GALVESTON—In the wake of Hurricane Ike, several Texas Baptist churches are stepping up to help First Baptist Church of South Houston through the recovery process. On Nov. 23, the congregation did the same for a church in Galveston.

First Baptist Church of South Houston, which sustained significant damage to its facilities as a result of the hurricane, spent the day preparing and serving a turkey dinner for friends and members of Bible Baptist Church in Galveston, which took in more than 36 inches of water when the storm blew through.

Water damaged every room of the Galveston congregation’s facilities and forced the church to remove large portions of drywall. Some members still are living in other parts of Texas.

But for a night, among those who remained in Galveston there was a bit of normalcy around turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and a selection of desserts. Members and people from the community sat together around tables decorated with fall foliage. They shared stories, smiles and laughs. For some, this was the first time they returned to the church.

“We just hope to give a little bit of hope to the people here,” said Sandy Borrego, music minister at First Baptist Church of South Houston.

Manuel Longoria, pastor of First Baptist Church of South Houston, said his congregation wants to help others as they have been helped. Two Texas Baptist churches have contacted Longoria about partnering with his church. Another, Concan Baptist Mission in Concan, sent the church $10,000 to help it rebuild.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas continues to link churches affected by Hurricane Ike like First Baptist Church of South Houston with other Texas Baptist congregations.

First Baptist Church excitedly took on the task of preparing a turkey dinner for the Galveston church, Longoria said. They seized the opportunity of ministering to others in need.

“If the Lord blessed us, he wants us to be a blessing to others,” he said.

For additional information about partnering with a church that has been affected by Hurricane Ike, call Carolyn Porterfield at (888) 244-9400.

SAN ANTONIO—Young adults who recently aged out of the foster care system—or will soon—celebrated a Thanksgiving meal at Trinity Baptist Church with peers and mentors from the Baptist Child & Family Services’ Preparation for Adult Living program.

“Our hope is that these young adults who don’t have a traditional Thanksgiving would come here every year,” said Gayle Davis, San Antonio PAL site coordinator. “We want to give them a place where they have a sense of belonging to create their own memories and traditions. That’s really what the luncheon is all about.”

More than 160 youth, foster parents, Child Protective Services case workers, Alamo Work Source personnel and staff of other organizations involved in the PAL program attended the event.

Preparation for Living honored Casey Family Programs as a special guest at the luncheon, in celebration of a renewed partnership between the two organizations.

“The PAL luncheon is very helpful to people like me who are already out of care,” said Isabelle Manzanares, 24. “It gives me a place to connect with my friends and mentors who I would otherwise lose touch with.”

The theme for this year’s luncheon was “A Time to Give Thanks,” and participants expressed gratitude to the PAL staff for their help equipping them to successfully age out of the foster care system and become well-adjusted adults.

“I enjoy reconnecting with the foster care community, as I know that no one else understands my experiences like those who have been through the same things,” said Anthony Keller, 19, who attends a San Antonio college and works at a grocery store, thanks to the help of the PAL program.

In the last fiscal year, PAL serviced more than 1,000 youth in San Antonio and surrounding areas.

PAL provides transitional services such as healthcare, housing, job training, education and financial support to foster youth between the ages of 16 and 21 to prepare young adults for life on their own.

While most young adults have parents or guardians to help them navigate the process of buying their first car or renting their first apartment, children in foster care generally do not have that kind of firm support system once they age out of state custody. The PAL program helps fill this void.

To learn more about BCFS and its PAL program, visit: http://www.bcfs.net/PAL.

Eight couples with Texas ties were among missionaries appointed by the International Mission Board during a Nov. 14 ceremony at First Church in Houston.

Ken and Janet Brownd will serve as church starters in central and eastern Europe. Born in Plainview, he was pastor of Town East Church in Mesquite before being appointed by the IMB in 1999. The Brownds returned to the United States in 2003 to start a church in Oklahoma. They have two children—Elizabeth, 15, and Matthew, 11.

Michael and Cristi Gerecke will serve as church starters in western Europe. She was born in Houston, and First Church in Colleyville is their home church. They have three children—Henry, 4; Lily, 3; and Calvin, 11 months.

