“Leave your stress and electronics at the gate. Slow down. Look inside. Listen, learn and fill your hearts and minds with God.” (Bob Young and Matt Snowden, Paisano 2015)

Kathy HillmanEvery summer, my car heads west for the eight-hour drive to Paisano Baptist Encampment. For the last century, my mother’s clan has escaped to the cool Davis Mountains to refresh body and spirit. Since my birth, I’ve joined family and friends for a week of preaching, music, Bible study, recreation, reflection and lots of conversation. Cell service remains iffy, and wi-fi requires a 10-mile trip to town.

This year’s “cowboy camp meeting” held special significance. Our grandson Mitchell prayed to receive Christ during day camp. Incoming Paisano President Bill Collins baptized Mitchell in the old baptistery near the tree where his great-great-great-grandfather Crawford Mitchell “was converted” in 1899 and George Truett preached the first Paisano sermon in 1916.

Music is an important part of the Paisano camp experience.Mother made her profession of faith at Paisano. Several friends, including Danny Reeves, pastor of First Baptist Church in Corsicana, and Nate Sprinkle, pastor of First Baptist Church in Jayton, committed themselves to ministry there. Nate met and later proposed to his wife, Barbi, at Paisano. God clarified their call and mine on those hallowed grounds, “thin places where heaven and earth touch,” according to Paisano preacher David Lowrie.

But we are not alone. Every year, 330,000 guests visit the 29 camps related to Texas Baptists. Like Mitchell, some 8,000 people will make first-time salvation decisions. Another 7,000 will rededicate themselves. Recent camps have focused on God’s call to vocational service. Nearly 2,000 have responded. Susan Ater serves as the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ specialist/consultant/liaison to camps. Rachel Welshimer, granddaughter of Paisano President Levi Price, and Molly Katherine Snowden, daughter of Paisano Pastor Matt Snowden, work together on crafts.Her office provides resources for leadership training, assessments, conflict resolution and camp-specific consultations.

Paisano preacher and Mississippi native Matt Snowden asked why Texas has so many encampments. Texas Baptist Encampment, at Palacios, founded in 1902, pre-dates Southern Baptists’ Ridgecrest encampment by five years. Individuals began some camps, such as Paisano. Under an earlier BGCT organizational system, associations divided into 17 districts. Districts formed camps. District 14 established Latham Springs near Waco. Growing up in Eldorado, I attended our district’s GA camp at Heart of Texas on Lake Brownwood. 

Large associations also created camps, such as Mount Lebanon (Dallas), Glen Rose (Tarrant), Trinity Pines (Union) and Aspendale in New Mexico (El Paso). Pastor Milton Cunningham and Westbury Baptist Church in Houston birthed Camp Tejas. Camp Menard focuses on Hispanics. Camp Buckner extends Buckner International’s ministry.

Most encampments sponsor camps but also provide facilities for church-, association- and ministry-led camps, retreats and conferences. Nate Sprinkle (left), pastor of First Baptist Church in Jayton, helps his father-in-law Buddy Baldridge scoop ice cream.Some sites remain rustic. Others offer full-range accommodations, from hotel rooms to bunk beds, and activities, from archery to climbing walls to paintball. Many operate year ’round. However, the purpose remains to “furnish the opportunity for recreation and rest, and at the same time … instruction in the word of God.”

Programs for youth and children involve camp staff or are staffed by their sponsoring groups. Texas Baptist Men pioneered day camping at Paisano. Charlie Elliott, activities director at First Baptist Church in Midland, extended the program. He created the church’s Rec Team to take camp to kids. The collegian Rec Team members train youth to be counselors, provide a week of day camp and close with a youth-led revival. 

Kathy Hillman’s grandson Mitchell was baptized by Bill Collins at Paisano.The plan continues 30-plus years later, led by current Minister of Activities John Elliott. This year, six college students traveled with their well-stocked rec wagon. Jonatan Amaya (Baptist University of the Américas), Kevin Campbell (Texas A&M University), Aubrie Elliott (Howard College), M’Lee Graham (Hardin-Simmons University), Blair Lewis (Tarleton State Univesity) and Erin Roy (University of Texas at San Antonio) hosted 13 sports and/or day camps, mentored 150-plus teenagers and shared the gospel with 1,000-plus girls and boys.

The Rec Team closed their summer leading Paisano’s day camp. As they reflected on providing “fun with a purpose,” they shared stories of deepened faith, lives changed and 102 children saved. 

