Articles

Our church building sits on a busy road with an elementary school just a block away on the same street. Daily, during the school year, I can watch hundreds of kids walking on the sidewalk to the school in the morning and back home again in the afternoon. Over a decade ago, I got the bright ideal to send some of our church staff over to the school to pass out Vacation Bible School fliers to the students on the sidewalks. Noticing our activities, the school administrators told us to vacate the sidewalk and not to bother the students with our invitations on their way home. The school felt the need to protect the students from any unwanted solicitation. We were disappointed and confused. We had not approached the school again to serve them until this school year.

Last year, our church involved itself in LifeWay’s Transformational Church survey and an action plan discovery process. We realized that while we had great fellowship within our church, we were not investing in our community very well. We were failing to be the body of Christ to our neighbors and therefore were not impacting our community so that it would reflect the Kingdom of God. Change was necessary!

Part of our action plan for transformation was to go back to the elementary school across from our church and ask the administrators if we could “adopt them,” meaning…

1. We would pray for the teachers by name every day.

2. We would survey the teachers to find out what kind of school supplies that they needed in their classrooms. We filled every “wish list” presented to us.

3. We would celebrate the teachers’ birthdays and have a teachers appreciation day once a month.

4. We would help them in any school events (we have already sponsored Car shows, Spring Carnivals, and field trips).

5. We would help families in need within the school with food and clothing.

6. We would host a Back-to-School carnival to provide school supplies to families.

7. We would serve as mentor/tutors to children who needed some extra help in the class rooms.

Our list continues to grow. The school, the students, and the parents have been amazed that we would care for them. Why should the world that God loves, be surprised and amazed that a church would love on them? Our school had every right to be amazed… we had ignored them for years.

The other day, I went by the school and saw a message on their outside sign that brought tears to my eyes. Without fanfare, the school posted that they were thankful for all that we do for them.

The believers at Lindsay Lane Baptist realize that in comparison to what our Savior has done for us, we have done so little. God is the giver of all things! I am so glad that our “adoption” went through! McCurdy Elementary is God’s gift to us that we might demonstrate the love of Christ!

When asked to write down phrases and words that come to mind when she heard or thought of FAITH Sis. Shirley Dowd of Friendship, Harviell wrote the following:

• All growth in our spiritual life depends on faith.
• Impossible to please or have any walk without faith.
• The shield of faith is as bias as God himself.
• Free grace, free pardon, change of heart, comfort poured in , satisfies our heart, great gain thru faith.
• With faith, we become well pleasing to God. Without faith we have NO fellowship.
• Everything of God hinges on faith.
• Faith supplies our greatest wants, delivers from our greatest danger and admits us to our greatest glory.
• A waiting faith is rare.
• If you are without faith, you are in a fearful state.
• To be nothing and let Him be everything.
• Weapon of prevalence, shield of safety, substance of hope, evidence of eternity, passport to glory.
• Sins are cleansed, carried away, drowned in the sea, blotted out behind God’s back.
• A precious promise as great as the demands of our sins.
• Thru faith, God is ALL sufficient!
• We are clothed and dressed in his righteousness, once aliens, now saints and will live in the household of God.
• Heirs of God, joint heirs of Jesus Christ, never taste death, just fall asleep.
• We have the harps of heaven, streets of glory, trees of paradise, river of life, eternal bliss.
• You are rich thru faith. What treasures, what a gold mine, what oceans of wealth. What mountains of sparkling treasure, all because of faith in God.
• Faith, first sure sign of a spiritual life. All JOY of a spiritual life depends on faith.
• When God comes, He will not look for riches, honors or abilities but he will look for our faith.

Will he find faith on earth at His return? He will search for even a mustard seed size of faith.It is necessary for us to believe MUCH or we will do LITTLE for God. I Corinthians 2:5, “Our faith should not stand in the wisdom of man but in the power of God.” Faith for me is the bliss of ever beholding the face of God. If the church ever has faith enough to expect great things, she will see great things.

submitted by Carolyn Meade

Evangelistic International Ministries will have their trailer at the BMA of America national meeting in Jackson, MS in April to pick up any Shepherd Bags you may have. This would be a good time for our Shepherd Bags drop off stations to bring any bags they have as well.

Shepherd Bags Update: We currently have 15,000 bags awaiting shipment to the Philippines. And we are currently working on our 2012 Honduras school campaign. We have over 2,000 bags already assembled so we’re well on our way for this year.

If you would like to get involved in this God blessed ministry of presenting the Gospel to children in the Honduras schools, we need your help. A 40 ft. container holds approximately 35,000
to 40,000 bags so we have quite a ways to go.

Please pray and get involved!