Chuck and Cara Hurley will be church planters in South America. Both worked at All Church Home for Children in Fort Worth as youth care workers, and he was a case manager with Meals on Wheels in Fort Worth. Ridglea Church in Fort Worth is their church home. They have two children—William, 3, and Isaac, 1.

Shannon and Carrie Lewis will serve in community outreach and ministry development in central, eastern and southern Africa. He is minister of missions and evangelism at Calvary Church in Beaumont. They have three children—Benton, 8; Davis, 6, and Walker, 1.

Larry and Amanda Mauldin will be church starters in central, eastern and southern Africa. He is student ministry coordinator at Colonial Church in Wichita Falls.

Matt and Christina Parsley will be church starters in the Pacific Rim. He has been youth minister at Fellowship Church in Lubbock and interim youth minister at First Church in Lake Worth. Southcliff Church in Fort Worth is their home church. They have two children—Jacob, 5, and Michaela, 2.

Bobby and Ruth Paul will be church starters in South America. The Dallas Baptist University graduates are members of First Church in San Antonio. They have four children—Caleb, 10; Madison, 7; Noa, 5; and Ruth, 4.

Cheyenne and Priscila Solis will be church starters in South America. Both are graduates of Baptist University of the Americas, and he is expected to graduate from Logsdon Seminary this month. He currently is a mission group coordinator for Buckner International in Mission. Primera Iglesia Las Milpas in Pharr is their home church.

With the graying of America, Alzheimer’s patients and their families are a part of virtually every church’s ministry. The question is whether those people will be the part the church ignores or not.

Pat Otwell, who ministered to Alzheimer’s patients in three Paris nursing facilities from 1983 until 1997, has written a book titled Guide to Ministering to Alzheimer’s Patients and Their Families to help pastors with the tools to make the effort.

“Most of us know little, if anything, about Alzheimer’s disease unless we have a reason. My reason was that it became my responsibility and privilege to meet the spiritual needs of these patients and families,” Otwell said.

“It was necessary that I learn how to provide effective Alzheimer’s ministry before I could assist others in doing so. Likewise, this is true for local pastors in helping their congregations.”

Otwell believes many people don’t minister to Alzheimer’s patients because they think little can be done. That is decidedly incorrect, she asserts.

“It’s the simple things that count, such as watching a sunset and marveling at God’s creation, holding a stuffed sheep while listening to the story of the Good Shepherd, repeating a well-known Bible verse or singing a hymn,” Otwell said.

Others believe ministry to Alzheimer’s patients is too difficult, she said.

“It is not difficult, just different than other ministries. Practice is necessary to learn new ways to relate in order to feel comfortable, competent and confident,” Otwell said.

The most important thing is to begin, she said.

“You can read all the books you want to about fishing. You can learn about different lures, water temperatures and everything else about fishing, but if you stop with just reading about fishing, you’ll never catch a fish. It’s the same with Alzheimer’s ministry. You just have to do it, and you’ll learn what you need,” Otwell said.

Need for the ministry is expected to grow. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates 5.2 million Americans currently are afflicted but expects that number to increase to 16 million by 2050.

Ministry to Alzheimer’s patients and their families is not limited to paid staff, Otwell pointed out.

“Clergy alone cannot provide a comprehensive Alzheimer’s ministry. Everyone in the body of Christ has at least one spiritual gift that can be used to edify Alzheimer’s patients and their families. Ministry is a common and unified effort. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something,” she said.

Her book, available on Amazon.com, is not a how-to manual, she cautioned, “because numerous variables do not afford a one-size-fits-all” approach. It is a compilation of her experiences, reading and responses to questionnaires given to family members of patients.

“I believe the key, in a nutshell, to effective Alzheimer’s ministry is to pray for wisdom and guidance, gain an understanding of the disease and the spiritual needs of those affected, and then do what comes naturally. Listen to what patients say and do not say; respond accordingly. Patients should always be treated as adults. Visits should be brief but frequent. Long visits are taxing on patients and, ultimately, ministers,” Otwell said.

BaptistWay offers free Advent guide. BaptistWay Press is offering a free devotional for the Advent and Christmas seasons. The guide, a cooperative venture involving BaptistWay and the North American Baptist Fellowship of the Baptist World Alliance, is written by Baptist leaders from across North America and provides daily devotionals from Nov. 27 to Jan. 4. For more information or to download the devotional, visit www.bgct.org/baptistwaypress.

