REPORT ON CEF GUIDE RETREAT AUGUST 1-3, 2024, INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, WARRENTON, MO

On Thursday, August 1, 2024, Becky and I drove up to Child Evangelism (CEF) Headquarters in Warrenton, Missouri to take part in their semi-annual Guide Retreat. I've heard about it for years and I finally decided to go. Becky joined me, but the primary reason was to inquire of the Lord what my next step is, as I'm nearing retirement age. 

And I wrote that part three days ago. For some reason, I'm struggling with this. Part of it is energy after a long day. but part of it is being happy with what I've written.

So I'll just write a few comments of our two and a half days there (August 1-3).

• I'll start with a summary. I left with more options about what to do, but not with a definite conviction on which option to take. So please keep praying.
• You may have noticed from the photo above - GUIDE is also an acrostic, 
• One part was a DISC personality test. We were given 24 sets of four two word descriptions, with us choosing the ones most and least like us. In my case, the S's (Supportive) and C's (Cautious) had an equal number of "mosts," while I had one least on C and none on S. I found that interesting. And if you're curious on the others, I's (Inspiring) had 4 mosts and two leasts while D's (dominant) had 1 most and 17 leasts. We also had a spiritual gifts inventory.
• Becky and I had been to CEF headquarters 6 years ago and took a tour then. This tour was interesting because our guide would ask the workers questions about their jobs.
• One blessing - we were divided into groups, and we were to sit together at certain meals (we could at the others as well, which we did).

Again, please continue to pray for Becky and me. One conclusion, though: Instead of doing my usual of making a list and figuring out which one is best, I'm just to wait and let God direct.

 

THE 2024 SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION IN INDIANAPOLIS: MY EXPERIENCE AND THOUGHTS

Main floor of Southern Baptist Convention at Indianapolis Convention Center

You may have been aware that the Southern Baptist Convention this year occurred here in Indianapolis. As usual, the first two days (Sunday and Monday) were the Pastor's conference, while the business of the convention took place the final two days (Tuesday and Wednesday).

You also may be aware that Becky and I are members of a Southern Baptist Church - Northside Baptist Church here in Indianapolis. Neither Becky nor I grew up SBC, but since '93, we've been members of 3 Southern Baptist churches for 26 of those 31 years: Stonebrook Baptist Church (Nolensville, Tennessee), Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, and Northside Baptist Church (both in Indy). 

I'll also state that this wasn't the first Convention I attended. In '08, when the convention was also in Indianapolis, I volunteered to help welcome the Women's Missionary Union (WMU) meeting, and was able to go through the wonderful exhibit hall. A year later, Becky and I went to a chaplaincy lunch in Louisville, and, of course, went to the exhibit hall. (We sat in on a live taping of Southern Seminary President Al Mohler's radio program, with his guest Russell Moore.)

Back to the present... uh, recent past. Our church was asked to  provide volunteers for the convention, and planned on sending several for the Tuesday, June 11th session. There were three shifts that day, and Pastor Jared Barham scheduled the volunteers who wanted to stay all day for two, so they could spend the third at the convention meeting and/or the exhibit hall. So I took that day off so I could participate.

Shortly before the conference started, though, the prayer committee was asked to send a couple to be greeters for the prayer room on Sunday evening, so Becky and I went downtown and served there. Interestingly enough, the prayer room was located next to the volunteer headquarters. 

Tuesday, we got in a van at Northside at 6:45am That sounds early - I'm usually awake at that time, but I also picked up my blind friend and fellow church member Brandon Marcum. (Easier than finding and paying for downtown parking spaces.) Brandon and I were free the morning session, and then greeted during the afternoon and evening sessions, helping direct people who had any questions. 

I got to enjoy the worship at the beginning. One of the selections blended the Gettys' song "Come, People of the Risen King" with the classic Wesley hymn "Rejoice, the Lord Is King." During that time, I looked at the schedule, and suggested to Brandon that we start in the exhibit hall and come back for the commissioning of International Mission Board missions. About the time for that segment, we decided to stay in the exhibit hall or go to the auditorium. We both agreed to stay.