Aubrie told of Shane, who came committed to basketball but left with a new commitment. A child with Down syndrome touched Erin when he voluntarily prayed, although she couldn’t understand every word. Blair told of hanging out with teens from hard homes. M’Lee expressed joy at being part of “the most important decision a person will ever make.” Jonatan talked of God’s calming grace as he preached his first sermon in English.

Kevin expressed what we should all take from camp: “Every single day, I walked with God and watched him work through me. Now I realize my game should be no different every single day at Texas A&M.”

Thank you, God, for camps where many trust you and where we can be refreshed, refocused and ready to walk with you and let you work through us every single day.

Kathy Hillman is president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. She also is director of Baptist collections, library advancement and the Keston Center for Religion, Politics and Society at Baylor University

Serving two weeks in Valencia, Spain, was a life-changing experience. Even though the city is modern and practices religious freedom, I was shocked to learn only 2 percent of the people in Spain have a relationship with the Christ, and there are only few evangelical churches in the area. It is also evident that there’s a lack of workers to serve and share the gospel. 

Clarissa SanchezDuring my time in Valencia, the words  “dry land” came to mind.  I prayed and asked God to reveal what this meant. Then I realized and knew it was the Holy Spirit telling me that this city thirsts for Jesus. Only Christ can quench their thirst. “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants” (Isaiah 44:3, ESV).

I had the opportunity to meet with locals in cafés and pubs to share my faith. I also presented my Christian testimony through English and Spanish conversational classes.  Many of the people I talked to were unbelievers, but I am certain the Holy Spirit was touching their hearts. I can still remember the vivid picture of their eyes glowing as they heard Jesus’s miraculous wonders. 

I was also able to join my host, Anita, in English and Spanish Bible studies. We gathered with recent born-again Christians who wanted to learn more about the Bible and who wanted to practice their English or Spanish.

Studying Bible stories

Local residents wait for the mission’s food distribution.As we studied the Holy Scriptures, we were given tips on how to evangelize and how to disciple individuals.  We studied several Bible stories—Creation, the Samaritan woman and the prodigal son. Although I had already read these stories before, the Lord continued to teach me new things.  I rejoiced because the Lord kept speaking to us as we read, and we were excited and thirsty to learn more about him. 

When my partner and I were not helping with English-as-a-Second-Language classes, we worked at Mision Evangelica Urbana Valencia. It is a place where homeless and low-income families go to eat a free breakfast, take a shower, get a haircut, and obtain free clothes and groceries. Local bakeries donate bread to the center, individuals donate clothes to give to the poor, and the government provides groceries for food distribution. God has remained faithful and has provided for the needs of the people of this city. 

My heart rejoiced as people walked in and sat around the tables, taking a bite of their bread and sipping a cup of coffee.  Their eyes widened and smiled as we served them another plate of bread. For a lot of them, the food they had at the center was probably all they would eat that day.

Humbled by being able to serve

Serving breakfast to local residents.I thanked God and was humbled for being able to serve and make a difference in their lives. The Scripture found in John 6:35 came to mind. “Jesus said to them I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall not thirst” (John 6:35, ESV).

As I served, I tried to find a time to speak to the locals. I wanted them to know we have a spiritual need that only Jesus can satisfy.  I pray that God continues to speak to them and that they desire a relationship with Jesus. 

Some days, we worked in the center’s warehouse. We sorted and organized groceries and helped distribute the food to hungry people in the city.  The day of food distribution was a happy day for many people, because they were able to take free groceries and share it with their loved ones.  

Clarissa Sanchez (right) with members of her English Bible study.In Spain, my partner and I were able to build relationships with the locals. To our surprise, several of them were going through tough situations that we had experienced. We were able to share our testimony of how God helped us through our difficult times. From that moment on, we realized God’s divine appointment. 

Serving in Spain increased my faith

Serving in Spain increased my faith, and I was able to discover my calling. It was a life-changing, unexplainable experience that I will treasure forever. I know God will continue to work in the lives of the people we encountered.  Spiritually speaking, I have faith that Valencia, Spain will encounter Jesus and will be a city with streams of living water. 

Clarissa Sanchez, a student at the University of Texas Pan-American, served in Spain with Go Now Missions.

My time in Savannah so far has been filled to the brim with new experiences, new restaurants, new places and even seeing a couple of celebrities. I am in awe of all that I have had the blessing in doing the past several weeks. However, sometimes it hasn’t been all that glamorous.

Brianna ChildsAlthough my personality drives me to desire to go and do and never stop every second of the day, God is continuing to remind me there is surely beauty in it all—from the mundane to the hilltop moments.