Baylor seniors seek to leave lasting legacy. This year’s senior class gift at Baylor University will light the fire of education—figuratively and literally. Students not only will contribute as a senior class gift to an endowed scholarship that provides for future Baylor students’ education, but also will pay tribute to Baylor’s heritage by supporting the addition of an eternal flame atop the Immortal Ten Memorial on campus. The senior class gift committee is asking each senior to give at least $25. When making their gift, students will have the option to designate it to benefit the scholarship or the eternal flame. The Immortal Ten Memorial commemorates 10 Baylor basketball players who were killed when a train collided with their bus in 1927.

BCFS expands transitional living program. Baptist Child & Family Services’ Preparation for Adult Living program has been awarded a contract through the Department of Family and Protective Services to expand its transitional living program to include all of South Texas. The new territory will serve the area between Corpus Christi, Laredo and Brownsville. This expansion will help more than 1,400 youths per year make the transition from foster care to independent living.

Churches endow Wayland scholarships. Two endowed scholarships were dedicated recently at churches to benefit Wayland Baptist University students. Friends and church members at First Baptist Church in San Antonio dedicated an endowed scholarship honoring Pastor Don Guthrie and his wife, Holly. The scholarship specifically benefits students at Wayland’s San Antonio campus. First Baptist Church in Dimmitt dedicated an endowed scholarship in memory of longtime member Clara Gladden. The scholarship is designated for a Hispanic Baptist ministerial student with an emphasis on pastoral or youth ministry.

Richardson woman will chair WMU Foundation. Sylvia DeLoach of First Baptist Church in Richardson was selected chair of the board for the Woman’s Missionary Union Foundation. DeLoach becomes the fifth person to chair the board of trustees of the 13-year-old Birmingham-based foundation. “I’m excited about the opportunity to serve as chair of the WMU Foundation board of trustees—a gifted, committed group of men and women whose hearts are focused on the support of missions,” DeLoach said. “For me, it’s not only a privilege and an honor to serve, but it also allows me new opportunities to support and encourage the work of WMU.” For 14 years, DeLoach served on the national WMU staff as children’s ministry consultant, Girls in Action specialist and—most recently before retiring in 2004—as missions innovator.

• Stephen Allen to First Church in Cranfills Gap as pastor.

• Lash Banks to Murphy Road Church in Plano as pastor.

• Jerry Barker to Calvary Church of Oak Cliff in Dallas as pastor from First Church in Falfurrias.

• Salvador Bernal to Iglesia Alpha Omega in Plainview as pastor.

• James Bond to First Church in Mineral Wells as intentional interim pastor.

• Mike Bryant to First Church in Beeville as youth minister.

• Mark Collins to First Church in Karnes City as interim pastor.

• Kerry Drake to Claytonville Church in Kress as pastor.

• Brad Elsom to First Church in Argyle as pastor.

• Rudy Fambrough has resigned as pastor of Ridgemont Church in Abilene.

• Tom Gillespie to Park Hills Church in Austin as associate pastor of worship and outreach.

• Todd Gray to Central Church in Italy as pastor from Larkspur Christian Fellowship in San Antonio.

• Brian Gunter to First Church in Evant as pastor.

• Kevin Hall to First Church in Marshall as pastor.

• Wade Holman to Choate Church in Kenedy as pastor.

• Hector Iracheta to Iglesia Nueva Vida in Pearsall as pastor.

• J.P. Jobe to Lake Cypress Springs Church in Scroggins as pastor.

• Gary Johnson to Grace Church in Friona as pastor.

• Jeff Mabry to Vigo Park Church in Vigo Park as pastor.

• Donald McCollum to Grace Memorial Church in Clifton as pastor from Providence Church in Hamilton.

• Jim Poe to Olden Church in Olden as pastor.

• Nathan Pruett to First Church in Oglesby as pastor.

• Jerry Reed to Willow Springs Church in Alvarado as pastor.

• Neill Trull to Calvary Church in Brownwood as pastor from Fielder Road Church in Arlington, where he was associate pastor.

• David Walker to First Church in Alvarado as interim minister of music.

• Claire Wall to First Church in La Grange as children’s intern.

• Jonathan Waller to First Church in Runge as youth.

