Missions Reports

I ran across an article where a church planter/coach was doing a consultation with a group that was focused on small town and rural church planting within a particular region. It caught my attention, because many (if not most) of our churches are in small towns and in rural areas. His advice to this association of churches was to focus on making disciples– because if they make disciples, a church might come out of the harvest. Instead of thinking, “How can I plant a whole church?” he encouraged them to ask where they could release 2-3 people to be incarnational missionaries.

Imagine if several of our existing churches in a particular region could each release a few people in this way, then they could together set up a support structure for all of those incarnational missionaries that networks them together. They could gather together for worship and support, using a simple church model so they could free up more time to focus on making disciples during the rest of the week. They may be working in different places during the week, but can provide emotional and relational support for one another when they come together. If a Bible study arises out of this effort, then great! If two or three Bible studies are created, then that is even greater. Perhaps one of the sponsoring churches could make a larger investment and call this a satellite campus. Eventually, as these small groups continue to engage their community, a church may very well be planted. The risk is minimum, but the rewards may be great!

We have invested huge sums of money to plant a missionary in a particular area, only to see him leave the field after 2-5 years and with little to show for it. It would be great if there was an approach, where someone felt led to begin with just 2-3 people and see what happens. If churches are to plant churches, then it means that the pastor will release people to leave their Sunday School and start a Bible study in their home. In this very simple way, a church can truly be involved in church planting. The people involved can engage in pilot projects that are more outward focus and relational in nature. There is no pressure to raise-up a self-supporting church in 5 years. Instead it is a step of faith in seeing what God might do with people who are willing to invest in those who are unchurched and not connected with Christ-followers.

Danny Kirk

Six of our pastors met in St. Clair, MO for a joint prayer retreat between the BMA of Missouri Special Mission Committee and the Meramec Landmark Baptist Mission Committee. We discussed various facets of church planting and what steps we need to take to help our churches be more involved in the process. There is more work and praying for us to do, but the committees came up with the following action steps:
1. First Baptist, Potosi, will be hosting a workshop entitled, “Using Home Bible Studies to Plant Churches.” This workshop will answer the questions: Who can host a Bible Study in their home? What will he do? How can I facilitate a Bible Study? How does this kind of study lead to a new church plant? The date is Saturday, February 22 @ 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Lunch is provided.
2. Host a Coaching Workshop at Friendship Baptist Church, St. Clair on March 28-29, 2014. This workshop will equip lay leaders and pastors to listen better, ask the right questions, build awareness, and to move others forward in completing their goals.
3. In the near future (TBA), after a group of leaders are identified who are committed to beginning a new church plant, we will host a “Church Multiplication” training that will prepare them for the work and preparation of church planting.
Everyone is invited to attend any of these training and the committees feel that the trainings will help us to move forward in the planting of new churches.
We do have a change of location for our mission symposium and mid-year meeting in May. Pastor Justin Arender of Faith Baptist asked me to find another church for the meeting due to some concerns he had about the meeting dates and the church’s schedule. I asked Pastor Drew Sawyer and the Lindsay Lane Baptist Church if they would host the meeting, and they have agreed to do so. Thank you, Lindsay Lane, for stepping up at the last minute and serving our association! The dates are May 16 -17 so please mark your calendars.
I have a special prayer request. I will be traveling to Bolivia on February 24 – March 8 and making a 450 mile trip on the MSS Arrington River Boat. A group of 8 BMAA men are traveling to the River Bible Institute and will attempt to complete the construction of classrooms, kitchen, and dormitory space. We will host church services each night and I will serve as one of the evangelists. Pray for our safety, our labor, and for souls to be saved.

byDanny Kirk

The Special Missions Committee met at Perryville, MO last month and the meeting provided an opportunity for great discussion on current mission works and plans for the future of church planting in Missouri. Below is a synopsis of a few of the actions taken at this meeting:

1. An offering of $1000 was approved to be given to the Refuge Work Fund in Nixa, MO. All agreed that John and Alisha Herring are doing a great job in establishing a new work and our state missions program can and should provide financial assistance.

2. Our Mission Symposium emphasis offering is designated to the Missouri Baptist Paper. Our state paper is one of the finest within the BMAA and is in need of financial support if it is to maintain its current format. We hope every church will consider giving a special emphasis offering in May, 2014.

3. Our Missions Director will host a 2-Day Prayer Retreat with both the missions committees of both the BMA of MO and the Meramec Association. During the retreat we will consider and discuss the practical step-by-step plans for church planting found in the book “Missional Journey” by Robert Logan and Dave DeVries. Both of these authors are recognized experts in the field of church planting and now they have provided a wonderful guide on how to make disciples, that will in turn, plant churches. From this retreat, we will put together further action plans that move toward more churches being planted. Pray with us that God will provide wisdom and courage during the retreat: January 27-28, 2014.

I am very grateful to the pastors who serve on our missions committees. They tirelessly give of their time and energy to seek out new mission fields, assess worthy missionary candidates, and provide me with wise counsel. When I think about the past few years, I wish that more churches were planted. Yet I know that these men have followed God’s leading and have done the very best job with the opportunities that God has presented.

Danny Kirk

I am looking forward to our annual meeting to be held at Bethany Baptist in St. Louis October 26. Pastor James Hoffmann and the great folks at Bethany have proven themselves to be wonderful hosts in the past and I know they will welcome us again. It’s a great opportunity for all of us to connect with one another and conduct the Lord’s business. I have been told that there will be representatives from our Seminary and the BMAA Mission Office in attendance. Churches, please make it a priority to send your pastor and messengers to our annual meeting.