My responsibilities at work recently have included sorting through donated clothes at the store, participating in a meeting and taking one of our sweet residents to the dentist’s office. Even though it doesn’t rank so highly on the glamour scale, I am learning it certainly brings glory to God anyway.

God is a personal God. He knows our innermost being and desires to be present in every detail of our lives. That’s why when I happened to look up the definition of mundane that I was blown away.

mun·dane (adjective) 1. lacking interest or excitement; dull 2. of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.

I expected the first definition. That was the one I had in mind when I began this post, but the second one—that’s what really hit me. This earth we walk on is itself mundane, but our God chose to come to earth as a man and walk on it anyway. And “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus came to earth and experienced everything we have and will experience as he turned that second definition on its head. He made earth a spiritual place as he walked on it, fully God and fully man. He knows the rollercoaster we often go through—our emotions, our situations, our relationships. Our ups and downs and our highs and lows are nothing new to him. However, it was in those highs and those lows that he proved himself to be so perfect and holy. (See Isaiah 53:1-6.)

Jesus did not appeal to the world’s values

As Jesus walked on the earth, he did not look like the rest of the world. It is not because he performed magic tricks with pizazz or looked like a movie star, though. As we know, Jesus did not stand out for his looks but rather for the extravagant love, power, healing and selflessness flowing through and from him. His ways were and always will be quite opposite from how the world tells us to act. Therefore, we will never find our satisfaction in the most likes on Instagram, meeting a celebrity or some other form of 15 minutes of fame. 

Our hearts were meant to be fully satisfied only by following after the God who is the Alpha and Omega, from everlasting to everlasting—the One who was, and is, and is to come. All else will fade away, “but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8). 

So, even in the “normal” moments, our dedication and perseverance in following God’s will proves so much more rewarding and fulfilling. The highs of our relationships with God often prove to be the most memorable, but we must also remember that God is constant. 

Rest in his presence

In our wondering and in the ebbs and flows of everyday life, he reminds us to simply come be with him, to rest in his presence in the moments of the in-between and the routine, too. He always has something new to teach me, if I would just sit and listen, if all that I am would “wait quietly before my God” (Psalm 62:5).

Whether I’m folding clothes or praying over the health of a baby as he or she grows in the womb, God is there. He always has been, always will be, and because of that, our mundane moments turn out to be quite sacred and beautiful after all.

Brianna Childs, a student at Baylor University, is serving with Go Now Missions at The Living Vine Christian Maternity Home in Savannah, Ga.

Hello, Texas Baptists. It’s great to be back in Texas! I enjoyed celebrating the risen Lord with Baptists from around the world at the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Durban, South Africa.

David HardageUpon returning, I had a great day preaching at First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls. They are a fun and exciting body of believers, yet they never compromise the truth of God’s word, the Bible.

I had the privilege of speaking to a group of folks participating in a disaster recovery mission trip for families in Galveston. Texas Baptist Disaster Recovery partnered with First Baptist Church of Galveston in this mission effort.

Go Now Missions has nine semester missionaries and 53 campus missionary interns serving this fall. Please join us in praying for these students this semester. Baptist Student Ministry will send 153 missionaries to Texas universities this year. They retreated at Dallas Baptist University recently. The harvest is plentiful!

River Ministry has a great opportunity of providing Organic House Church Kits for churches in need or churches just starting. 

Worship Summit West and Worship Summit South are coming in September. Texas Baptist Worship Summits are offered several times a year and create a forum for worship pastors and other leaders to discover and discuss current trends in music and worship. 

Congratulations to Hannah Mathes from First Baptist Church in Carrollton, this year’s first-place winner at the National Speakers’ Tournament. Read her story by clicking here.

Register your church messengers online for the 2015 annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Nov. 8-10 in Frisco at the Dr Pepper Arena. 

David Hardage is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board.

If Baptists intend to build a denomination that looks like America—or Texas, for that matter—then we’ve got a long way to go.

A new study by the Pew Research Center tracks the racial and ethnic diversity of 29 U.S. religious groups, including myriad Christian denominations, several world religions and three subsets of religiously unaffiliated Americans. It assigns adherents to five racial/ethnic categories—Asian, black, Latino, mixed-race/other and white.

Editor Marv KnoxThe Pew study indexes the groups on a zero-to-10 scale, with zero representing non-diversity and 10 representing absolute diversity. An evenly divided group—composed of 20 percent from each racial/ethnic category—would rank 10. A group composed of only one category would rank zero.