• Steve Zornes to Old Moulton in Moulton as interim pastor.

• Don Piper, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven, will be the chapel speaker at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Dec. 3 at 11 a.m. Piper was declared dead as a result of an automobile accident in 1989, but twice was revived. During the time he was “dead,” he was given a glimpse of heaven, he claims.

• Dallas Baptist University has received a $300,000 gift from Wayne and Buena Stevenson to help finance construction of the Patty and Bo Pilgrim Chapel. Longtime supporters of the school through a variety of avenues, he serves on the board of directors for Bill Glass Champions for Life Ministries and received an honorary doctor of humanities degree from DBU in 2006. She has served as a DBU trustee for seven years and was a 2004 recipient of the school’s Ruth Award. They are members of First Church in Plano.

• Baylor University broke ground Nov. 15 on the Jay and Jenny Allison Indoor Football Practice Facility. The facility is expected to be completed by the start of preseason camp next August.

• Houston Baptist University’s alumni association has recognized two alumni and one HBU staff member for their contributions to the school. Francis Bui received the Meritorious Service Alumnus Award. He has served on the HBU Alumni Board of Directors since 2002, chaired homecoming, the graduation cookout and the Husky Hustle 5K Fun Run. Mike Reinfeldt received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. In his 28th season with the National Football League, he is in his second season as executive vice president and general manager of the Tennessee Titans. He was an All-Pro safety for the Oilers/Titans franchise from 1976 to 1983. Clay Porter, director of instructional television at HBU, received the Hallmark Award, which honors an HBU faculty or staff member who is particularly supportive of HBU alumni.

• Abilene Association honored several individuals and a church at its annual meeting. Bill and June Dent, members of First Church in Abilene, were named laypersons of the year. Joel Tobey, pastor of Elmwood Church, was named bivocational minister of the year. L.W. Hutchinson, pastor of Mount Sinai Church, was named pastor of the year. Fort Phantom Church, where Bill Dickson is pastor, was named church of the year. Shirley Stewart of the ABA staff was named staff member of the year.

Anniversaries

• First Church in Chappell Hill, 25th, Dec. 7. Joe McCannon, founding pastor, will speak in the morning service. Chet Priddy will lead a memorial time during that service. Former Pastor Charles Matejowsky will lead a lunch and afternoon program. David Beckworth is pastor.

• Justin Horton, fifth as student minister at Second Church in Corpus Christi, Dec. 14.

Retiring

• Carolyn Shapard, as minister to adults at Wilshire Church in Dallas, Dec. 31. She has served more than 10 years, and was ordained in 2005.

Deaths

• Ed Laux, 90, Oct. 11, in Dallas. Laux was pastor of Williams Memorial Church in Ravenna, First Church in McGregor and Pioneer Drive Church in Abilene, and then he began a 23-year career with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, heading up the convention’s Training Union division. A member of Wilshire Church in Dallas more than 45 years, he was known for writing notes and letters of encouragement. He is survived by his wife, Dot; and sister, Anabel Schmidt.

• Buddy Reed, 70, Oct. 21 in Waco. He was pastor of College Street Church in Beaumont, Mertens Church in Mertens, First Church in Salado, Tanglewood Church in Jasper, First Church in Robinson and Bruceville Church in Bruceville. The Bruceville Church honored him in 1997 with the title of pastor emeritus. He served Waco Association as moderator and evangelism director. At the time of his death, he was a member of Cottonwood Church in Lorena. He is survived by his wife of almost 52 years, Marcell; son, David; daughters, Susan Fletcher and Rebecca Nickell; brother, Bruce; step-brother, John; and 11 grandchildren.