There were a lot of great exhibits there. The majority were connected with Southern Baptists - booths for the seminaries and Bible colleges (including other schools that weren't officially SBC), Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the International and North America Mission Boards, Send Relief (which does some disaster relief, but also works with refugees), and smaller booths for various ethnic ministries in the states (e.g. Chinese, Hatian, Messianic Jews). 

A large space was occupied by Lifeway Ministries, which is the publishing arm of the Southern Baptists, including Sunday School and Vacation Bible School material as well as non-fiction books. I'm not complaining - they also had free coffee! More importantly, Brandon was able to talk with G. Duane McCrary, Jr., Manager of Adult Ongoing Bible Studies about ways to make resources  more accessible for the blind.

Schools weren't the only ones that had booths not directly connected to the SCB. Child Evangelism also had a booth, promoting their internet ministry to children. There also was a booth for Musical Evangelist Bruce Sechrest. One interesting booth was by a ministry called Faith Assistant, which had a sign reading, "Try our Christian Artificial Intelligence." How's that for stirring the pot? I heard a podcast where a Christian group used AI for a video, and came to the conclusion that like all technology, it can be used for God's glory but we must be careful. On the other hand, another has come to the conclusion there is nothing redeemable about it (Becky agrees). I don't know enough to weigh in, except to remember there was a Canaanite city named Ai.

While I would have enjoyed the morning session and seeing missionaries commissioned, I was blessed by my time in the exhibit hall. However, I didn't get to see any of the controversy that the latter sessions dealt with. 

Three years ago, I was following the contested election for SBC President, which had four candidates. There were more this year, but I didn't really consider any of the candidates. I did have the honor of being in a FB group with out-going President Bart Barber.

I'll admit I'm looking forward to the next conference I can attend.

THE FIRST TO REACH THEM WINS!

At Castleton Community Church, Indianapolis. If you can't read the screens, both read, "Every Child, Every Nation, Every Day," the slogan for Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF).

"The first to reach them wins." This was the theme at the annual dessert night for the Central Indiana Chapter of Child Evangelism Fellowship.

 Is it any wonder why government backed education presents a godless worldview? Is it for the same reason China makes it illegal to take children under 18 to church? And is it coincidental that most Christians come to know Christ as children (yours truly at 9)?

CEF has a heart for reaching children. Here in the United States, they have Good News Clubs at public schools. For those who think that's violating the separation of church and state, the Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that Christian groups have equal access at schools as any other group.

But CEF's focus is not limited to North America. Their motto is "Every Child, Every Nation, Every Day." When Becky and I started getting involved with CEF's Central Indiana Chapter, there were only 17 nations that did not have trained workers working with children. It wasn't long after that the number dropped down to one (North Korea). That means there's CEF work going on in the majority of what Voice of the Martyrs designates as Restricted and Hostile Nations.

Some might say that children are too young to understand the Gospel. Charles Haddon Spurgeon disagrees. He stated that at 5, a child can understand the Gospel.

Before you object, CEF isn't alone in that view. The enemy might say it's too young, but what they mean is they want us to wait until after they indoctrinate them. There are ideas being taught the children that are for tack of a better term war against traditional values and the Christian faith.

Back in college, I read of a history textbook where two paragraphs were devoted to George Washington, compared to five pages to this great historical figure - Marilyn Monroe? That was in the '70's; has it improved today? 

Okay, enough pontificating. Let me get to the dessert night. The event was emceed by Randy Ollis, long-time and recently retired weather man of WISH TV. The featured speaker was WTHR-TV's anchorman Scott Swan. Scott did an excellent job pointing out the importance of grandparents and parents in training up children in the way they should go. We also heard of what's going on in our chapter. The Central Indiana Chapter encompasses 5 counties: Marion (which is synonomous with the City of Indianapolis), Hancock, Hamilton, Hendricks, and Boone. 