Clay Price, information analyst for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, provided comparable numbers for the BGCT.

The U.S. adult racial/ethnic diversity index is 6.6, the Pew Center reported. Our nation is 66 percent white, 15 percent Latino, 12 percent black, 4 percent Asian and 4 percent mixed/other.

Texas’ diversity index is 8.0, Price noted. Our state is 47 percent white, 37 percent Hispanic or Latino, 12 percent black, 4 percent Asian and 2 percent mixed/other.

Seventh-Day Adventists most diverse

Religious groups’ diversity ranged from the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which received a 9.1 index ranking, to the National Baptist Convention, with a 0.2 ranking. The Adventists are 37 percent white, 32 percent black, 15 percent Latino, 8 percent Asian and 8 percent mixed/other. The National Baptists, who have created and maintained a convention for African-American Baptists, are 99 percent black and 1 percent other.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Muslims ranked second on the diversity index, at 8.7. Blacks, which comprise 28 percent of U.S. Islamics, strongly propelled the diversity. U.S. Muslims also are 38 percent white, 28 percent Asian, 4 percent Latino and 3 percent mixed/other.

Rounding out the top five groups are Jehovah’s Witnesses, with an 8.6 rank; Buddhists, 8.4; and “nothing in particular,” or the so-called “nones,” 6.9. Catholics, shaped by a surge of Latinos, who comprise 34 percent of U.S. adherents, came in sixth, with a 6.7 rank—just above the national average.

Other Baptist groups

Three other Baptist groups float in the middle of the pack:

• American Baptist Churches USA merited a 5.5 rank. The ABC, which is strongest in the East and Midwest, is 73 percent white, 11 percent Latino, 10 percent black, 5 percent mixed/other and 1 percent Asian.

• The Baptist General Convention of Texas tracks a 4.6 rank, Price said. The BGCT’s complexion is 78 percent white, 13 percent black, 8 percent Latino and 1 percent Asian. 

• The Southern Baptist Convention’s demographics create a 3.4 rank. The SBC is 85 percent white, 6 percent black, 5 percent mixed/other and 3 percent Latino.

The gap of 1.2 points between the BGCT’s diversity rank and the SBC’s rank is not as broad as it might appear, Price observed. “The SBC’s index of 3.4 is about half (52 percent) the U.S. adult index of 6.6,” he explained. “The BGCT’s index of 4.6 is just over half (58 percent) the Texas adult index of 8.0.”

A couple of factors—one negative and one positive—have contributed to the BGCT’s diversity index rank, Price said.

BGCT losing churches

The BGCT, which relates to the Southern Baptist Convention but also permits churches to relate to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Baptist World Alliance, continues to lose churches—the vast majority of which are Anglo—to a competing convention in the state, which relates exclusively to the SBC, he noted. 

In the past five years, 124 churches moved from the BGCT to the other convention, he said. Of those, 118—or 95 percent—are predominantly Anglo. 

Conversely, “the bulk of new BGCT church starts has continued to be largely non-Anglo congregations,” he added. From 2010 through 2014, the BGCT and its affiliated churches started 489 congregations, of which 89 percent are non-Anglo.

As has been noted previously—both here and here— Texas Baptists face a tremendous challenge.

The racial and ethnic diversity of BGCT congregations more closely mirrors the state’s demography than does our membership. According to Price’s analysis, our congregations are more diverse—57 percent white, 19 percent Latino, 15 percent black, 5 percent mixed/other and 4 percent Asian. Those numbers indicate we’re heading in the right direction. 

Start more Hispanic congregations

But we need to start even more congregations, particularly aimed at Hispanics. And we need to equip all congregations to reach their neighbors with the gospel.

In today’s culture, the compelling nature of the gospel will be demonstrated through relationships and response to human need. We will gain a hearing and validate the gospel message when more and more Texas Baptists and their churches focus on what Jesus said he came to do—proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners of all kinds, recovery of sight for the blind, freedom for the oppressed and “the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).

“I don’t want the ship to go down on my watch.”

These words have been uttered, or perhaps muttered under the breath, by many pastors and organizational leaders who have found themselves at the helm of dying institutions. They are laden with guilt and shame and anxiety. And yet they should indicate the ship was listing before the current leader got there.

Mark WingfieldRemember the children’s game called Musical Chairs? All the players merrily walk in a circle around a group of chairs, knowing full well there will not be a chair for one of them when the music stops. Is it the failure of the player left standing that creates this unfortunate circumstances? No. They simply end up in the wrong place at the right time. There is nothing they can do to manufacture an extra chair out of thin air.

