Acts 1:8 Challenge

Podcast: Acts 1:8 Excitement!

2010-12-10T15:05:00.006-05:00

Check out the latest Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast featuring Dr. Jim Mersereau, pastor of Oak Hill Baptist Church in Crossville, Tenn. Bro. Jim shares about the church's journey through the Acts 1:8 Challenge and how God is blessing members through increased missional activity.

Access the Podcast through our feed: http://www.actsone8.com/podcastfeed or on iTunes by searching for Acts 1:8 Challenge.

Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcasts are also located here.

Interviews with New NAMB President Kevin Ezell

2010-09-24T14:58:00.006-04:00

Kevin Ezell, pastor of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., since 1996, has been elected president of the North American Mission Board. NAMB’s board of trustees approved the nomination in a special called meeting which took place Sept. 14 at an Atlanta-area hotel.

Below are links to a couple of recent interviews with Ezell:

Ezell interview from Baptist Press: Ezell Elected NAMB President

Ezell interview with Ed Stetzer of Lifeway: Interview with Kevin Ezell

Alabama Acts 1:8 Connections Events Set

2010-08-12T14:45:00.004-04:00

Acts 1:8 Connections is an opportunity to learn how your church can develop a mission strategy and to hear about opportunities for missions service. These conferences will be held in 4 different locations across the state on Sept. 7 and 9. The Office of Global Missions, NAMB and missions volunteers will be sharing about future missions connecting points.

Join us Sept. 7-9 for an Acts 1:8 Connections event near you:

SEPT. 7, 2010

Morning Session

The Morning Session will begin at 9 AM and end at noon with lunch provided by the Global Missions Office.

Millbrook Baptist Church
3431 Browns Rd
Millbrook, AL 36054-2417
(334) 285-4731
millbrookbaptist.org

Evening Session

The Evening Session will begin at 5:30 PM and end at 8:30 PM, with a box supper provided by the Global Missions Office.

Canaan Baptist Church
2543 Morgan Rd
Bessemer, AL 35022-5036
(205) 425-4381
www.canaanbaptist.net

SEPT 9, 2010

Morning Session

The Morning Session will begin at 9 AM and end at noon with lunch provided by the Global Missions Office.

East Gadsden Baptist Church

211 North 6th Street

Gadsden, AL

(256) 543-7300

www.egbaptist.org

Evening Session

The Evening Session will begin at 5:30 PM and end at 8:30 PM, with a box supper provided by the Global Missions Office.

Lindsay Lane Baptist Church

1300 Lindsay Lane South

Athens, AL

(256) 232-0020

www.lindsaylane.org

Pre-registration is required.

To register or for more information, call 1-800-264-1225, ext. 298 or emailspoole@alsbom.org.

$5 Registration Fee per person can be mailed to:

Global Missions Office

Acts 1:8 Connections

P.O. Box 11870

Montgomery, AL 36111

For more information visit The Acts 1:8 Connections website.

Look for Acts 1:8 at SBC, Orlando!

2010-06-03T14:33:00.003-04:00

For the fifth consecutive year, the Acts 1:8 Challenge will have a booth in the exhibit hall at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. The meeting is being held in Orlando, Fla., June 14-16.

If you are a pastor, missions leader or church member attending the annual meeting, we would love to meet you and give a special gift from the Acts 1:8 Challenge team.

Just stop by our booth during regular exhibit times and tell us you read about the Acts 1:8 Challenge in the Samaria Update to receive your gift! It's that simple!

See you in Orlando!

A18C Podcast 66: The Association of the 21st Century

2010-06-01T12:38:00.002-04:00

In this month's Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast, associational missionaries Duane Kuykendall and Bobby Gilstrap discuss the association's role in assisting the local church fulfill the Great Commission.

Download the Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast today at www.ActsOne8.com/podcastfeed or search for the Acts 1:8 Challenge on iTunes. Direct link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/acts-1-8-challenge-podcast/id262574135 or visit the Acts 1:8 Challenge website here.

Volunteer Missions: An Example of Cooperation

2010-05-01T12:48:00.001-04:00

Here's a great article from the Georgia Baptist Christian Index by editor Gerald Harris about building partnerships through missions trip experiences. Harris interviews Mike Gravette, our Acts 1:8 Challenge coordinator in Georgia. An excerpt:

"According to Gravette the mission partnership concept allows the GBC to get the big picture from the various mission fields and put all the detailed pieces together like a beautiful mosaic of ministry so that the “house” (endeavor) is healthy, complete, and lacking nothing.

"Gravette’s description of partnership missions is similar to the intended design of the jigsaw puzzle. In a jigsaw puzzle each piece usually has a small part of the picture on it; when complete, all the pieces produce a complete picture.

"The combined instruments that comprise an orchestra present the same concept. Who would want to hear a cymbals solo or even a tuba solo? Yet, when all the instruments are combined together into one symphonic masterpiece the sound is incredible.

That is exactly why cooperation is important. We can do far more together than we can alone."

Read the entire article here.

A18C Podcast 64: Anticipating Crossover

2010-04-01T13:16:00.001-04:00

In this month's Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast, Victor Benavides, coordinator for metropolitan missions at the North American Mission Board, discusses opportunities to share Christ during Crossover in Orlando prior to the Southern Baptist Convention.

A18C Podcast 64 - "Anticipating Crossover," includes a host of information for getting involved in Crossover while in Orlando. The website for Crossover is: http://crossoverorlando.com

Download the Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast today at www.ActsOne8.com/podcastfeed or search for the Acts 1:8 Challenge on iTunes. Direct link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/acts-1-8-challenge-podcast/id262574135

Guest Blog: Guilty of Distorting Acts 1:8

2010-03-25T19:14:00.005-04:00

From the blog, Rankin Connecting by Jerry Rankin

I have been a part of crafting the Acts 1:8 challenge for the SBC. This grew out of some initial

efforts of the IMB to mobilize churches for personalized involvement in international missions. An SBC task force sought to strengthen the cooperation between various denominational entities and came up with the concept of Empowering Kingdom Growth.

Kingdom Growth is not just the reign of Christ in our lives, our churches, our communities and our nation; kingdom growth is also the geographic expansion of God’s kingdom through our mission efforts. The concept of the Acts 1:8 challenge was based on the fact every denominational entity exists not for its own program and purpose, but to empower churches through serving, enabling and facilitating them to fulfill the Great Commission.

Needs Assessment Underway in Chile

2010-02-27T16:11:00.007-05:00

By IMB Staff
Southern Baptists are moving quickly to assess relief needs in the aftermath of an 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile at 3:34 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, killing at least 82 people, collapsing buildings and setting off a tsunami.   

Disaster relief specialists from South Carolina and California are on standby to respond, said Jim Brown, director of the U.S. office for the International Mission Board’s primary partner in disaster relief, Baptist Global Response. A decision about what initial response is needed will be made within the next 12 hours.  

The epicenter was located just 70 miles from Concepcion, a city of more than 200,000 people, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. A tsunami wave struck the Robinson Crusoe Islands, 410 miles off the Chilean coast and tsunami warnings have been issued for Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Chile’s president, Michele Bachelet, declared a "state of catastrophe" in three central regions of the country. Several hospitals were evacuated and communications with Concepcion were knocked out.  

In the capital city of Santiago, which is about 200 miles from the earthquake, IMB field personnel reported in a 5 a.m. e-mail that they had experienced "very scary shaking" and that electrical, telephone and water services were cut off.   

IMB and BGR leadership began consulting immediately during the early morning hours after the earthquake, said Scott Holste, associate vice president for the IMB’s Office of Global Strategy.  

"We are evaluating damage reports as they come in and preparing initial response plans, if it is determined that a significant response is needed," Holste said. "Southern Baptists have ministry partners in Chile who will be able to help respond immediately with basic necessities."  

"We know that immediate needs usually include things like food, water, shelter and medical needs," Brown said. "We have emergency response funds available to help with the crisis response. Southern Baptists always respond quickly when a disaster like this strikes. They pray and give from the heart. We’re glad to know so many people who care are ready to spring into action to help people in need."  

