B-101: What is your real job? • Immortal Lottie, pages 9-10
Volume 108, No. 17
DECEMBER 1, 2014
IB Insider
LET THERE BE
Illinois’ Asian population grows page 10
Peace
Nate Adams: Embrace the here and now page 4
ON EARTH
Looking for the light page 3
Christmas stories: pages 6-7 You won’t believe what’s in the box The necessary journey from cradle to cross
Fear not... for behold page 5
Advent devotions: His wonderful names
Pinkies page 12
IMB’s Platt plots simple structure
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PRAYER WARRIORS – First Baptist Church, Ferguson, Mo., held a prayer summit as the city braced itself for a grand jury decision many feared would result in more violence.
MBC Photo
Leaders seek peace in Ferguson SBC reps join prayer in troubled Missouri town
Ferguson, Mo. | In the months since violence rocked their town, First Baptist Church has tried to be a lighthouse in the storm. “Our staff has worked a lot of extra hours,” Associate Pastor Ron Beckner told the IB, “but nobody’s complained because we feel like we’re there ‘for such a time as this.’” The death of teenager Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by Police Officer Darren Wilson, sparked weeks of protests and national news headlines. Now, with a grand jury weighing whether to indict Wilson, many believe the city could explode
into violence again. But while media has painted the town as a “powder keg,” Beckner said, during Ferguson’s daylight hours, there are no safety concerns. The church has continued its Wednesday evening Awana program with no dropoff in attendance from the 100 kids that attend, most of them from the community. At the church’s Halloween-alternative event, the crowd of 1,000 people was mostly African American, Beckner said. He’s been at the event every year of his tenure at the church and said, “I Continued on page 2
Olive Branch, Miss. | During his first trustee meeting as head of the International Mission Board, David Platt outlined his five-point strategic plan for the mission agency, announced personnel changes, and preached at an appointment service for 63 new missionaries. Platt’s five goals for IMB are: exalting Christ, mobilizing Christians, equipping the church, facilitating church planting and “playing our part in completing the Great Commission,” he explained to trustees during Nov. 6-7 meetings. David Platt “Missions is not our life. Christ is our life. I want to lead us to love Him, to enjoy Him … and to exalt Him among all peoples.” Platt identified four steps to lead the organization: shaping culture, streamlining strategy, simplifying structure and solidifying leadership. “We’re working and pleading for God to raise up multitudes of workers,” Platt said. “And when He does—and I believe He’s doing it now—we don’t want to have a small funnel that people have to squeeze through to be involved with IMB in getting the Gospel to the nations.” Instead, Platt said, “we want to simplify our structure to set the sails for the wind of God to blow His people to the world.” Continued on page 2