• Raymond Sanders, 81, Nov. 3 in Westminster, Colo. A 1958 Howard Payne University graduate, he was a long-time minister along the Rio Grande. Prior to that, he was pastor of Central Church in Brownwood, where he was ordained in 1958; First Church in Fort Hancock; and First Church in Van Horn. After completing language studies at Mexican Baptist Bible Institute in San Antonio, he and his wife became Texas River Ministry missionaries. In 1969, he became director of missions for Big Bend Association, where he served until his retirement in 1990. His last 10 years as director of missions, he added to his responsibilities the directorship of the Sul Ross University Baptist Student Ministry. While serving along the Rio Grande, he started 16 churches. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jan, earlier this year. He is survived by his daughters, Brenda Sanders and Kathy Beach; sons, Larry and Kenneth; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

• Ann Baker, 78, Nov. 8 in Dallas, after an 18-month battle with cancer. A Howard Payne University graduate, she was honored as one of the school’s outstanding alumni. The wife of Dick Baker, she supported him in his ministry as a music evangelist, as well as when he was minister of music at Birchman Avenue Church in Fort Worth from 1951 to 1957 and later at Prestonwood Church in Dallas from 1978 to 1992. She is survived by her husband of 57 years; son, Paul; daughter, Lori Ann Simmons; brother, James Self; and four grandchildren.

• Lucy Thomas, 77, Nov. 10 in Dallas. She was the wife and ministry partner of J.V. Thomas, a church-starting pioneer in the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Southern Baptist Convention. In 1979, she and her family were one of seven families to found Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall. She is survived by her husband of 59 years; daughter, Teresa; sons, Terry and Tim; one sister; and one brother; 11 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

• Winfred Walker, 78, Nov. 12 in Dumas. Walker attended Hardin-Simmons University before transferring to Wayland Baptist University. He began his ministry at age 18, serving as pastor of pastor of a church in Wastella. He served almost 50 years as either pastor, associate pastor, or music and education director. He served churches in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico. He served Texas congregations in Tahoka, Sweetwater, Pampa, Perryton, Amarillo, Morse and Sunray. At the time of his death, he was a member of First Church in Dumas. He was preceded in death by his brother, David, and sister, Alice Terry. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary Jane; son, James; daughters, Margaret Parsons and Janet Walker; brother, Don; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Event

• Tim Zimmerman and The King’s Brass will perform with the 200-plus member Tallowood Church choir in the church’s annual Christmas music concert, “A Festival of Carols,” Dec. 5-7. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. There is no admission charge, and tickets are not required.

Ordained

• Carl Reimold to the ministry at Elmont Church in Van Alstyne.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (ABP) — Economic hard times are putting pressure on charities scrambling to meet rising need this Thanksgiving.

"I wouldn't call it a pinch. I would call it Jaws of Life," Dan Shorter, who co-directs a "Feed the Hungry" program at The Village Baptist Church in West Palm Beach, Fla., described the impact of lagging donations, rising costs and increased demand.

"We've been doing this for 21 years and we've never had harder times," Shorter said in a telephone interview. "We've never seen such widespread need."

Shorter said the ministry fed and average of 850 families a month from January through October but expects to feed more than 3,000 for Thanksgiving. He said he has had to pay five times as much for food compared to last year.

"We're basically broke," he said. "We may have to cancel Christmas this year."

Demand has jumped 

Mission Arlington , a ministry of First Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, says demand for food assistance has jumped 9 percent in the last couple of months. Last year Mission Arlington provided food for about 17,000 people on Thanksgiving Day. This year, because of economic troubles affecting everyone, the ministry is expecting the need for help to increase.

"We'll be feeding probably 20,000 people," Mission Arlington Executive Director Tillie Burgin said. It takes about 4,500 turkeys to feed that many people, and as of Wednesday Burgin said it looked like there would be enough food for Thanksgiving Day.

"We are doing great," she said of food donations. "We're just blessed."

Burgin said she didn't want people to stop giving, however. "We've got Christmas and lot's more to do," she said. "We won't have any left over, that's for sure." She said people wanting to make a last-minute contribution can call 817-277-6620.

Steve Poole, minister of music and worship at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Bel Air, Md., said his congregation has been feeling the effects of economic struggles, including an increase in its food ministries.

Poole said mission groups typically prepare Thanksgiving baskets of food for families in need. Last year the congregation set a goal to provide 75 baskets to families to commemorate the church's 75th anniversary.

Turning families away 

"It was actually a little difficult to find that many families within our church that needed the help," Poole said. "This year we had to start turning families away after we reached one hundred requests."

Poole said the church's benevolence committee has more requests each week than they can handle. "People are feeling the pain of the economic downturn, but God continues to bless our church with the provisions to fulfill His calling for our church," he said.