Word has been received from IMB leaders in Chile that all field personnel have been accounted for and are safe; information about the impact on the Chilean Baptist community is being sought. IMB will be monitoring developments and will issue further announcements about needs and response as more information becomes available.

How You Can Help

Pray - Prayer is urgently needed for thousands of people in Chile whose lives have been upturned by a massive earthquake that struck in the early morning hours of Feb. 27, says an International Mission Board strategist closely tied to the area. “We want to ask Christians everywhere to lift up people in need after this huge disaster,” said Terry Lassiter, strategist for the American Peoples affinity group. “We thank the Lord that all of our missionaries are well but there has been a very significant loss of life that is going to affect both our church community and the non-Christian community in Chile.” Read more. For future prayer requests, also visit CompassionNet.

Donate - Donations may be directed to the Disaster Response Fund at www.gobgr.org.

EKG-Acts 1:8 Focus Makes BIG Impact

2010-02-27T11:57:00.005-05:00

By Tim Yarbrough
The numbers are in and it's no surprise they indicate a church's focus on Kingdom growth and Acts 1:8 missions makes a significant impact on baptisms, mission participants and giving.

An informal survey of churches committing to the Acts 1:8 Challenge, versus all Southern Baptist churches, shows a church's focus on its role in carrying out "the mission of God" makes a huge difference in Great Commission impact. More than 3,800 SBC churches have signed up to be a part of the Acts 1:8 Challenge initiative since its launch in May 2004. The survey was done by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) research team.

Per capita, the number of baptisms by churches embracing the Acts 1:8 Challenge are double the number baptized in all SBC churches. The survey showed that mission participants averaged 28 per capita in Acts 1:8-focused churches, as compared to four per capita in non-Acts 1:8 Challenge churches.

Additionally, giving to the Cooperative Program, Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon were markedly higher. Below is a summary of the survey:

Gains Seen Around EKG Emphasis in Louisiana  
Recently, an article published in Baptist Press pointed to similar gains in Louisiana churches as a result of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's focus on Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG). The Acts 1:8 Challenge has been the missional component of EKG since 2004.

The Baptist Press article, "Making an Effective Difference for the Kingdom," with details from the Louisiana survey, is available here.

Below, John Yeats, director of communications for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, discusses results of the Louisiana EKG survey with Scott Pittman of Kentucky, center, and Duane Kuykendall of North Carolina, left, at the Acts 1:8 Challenge Advisory Team meeting Feb. 23 in Nashville.

Acts 1:8 Materials and Displays Available

2010-02-06T06:34:00.006-05:00

The Acts 1:8 Challenge offers free to churches, associations and state conventions a host of printed materials, which are featured for order on here.

You may not know that Acts 1:8 displays are available for loan as well for your upcoming mission event. Additionally, you may order your own customized Acts 1:8 Challenge display from our convenient Fed-Ex Kinkos store.

At right is an example of what's available in a pull-up style.

For more information about materials or displays contact the Acts 1:8 Challenge team.

Associational Acts 1:8 Challenge Training

2010-02-03T13:53:00.007-05:00

Peer-led training around the Associational Acts 1:8 Strategy has been posted on the Network of Baptist Associations (NOBA) eQuip training portal.

Training sessions are for s director of missions interested in leading churches to fully embrace and develop an Acts 1:8 paradigm of ministry.

The presentations are from the Network of Baptist Association Summit 2010 held January 11, 2010, at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where a number of directors of missions presented a process for implementing the Acts 1:8 Challenge in associations. Click on session link to view.

Acts 1:8 Challenge Training NOBA eQuip course link

Individual training session links:

Session 1 - Acts 1:8 Challenge Strategy (Part 1) Led by Jeff Thompson, DOM, Concord Baptist Association, Fort Smith, Ark.

Session 2 - Acts 1:8 Challenge Strategy (Part 2) Led by Jeff Thompson, DOM, Concord Baptist Association, Fort Smith, Ark.

Session 3 - Acts 1:8 Challenge Association Implementation Led by Sid Hopkins, DOM, Gwinnett Metro Baptist Association, Lawrenceville, Ga.

Session 4 - Acts 1:8 Challenge Tools for Associations Led by Duane Kuykendall, DOM, Catawba Valley Baptist Association, Hickory, N.C.

FAQ: Haiti and IMB

2010-01-13T17:31:00.004-05:00

Do we have personnel in Haiti and are they safe?

IMB does not currently have personnel living in Haiti. IMB is continuing to work with Baptist partners who have direct ministries there.

What is being done to help after the earthquake?

IMB’s human needs partner, Baptist Global Response, is coordinating relief efforts with other Baptist partners. The Florida Baptist Convention has many ongoing ministries with Haiti and will be the primary coordinator of the Southern Baptist response there.

I want to be involved. How can I go? Give? Pray?

Assessments have begun and there will be more specific information forthcoming.

Meanwhile, you can pray for those who have lost loved ones in this disaster. Pray that as relief is provided for physical needs, opportunities will also arise for meeting spiritual needs.

Give?

Relief efforts are going to be costly. If you want to give online, please go to imb.org, click on giving, and click on human needs. 100% of your donation will be used in to provide relief; no funds will be used for administration or promotion.

Go?

Assessments have begun and we will have more information in the next several hours. As you may have heard on news reports, there is a need to make sure aid from all sources is coordinated so that all individuals will receive the help they need.

Information will be posted on imb.org later today and in following days about any specific needs.

A18C Association Training at NOBA

2010-01-05T09:38:00.005-05:00

The Acts 1:8 Challenge is conducting a special training event for associational directors of missions all day Monday, Jan. 11, prior to the start of the Network of Baptist Associations (NOBA) Associational Summit 2010.

The event is being held to train directors of missions and Acts 1:8 Challenge state coordinators around the new Acts 1:8 Challenge Association Process.

Included in the training will be an overview of the Acts 1:8 association process, best practices of directors of missions who have implemented Acts 1:8 in their associations, and an overview of Acts 1:8 tools that are available.

Trainers include Jeff Thompson, director of missions of Concord Baptist Association, Fort Smith, Ark.; Sid Hopkins, director of missions of Gwinnett Metro Baptist Association, Lawrenceville, Ga.; and Duane Kuykendall, director of missions of the Catawba Valley Baptist Association, Hickory, N.C.

Training will be videotaped and made available via NOBA's eQuip training portal.

More information is available by email at actsone8challenge@gmail.com.

IMB Connect

2009-12-21T15:56:00.001-05:00

Now you can access IMB’s best practices, projects, training and field information all in one place. Preparing the churches of your association for short-term missions has never been easier. We have developed training and project templates that will help churches have an effective and streamlined experience on their short-term overseas mission. It is all available to Southern Baptist churches and your association. Please go to imbconnect.net to sign up.

Churches Becoming "Missionary Encouragers"

2009-11-20T14:48:00.006-05:00

A great way to support missions efforts in your Samaria is to adopt-a-missionary through the North American Mission Board's Missionary Encourager initiative. Individuals, Sunday School classes and even an entire church can be a Missionary Encourager!

Here's an excerpt from a recent Baptist Press article about Missionary Encourager:

"The best thing about having them adopt me was all of their prayers and e-mails," said missionary Jamie Daughtry said. "I was struggling with some things that fall and really going through a hard time. Their e-mails, letters and gifts encouraged me in a way I've never been encouraged before. God proved Himself faithful through those precious people."

Read the entire Baptist Press article here. For more information or to sign up to become a Missionary Encourager visit www.namb.net/encourager.

Dr. Rick Lance: NA Missions Important

2009-10-22T17:21:00.003-04:00

(Click on image for video link)

The Alabama Baptist sat down recently with Dr. Rick Lance of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions to ask him about his views on the importance of North American missions and the North American Mission Board. This video offers a taste of that interview. To view the full interview, go to www.ricklance.com/missions.

NAMB Focuses on Panta Ta Ethne

2009-10-22T14:36:00.002-04:00

The North American Mission Board (NAMB) is focusing on people groups through its new North American People Spectrum emphasis.