This past year I have enjoyed visiting and preaching in our churches across the state. Thank you for the invitations and the opportunities to speak about missions. For the moment, I cannot accept any more invitations. After the resignation of Pastor Tim Boatright at Faith Baptist Church in St. Charles, I have been asked to serve as their interim pastor. Bro. Tim and Connie have served this church for 12 years, and we can only imagine how difficult it will be for this church to transition to a new shepherd. Please be in prayer for them as they search for God’s man.

By Danny Kirk

I want to share with you this month an article that was written by one of our BMAA church planters in Northwest Arkansas. His name is Brandon Cox and he is planting the Grace Hills Church in Rogers, AR. He also happens to be my son-in-law, but despite that fact, he wrote a great article that really spoke to my heart. As someone who has recently resigned his church after 14 years service, I have wondered what I could have done better to help my church be all that God wanted her to be. After reading Brandon’s article, I realized that there were a number of areas that I should have protected and emphasized in my own life and ministry. I hope this article will help you, Pastor, as you lead your flock!

10 Ways to Raise the Spiritual Temperature of Your Church

By Brandon Cox
There is a cold, hard fact I remind myself of often as a Pastor. No one does more to determine the spiritual temperature of my church than me, the Pastor. It’s part of shepherding. I’m the lid. I’m the limit.

I define passion as the heated desire with us to do or to be something. Paul talked about being on fire (ready is prothumos or “on heat”) to preach (Romans 1:17) and told Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God within him” (2 Timothy 1:6). I believe Pastors are the primary thermostat when it comes to the spiritual temperature of the church.

That doesn’t always mean a lukewarm church is led by a lukewarm Pastor. There are always exceptions. Sometimes passionate leaders lead apathetic people – just ask Moses. And sometimes apathetic leaders have passionate followers – but usually not for long. But since I’m writing to Pastors and leaders, I’ll simply say that if you’re frustrated that people don’t seem passionate and driven enough, you must start with a check of your own temperature.

When you find yourself in a spot where you’re leading a lukewarm body of people in a mission that demands passion, there are some things you must do to change the game. Fair warning – preaching at people out of your frustration isn’t one of them.

1. Get alone with God. Absolutely nothing kindles passion within you like time with Jesus. He loves the church far more than you do – enough that He gave His life for it in a way that you never could. HE is the ultimate source of passion for ministry.
2. When you get alone with God, repent of sin in your life. What I mean is, do a soul-searching, dark-dusty-corner-sweeping inventory of what might be distracting you from the main business of your calling. Whatever you find, repent of it.
3. Pray more often, longer, and more personally than ever. I don’t believe God is offended by passionate praying. He is offended by flippant prayer that fails to recognize His supreme power and authority over all things. Go boldly and often!
4. Talk to a mentor or coach. I’ve been encouraged through some of the darkest moments of my life in leadership by some of my greatest heroes on earth. Everybody needs models, mentors, and friends.
5. Share your vision again… and again. Remember, vision leaks and the tank runs empty every six weeks or so. So cast your vision to key leaders individually, to teams collectively, and speak the language of your vision to the whole body regularly.
6. Love people. If you don’t love people, you’ll get angry with them for letting you down and failing to help you accomplish your goals. But if you love them, it’s no longer about what they can do for you – you’re suddenly concerned for their own lack of joy and growth.
7. Diagnose and remove leadership lids. One of the most important laws of leadership that John Maxwell has ever spoken about is the law of the lid. If you’re an 8 on a scale of 10, you’ll never lead others beyond a 7. So grow. Don’t be the lid.
8. Go first. If you want people to have a servant’s heart, serve. If you want them to be people of prayer, pray. If you want bold evangelists, share Jesus. Never expect others to do what you as the leader have an unwillingness to go first in.
9. Change the game. Change forces people out of their comfort zones and often provokes new growth, even when it’s painful. The moments when I’ve grown the most in my life have always been times of transition.
10. Empower other leaders. Moses led well, but his leadership really took off when Jethro helped him get organized. Good churches are led by passionate leaders, but great churches are led by passionate teams of leaders.

It always starts with something spiritual – worship. Nothing stirs the fire of God in our hearts more than worship, praise, and prayer. The best place to start raising the temperature of your church is in your own heart, and the best place to start doing that is on your knees.

Once again, Pastor Jerry Adams and the folks at Bethel Baptist Church in Sikeston, were gracious and generous hosts for our annual Mission Symposium and mid-year meeting. We began the symposium on Friday evening with pie and ice cream in the fellowship center as we visited and talked with our missionary guests. We were honored to have Bro. and Mrs. Doyle Moore from the Philippians, Chris Huson, missionary elect to Ecuador, and John Beinlien, missionary to the deaf community in Swartz Creek, MI. Each one of them spoke of their vision and passion for reaching the lost in their respective fields. Bro. Moore finished out the evening with a message from God’s word. The total Symposium offering received to date was $3,054 for Camp Garwood.

The next morning during the semi-annual meeting, the association voted to give each of these men a $1,000 love offering for their work funds. Thank you for caring for our missionaries!

A few days after our meeting, tragedy struck the community of Moore, OK as a Category F-5 tornado tore through the neighborhood. During our national meeting in April I was privilege to visit two of our BMAA churches in Moore. Realizing that many of our BMAA families were affected by this storm, I asked our special mission committee to consider giving an offering help with relief. The brethren authorized me to send a check for $5,000 to Pastor Doug Brewer and the Southgate Baptist Church to help them to minister to those in need. Pray for this community and all the other communities that have been affected by storms this year.

I will be conducting a one-day Coaching Workshop at First Baptist, Potosi June 14 starting at 8:30 a.m. All are welcome to attend and it is free!

by Danny Kirk