Shorter said it "will take an act of God" for his Florida congregation to meet its goal of helping 4,000 families and giving toys to 3,000 needy kids at Christmas. Economic forces of the first 11 months of the year "haven't pinched us," he said. "They have crushed us."

In an effort to stretch resources, he said the ministry — unlike previous years — is not handing out turkeys this Thanksgiving, but rather giving families chicken and pork patties.

"No one's happy about it," Shorter said, but he can feed three families chicken or pork for the cost of one turkey.

–Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.

Any so-called gospel that fails to take seriously Jesus’ proclamation of good news to the poor lacks authenticity, Nathan George decided a few years ago. And that belief led him to found Trade as One—a company that helps poor and marginalized workers by bringing together markets and missions.

And as a primary provider of Good News Goods, members of some Baptist churches note the company is offering an avenue where they can do Christmas shopping with a clear conscience.

George grew up in India and in various parts of the Middle East as a missionary kid, while his parents served with Operation Mobilization. But in spite of his Christian upbringing, after about 15 years in business with telecommunications and software companies, he felt something lacking in his understanding of the call to discipleship.

A Cambodian woman makes a bag sold by Trade as One in Good News Goods markets, as well as online. (PHOTOS courtesy of Trade as One)

“Five or six years ago, I began reexamining the call of the gospel,” he said. In the process, he became captivated with Jesus’ declaration that he came to preach good news to the poor.

“I wanted to know how business, the kingdom of God and good news to the poor could all fit together,” he said. “God’s heart beats for the poor.”

George came to the conclusion God created human beings for meaningful work.

“The absence of work is a missions issue,” he determined. And helping disenfranchised people find purpose in their labor and giving them the ability to provide for themselves and their families are ways Christians can contribute to “restoration of the Eden vision.”

George and his wife, Catherine, discovered multiple small businesses in developing nations that were providing jobs with fair wages, but those businesses needed someone to help connect them to potential buyers in the affluent West.

The Georges began operating a market for those goods once a month through the 200-member Baptist church they attended in Cranleigh, about 40 miles south of London. Through that “low-profile, regular presence,” they raised awareness about fair trade in their community and sold about $15,000 a year in goods, George said.

Women in Togo stir pot to make shea butter, the key ingredient in a moisturizer sold by Trade as One through church-based Good News Goods markets and online.

In time, the couple felt God’s call to make that avocation their fulltime job, and they relocated to Santa Cruz, Calif. They built Trade as One around fair trade practices—no slave labor or child labor, safe workplaces, fair wages to workers, environmental sustainability and profit to producers rather than middlemen.

Trade as One works with 62 producer groups in 28 nations throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. The company only does business with producers that are fair trade-certified or with whom Trade as One or a trusted organization such as World Vision has direct knowledge.

“We buy from suppliers in-country and pay them up front to provide them working capital,” George explained.

Products fall into two categories. Consumable goods include coffee, tea, rice, olive oil, lotions and cosmetics. Non-consumable goods include scarves, handmade jewelry, bags, bowls and rugs.

“We won’t sell products that people don’t need,” George said. “Spending habits and stewardship are discipleship issues.”

Americans spend more on cosmetics and Europeans more on ice cream than it would cost to provide education and sanitation for the 2 billion people who go without both, he noted.

Trade as One has no storefronts. It sells through individuals who host home parties, through direct Internet commerce and through partnerships with churches that take orders or sell products.

The company recently entered into a close working relationship with the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission through its Good News Goods initiative.

Fair-trade items made available through Trade as One.

Good News Goods enlists churches to serve as host sites for one-day or weekend fair trade markets or as trading posts where people in the congregation and the surrounding community can order fair trade consumable goods on an ongoing basis.

Trade as One serves as the primary provider for Good News Goods. Another is WorldCrafts, a nonprofit ministry related to Woman’s Missionary Union that imports handcrafts from 38 countries and markets them in the United States. Good News Goods also will work directly with developmental ministries related to the Baptist World Alliance and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

In addition to providing buyers with quality goods and producers with fair compensation for their work, 10 percent of sales from products purchased in Good News Goods markets in BGCT-affiliated churches directly benefits the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger.

While the initiative officially launches in January, Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas and First Baptist Church in Austin piloted Good News Goods events recently, in time for church members to shop for Christmas presents.