“The New Testament gives examples of one-on-one sharing, but in the majority of New Testament evangelism stories, groups, households, even towns came to Christ,” says Mark Snowden, a coordinator of Strategic Planning and People Groups for NAMB’s Church Planting Group.

To lay this out as a way for churches to reach their communities, the North American Mission Board has developed the North American Peoples Spectrum along with other practical resources. The Spectrum is a visual tool illustrating the ways in which people group themselves according to kinship, geography, and interests. To apply this understanding toward evangelism in a community, additional tools such as surveys, people team training, and online databases will assist churches in locating the different peoples in their communities to help members network for evangelism.

“Sharing a full gospel message requires understanding who the people are, and how they might process and understand what you’re saying,” says Snowden. “With a love and concern for the lost we can strip our cultural baggage that may confuse the gospel message and enter their world just as Jesus entered our world to give us life.”

Read the entire article at On Mission magazine's website.

Church Personalizes Missions with Great Commission Connection

2009-10-15T22:22:00.003-04:00

Hayes Wicker, pastor of First Baptist Church, Naples, Fla., hopes change the way his church thinks about missions and missionaries by launching the “Great Commission Connection.”

The goal of GCC is to personalize missions and link missionaries and church members, while at the same time boosting support for Southern Baptists’ missions funding mechanism, according to Wicker.

Read the entire story from the Florida Baptist Witness.

NC Church Works the "Acts 1:8 Way"

2009-10-07T13:05:00.004-04:00

Dudley Shoals Baptist Church in Granite Falls, N.C. goes with the "tried and true" when it comes to doing church.

Going with what works also is why Dudley Shoals Baptist Church gives 25 percent of its undesignated receipts to missions through the Cooperative Program, says pastor Ronald Winkler. "It still works."

"The Cooperative Program is the lifeblood of our church," Winkler said of the way state conventions in the Southern Baptist Convention work together the Acts 1:8 way -- supporting local, regional, national and international missions and ministries.

Read the entire story about Dudley Shoals Baptist Church on Baptist Press and visit its website www.dudleyshoalsbaptistchurch.org.

Podcast 58: A Church On Mission-Antioch

2009-10-01T13:25:00.002-04:00

In this month's Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast, Danny Sinquefield, pastor of Faith Baptist Church, Bartlett, Tenn., shares a message about the importance of the local church and its role in fulfilling the Great Commission.

A18C Podcast 58 - "A Church On Mission - Antioch," was recorded at the recent Acts 1:8 Summit held in Carson Springs, Tenn.

Download the Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast today at www.ActsOne8.com/podcastfeed or search for the Acts 1:8 Challenge on iTunes. Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/ax44ak

Church Reaches Students Around Acts 1:8

2009-09-09T19:36:00.004-04:00

As a part of their Acts 1:8 strategy to reach its community with the love of Jesus Christ, members of First Baptist Church in Gordo, Ala., assisted 60 underprivileged elementary school students start the school year with backpacks full of school supplies in eastern Alabama.

"We set the bar high, and we said we wanted to raise enough for 60 kids, but we actually got all 60 and had money left over," Singleton said. "We're trying to fulfill the Acts 1:8 mandate and fulfill the needs of our community."

Read the entire story on Baptist Press.

New Podcast: Acts 1:8 Witness: Having God's Concern

2009-09-01T11:26:00.002-04:00

The Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast is two years young! Don't miss the latest installment this month by downloading A18C Podcast 57 - "Acts 1:8 Witness: Having God's Concern."

The podcast features Dr. Kevin Peacock, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary, Cochrane, Alberta, who shares why it is important for believers to have an Acts 1:8 witness. Dr. Peacock spoke during the Acts 1:8 Summit held at Carson Springs Conference Center in Tennessee.

Download the Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast today at www.ActsOne8.com/podcastfeed or search for the Acts 1:8 Challenge on iTunes. Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/ax44ak

New Podcast: RA Testimonies

2009-07-31T22:54:00.005-04:00

Don't miss a special edition of the Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast this month titled, "RA Testimonies."

This podcast features testimonies from men whose lives have been impacted through the Royal Ambassadors ministry. Royal Ambassadors (RAs) is a Bible-centered, church-based, Southern Baptist mission education organization for boys in grades 1-6.

You may access the Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast at www.ActsOne8.com/podcastfeed or search for the Acts 1:8 Challenge on iTunes. Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/ax44ak

New Podcast: Witness the Church in Action!

2009-06-17T06:48:00.007-04:00

Listen to the latest Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast "Watch the Church in Action" featuring Ed Admundson, pastor of High Street Baptist Church, Somerset, Ky., at www.ActsOne8.com/podcastfeed or search for the Acts 1:8 Challenge on iTunes. Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/ax44ak

South Carolina Acts 1:8 Video Podcasts

2009-06-08T09:11:00.009-04:00

Tim Rice, above, Acts 1:8 Strategist with the South Carolina Missions Mobilization Group, discusses how to prepare prisoner packets in a recent Podcast.

The South Carolina Baptist Convention missions team now has a Acts 1:8 Challenge video Podcast. South Carolina's video Podcast joins the the Acts 1:8 Challenge audio Podcast, which was launched in August 2007.

Recent topics on the South Carolina Acts 1:8 Podcast include:

Check out all of the South Carolina Pocasts here. Direct URL: http://www.scbaptist.org/podcasts

Kentucky's 'All the World' Blog

2009-05-15T10:40:00.005-04:00

Be sure to follow Kentucky's Acts 1:8 Challenge coordinator, Scott Pittman, right, as he shares updates on the activities of Kentucky Baptists and practical updates on the leading your church to become more missional in his blog, All the World.

Scott served from 1991 - 2007 as a missionary in Vitória and Teresina, Brazil through the International Mission Board. Prior to going overseas, Pittman served as senior pastor of Simpsonville Baptist Church in Simpsonville, Ky.

Check out Scott's blog here or copy and past its URL link into your browser: http://www.go2alltheworld.com

Acts 1:8 Challenge in Maryland-Delaware

2009-04-28T06:49:00.003-04:00

Check out the Acts 1:8 Challenge page for the Baptist Convention of Maryland-Delaware: http://bcmd.org/acts-1-8.

Freddy Parker is the state coordinator for the convention. He may be contacted by email at fparker@bcmd.org or by calling 800-466-5290, ext. 215.

New Podcast: How Can I Share My Faith

2009-04-02T18:03:00.000-04:00

Listen to the latest Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast with Dr. Bob Rogers, pastor of First Baptist Church, Rincon, Ga., preaching on "How Can I Share My Faith: God's Plan for Sharing," at www.ActsOne8.com/podcastfeed or search for the Acts 1:8 Challenge on iTunes.

Hawaii-Pacific Acts 1:8 Conference

2009-03-30T05:02:00.001-04:00

Acts 1:8 in Hawaii - Derrick Norris, left, pastor of Mililani Baptist Church; Sung Ho Kang of the Hawaii-Pacific Baptist Convention, center, and Tim Yarbrough, Acts 1:8 Challenge coordinator, at the block party held during the Acts 1:8 Glocal Mission Celebration.

Tim Yarbrough, Acts 1:8 Challenge coordinator with the North American Mission Board, had the privilege the past couple of days to be with more than 100 pastors and mission leaders attending the Acts 1:8 Glocal Mission Celebration hosted by the Hawaii-Pacific Baptist Convention.

The conference, held at Mililani Baptist Church, was co-sponsored by the Acts 1:8 Challenge and featured plenary and breakout sessions and an evening celebration service. Derrick Norris, pastor at Mililani, has led the church to a strong commitment to the Acts 1:8 Challenge.

Tim led a two-hour overview of the Acts 1:8 Challenge and an update on new tools available through the initiative.

Twelve people made professions of faith during a block party at Ewa Baptist Church on Saturday. What a wonderful testimony! The block party was held in conjunction with the conference.

Spanish A18C Doctrine Study Now Available

2009-03-25T17:35:00.000-04:00

The Acts 1:8 Challenge initiative continues to work to provide missional resources in various languages.

Our most recent effort has resulted in the translation of the Acts 1:8 Challenge doctrine study by Nate Adams into Spanish. You can access a .pdf of the study here. Other Acts 1:8 Non-English speaking resources are accessible via this link.