Most of the time, when pastors or leaders of nonprofit agencies find themselves at the helm of a sinking ship, the fatal blow has been struck long before they arrived at the helm. Few churches die suddenly. And few nonprofits die suddenly, unless they depend upon a single source of funding that dries up.

Yes, there are exceptional cases where leaders seemingly manufacture extra chairs out of nothing, righting and repairing the ship just before it goes under. But those are the exceptions.

Americans love the idealistic notion every lost cause is worthy of redemption, every dying church ought to be saved, every failing nonprofit deserves a rebirth into newness of life. We do love a good comeback story.

Maybe there’s a good reason

And yet, many dying organizations are dying for good reason: Times changed, people moved, interest waned, leadership was lacking, funding dried up, a series of bad decisions could not be undone, a once-important need no longer exists, or others are doing the same work better or more efficiently.

Being the last person at the helm could be a place of honor more than shame if the leader thinks creatively. In fact, more blame ought to be placed on previous leaders who started the death spiral but left without sounding the alarm or offering new solutions. 

The leader who is left at the end, more times than not, is like the child standing without a chair when the music stops playing. It’s not their fault. But how they choose to respond may demonstrate more about their leadership than anything.

There are ways to guide an organization’s ship to its end with honor. The first step is to acknowledge the ship is, in fact, going down. This is the hardest part. Good leaders know the end is inevitable, even if they know it will happen on their watch. Good leaders work toward good outcomes even in death, rather than hoping to pass the wheel to someone else just in the nick of time.

We see this played out increasingly with pastors and lay leaders who are brave enough to acknowledge the churches they serve have fought the good fight, run their course with joy and cannot reclaim the glory days of times gone by. 

Make a plan, bless others

When you know you’re dying, you have time to craft an estate plan, to make the most of your assets, to bless others, to seed the future. That sure beats doing nothing while the ship slowly slips under the waves.

The difference in leadership styles may be summed up with a mash-up between the words of Ecclesiastes and the words of the serenity prayer: To everything there is a season; a time to be born and a time to die. God, grant us the serenity to know the difference.

Mark Wingfield is associate pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas and a member of the Baptist News Global transition board of directors. 

As we walked up to the tree, my heart sank. I knew exactly what our next activity was on our trek in the woods.

Becca Burt I was so excited about getting to take a group of kids from our apartment buildings out camping for a few days, but as we approached the dreaded tree, I began to question the wisdom of that decision. Ever since I witnessed my sister fall from a zipline, I have been a little leery of the idea of jumping out of trees. And these were not just any trees; these were Oregon trees. 

Oregon trees are tall. This particular one seemed enormous, considering the fact that we were about to be hoisted up to the top, just to be dropped down. So, being the kind missionary that I am, I of course let everyone else go first. But I wasn’t fooling anyone. I was scared. They all assured me I did not have to do it, or even that I did not have to go all the way to the top, but I was determined not to be the only one who didn’t ride on the swing thing. 

So, I was strapped into this contraption and hauled by my fellow companions via a pulley system into the tree, not daring to look down. Once at the top, it was my job to make the next move. I could stay at the top of the tree forever, or at least until my friends got tired of holding me there. Or I could pull the lever that released me, and trust that the rope was going to catch me when I fell.

Letting go

After a few seconds of going over the pros and cons of this decision in my head, I pulled the lever. I let go. It was a little scary at first, but after swinging around a few times, it was actually kind of fun. 

When everyone was finished, we gathered around, and our leader began to talk to us about each of our experiences on the swing thing. It really got me thinking about my own life. For so long, I have been waiting at the top of the tree, not fully giving God control. Little by little, I have been giving over bits and pieces but never my all, never fully pulling the lever and trusting that God was going to catch me and lead me where he wants me to go.

This experience has changed my life completely, especially concerning how to live a missional lifestyle. By giving the Lord the reins and letting him lead me, I am able to see so much more then I was before. I have been able to talk to people that I normally would not have, and I have not been as stressed when a plan goes awry. 

Don’t let fear hold you back

It’s just like the swing. It was scary at first, giving up control, but seeing the Lord work freely in me and through me has been an incredibly fun adventure. If you’re still at the top of the tree, pull the lever. Don’t let fear hold you back from being all that God wants you to be.

Joshua 1:9 says: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Give God control, because he is ready, waiting and strong enough to catch you. And God will take you on a crazy, fun adventure that will change you forever. 