One last comment I want to make - I'd like to share the culture of CEF:

• The Importance of Godly Leadership at Every Level. Spiritual leadership is the highest form of authority. The men and women who lead must have a personal heart for God in order to be able to discern the will of God and lead the ministry effectively.  Regardless of the skill of a leader, if he or she lacks a heart for God, the work will be eroded at its very foundation.
• The Importance of the Spiritual Welfare of our Workers     It is vital that we are never satisfied to simply teach our staff the methods of how to reach children and how to train others to do so, but we must purposefully invest in the spiritual lives of our staff. When CEF staff are men and women who are primarily driven by passion for God and His glory and have a clear call from the Lord, the work will prosper. If we keep our focus on God and on His calling, then we will be sustained in times of challenge. 
• The Importance of Prayer as Our Foundation It is not the work we do, the meetings we hold or the decisions we make that bring the greatest advances in the work; it is the time spent before the throne of God in prayer, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that brings power, laborers and resources into the ministry. 
• The Importance of Evangelizing Children There is no limit to the number of organizations that do many good things that are important to boys and girls in need.  We are thankful for them and believe that God uses them to help hurting children. CEF, however, has been called by God to make it our highest priority to present the Gospel so children may be saved and discipled in God’s Word. We must stay on point. 
• The Importance of a Clear and Biblical Presentation of the Gospel The fact that a young child can comprehend the simple message of salvation and become a child of God is the foundational principle of CEF. Everything else that we do is based upon this fact. The good news of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation. We must present it clearly and accurately. 
• The Importance of a Commitment to Excellence, for the Glory of God Every aspect of the work, no matter how big or small, has significance. This includes the training we conduct, the materials we produce, the facilities we use and the way we present ourselves. In every area we must strive for excellence to the glory of God!
   
  
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AN INVITATION AND CHALLENGE FOR BOTH MUSICIANS AND NON-MUSICIANS

 

 

I would like to invite all my readers (particularly those in the Indianapolis area) to join Becky and I for the annual Fall Dessert Night for Central Indiana Child Evangelism Fellowship on Oct. 12th this year at Castleton Community Church. I'll give you a link for the information below.

Not to exclude anyone - I''d love for all of you to attend - but allow me to focus on one group - local Christian musicians, be they Southern Gospel Quartets, soloists, or rock bands. Let me explain.

A while back, I posted about an idea of a music chaplaincy. One thing I would want to do is encourage Christian musicians to get interested and involved with various ministries. For example, my friends Amy Shreve and Gary Wixtrom are actively connected with Voice of The Martyrs - I've had the honor of hearing them 8 times, 6 of which were VOM conferences.

While there are a lot of great ministries, I believe it's a natural for Christian musicians to get involved with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). This ministry is involved in starting Good News Clubs in Public Schools. But what about Separation of Church and State? Well, in 2000 the Supreme Court ruled that Christian groups have equal access. (Some schools, to keep CEF out, stopped allowing any group to meet at the school.) 

Yes, this is a fundraiser, but that's just a part of it. No less important are their goals to raise prayer support and workers. They especially encourage local churches to be effective in running Good News Clubs, where they can be active in following up on those involved.

I would love to see at least one table filled with some of my favorite local Christian rock bands, and an equal number of Southern Gospel singers.  

For those interested (and I hope that's several of you reading), here is the link:  https://www.cefcentralindiana.com/2023dessert.html

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 6 OF 48 - PSALM 20

 

CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) International Headquarters, Warrenton Missouri. There are nine flags, 8 representing different regions of the world, one for the sole country without any CEF work.

1   May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
    May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2   May He send you help from the sanctuary,
    And strengthen you out of Zion;
3  May He remember all your offerings,
    And accept your burnt sacrifice.