The English version of the study can be purchased through LifeWay here.

New Acts 1:8 Videos Posted

2009-03-25T17:30:00.000-04:00

"Pray, Go, Give – Acts 1:8," is one of three new videos added recently to our Acts 1:8 Challenge video resource library. Access the library here. All Acts 1:8 Challenge videos are free to download and distribute.

First Baptist Church, Cumming, Ga., is using the Acts 1:8 Challenge to build a comprehensive strategy to take the gospel to all the earth. In the video, pastor Bob Jolly and missions pastor Lee Weeks share about the church’s journey to be obedient to the last words of Jesus Christ.

Other new videos feature Splitlog Baptist Church in Goodman, Mo., and Grove Avenue Baptist Church in Richmond, Va.

Check them out today! If you would like to share how your church has embraced the Acts 1:8 Challenge, contact me: Tim Yarbrough, Acts 1:8 Challenge National Coordinator, tyarbrough@namb.net, or call 1 800 4 ACTS18. I would love to hear from you!

Direct Link: http://www.actsone8.com/site/pp.asp?c=euLXJfMQKrH&b=494949

New Acts 1:8 Reading Room

2009-02-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

Check out the new Acts 1:8 Challenge Reading Room posted recently at www.ActsOne8.com. The Reading Room is designed to point you to books and other resources that can assist you in developing your comprehensive Acts 1:8 strategy.

Direct Link: http://www.actsone8.com/site/pp.asp?c=euLXJfMQKrH&b=4771635

Watch the Acts 1:8 Challenge Overview

2009-02-01T14:14:00.001-05:00

The Acts 1:8 Challenge is now partnering with the Network of Baptist Associations (NOBA) to provide training videos to Acts 1:8 leaders.

Recently, Tim Yarbrough, Acts 1:8 Challenge coordinator with the North American Mission Board, presented an overview of the Acts 1:8 Challenge initiative and new tools at the 2009 Summit of the Network of Baptist Associations held at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

New tools were developed in 2008 designed to assist directors of missions assist their churches in becoming a worldwide mission centers.

Check out the presentation here.

Direct Link: http://noba.e-quip.net/presentations/show/1706

New Podcast - International Seafarers

2008-12-31T14:25:00.000-05:00

Check out the latest Acts 1:8 Challenge Podcast with Adrian Turner of the International Seafarer Center in Pascagoula, Miss., who discusses how churches can assist in reaching seamen at www.ActsOne8.com/podcastfeed or search for the Acts 1:8 Challenge on iTunes.

Hawaii Churches Honored for Acts 1:8 Work

2008-12-24T00:30:00.000-05:00

Veryl Henderson, the executive director of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention, recently recognized churches active in carrying the gospel to all four fields of the Acts 1:8 Challenge at their 66th annual meeting.

Churches recognized were First Baptist Church of Haleiwa, First Baptist Church of Wahiawa, Kaumana Driva Baptist Church, Waikiki Baptist Church, Lanai Baptist Church and Happy Valley Baptist Church.

Read the Baptist Press article here.

Direct Link: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=29494

Acts 1:8 - "The bonfire around which the church gathers"

2008-12-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

I have traveled throughout the Southern Baptist Convention this past year helping dozens of local churches, associations and state conventions to more fully implement and utilize the Acts 1:8 partnership. As a result, I am amazed and humbled by the renewed passion God is creating among His people for His mission.

The Acts 1:8 Challenge is unique among denominational emphases of recent years. From the beginning, the purpose of the Acts 1:8 Challenge initiative was to not to become a program, but a passion!

Pastors and other key leaders of Southern Baptist churches of all sizes are identifying a return to an Acts 1:8 style of missions as God's way of refocusing their ministries. The purpose of the church is for every member to be actively sharing Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world..."in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth!"

Versailles Baptist Church in Versailles, Ky., recently celebrated what God has done through its focus on Acts 1:8 since officially kicking off its Acts 1:8 Challenge emphasis in November 2007.

“Our missions giving has increased over 30 percent this past year,” said Michael Cabell, minister of discipleship and evangelism. “Our Lottie Moon giving was double what it was the year before. In 2007, we had 16 people go on short-term mission trips. In 2008, we had 138 people [go]…that’s an 870 percent increase!

“Acts 1:8 has made a marked difference in our church,” said Cabell. “It has become the ‘bonfire around which our church gathers.’”

Stories like that of Versailles Baptist are being repeated in many of the nearly 3,500 churches across the Southern Baptist Convention that have accepted the Acts 1:8 Challenge.

When a church focuses on the Acts 1:8 paradigm of missions, every aspect of the church—His church—has purpose. For example, no longer is a small group Bible study, music or youth ministry only for members who have been assimilated into the body of the church. Rather, these programs become strategic and significant outreach tools to share the message of Jesus Christ.

First Baptist Church, Star City, Ark., was founded in the 1800s and has a long history ministering to the rural community surrounding it.

During an Acts 1:8 conference hosted at the church for the Harmony Baptist Association, I visited briefly with the church's young pastor, Stephen Beavers.

As with many churches its age, tradition sometimes trumps new and innovative ministry to the community. But through the church’s focus on God’s mission and a commitment to the Acts 1:8 Challenge, Beavers said God continues to keep its evangelistic glow alive.

Recently, after the church’s youth pastor left, God used a mission trip to its Samaria to raise up a new leader for the church’s youth.

“While in Wichita, Kansas, where we were dong street witnessing, God ignited a passion for youth ministry in a man who was saved at our church,” said Beavers. “He personally led several people to the Lord.”

Today, the man serves as the church’s interim youth pastor.

“God has done a great work there,” said Beavers. “And it started during a missions trip experience. He is a real soul winner!”

At this time of year with the Christmas Season and New Year at hand, now is a great time for a church to consider "rebooting" its mission, so to speak, and install new Kingdom focus "software" and missional DNA that will fuel everything it is and does.

A commitment to making disciples of all nations by taking the Gospel to a church's community (Jerusalem), region/state (Judea), nation/continent (Samaria) and world (ends of the earth) clarifies purpose, simplifies and gives direction to a church’s earthly existence.

While it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and pageantry of Christmas programs, churches with God’s mission at their core focus on the true reason for the season and how they share Christ in a world so desperately in need of Him.

Tim Yarbrough is a mission strategist and leader of the Church Relations Team at the North American Mission Board. He serves as the national coordinator of the Acts 1:8 Challenge initiative. More information about the Acts 1:8 Challenge is available at www.ActsOne8.com.

Acts 1:8 Facebook Group Launched

2008-11-25T14:06:00.000-05:00

If you are a Facebook user, the Acts 1:8 Challenge now has a group for you! Recently, the group was launched and will feature updates, videos, events and more.

Already, several hundred people have joined the group. Check it out here today (you must be a registered Facebook user to access, but it's free!).

A18C Forum Held in San Diego

2008-07-15T16:37:00.000-04:00

Sharing at Acts 1:8 Forum
Tiffany Smith, Acts 1:8 Challenge Coordinator the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC), shares at the Acts 1:8 Challenge Forum.

Fourteen state conventions, association representatives and numerous Southern Baptist entities were in attendance for the annual Acts 1:8 Challenge Forum held July 9-11 in San Diego.

Acts 1:8 representatives from Indiana, Louisiana, California, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Maryland-Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina and Arkansas attended. All of the states are at various levels of developing their Acts 1:8 Challenge strategies.

A vision tour of San Diego was held on Friday afternoon following the end of the Forum. San Diego is a North American Mission Board Strategic Focus City. You can learn more about the work going on in San Diego at www.visionsandiego.com.

The meeting is the annual strategic planning meeting for the Acts 1:8 Challenge. The 2009 meeting will be held July 8-10 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Check out more photos of the Forum here (a free Shutterfly account is required).