Becca Burt, a student at Tarleton State University, is serving in Oregon with Go Now Missions.

Regarding statements by Franklin Graham  and Bob Roberts  about Muslims: Based on almost 30 years of ministry as an International Mission Board missionary based in Beirut, Lebanon, and considerable study of the Islamic faith, some observations:

• The vast majority of Muslims are not radical and want to live peaceably among peoples of other faiths. They, too, fear radical Islam. Radical Muslims have killed far more Muslims than non-Muslims.

• If we intend to have any positive effect on Muslims to bring them to faith in Christ, we must understand them and their culture and ways of thinking. It starts with being friends with them.

• Jesus taught us to pray for all people, even if they become our enemies and threaten our lives.

• Christians ought to be the first to welcome Muslims into our homes and our communities, demonstrating Christ’s love for them.

• Limiting immigration of Muslims to our country will not solve any problems. Several million already are here.

• Criminal activity must be opposed and punished, no matter who the criminals may be.

David King

Marshall

When you think of New York what comes to mind? Glamor? Fame? Maybe a picture of 42nd Street, Times Square, huge screens, stores and recognized famous brands. Perhaps Broadway shows with the best plays and performers. Possibly being surrounded by multitudes of all nations, walking the streets, experiencing the “American life.” The world thinks of this city and hopes one day to walk streets of lower Manhattan. 

Alexandra GrandaIn all honesty, that is how Manhattan looks every day and at any time of the day. There are concerts, pride parades and famous people coming to this city continuously. There is something to do every day and at any time of the day. It is hard to get people’s attention in such a distracting city. 

However, thousands of people walking 42nd Street and 7th Avenue recently heard the gospel, and hundreds stayed to hear the greatest message. The heart of New York heard the gospel, many of them for the first time. Times Square screens no longer were advertising brands or glamour but pastors and worship leaders praising God through an event called City Fest.

A good friend of mine invited me to be part of the counselor team for City Fest. I volunteered to give guidance to people at City Fest who felt led to make a decision to follow Christ. It was a beautiful experience to be part of this event. I had the opportunity to see people from all nationalities gathered and led into the performance area because of the sounds and the screens advertising the good news.

As we distributed “Good News in the City” cards inviting people to join the event, I found it interesting that people didn’t know what the good news is. Many thought we were hosting an event for a local news program. Through conversations, I learned people didn’t know what ultimate satisfaction looks like. They were surely not going to find it in a week of visiting and experiencing Times Square and Manhattan. People didn’t know ultimate satisfaction is free and available for anyone though Jesus Christ.  

At the same time, it was interesting to see how many people were looking for joy. It’s funny to say many of them found it at Times Square that day. Although I don’t fully support the invitation to what many think is a “ticket to heaven,” I am confident God calls his people through the gospel, and an invitation for people to respond was necessary. I was reminded of the sower parable from Matthew 13. The sower was scattering the seed. Some fell along the path, some fell on rocky places, other seed fell among thorns, still other seed fell on good soil where it produced a crop—a hundred, 60 or 30 times what was sown. 

Many of the people I know who follow Christ have prayed a prayer to follow Jesus after their first encounter with Christianity. They ask God to change their hearts. They have been discipled and transformed by the Holy Spirit. I was one of them. 

Many other volunteers have been working on following up with hundreds of people who made a decision during City Fest and are now being plugged in a community of Jesus followers.

Pray for these people as they are growing and learning what it is to be a disciple of Jesus. Pray that the Spirit of God will transform the lives of many of the people who heard the good news. 

Alexandra Granda, a campus missionary from the University of Texas Pan-American, is serving with Go Now Missions in New York City.

It was a beautiful sunny morning. I was walking through the Fountain Park apartment complex with another student missionary, Becca. We were praying for all the people living there. We prayed for a group of preteen girls we’d had the opportunity to meet, but we were struggling to build relationships with them.

Laura ThomasIn that moment, Becca and I both thought about hosting a sleepover with the girls where we could play lots of games, watch movies, get to know them better and teach them some of God’s truths. When we told our supervisor about it, she thought it was a great idea, and we began planning to make it happen.

Fast forward two weeks, and we have another beautiful sunny morning. It was the day of the sleepover. As Becca and I begin getting ready for the day, we started talking about this sleepover idea. How did two girls who never enjoyed sleepovers decide to host one for 11- and 12-year-old girls? Where did this idea even come from? That’s when we remembered the idea came to us while we were prayer walking. That’s when we realized that this was not our idea; it was God’s. And that changed everything.