Selah

4   May He grant you according to your heart's desire,
    And fulfill all your purpose.

5   We will rejoice in your salvation,
    And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
    May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
6   Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
    He will answer him from His holy heaven
    With the saving strength of His right hand.
7   Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
    But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8   They have bowed down and fallen;
    But we have risen and stand upright.
9   Save, Lord!
    May the King answer us when we call.

Psalm 20:1-9, New King James Version

This is one of my favorite Psalms. Primary reason? Because it is a Psalm we can use to pray for others!

Just look at the first five verses! Aren't these wonderful things to pray for one another? True, verse 3 has the Old Testament feel of referring to sacrifices and burnt offerings. But if we're praying for a fellow believer who is making sacrifices in career or time for the sake of others and for the Kingdom, I pray with that in mind.

One other comment on this section. When I read about banners, I think of flags, which is why I had the picture of the Child Evangelism Fellowship International Headquarters and their flag poles. As mentioned in the caption, 8 of the 9 flags represent regions of the world, and the 9th focuses on nations where there is no CEF work, which currently is one nation. (I won't tell you the name, but it rhymes with Korth Norea.) Each Wednesday they change the flags (except for the one I just mentioned) and pray for those nations.

Verses 6-8 are referring to God answering and saving His Anointed. In context, it refers to David. There's a chorus based on verses 7-8, about some trusting in chariots and some in horses. At a youth group I was in, they paraphrased it to "Some trust in Cadillacs and some in Porsches."

Can you see why I love this Psalm?

WHAT I'M THANKFUL FOR ON THANKSGIVING '22

From Vision Beyond Borders 2022 calendar, Nov. 24 

 You can celebrate Christmas all year round if you like, but I'd prefer celebrating Thanksgiving all year round. (I'd also celebrate Resurrection Day, Pentecost, Reformation Day, All Saints Day and maybe Groundhog Day all year round, too, but that's for a different blog!) So allow me to start by wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

So allow me to mention some things I've been thankful for this year:

• Of course, top of the list is the Triune God: Our gracious Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Because without God, there wouldn't be anything else to put on the list, or a meaning for what's on the list.
• My wife, Rebecca (aka Becky). We celebrated our 39th anniversary this year.
• My church, Northside Baptist Church: for senior pastor Jeremy Couture; for Joel Johnston and Eric Billin, who have filled in while we were looking for a new worship leader, and for Alex Darnall who will be joining us in that role; for my Sunday School class (taught by Jim Myers, Glen Christie, and Tim Schlotterbeck), my men's Bible study, my D-group, and the men's prayer breakfast, and missionary friends Bob Henninger and Rowland Mondal.
• For other friends that have been part of my life, either in-person or on-line (and sometimes off-the-wall?): Richard and Trish Walton and Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Bill Scott, Mel Brown, Joshua Jacobs, Gary and Amy Wixtrom, James Lawson, Mark Mirza, Kerry Jackson, Kerry Nietz, Donna Fletcher Crow, Steve Sering, Mike Cassady, Dan Schafer, Andrew Horning, Russell Brooksbank, Grady Loy, Lonnie Atkeson, David Patton, David Huddleston, Dave Hope, Tod Moses, Robert Roberg, Dwight Liles, and Monte Baker. (Of course, I'll probably miss someone.)
  