Below was our schedule:

Acts 1:8 Challenge State Coordinator Forum
July 9-11, 2008
San Diego, California

Wednesday, July 9

3:00 p.m. Check-in and Registration

6:30 p.m. Banquet
- Welcome
- Vision San Diego Presentation
- Embrace Baltimore Presentation

Thursday, July 10

7:00 a.m. Breakfast

8:00 a.m. Devotion – Robby Tingle, Arkansas

8:30 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

9:00 a.m. Update on Next Steps (Phase 2)
- Leadership Seminar Pilots
- A18C Event Planning Guide
- State Partner Pages
- Bi-monthly Conference Calls
- Dialogue

10:00 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. Update on Next Steps (Phase 2)
- A18C Curriculum; A18C Renewal – Jim Burton and David Nelms
- Consultant/Coaching Directory
- A18C Podcasts, Website and Doc Store
- Dialogue

Noon Lunch and Fellowship

1:00 p.m. A18C Assessment – Jerry Chamness

3:00 p.m. Break

3:30 p.m. Show and Tell (State/Association Best Practices)

4:30 p.m. Adjourn

5:00 p.m. Gather in Hotel Lobby, Leave for Dinner

Friday, July 11

7:00 a.m. Breakfast

8:00 a.m. Devotion – Tiffany Smith, Texas

8:30 a.m. Show and Tell (State/Association Best Practices) Continued

9:30 a.m. A18C Consultation Tools and 2008-09 Promotion/Deployment
- A18C Leadership Seminars
- A18C Renewal Weekend/Student Weekend
- A18C Pastor Practitioner/MOM Network
- A18C Regional Conferences & Training (Association and State)
- A18C Website Development (Phase 2)
- A18C 2008 Enlistment (advertising, promotion, direct mail)
- Updating A18C Church Registration in States

10:00 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. A18C Consultation Tools and 2008-09 Promotion/Deployment

Noon

Lunch and Closing Dialogue

A Passionate Soul Winner!

2008-06-11T13:56:00.000-04:00

You Will be My Witnesses...
James McCollough, the "Witnessing Hitchhiker," left, in Indy with my son, Caleb.

My 18-year-old son, Caleb, and I are at the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, where I have manning an exhibit for the Acts 1:8 Challenge, among other responsibilities.

Speaking of Acts 1:8, I have met perhaps no better example of "You will my witnesses..." in my life than the Rev. James McCollough of California.

I have know James for nearly 18 years. James has used his "hitchhiking" ministry as a way meet people and tell them about Jesus. Believe it or not, he hitchhiked all the way from his home in California to Indianapolis, witnessing to people all along the way!

My prayer is that we all will have the same passion for sharing Jesus as James does!

During our meeting with James, Caleb prayed for God to protect James on his way home to California.

First Acts 1:8 Leadership Conference Held

2008-02-17T13:44:00.000-05:00

Four Fields of the Acts 1:8 Challenge
From left, Tim Yarbrough of the North American Mission Board and national coordinator of the Acts 1:8 Challenge; Eric King of the International Mission Board; Robby Tingle of the Arkansas State Baptist Convention; and Dwayne Tanton, director of missions of Harmony Baptist Association; led a discussion of the four fields of Acts 1:8 at the first Acts 1:8 Challenge Leadership Conference Feb. 16.

I was privileged to be a part of the team that conducted the first-ever Acts 1:8 Challenge Leadership Conference Feb. 16 in Arkansas.

The conference was held at First Baptist Church, Star City, Ark., and was hosted by Harmony Baptist Association. Dewayne Tanton is the director of missions.

I spoke at the confernce, along with Tanton, Robby Tingle of the Arkansas State Baptist Convention, and Eric King of the International Mission Board. The new leadership conferences are one of many new tools being introduced in 2008.

Here's a link to more photos from the event, as well as other Acts 1:8 Challenge photos. Check it out!

Acts 1:8 "Doc Store" Now Available

2007-10-11T14:33:00.000-04:00

Acts 1:8 leaders now have a new resource to assist them in promoting the Acts 1:8 Challenge in their church, association or state convention.

It's called the Acts 1:8 Challenge FedEx Kinkos "Doc Store" and is accessible via this link.

Promotion materials - from bulletin inserts, posters, displays to Bible bookmarks - are available for order today.

Try it today!

Direct Link: https://docstore.kinkos.com/actsone8/SplashAction.do

3,000 Churches Embrace Acts 1:8 Challenge!

2007-05-01T20:44:00.000-04:00

Wow! More than 3,000 Southern Baptist churches have now "signed on the dotted" line to embrace the Acts 1:8 Challenge and made a commitment to be intentional and comprehensive in their mission efforts!

You can read more about it in the recent article in Baptist Press link. Here's an excerpt:

3,000-plus churches embrace Acts 1:8

Posted on Apr 30, 2007 | by Mickey NoahALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--More than 3,000 Southern Baptist churches have registered commitments to develop an intentional and comprehensive missions strategy through the Acts 1:8 Challenge.

Launched in May 2004 by the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board in cooperation with Baptist state conventions and associations, the Acts 1:8 Challenge is designed to encourage SBC churches to take a fresh look at how they plan and execute their missions efforts.

"It's a testimony to the passion that Southern Baptists have for Jesus' Acts 1:8 mandate to impact lostness and create disciples of all nations that in less than three years, 3,019 churches across the United States and Canada have embraced the challenge," said Tim Yarbrough, director of church relations at NAMB.

Direct Link: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=25543

Nate Adams Teaches Acts 1:8 at Korean Gathering

2007-04-29T12:03:00.000-04:00

Nate Adams, author of the Acts 1:8 Challenge doctrine study, The Acts 1:8 Challenge: Empowering the Church To Be On Mission (available here through LifeWay), was one of the keynote speakers recently at the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America meeting in Houston, Texas.

Korean leaders sought to better understand their role in the Southern Baptist Convention and focused on the Acts 1:8 Challenge as a way to effectively reach the world for Jesus Christ. Here's an excerpt from the Baptist Press article:

"In other words, Korean pastors want to be an effective part of the Southern Baptist Convention and gather annually as the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America to hear in their own language and come to more completely understand what it is to be a Southern Baptist.

"How is this done? Nate Adams, executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association, provides one answer. He spoke in English last year to the Korean gathering about the SBC's Acts 1:8 Challenge. In an hour-long presentation, Adams showed how Jesus' final command -– go into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the world -– meshed with the organization of the SBC's associations, state conventions, North American Mission Board and International Mission Board. Adams provided a Korean-language manuscript of his talk so his listeners -– probably all of whom knew some English –- could in their primary language ponder his words in the days and weeks that followed."

Study helps for teaching the Acts 1:8 Challenge doctrine study are available here.

Direct Link: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=25527

First Acts 1:8 Renewal Weekend in Colorado

2007-03-28T14:51:00.000-04:00

Recently, I was privileged serve as Bible study teacher during the first-ever Acts 1:8 Renewal Weekend.

The event was hosted by Cornerstone Baptist Church of Lone Tree, Colo., about 15 miles south of Denver. Michael Wright is senior pastor of the 18-year-old 220-family church. Wright said the weekend "forced us to become laser-focused on prayer and evangelism."

"Now our deacons are asking me questions like 'What can we do to make evangelism a lifestyle here, not just part of the church? How do we make missions and evangelism an everyday thing in my life?' This tells me that the Acts 1:8 program is going deep," Wright said. "That's music to my ears as pastor," he said.

The Acts 1:8 Renewal Weekend is one of many new implementation tools currently being developed for churches.

Churches desiring to jump-start their Acts 1:8 missions commitment should look closely at conducting an Acts 1:8 Renewal Weekend. I feel there is no better way to bring awareness to and a passion for God's mission in the world than through a focused event like a renewal weekend.

Acts 1:8 Renewal Weekends are led by laypeople, not pastors. The four-day session begins with a 24-hour prayer vigil on Thursday, followed by general and teaching sessions, worship/sharing celebrations, prayer time and fellowship meals from Friday night to Sunday night.

You can read more about conducting an Acts 1:8 Renewal Weekend in your church here. Audio of the renewal weekend and Bible teaching is available for download via this link as well.

Churches as Missionaries

2006-10-11T20:17:00.000-04:00

Some significant discussion about the state of the church today in today's Baptist Press.