As the girls came over to my supervisor’s apartment for the sleepover that evening, there was a little awkwardness in the air. We made homemade pizza, and Becca and I danced around like fools, trying to get them to join in. No one joined in. That didn’t stop us. We continued to be our goofy, weird selves.

Walls come down 

After we ate pizza, we began playing games. And I started to see those walls of protection come tumbling down. Those 11- and 12-year-old girls began to open up, and I couldn’t help but smile. They started being goofy. They started being themselves. After our toilet paper fashion competition, we all sat down together on the ground. I looked around at all those girls staring back at me—beautiful girls, inside and out. And I prayed that my story would reach them.

I told these girls my story. I told them about all the bullying, the insecurities, the mistakes I made, the eating disorder that tried to steal my life. While I was telling my story, no one looked away or whispered. No one got distracted or bored. They were all totally focused on what God was saying through me. Then it was their turn. I asked them this question: “Has anyone ever made you feel unbeautiful?”

The girls didn’t hesitate. Each shared from their hearts experiences they’d been through, bullying they’d faced, and tears came pouring down those girl’s cheeks. My heart was broken. These beautiful girls were already facing so many painful insecurities. Those little hearts were burdened with so much hurt and so many lies from the devil. I had to choke back my own tears. But that’s when I got to share with them the good news.

I told them the truth. I told them how finding my worth in God saved my life. I told them we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. I told them we were all made in God’s image, and we were all a beautiful masterpiece created by God. I told them God had a purpose for each and every one of us. I told what real beauty looks like.

God touched their hearts

At the end, we all closed our eyes together. I asked them all to think about the most beautiful thing they’d ever seen, whether it was a starry sky, a mountaintop, a beautiful sunset or anything else. Then I told them to think about the fact that the same God who created that created them, too. When they opened their eyes, I could see a light radiating from these girl’s faces, and I knew God had touched their hearts.

The  night moved on smoothly from there. It was filled with blind makeovers, all kinds of silly games, and of course a midnight glow-in-the-dark dance party. When it was Becca’s turn to share her story, those girls listened attentively again. Becca told them about her struggle with perfection and pride and gave the girls an opportunity to share their own struggles with sin. Each girl shared and tears streamed down their faces once again.

We are all God’s masterpiece

Becca told them we are all God’s original masterpiece, and we decorated mirrors together to be reminders to us of this truth. The rest of the night was filled with loads and loads of fun and very little sleep. And every second of it was wonderful. I found myself wishing the night would go on forever. 

The reason it was so wonderful was because it was God’s. Every bit of that sleepover was God’s idea, and every word Becca and I spoke came from God. It was very evident God finally reached those girls that night—girls we’d been trying to reach for  weeks. And he chose us to be a part of that. He used us as his vessels, and for that I am forever grateful.

When I think back to those four beautiful girls staring back at me with tear-stained faces, all I can think about is God’s glory, God’s power, God’s grace and mercy. God was so present that evening. We were completely surrounded by him. My prayer is that these words God spoke that evening will stick with these girls as they enter one of the hardest stages of life. I hope they will turn to God to be their strength when the world feels like it is crashing down. And I pray they will remember that they are always unbelievably beautiful and loved beyond all belief in their heavenly Father’s eyes.

Laura Thomas, a student at Tarleton State University, is serving with Go Now Missions in Beaverton, Ore.

“… we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own languages” (Act 2:11)

It was the day of Pentecost. God-fearing Jews and others converted to Judaism from afar came to stay in Jerusalem for the holiday. The disciples were together in one place for prayers, waiting for the fulfilment of the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit on them. Bedilu YirgaIt suddenly happened, and they started to speak in different languages so that the crowd around them could understand them. The people in the crowd were amazed and begun asking each other: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?⁸Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?” (Acts 2:7-8) There were as many as 16 languages spoken that day. The question of the day was, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:12)

As an immigrant who came to this land speaking a different language, I want to share my view of the work of God that was declared in different languages and the opportunity that came with it. 

The Genesis account tells us that with different languages sent by God, people were scattered. Here in Acts, however, we see God using different languages to carry the same message and declare the works of God. The message made the crowd wonder, ask questions and open themselves to hear the gospel. Language reflects the culture, values and worldview of the community that owns it. God used those languages that day for his purpose, and he is doing the same today. Different languages—the same declaration!

The world has come to us

We hear Texas Baptists saying, “The world has come to us.” This means the mission field is not far away as it used to be. Because of migration, people of many languages, cultures and origins have come to the United States.

