Catch up on missions giving • 8 | Will you read through the Bible? • 12
Volume 108, No. 18
IB Insider
DECEMBER 22, 2014
The SBC: Where are we now?
Thank you, Jerry Day page 2
5 things we learned in 2014
and what the trends mean for your church We need prayer now, more than ever
Drive-thru from creche to cross page 3
Persecution is growing worldwide, and growing closer in America
Evangelicals are in the minority, and we know it Young people are taking charge of the SBC
We’re feeling the shift in resources and attitudes
Pages 6-7
Nate Adams: Blues Christmas page 4
B-101: Does seminary matter? Pullout pages 9-10
Pat’s Playbook: Is my church successful? Or just busy. page 11
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IMAGINE IF – “…you could spend 10 focused minutes each Sunday morning in extraordinary prayer on two major needs locally, in your church, in America, or across the world.” SBC President Ronnie Floyd’s “Call to Prayer” that began at the Annual Meeting in Baltimore (above) now turns to Sunday mornings, starting with one worship service in January. (See more on page 6.) Members of the Chicago-area Broadview Missionary Baptist Church (right) joined the prayer focus in Baltimore in June.
New ministry follows riots
By Kayla Rinker Ferguson, Mo. | The plywood nailed to the windows of homes and businesses reminded Stoney Shaw of living near the threat of hurricanes when he was younger. “People would brace themselves for the storm that was coming,” said Shaw, senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Ferguson. “That’s exactly what is happening here; a devastating storm. But praise God things seem to be winding down and there is a lot of rebuilding going on, which is what we’ve been praying for.” Despite the rioting and arson surrounding the grand jury’s Nov. 24 decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown, Shaw said there are glimpses of hope among the ashes. “On that very same plywood, artists have drawn pictures of encouragement and hope,” he said. “We are the real Ferguson people, black and white. As a whole we are not the ones marching and picketing, we are the ones getting looted and broken into. There are a lot of other narratives, but the reality is that this is a terrible tragedy and it does not have our best interest in mind.” Continued on page 2
MPCRC photo
Church aids tornado recovery Rebuild team puts families in new homes By Meredith Flynn
Brookport | “Our town is starting to come back,” said Pastor David Siere. For a year, he has watched his community recover from a tornado that destroyed several homes and killed three people in Massac County, located at the southern tip of Illinois. The storm hit on a Sunday afternoon, part of a tornado outbreak that wreaked havoc all over the state.
Siere’s church, First Baptist in Brookport, sits next to a mobile home park that was almost completely destroyed, he said. But Brookport is rebuilding, and Siere and his church are playing an integral role in the process. The town is starting to look a lot better, he said, and “we’re praising God for what He’s done so far.” Continued on page 3