‘Breaking the Missional Code’
sees churches as ‘missionaries’
By Mark Kelly

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--Many Southern Baptist churches once were remarkably effective in their outreach but now are struggling because their evangelism techniques no longer connect with communities whose culture has fragmented and radically changed.

“Too many churches are boldly pressing forward in the third millennium with the methods and ministries that worked in 1954,” Ed Stetzer and David Putman write in “Breaking the Missional Code,” a 2006 release from the B&H Publishing Group of LifeWay Christian Resources.

Referencing the Southern Baptist Convention’s highly successful “Million More in ’54” Sunday School campaign, Stetzer and Putnam note: “The problem is that we aren’t sent to the culture of 1954.”

Stetzer is a missiologist who directs the North American Mission Board’s Center for Missional Research; Putman is executive pastor of the Atlanta-area Mountain Lake Church in Cumming.

Southern Baptists need to adopt the process used by their missionaries in seeking to be an incarnational, loving presence of Christ on their mission fields, Stetzer and Putnam write.

“The missionary studies the culture, looking for the ways God is already revealing Himself to the people,” the authors recount. “When that ‘bridge’ is found, the missionary can express the eternal truth of the Gospel in a way that is indigenous to the culture. People respond with joy and the Gospel spreads like wildfire through the network of their relationships.”

A “missional” church, then, is one that acts like a missionary in its community, Stetzer and Putnam write.

Many church leaders, however, see evangelism as “something that takes place near us, while missions takes place overseas,” Stetzer and Putman write. “Our paganized, secularized, spiritualized North American culture,” they point out, “should be seen as a mission field.

“Evangelism is telling people about Jesus; missions involves understanding them before we tell them,” the authors note. “Large segments of people in our society and many aspects of our culture have yet to be influenced with the Gospel. Applying missionary principles in the North American context means we seek to understand the cultural situation and its people as we seek to reach them with the Gospel.”

Failure to understand a community explains why strategies that work for some pastors don’t work for others, Stetzer and Putman write. “Too many pastors lead churches in their heads and not their communities. They pastor some idealized version of someone else’s community rather than understanding and reaching their own.”

Stetzer and Putman compare two pastors, one who chooses to understand the culture and one who thinks culture does not matter. “Both pastors faithfully preach, teach and reach out,” the authors note in the introduction to Breaking the Missional Code. Yet the results are different. “We are convinced you can be equally called, gifted and passionate and yet experience different levels of success” depending on the leader’s cultural awareness, they write.

The reason a ministry approach brings great success in one community yet fails in another is that the second community differs culturally from the first, Stetzer says. “It’s funny,” he observes, “we require international missionaries to do the very thing we often forbid North American churches -- to contextualize their approach to their culture.”

Stetzer, who has started churches in three states, learned the hard way that culture matters. “Years ago, my church growth world began to come apart,” he recounts. “Many of the surefire, guaranteed, great, new, whiz-bang programs weren’t working in my church or the churches we were starting. They were supposed to work. They worked in other places, but they did not work for us.

“It took a while for us to figure it out, but the reality was that what worked in one place did not work with effectiveness everywhere else,” Stetzer says. “The cultural code in my community was different from the cultural code where the experts lived. We were living on different mission fields.”

Breaking the missional code, Stetzer and Putnam write, requires church leaders to think through their context, apply biblical principles that work in every context and apply the tools most relevant for the particular context. Grasping a community’s culture and finding a strategy that will overcome barriers amounts to “finding a redemptive window through which the Gospel can shine.”

“Missions history is filled with stories of great revivals because missionaries were able to ‘break the code’ and the church exploded in their community,” the authors write.

Being a “missional” church, however, should not be confused with being contemporary, seeker-sensitive, postmodern, emerging or any of the various forms of church being tried across America, Stetzer and Putnam note. Those can all be missional, they write, but a traditional church can be just as much a missionary in its community as any other.

“A church is missional when it remains faithful to the Gospel message while contextualizing its ministry to the degree it can so the Gospel can engage the worldview of the hearers,” Stetzer says. “Traditional churches that are engaging communities that are receptive to traditional methods are just as missional as are contemporary, blended, ethnic or emerging congregations. The key is biblical fidelity and missional engagement in the culture where we are.”

In a country where so many have no understanding of the basic Christian message and do not identify with the traditional Christian subculture, churches must step out of their buildings and take the Gospel into their communities, Stetzer says.

“It’s time for us to stop thinking attractionally –- ‘Come see our show’ --– and start to think incarnationally -– ‘Let’s go among them and tell them of this Savior who transformed our lives.’”

Joe Thorn, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Elburn, Ill., notes that the missionary thrust of Stetzer and Putnam’ Breaking the Missional Code is not “a one-size-fits-all approach to church, nor does it value innovation for its own sake. It does, however, challenge the church to love God and neighbor by making the former known to the latter in the most effective ways for its community.”

The book encourages churches “to look beyond prepackaged programs that promise immediate results to universal principles and a process of implementing those principles in ways most appropriate to a church’s unique context,” Thorn wrote in a review circulated by LifeWay Christian Resources. “It pushes churches to know their communities’ needs, values and language in order to more effectively demonstrate that the Kingdom of God has come and redemption is real.”

One of the most valuable components of Breaking the Missional Code, Thorn wrote, “is how Stetzer and Putman lead readers through open-ended, diagnostic questions that give them a clearer picture of where their church is, and where it needs to go.”

The “biblical rooting” of Breaking the Missional Code “allows for cultural diversity,” Thorn wrote. “[It] can bring greater health, cooperation and success to the Southern Baptist Convention by encouraging agreement on the essentials, diversity where necessary and an emphasis on what local churches must do as God’s missionary people to their community.
--30--

Making the Missional Church Move

2006-08-25T00:58:00.000-04:00

Mark Love, assistant professor of ministry and the Director of Ministry Events at Abilene Christian University, discusses the missional church movement:

We’ve heard of “purpose driven” and “seeker sensitive” churches. These descriptions have found their way into our church-speak glossaries and are now thrown around casually in conversations about congregational life. Well, it’s time to add another term to your glossary: missional church. Read on.

Church: It's All About 'Mission'

2006-08-21T21:10:00.000-04:00

Ed Stetzer's new book, The Missional Church, is a profound call to the New Testament 21st Century church to "get back to the main thing," that is, to become missional.

“Christian leaders are beginning to understand that the church must not rework its programs; it must rediscover its mission. In short, it must become missional," says Stetzer.

That's the message I share when I speak to pastors and missions leaders when presenting the Acts 1:8 Challenge. That is, it's on longer about "missions," rather the "mission" of the church.

Our churches must be about transformational change that ultimately creates disciples. A church that's not actively doing that isn't fulfilling Christ's call for the church to take the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8).

As Stetzer states, “As the church rediscovers its missional nature, it will acquire a renewed passion to be a people on mission.”

Missional Church: Model, Movement or Mute Point?

2006-08-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

By John M. Bailey
North American Mission Board, SBC

Have you heard the phrase “missional church”? Do you use it? Do you know the kind of church it describes? Some say the point is mute… that it is like saying “canine dog” or “feline cat.” Some say it is a movement of God. Some say it is a church planting model.

Although it is still a work in progress, The Enlistment and Missional Networks Team has compiled a definition for your review:

A missional church is a reproducing community of authentic disciples who abandon themselves to passionately seek the heart of God and to live out His mission in their community and around the world.

First, a missional church is a reproducing community of disciples. Missional churches are aware of the human need for community, as well as the transforming power of Christian community. Therefore, the practice of community is highly valued. It is in community that doubt disappears. It is where loneliness fades away. It is where faith, hope and love abound.

Gathering a large crowd in a single location does not appear to be a priority. Missional churches seem to know that community, connectivity, occurs best in smaller gatherings. Thus, an emphasis is placed upon creating multiple reproducing communities with some sort of connectivity to the host church. Success, therefore, is measured not by the crowd gathered on Sunday, but by the number of faith communities who exist in the context of culture.