“People were surprised by the quality and variety of the products,” said Mindy Logsdon, minister of missions at Wilshire Baptist.

Because the church is in the middle of a construction project, the Good News Goods market had to be divided into three venues in different parts of the facility. Wilshire volunteers staffed each site, explaining the stories behind the products, showing a video provided by Trade as One and operating a point-of-sales machine.

In a single Sunday-morning event that was not advertised outside the church’s membership, Wilshire sold $5,555.54 in goods.

“When you do something that’s a little out of the ordinary, there’s always someone who doesn’t like it. But I honestly didn’t hear any negative feedback,” Logsdon said.

“What I heard was how glad people were to be able to buy fair trade products—to spend their money on products without having to worry about the use of child labor and to know the people who produced them received fair wages.”

CLC Director Suzii Paynter presented the idea of a Good News Goods market to her Sunday school class at First Baptist in Austin. Steve Mines, an attorney who grew up as a missionary kid in Argentina, took the lead in contacting Trade as One and organizing the event.

“We did not have much time to advertise this to the church. It made it into one church newsletter and a short, short video clip in worship. The following week, I held my breath, wondering if our folks would support it,” Pastor Roger Paynter said.

On the day of the market, a Trade as One representative spoke briefly at the close of the Sunday morning worship service. He explained that the sale of Good News Goods products would—in part—provide employment for young women in developing nations, allowing them the opportunity to escape from the sex trade industry.

“In a matter of a few hours, our church purchased $11,000 in fair trade products, shocking the folks from Trade as One with our generous response,” the pastor said, noting it was Trade As One’s second-highest one-day total in sales.

Members told him they appreciated the opportunity to purchase quality items and make a difference in someone’s life at the same time. First Baptist plans to set up an ongoing trading post where people can subscribe to consumable goods on a regular basis, Paynter added.

“I have long contended that the church frustrates people who want to act on their faith but have very few, tangible outlets. I think that part of the success of Habitat for Humanity is that people can literally put their faith in action, pick up a hammer, see a result. Good News Goods has the same appeal,” he said.

“You purchase a beautiful, unusual item while helping a woman or child find a chance to move out of the horrors of the sex-slave industry and you do it with an organization rooted in Christ. What could be better?”

For more information, visit www.goodnewsgoods.com or www.tradeasone.com.

DALLAS—Buckner Children & Family Services will affiliate with the Oklahoma-based Dillon International child placement agency effective Jan. 1, dramatically increasing Buckner’s capability to offer international adoption services.

“This immediately doubles our capacity for placing children and offers the potential of exponential expansion and growth,” Buckner Children & Family Services President Albert Reyes said.

Buckner has placed about 4,000 children in more than 120 years; Dillon has placed 5,500 children in the last 36 years.

Buckner’s board of trustees approved the affiliation Nov. 21, following an earlier unanimous vote by the Dillon board.

The agreement calls for existing Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services’ international and domestic adoption programs to join Dillon’s program and operate with the Dillon name under the umbrella of Buckner International. Adoption services will be headquartered in Tulsa, Okla.

Dillon Executive Director Deniese Dillon—who will become vice president for adoptions with Buckner Children & Family Services—stressed the connection of the two Christian agencies provides greater strengths to both.

"Seeking God's will" 

“We have been seeking God’s will for ways Dillon International could provide even more ministry to children around the world,” said Dillon, who co-founded the agency with her husband, Jerry.

“We’ve had close ties to Buckner and their leadership for many years. Their mission to help orphans and underserved children on a global scale has also been our mission and heart since we started our ministry.”

Reyes said he was “thrilled” about the affiliation. “There is no more respected name among Christian adoption agencies than Dillon International. They are internationally known for their ability to serve families and the heart with which they do it.”

Buckner International President Ken Hall said the joining of the two entities “marries Dillon’s outstanding reputation in the international adoption field with Buckner International’s global reputation for humanitarian aid work among orphans and at-risk children. Together, we will be able to serve children and families in so many ways.”

Combination of services 

Reyes explained the new affiliation brings together Buckner’s international and domestic adoption programs with Dillon’s international adoption, post-adoption programs, and humanitarian services.