• For other fellowships: a three-time-a-week phone-line men's prayer time; involvement with mission groups Voice of the Martyrs, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Spirit of Martyrdom, Vision Beyond Borders, Medical Ambassadors International/Community Health Evangelism, Ethnos 360 (I'm wearing their T-shirt as I'm typing), World Venture, International Mission Board, and North American Mission Board; Facebook groups Discussion Board for Jesus Music 1969-1989, Female Christian Rock & Metal, Calvinistic Dispensationalists Unite!, and The Daniel Band, and Libertarian Christian Institute and Mere Liberty.
• For my employer, where I've been for 22+ years now.
• For getting familiar with some Christian musicians (always a joy), especially members of Divine Martyr, Reclaim The Day, Undefeated, Hush Harbor, Brave WRSHP, and True Revival.
• For the interviewees on this blog I've dealt with this past year. I have had 51 interviews since starting this blog July '20, and 35 have been since last Thanksgiving. I enjoyed all of them, but some stand out by how much the interviewee blessed me during the process and some by how much the interviewee was blessed by being interviewed. One story about the latter: Usually, I ask for an interview, tell them I'll send questions in a week, send them questions in a week or two or so, in some cases getting the answers without a reminder (though not all). When I contacted Divine Martyr and told Woody Hughes about interviewing them, it was 3-4 days before Woody was checking up on getting the questions! That made my day.
• Last but not least, thank you to anyone who reads this blog. 

Again, happy Thanksgiving.

 

I'M EXCITED ABOUT MISSIONS! AREN'T YOU?

Map in CEF director's Reese Kaufman's office, indicating where the sun is shining on the world.

 

One of life's great mysteries I started think about while in Junior High: Why did some missionaries have full 8 1/2 x 11 length prayer letters, folded in half so they can fit in the bulletin, while others' letters were half that size?

I don't know how long it took me to figure that out, but it still wasn't long. The full size letters were from CBFMS missionaries, while the half page letters came from CBHMS missionaries. The ones serving on foreign fields got the full size paper, while those on the home field (North and Central America) only got the half page.

Which left me wondering why they thought the home missionaries didn't deserve the same amount of paper the foreign missionaries did.

One other thing I noticed. At Verde Baptist Church, the Conservative Baptist church I attended, they had pictures of their missionaries and where they served. There, at least, the foreign and home missionaries got an equal due.
Then, when I attended Cactus Baptist Church when I moved to Phoenix to start college, I would see a different set of pictures. Mel Bitner, who was in France, was on both missionary boards, but the others were different. Why? Because CBFMS and CBHMS would appoint the missionaries, and then the missionaries would "discover" their support at the various local churches. Each congregation would choose who they supported.

Over the years, I moved East. In that move, I noticed fewer Conservative Baptist Churches, and more Southern Baptist. the main difference? How they support missions. The Southern Baptist Convention has the Cooperative Program (CP), so basically all Southern Baptist Churches are supporting all the Southern Baptist Missionaries.

One thing that excites me are the Lottie Moon Christmas and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offerings. As you'd expect, any Mission organization has overhead costs, and for the Southern Baptist Convention, the CP takes care of those. With the Lottie Moon Offering, 100% goes to the international missionaries; the one named after Annie Armstrong goes entirely to those serving in North America. (I'm posting this the final day of Annie Armstrong this year.)

Why do those offerings excite me? Because at the beginning of those offerings they send out a pamphlet on how to pray for specific missionaries each day for a week. Usually, I select one or two to keep praying for after the offering ends. 

Becky and I are also interested in other mission organizations. Becky's active with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), which has official workers in every country except one (can you say North Korea, boys and girls?). We used to volunteer with Voice of the Martyrs and actively correspond with two sister ministries Spirit of Martyrdom (which is in Clarkdale Arizona, where the CEO attends Verde Baptist Church) and Vision Beyond Borders. We've attended dinners for Wycliffe Associates (where they send workers to take care of things like teaching and construction so the Wycliffe translators can concentrate on translating). One of my former roommates is active with Community Health Evangelism and Medical Ambassadors International. 

International Learning Center, Rockville, VA

 How many would think Thru The Bible would fit in the conversation? Oh, but they do. That program is heard in 120 languages and dialects around the world. No, you're not going to hear Dr. J. Vernon McGee's Texan accent speaking in Tagalog or other languages, or even the quartet singing "How Firm A Foundation." The programs are more aimed at the locality it's aimed for.

Are you excited about missions? If so, what excites you? If not, what would it take to change your mind?