Second, missional churches are a community of authentic disciples. Authentic Christianity occurs in community where people are held accountable -- where individuals are expected to glorify God in what they do and say. As they grow, as they reflect the transforming power of Christ in their lives, others are attracted to their community and therefore, to Christ. They learn how to be like Jesus from Jesus. Deeds of compassion are expressions of His life and teachings. The focus switches from gathering knowledge and facts to obedience.

Third, missional churches abandon themselves, their wants or desires, for the good of others. Many of those writing about missional churches point out that some of our established churches have become places where consumers come for religious goods and services, placing an emphasis upon meeting the needs of the present congregation; upon attracting a crowd. They are calling for a new paradigm where individuals see the church as an equipping and sending center, one that places the emphasis upon the needs of those far from God, and not upon those within the family of God.

Fourth, missional churches passionately seek the heart of God. As I look at my former ministries in the local church, I believe I can safely say that we sought the heart of God -- and at times did so passionately. But this appears to be different in the missional church. I sense that there is less emphasis placed upon having a church-wide vision and strategy. Less emphasis upon the pastor declaring, “Thus says the Lord…” There seems to be rather an emphasis upon assisting individuals with discovering God’s vision for their lives as it relates to ministering in the culture in which they live.

It appears that the vision of the missional church is to empower and release authentic disciples into the harvest. Therefore, the emphasis is placed upon assisting individuals to passionately seek, clarify and live out the will of God for their lives. It’s about living a life totally led by the Spirit. Personal disciplines like prayer, worship and the study of God’s Word, are emphasized. This brings us to a small paradox. There is this sense of individualism expressed in the context of life (mission), but there is also this overwhelming dependence upon biblical community for growth and development. It’s not one over the other -- it’s both. One (community) enables individuals or small teams to live out their calling (mission) in the context of life.

Finally, missional churches live out His mission in their community and around the world. Most of my experiences have been with churches who have supported missions. We prayed for missionaries. We studied their work around the world. We sent money and teams. We celebrated those who responded to God’s call to go. Were we living out the mission of God? Were we developing missionaries to serve in our context? There is to be more than just an understanding of God’s mission in the world. There is to be active participation in the mission of God -- it is the heartbeat of the missional church.

Missional churches begin with their community, understanding that one size or type of church will not reach everyone with the gospel, and extend their efforts to the uttermost parts of the earth. They know their community and the cultures in which they serve. They seek to reach their community in a variety of ways representative of the sub-cultures that make up their community. Therefore, they have the ability to identify people groups, affinity groups, and under-reached places, and to equip disciples to journey into the harvest to live out the mission of God. They are contextual without compromising the Word of God.

Which brings us to our question, “Is the missional church a model, a movement or a mute point?” As our team continues our research, we believe we will discover transferable principles that will lead to the planting of a different kind of church in North America -- a missional church. It is more than a model. It is a movement of God. God wishes that none should perish. He equips every disciple for work in the harvest. He sends us into the world to live as salt and light. Could it be that an emphasis upon missional living will usher in a new movement of God in North America? A simple movement focused on the development of disciples who serve as missionaries in the world in which they live?

Our research, however, is a work in progress. We are still seeking to identify the characteristics of a missional church. We believe that we would benefit greatly from your input. What are you reading about the missional church? Where are the missional churches in your area? Do you consider your church to be a missional church? We would welcome an opportunity to learn from you. Please e-mail your comments regarding this article, or about the whole concept of missional church, to John M. Bailey, director of The Enlistment and Missional Networks Team, at JMBailey@namb.net. We look forward to hearing from you as our journey of discovery continues.

Mission Church Bibliography

Allen, Roland. (1963) Missionary Methods, St. Paul’s or Our’s. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans.

Brock, Charles. (1980) The Principles and Practices of Indigenous Church Planting. Manila: Baptist Center.

Engle, Paul E. & Gary L. McIntosh (Eds.). (2004) Evaluating The Church Growth Movement. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Frost, Michael & Alan Hirsch. (2003) The Shaping of Things To Come. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.

Geiger, Eric & Thom S. Rainer. (2006) Simple Church. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Guder, Darrell L. General Editor. (1998) Missional Church. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmens Publishing.

Hunter III, George G. (2000) The Celtic Way of Evangelism. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

Minetra, Milfred. (2004) Shaped By God’s Heart. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint.

Roxburgh, Alan J. & Fred Romanuk. (2006) The Missional Leader. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Stetzer, Ed & David Putman. (2006) Breaking the Missional Code. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Stetzer, Ed. (2006) Planting Missional Churches. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers.

Tillapaugh, Frank R. (1982) Unleashing The Church. Ventura, CA: Regal Books.

Tag! You're It!

2006-05-22T17:37:00.000-04:00

Many Christians have little or no idea what they're getting themselves into when they surrender their lives to Christ and commit to follow him. Once an individual says he is no longer going to his life under his own strength, but by Christ's strength alone, things change...or they should.

The same is many times true of the local church. After all, it IS a big mission, isn't it? That is, to fulfill Acts 1:8 by literally reaching the world for Jesus Christ. Before we become too overwhelmed, we must remember that we're told we don't have to go it alone. We have the power and the might of the Holy Spirit as promised in Acts to guide us in all of our ways as new Christians. What's more, Southern Baptists have the support of their denominational partners to help the church reach Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. Support comes in the form of the local association, state convention, North American Mission Board and International Mission Board.

The thing is, many Christians never do truly surrender their lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ, so they just end up going about their business as wimpy, weak vessels that don't make any kind of difference in the world. The same can be said of many churches.

That's just what the evil one would have us do. That way he can go about his business with the least amount of bother. Commit yourself and your church today to go forward today boldly in Jesus' name and to become the "missional" force Christ outlined so beautifully in Acts 1:8!

Tim Yarbrough is a mission strategist and leader of the Church Relations Team at the North American Mission Board. He serves as the national coordinator of the Acts 1:8 Challenge initaitive.

Another Convention Embraces Acts 1:8!

2005-12-06T11:12:00.000-05:00

It is refreshing and a blessing that we continue to see state conventions embrace an Acts 1:8 paradigm of missions. The latest is Minnesota-Wisconsin. Check out the Baptist Press article below. --Tim

Acts 1:8 mandate to churches underscored by Minn.-Wis. Exec
By David Williams
Dec 6, 2005

WAUKESHA, Wis. (BP)--"Let's Go Minnesota-Wisconsin!" was the theme of the two-state convention's annual meeting, challenging messengers to share the love of Christ with people at home and around the world.

A total of 88 messengers and 86 visitors attended the Nov. 3-5 sessions at the Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center in Waukesha, Wis., representing 40 churches from six of the convention's eight associations.

"It's back to the basics tonight," Leo Endel, executive director of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention, told the crowd, asking them to read Acts 1:8 in unison: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Endel shared his conviction that a biblical church follows the mandate of that verse and sees itself as a worldwide mission center.

"If we are going to be His witnesses in our Jerusalem, weíre going to have to get out of the walls and into the streets where the people are," he said, asking, "If your church closed tomorrow, would your community miss you?"

Each church also has a responsibility beyond its local community and must also find ways to reach its state, its nation and its world, Endel continued.

"You and I continue to write Acts 1:8 as we are His witnesses to the world," Endel said.

Other speakers echoed that theme.

John Avant, vice president of the evangelization group of the North American Mission Board, said Southern Baptists have gotten used to getting "boxes" from NAMB containing the latest evangelism initiative.

"When I came to this position nine months ago, I put a moratorium on creating new products," Avant said. "No longer are we going to send you a box and say, "Hereís the NAMB product we want you to use."

Instead, Avant said, churches need to "make evangelism good news again" by doing it "the Jesus way."

"We need to return to that place where evangelism is not just something super-Christians do once a week but is the joy of our life," Avant said. "If we ever return to the joy of evangelism, then almost any box will do, any program will do."

R. Philip Roberts, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., noted that the Christian church is plateaued in North America and declining in Western Europe.

"Everywhere else the church is growing," he said, citing growth in Latin America where 400 people an hour are joining evangelical churches, Korea where the Christian percentage of population has grown from 1 percent to more than 40 percent in the past 45 years, and China where a house church movement has resulted in more than 100 million believers in a communist society.