If you have questions, visit our website at www.eimworldwide.org or you can contact us here at EIM at 870-226-3626 or you can email fnorris@eimworldwide.org.

President – Terri Adams – Abundant Life in Christ, Charleston, MO
First Vice President – Sharon Lourance – Black River, Qulin, MO
Second Vice President – Juanita May – Ohlman, Bunker, MO
Secretary – Norma Womble – Zion, St. Louis, MO
Asst. Secretary – Becky Cate – Friendship, Harviell, MO
Treasurer – Cathy Fox – Mount Zion, Poplar Bluff, MO
Asst. Treasurer – Connie Reifsteck – Zion, St. Louis, MO
Literature, Bible & Tract – Vi Maclin – Emmanuel, Sikeston, MO
Historian – Tracy Goede – Zion, St. Louis, MO
Youth Promoter – Shelia Polk – First, Matthews, MO
Asst. Youth Promoter – Karen Magee – First, Matthews, MO

by Ted Hurley, Pastor • First Baptist Church Bourbon, MO
Friction keeps the world moving! Without friction between the road and your tires, your car will not move. Friction
warms your hands when you rub them together on a cold winter night. Friction occurs when people disagree over a particular subject.

The online Oxford Dictionary defines friction as:
1. the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another;
2. the action of one surface or object rubbing against another;
3. conflict or animosity caused by a clash of wills, temperaments, or opinions.

Even though the science of friction affects our daily lives, please consider the third definition 3; conflict or animosity caused by a clash of wills, temperaments, or opinions. Have you ever experienced friction between yourself and someone else? As human beings this type of friction often leads to some serious consequences. Verbal assaults, fights, and even wars have started as a result of friction between individuals or nations.

The online Oxford dictionary defines Brotherhood as:
1. the relationship between brothers;
2. the feeling of kinship with and closeness to a group of people or all people;
3. an association or community of people linked by a common interest, religion, or trade.

Once again the third definition moves to the forefront for consideration in this article: an association or community
of people linked by a common interest, religion, or trade.

Brotherhood within the BMA of Missouri sounds much better than friction within the BMA of Missouri! Sadly,
both exist within our state. The Apostle Peter stated in I Peter 2:1-3, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all
guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that
ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” He continued in verse seventeen, “Honour all
men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.” (My emphases)

The Apostle Peter understood the idea of friction between people. He often clashed with the other disciples as
well as Jesus. Yet the Apostle Peter went from denying Jesus to preaching on The Day of Pentecost when thousands
were saved! Years later he wrote that we are to “love the brotherhood.”

Does there truly exist a brotherhood within the BMA of Missouri as defined by the dictionary, or has friction
become the predominate theme within our work? Because of the many different individuals that make up our state
association, there also exists many different personalities. These different personalities often lead to friction and not brotherhood. How about it men (and women), especially you pastors and preachers, do others see the Brotherhood
in your life? Friction must not destroy the “common interest” that exists within the Brotherhood of Jesus Christ
in the BMA of Missouri! Yes, friction keeps the world moving, but Brotherhood should keep the BMA of Missouri
moving. Brotherhood will accomplish more goals than friction! How about letting Brotherhood become the main theme of our Association? When friction becomes the center of focus instead of the preaching of Jesus Christ, the devil becomes the winner. Just remember, when two sticks are rubbed together hard enough, both sticks will be destroyed by the friction they create. When two sticks work together in Brotherhood, they are twice as hard to break!

Greetings! I would like to invite every church in our association to be represented by attendance or official letter at the 63rd annual meeting of the BMA of America. The meeting is scheduled for April 16-18, 2012 at the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Mississippi.

The theme for the meeting, “Until the End,” is based upon Hebrews 6:11 (we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end). The theme will focus on the challenge to make a long term impact through our departments as an association and our ministries as local churches and individuals.

Every action Jesus took, every message He shared, every miracle He performed, and every day of His life revolved around His desire to make an eternal impact on all those with whom He came in contact. He raised up disciples and challenged them to do likewise. The writer of Hebrews has challenged us to do the same, and it is my prayer for our association that we will follow Jesus’ example.

Monday evening’s session will focus on the meeting’s theme. Tuesday morning will provide meeting opportunities for auxiliaries, departmental and agency boards and the Pastors’ and Laymen’s Conference. The highlight of Tuesday night’s service will be the annual message by George Reddin. Business will be held on Tuesday afternoon and also Wednesday morning and afternoon. The annual meeting will climax with the Missions Department report and commissioning service on Wednesday night.

Remember that proposed constitutional amendments must be submitted in writing to the clerks of the association no later than February 1. I ask you to please pray for a meeting that honors our Savior.