Buckner, founded in 1879 in Dallas, recorded its first adoption in 1884 and has placed more than 4,000 children in homes through adoption. The agency began offering international adoption services in 1995 for families in all 50 states and currently offers adoption services in Russia, China and Ethiopia. Buckner also has a comprehensive domestic adoption program for families living in Texas that includes domestic infant adoption, foster-to-adopt, post-adoption services, birthparent services and adoptions of state-placed children.

Dillon International is a licensed, not-for-profit child placement agency that has specialized in international adoption since 1972. Originally founded to meet the needs of South Korean orphans, the agency has since expanded to include adoption and humanitarian aid services in India, Guatemala, Haiti, China, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Ethiopia.

“They already are in countries where we’ve been wanting to go,” Reyes said.

Dillon serves families from offices in St. Louis, Mo.; Tustin, Calif.; Little Rock and Fayetteville, Ark.; Richmond, Ind; Kansas City, Kans.; and the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The agency, which has placed more than 5,500 children, also has volunteer adoptive families across the United States who serve as agency information and resource representatives to families.

For more information, go to www.buckner.org or www.dillonadopt.org .

MANSFIELD (ABP)—Patrick Moses has a long commute from his home in Mansfield to his job with Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. But that hasn’t stopped Moses from starting and growing Antioch Baptist Church.

Moses describes Mansfield as rapidly growing, upwardly mobile and “extremely progressive.” Many families in the community are not connected to any church, he noted.

Moses’ strategy is to use e-mails and text messaging as a means to attract people who don’t attend church regularly. Most of the church’s electronic contacts come from two Antioch church members who operate a local barbershop.

Antioch held its first worship service in December 2007, targeting families moving into the Mansfield/South Arlington/Grand Prairie area. It has quickly become a close-knit fellowship with several families vacationing together in Washington, D.C., this past summer. A tour of colleges is planned this fall so that children and teenagers in the congregation will have the opportunity to visit the campuses of all colleges in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.

Antioch was launched with support from the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, several African-American Baptist churches in the region and a group of pastors who serve as mentors to Moses.

CBF signed an official covenant of partnership with Antioch at this year’s General Assembly in Memphis. While there are some financial aspects to the partnership, it also involves connecting Moses with other CBF church planters in Texas and beyond.

The church will hold a “block party” soon, sponsored by BGCT, as another way to connect people with Antioch.

Moses earned a bachelor of arts in political science and a master of public administration degree from Southern University. He was ordained in June 2005, just before he graduated from Texas Christian University’s Brite Divinity School with a master of divinity degree. He was introduced to CBF while attending Greater Saint Stephen’s First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, a connection that helped him become a CBF leadership scholar.

Moses is an 18-year federal employee, having worked in several government agencies in the Fort Worth area. In May, he was recruited to serve in a position in Washington, D.C., with the Department of Homeland Security. He is responsible for the law enforcement and physical security of federal facilities located in the Washington metropolitan area.

Moses’ wife, Ronda, is director of social services at Life Care Center of Haltom, and recently earned a bachelor of social work at Texas Woman’s University. She is a part of the ministry team at Antioch.

“I love transforming people and I feel called to doing a church start,” Moses said. “It is exciting to watch God create a new church.”

BROWNWOOD—This deer season, hunters are taking aim at hunger and helping a local ministry save quite a few bucks.

Through a new initiative called the Deer Project, hunters can donate processed deer meat to Good Samaritan Ministries to feed the hungry.

Since the Nov. 1 start of deer season, more than 1,600 pounds of deer meat have been donated to the ministry, which is partially supported by the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger.

Good Samaritan Ministries Director Angelia Bostick believes that’s just the tip of the white tail. She projects that hunters will donate more than 20,000 pounds of meat to Good Samaritan Ministries in the next calendar year.

If the goal is achieved, Good Samaritan Ministries will have enough meat to feed 650 families for the next seven months, Bostick said.

The project captured the town’s attention. Businesses are offering discount rates for processing deer for the ministry. Churches have provided assistance. Companies have helped sponsor the construction of a large freezer.

“It’s really taken on a life of its own,” Bostick said.

The Deer Project has enabled Good Samaritan to let more people know about the larger breadth of its work in the community, Bostick said. It has served as an entry point for people to become involved in the effort.

“It’s really been awesome,” she said. “When those guys come in to see the freezer, we can show them what else we’re doing.”