to make sure you protected the person as you journeyed on?
Father, please make me aware of the people I encounter as I lead. Show me how to put their
personal interests before my own. Show me how to maneuver around them as needed, but
also meet needs.
Simply, Dr. Tara Rye

A retreat for 1st-6th grade girls and their mothers!

April 8 & 9, 2016

Webster Conference Center
Salina, KS

gl w

FEBRUARY 2016

My winter days are pretty much identical: I wake up, rush to get three school lunches
packed, make sure my kids brush their teeth and get on
the bus. It is the busiest part of my day. For some reason
in the winter its a struggle for all of us. No one wants to
get out of bed and we are all dragging our feet. It probably
doesnt help that in the mornings we are all snuggled by
the fireplace to keep warm and the thought of going all the
way down to the end of the block to meet the bus is like
getting frozen by Elsas ice powers.
We do it day after day and its a struggle; today we missed
the bus all together.
Now I am writing this assuming you are all like me, but
if you are one of those Eskimos who thrive in the winter
months....well, I hope you soak in the cold freeze because
spring is upon us.
So why is winter so hard? Why do we go in slow motion
when its cold outside? Why do we want to sit by the fire and stay warm and content all
day? Can I ask you the same questions in relation to our relationship with Jesus?
Often times I find myself wanting to stay inside avoiding the world. Its warm inside my
own little bubble, not to mention care free. It takes effort to go outside. First, you need to
get dressed, start the car so it can warm up, bury yourself in coats, gloves and scarfs and
then take the step out into the cold.
A relationship with God also takes effort. We spend time in His word. We live out His
calling for us. We share what He has done in our lives with others. This takes effort and
intention. We need to be warmed up before we go out into the world. We need to allow
God to feed our soul in the same way vitamin D helps our bodies function.
Fun Fact! Vitamin D helps our bones grow and develop, as well as keep them strong!
The truth is we arent called to stay warm and content. In Mark 16:15 it says Go into all
the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. This is what God is asking of
us. It requires us to bundle up in the truth and go out into the cold dark places, and share
the warmth of Jesus Christ.
We are to be the church, in the spring, in the summer, in the fall and even in the winter.
Caroline

Human Obstacles

WWW.KNCSB.ORG
What Is the Cooperative Program
As a young adult I heard older pastors say, Someone asked
when will we get that Cooperative Program paid off? Their
reply would always be, When we complete the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Why I believe in CP as we have come to call it. It is a
nConsistent way to support missions, (dependable)
nCooperative way to support missions (we can do more together than alone)
nCommunicable way to support missions (telling the story of
missions to the churches)
To learn more about the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program, go to http://www.sbc.net/cp/default.asp
By Doug Lee a Church Planter Catalyst from North Platte, Neb.

nA NEW MATCHING CHALLENGE GRANT HAS BEEN OFFERED TO WCC

A dollar-for-dollar matching grant of $75,000 has been offered to repave the entry
road from just inside the front gate to the Dining Hall. Please see the related
article in this issue of the Digest for more information.
nA new record for User Days was set in 2015 with a total of 49,811. The previous
record of 47,451 was set in 2012. Praise Godwe are reaching more people than
ever before with life changing events at WCC.
nWork progresses on the Dining Hall Expansion. The goal is to have this project
completed by the beginning of the summer camp season in late May. Volunteers are needed for both indoor and outdoor projects on this building. Call Bill
Cooke toll free at 1-877-WCC-RESV if you or a small group would like to work
for a day or two.
nThe new sewer system has been completed and is in operation.
nWCC Sunday is April 10, 2016. Watch for more details coming soon.
Sign up for free monthly WCC E-Newsletters by going to http://www.webstercc.
org/wcc/e newsletter/.

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

MIDW ESTERN B APTIST T HE OL OG I C A L S E M I N A RY & C OL L E G E

offers a heartfelt

THANK YOU
to the Southern Baptists of Kansas and Nebraska.

Because of your faithful giving of more than $15,000 to

Midwestern Seminary through the Cooperative Program this past year,

FEBRUARY 2016

we are able to continue training leaders for the Church.

Webster
Update

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