Texas alone had 4.4 million foreign-born residents in 2013, representing 16.7 percent of the state’s total population, 26.4 million. The foreign population in Texas in 2000 was 13.9 percent of the total, and in 1990, it was 9.0 percent. The trend is fast growing. The number of Texas children born in the States with one or both foreign-born parents was 2.3 million in 2013. If we add 4.4 million foreign-born with their 2.3 million children, they collectively represent one-fourth of the total population in Texas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of languages spoken at Texas homes is 171. The number of languages spoken in our Baptist churches is 69. 

What does this tell us? God is doing great things by using migration for his purpose. Different languages are declaring his superb works. There are seven intercultural fellowships and many ethnic churches connected to and supported by our Texas Baptists. These Baptist General Convention of Texas-supported ethnic churches are sending indigenous missionaries to their homelands while reaching out to their own people in diaspora. 

More to be done

But more is yet to be done. The following can enhance the work of ethnic church planting:

• Equip ethnic churches to plant new ethnic churches.

Each ethnic group has its own understanding of church and church planting. This is due to culture and prior practices. We need to engage them with our Texas Baptist church-planting program while allowing them to play a leading role in church planting in their cultural community. It takes a great amount of contextualization to be successful in evangelizing different language communities through church planting. 

• Provide more funding for ethnic church planting.

Texas’ ethnic population is exploding. In order to keep up with this growth, there must be strong financial support for the new ethnic church planting to maintain continued growth. More and more ethnic groups need to hear the great work of God in their different languages.

• Revitalize our ethnic church-planting strategies.

Texas Baptists have rich experience when it comes to planting and growing ethnic churches. Our ethnic churches are indebted to the BGCT staff, pastors and Texas Baptist churches for their faithfulness, dedication and caring services. Different methods and strategic actions have been applied. But we need to be flexible and continuously design and redesign our methods to adapt to the current situation of ethnic groups coming to Texas. 

It is time to encourage and cooperate with ethnic churches Texas Baptists planted, so they can plant new ethnic churches in their communities. They have the calling to do so, but they need to be empowered. The Texas Baptist family is in a better position today than ever to do the equipping of Texas ethnic churches the best way. 

Remember: It is different languages, same declaration!

Bedilu Yirga is senior pastor of the Ethiopian Evangelical Baptist Church in Garland and second vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

We recently finished our first week with residential campers here at Frontier Lodge. Thanks be to God, because we had no hiccups or accidents. Residential camp is for campers who stay with us a week or more. They live with us in the cabins and spending time with us all day. And we can talk about Jesus all we want.

Kaitlyn LaneyMy cabin had three girls in it, all age 10, plus my junior counselor who is 15. My girls were named Reiley, Norah and Kaitlyn, and I could not have asked for better campers. They each had unique personalities that we were able to help bring out over the week as we got to know them better. They gave me no trouble, and we were able to go on tons of adventures together—crawfish hunts in the creek and lake, late night star gazing, swimming, jumping and boating on the lake, plus lots of time every day spent talking about life and God. 

I also was able to share parts of my testimony with them, and I hope it gave them encouragement and wisdom. They had excellent questions: “How do you know God is real?” “What if Jesus won’t forgive me when I ask him?” When Reiley asked before bedtime how I knew God was real, I took the girls out of the cabin to show them the stars, and I told them: “I find it impossible to look at the beauty of creation, like the stars, and not believe that God made it all.” 

They were fascinated to realize God placed the stars in the sky, plus everything else on the earth. Reiley told me that she asked Jesus into her heart, but she was still asking lots of questions, so I’m not sure she really knew what she was asking. I know the Lord has her in his hands and knows her heart, but please continue to pray that she would dedicate her life to Jesus. She’s so close.

Another thing God has done here is given me the opportunity to praise him through worship. The chapel/worship coordinator here heard me singing around camp, and asked me to help lead worship with him. It was such an incredibly fun and enlightening experience. Each morning, we led chapel for the kids with songs aimed towards them, and it was fun to see them singing and dancing along with us. 

On Thursday night, we had a counselor worship night in which I sang along with two other guys. The Holy Spirit was so present with us that night. The room was filled with around 50 people singing praises to God for an hour straight. I have never felt so filled with the Holy Spirit, and I know it was God using my voice to glorify his name. It was such an honor, and I hope to be able to do it again soon as we begin with a new round of residential campers. I can’t wait to bond with this next group of girls, sharing with them God’s love and truth. 

Kaitlyn Laney, a student at Texas A&M University, is serving with Go Now Missions in Quebec.