An International Mission Board representative to the Far East who was back in Minnesota-Wisconsin temporarily, challenged the convention to consider whether God might be calling it to take an international assignment.

"Is Minnesota-Wisconsin the end of the line for you, or could God be calling some of you to the ends of the earth?" asked the missionary, whose name cannot be identified for security reasons.

Kendall Moore, national literacy missionary with NAMB, encouraged churches to consider using literacy training as a tool for reaching people.

"I would encourage you to look out your door," Moore said. "There are people out there who are waiting for you to teach them how to read and write."

The Minnesota-Wisconsin meeting was without conflict or controversy, with no resolutions offered, all three officers elected by acclamation and the only other motion -- that the recommended budget be approved -- passing unanimously.

Shelby Alcott, a member of Layton Avenue Baptist Church in Greenfield, Wis., was elected president; Les Stevens, a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Rochester, Minn., first vice president; and Arne Gulbrandsen, pastor of New Beginnings Church in Racine, Wis., second vice president.

The 2006 budget of $2,211.652 is down 1.8 percent from the 2005 budget. As in the 2005 budget, 13 percent of Cooperative Program receipts will be forwarded to Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries, while 87 percent will be used for M-W causes. Principal changes in the budget, Endel told messengers, included 2.5 percent salary increases, the doubling of disaster relief funding and a downward adjustment of church planting funds due to decreased support from the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Also during the meeting:

-- A Jan. 31 retirement date was announced for Norman Wallace, M-W church growth and health director, after 21 years on staff.

-- An offering of $827.29 was received to assist churches damaged by Hurricane Katrina in the Mobile Baptist Association in Alabama.

-- Special prayer was voiced for the pastor of a Hmong Baptist church in Minnesota facing possible deportation.

There were light moments during the sessions, including a rap which Guidestone representative Mike Harris wrote for his report after hearing special music during a previous session from a church that uses Christian rap in worship:

"I'm from Guidestone and Iím here to say,

"No one's going hungry when they're old, no way!

"Retirements, investments, insurance, too,

"What we do is all about you!

"We can help one way or another

"So you wonít have to move in with your mother."

The resolutions committee also used humor in its report: "Whereas, no messenger has found sufficient reason, resolve or bellyaching to set forth a recommended resolution, be it resolved that we, the resolutions committee, have no resolution, fallacious or otherwise, to offer this body. Praise God, weíre free at last."

Next year's meeting will be Nov. 2-3 at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites in Duluth, Minn., with Paul Berthiaume, pastor of Jacobís Well in Eau Claire, Wis., scheduled to preach the annual sermon. There are 13,781 members of 145 churches and missions in the Minnesota-Wisconsin convention.
--30--
David Williams is editor of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist, newsjournal of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention.

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Acts 1:8 Challenge in Indiana!

2005-04-25T13:18:00.000-04:00

Below is an article on the Acts 1:8 Challenge by Stephen Davis, executive director for the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana. His article was printed in the April 13, 2005 issue of the Indiana Baptist to encourage SBC churches in the state to accept the Acts 1:8 Challenge. --Tim

Acts 1:8 Challenge

By Stephen P. Davis

The Acts 1:8 Challenge is a passion, not a program. There have been many programs and slogans in the history of Southern Baptists, but the “Acts 1:8 Challenge” is different. It defines the passion and focus of Jesus and is His final word to the apostles and the church. Acts begins with “…about all that Jesus began to do and to teach…” and then Jesus ascends to the right hand of the Father. The rest of the book of Acts is a continuation of our Lord’s desire carried out by the Apostles and the early church. We are excited that Southern Baptist leaders and entities are uniting around a clear, harmonious commitment to carry out our Lord’s last challenge – to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 outlines our task, our commitment and our challenge until Jesus comes. It is not a fleeting motto, program or slogan. It is our mandate as we seek to obey Jesus to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission in order to empower Kingdom growth.

“…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…” One thing is clear from Jesus – we cannot fulfill the Acts 1:8 challenge apart from His Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit working in us and through us will enable us to have the passion and commitment to be an Acts 1:8 Christian and an Acts 1:8 church. So the bottom line is this: unless the Spirit takes over our lives and churches, we will be malnourished in our effectiveness.

“…and you will be MY witnesses…” Anyone who studies this phrase in the Greek knows that the word order places emphasis on the pronoun “My.” In other words, Jesus is telling us that when the Holy Spirit is truly in charge of our lives, we will have the power and make it our priority to be a witness exclusively to Him in our world.

“…in Jerusalem…” – the local church and associational challenge. If acceptance of the Acts 1:8 Challenge does not happen here first, it will not happen. We are asking every pastor and church in Indiana to make the commitment to go on record that we accept Acts 1:8 as our strategy for reaching our communities, state, nation and world. Leaders in our churches must lead out in this commitment.

“…in all Judea…” – our state. On the state level, it is the desire of the SCBI to be a strategic partner with our pastors, churches and associations to work together to fulfill the Acts 1:8 challenge by adopting as our theme for the next three years, “Taking the Cross to the Crossroads.” Themes may come and go, but our commitment is that Acts 1:8 will be our marching orders and our mandate that will not change in focus, priority and, most of all, our passion.

“…and Samaria…” – our nation and Canada. Our strategic partner for extending the gospel to the North American Continent is the North American Mission Board (NAMB), and the guiding principle for our partnership is Acts 1:8. We are working together to equip believers to be witnesses, to start churches, to strengthen churches and to expand the influence of the gospel in every segment of society.

“…and to the ends of the earth.” – our world. We are excited about what God is doing in our world. Over a thousand people a day are coming to Christ overseas under the direct contact or influence of our missionaries. As our strategic partner to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, the International Mission Board is also united with us around Acts 1:8. They are committed to doing all they can to assist our churches in overseas partnerships with unreached and unengaged people groups. The opportunities in the days ahead, however, are unlimited for churches to impact the world, not only through prayers and giving, but personal involvement. God has given the Acts 1:8 challenge to every local church. Our commitment is to assist in every way possible the desires of our churches to fulfill the Acts 1:8 challenge and connect to people overseas who need to hear the gospel.

90% of our world is considered to be lost! When we contemplate that statistic, it is obvious that we cannot do it in our own strength, ingenuity, resources, talents and abilities, but “…by My Spirit, says the Lord!”
We want to encourage every pastor and church in our state to officially commit to the Acts 1:8 challenge. You can access it online at our web page – www.scbi.org. It will only take a minute to fill out the form; it will take until Jesus comes to carry it out. Many of our churches already have, but we are praying for every church to make that official commitment. If you do not have access to the web page, then call or write us, and we will get the brochure to you. Think about it. What Jesus has outlined for us in Acts 1:8 is His comprehensive strategy to reach our world. Every church needs to put into place each piece of the strategy. Let’s have a clear focus, uniting around our common commitment to be Acts 1:8 churches.

Our prayer? That this will be our passion, not a program. If it’s just another program, then it is doomed to eventual obscurity. If Acts 1:8 is our passion, then we will stay faithful to the task until Jesus comes!

Acts 1:8 Challenge Launches

2004-11-15T13:18:00.000-05:00

SBC Leaders Sign Acts 1:8 Covenant
Terry Fox (seated, left) and Doug Sager became the first two pastors to sign a covenant accepting the Acts 1:8 Challenge during a May 19 launch of the cooperative missions strategy. Fox serves as chairman of the North American Mission Board, while Sager chairs the International Mission Board. Photo by John Swain

“The Acts 1:8 Challenge” – which sets forth a framework for a unified denominational missions strategy based in the local church – was officially launched this past May at First Baptist Church, Woodstock, with the support of Missions leaders from every level of Southern Baptist life.

The goal of the Acts 1:8 Challenge is simple: "To developing strategies to advance the Great Commission at local, state, national and international levels."

Churches interested in learning more about or accepting the Acts 1:8 Challenge should visit www.ActsOne8.com or call 1-800-4ACTS18 (1-800-422-8718). There is also an opportunity for individuals to share the concept with their pastors or missions leaders.

Read more about the Acts 1:8 Challenge launch event via this link on Baptist Press.

Direct Link: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=18327