Recalculating Conference Update

We had a good time today at our church as we participated in the Recalculating Conference.  I didn't get to attend all of the breakout sessions as I was dashing around doing some of the behind-the-scenes stuff, but the reports I heard from those who did were all uniformly positive.  We ran into some scheduling conflicts with area graduations that prevented some of the other churches from participating as actively as they had anticipated, but overall it was a good experience.  Meissen's did a wonderful job of catering the lunch as they always do and the bonus breakout session after lunch led by Judy Baker that provided an overview of the Affordable Care Act was extremely informative.

Recalculating Conference

This Saturday (May 18th) our church will be hosting a conference entitled "Recalculating: GPS for Active Adults."  This is the second year in a row for such a conference to be offered in the Kansas City area.  Holmeswood Baptist Church hosted the initial gathering at their facility last June.  There is an outstanding line-up of 12 break-out sessions that will be offered that are all designed to help emerging baby boomers and senior adults have the information and tools necessary to navigate their retirement years. 

The conference is free and starts at 9:00 a.m.  First Baptist Church Lee's Summit is located at 2 NE Douglas St., Lee's Summit, MO 64063. 

A Dangerous Offering

I wanted to share a follow up from my last post about our church's response to our pastor's challenge of this past Sunday morning to give away our entire undesignated offering to the Tabitha Ministry that serves some of the neediest folks on the planet that live in and around the Guatemala City dump.  Our church has a history of responding generously when challenged to meet a sincere need and this Sunday was no exception.  The exact figures are still being finalized, but it appears that our church's gift to the Tabitha Ministry from this offering will surpass $38,000.  I can't wait to see how the Lord uses this generous gift from our folks to bless the lives of the children and families that the Tabitha Ministry assists each week.  To God be the glory, great things He has done!

A Moving Experience

I had an especially moving experience yesterday that I'd like to share.  Our pastor began a new sermon series last Sunday morning entitled "Dare to Make a Difference."  He's challenging us to get out of our comfort zones and live a bold faith rather than the complacent, safe approach that seems to be the default mode for most of us.

As a part of that, he asked me to provide him with some photos of the Tabitha Ministry that functions at the city garbage dump in Guatemala City.  I've posted about that on several occasions previously on this blog.  Each of our missions teams that has gone there in recent years as well as the folks who've gone with me on the leadership training events have all visited the Tabitha Ministry while there.  I suspected that he was going to be challenging us to make a significant investment in the Tabitha Ministry, similar to a challenge he issued shortly after he began serving with us 3 years ago.  He proposed at that point that we give away an entire Sunday offering to support the work of three different agencies that all are involved in meeting human needs.  We did so and the church generously responded by making up that amount within 2-3 weeks.

Back to the emotional experience....  After I had worked in the morning to pull up some appropriate pictures and other info regarding the Tabitha Ministry, I went home for lunch.  As I do most days at lunch, I was reading my "Through the Bible in a Year" selections on my cell phone.  I'm using the New Living Translation this year and was catching up from missing Tuesday's assigned reading.  I came across the following verse in the midst of Hannah's prayer that she offers in 1 Sam. 2.  The first part of verse 8 reads as follows, "He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump."  Having just seen the pictures of the precious children that the Tabitha Ministry cares for on a daily basis that would otherwise be rummaging through the hazardous and unsanitary garbage with their parents in an attempt to find something to salvage, recycle, or even eat, I was overcome with the impact of that verse.  I related the experience to our pastor and told him to feel free to share it with the congregation this coming Sunday.  He confirmed to me this afternoon that he had sought and received approval from the Finance Team to give away our entire Sunday offering this coming weekend for the Tabitha Ministry.  I can't wait to see how our folks respond to this challenge to make a difference in the lives of some of "the least of these" that Jesus talks about in Matt. 25.

Hilarious case of misunderstanding

Our pastor shared the funniest true story this morning in staff meeting.  I'm going to reproduce it as he shared the account on his Facebook page.

Not making this up... A little girl new to our church told her parents that she wanted to be baptized, but she didn't want to do it at our church. When they asked why, she said it was because she didn't want a Martian to baptize her. They asked what in the world she meant, and she said that in the "Welcome to FBCLS" class her family attended, Mr. Allen said we practice baptism by a Martian. Apparently Mr. Allen needs to enunciate more carefully when talking about baptism by IMMERSION.

Churchnet's Annual Meeting

After a busy week that involved officiating two funerals in three days, I enjoyed the wonderful opportunity on Friday evening and Saturday morning of attending Churchnet's annual meeting.  The great folks at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Kansas City did an outstanding job of hosting the gathering.  We kicked things off with our missions banquet on Friday evening.  The folks at Metropolitan prepared a delicious meal and then we heard testimonies from folks who had participated in missions trips to Guatemala this past January.  Bill Miller, pastor of First Baptist Church of Farmington and David Holman, a deacon from his congregation, accompanied me in January for the latest round of leadership training conferences.  They shared about their experiences at the conference and challenged others to participate as conference leaders on future trips.  Verlyn Bergen, a colleague with Churchnet who has also accompanied me as a conference leader on multiple occasions, spoke of a trip he made in January with members of the Parkade Baptist Church in Columbia, MO to work at the Tabitha Ministry in the city dump of Guatemala City.  He shared a powerful testimony of lives being changed by this amazing ministry.

Following the banquet that was held downstairs in the beautifully decorated fellowship hall, we moved upstairs to the sanctuary where the church's choir thrilled us with some outstanding music.  The 23-voice choir sounded like there were some 50 or 60 singing.  Our African American brothers and sisters really know how to praise the Lord in song and lead in worship.  Their pastor, Wallace Hartsfield II, who serves as a professor at Central Baptist Seminary brought a wonderful Bible study from 2 Kings 24 and 25 about the plight of the poor who remained in the land of Israel when the talented and gifted were exiled to Babylon.  Later, Molly Marshall, president of Central Baptist Seminary, brought a great message in keeping with the theme of the gathering: "Share Hope with Those who Need it Most."

Saturday morning began with a breakfast provided by the church followed by a short business session to approve budgets and elect officers.  Afterwards, a series of breakout sessions focusing on Sharing Hope were offered.  We concluded with a final worship service, featuring a vocal ensemble from William Jewell College as well as a trio from Metropolitan Missionary Baptist.  Our outgoing president, Doyle Sager (pastor of First Baptist Church Jefferson City) preached a message from Mark 5, emphasizing how Jesus brought hope to some folks in desperate situations (the woman with the hemorrhage and Jairus in the raising of his daughter to life).  

The annual meeting proved to be a great time of fellowship, inspiration, and encouragement to share hope with those who need it most.  

Wilma Weeks' Funeral

The funeral for Wilma was a wonderful tribute to her life.  Several of her former missionary colleagues from Indonesia were able to be present and to share some reflections on her time of ministry there.  In addition, Paul Budd and Darlene Gutshall who both served with her in the Chaplaincy Department at John Knox Village were able to share insights and anecdotes from the 23 years or so that Wilma ministered to the residents at the Village after her official retirement from the Foreign Mission Board.  Our worship minister, Randy Buffington, sang two hymns that Wilma had requested to be sung at her funeral--"The Longer I Serve Him the Sweeter He Grows" and "Where He Leads Me I Will Follow."  I can't think of a more fitting pair of songs to describe her life's commitment to serve the Lord faithfully for so many years.

I shared some of the insights that I had gained into Wilma's life both from visiting with her over the past 10 years and also from information that her niece shared with me on Saturday.  For the message itself, I felt led to base that on 2 Tim. 4:6-8 with Paul's personal testimony of having fought the good fight, having finished the course, and having kept the faith.  Wilma certainly accomplished each of those as well in her long life of service as an international missionary and later as a chaplain.  

Wilma's funeral marks the second one that I've officiated for a 101-year old friend in the past 2 months.  They will both be missed.