Issuu

Missions giving really adds up • Cooperative Program totals, pages 7-12

Volume 108, No. 2

JANUARY 20, 2014

T eens

IB Insider Geography lessons page 4 Shy doc shines in baby’s cure page 15

Spirit

Where in the world is Mark Emerson? page 5 This App is a life saver. Really. page 6 8 ways to start a new group page 14 Eclairs page 15

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Youth Encounter rocks students, builds faith

Springfield | “Where are you?” That simple question, asked from the Youth Encounter stage, has stuck with Kendra Lorton ever since she attended IBSA’s annual conference for students. “When God asks where are you, are you right behind him, or are you away from him?” Lorton paraphrased speaker Brian Burgess’ final message of the weekend. “That’s been in my mind every day since then.” Lorton attended her first Youth Encounter December 27-28 as a leader from Herrick Baptist Church. The church sent a group of 20 students and chaperones, including Pastor Jay Huddleston. He told the Illinois Baptist three students from his church made Continued on page 3

HOLY ROAR – Accompanied by booming worship music, students and leaders raised their voices at Youth Encounter in Springfield, December 27-28. The annual event featured artists like 33Miles (top photo), and 32 people made decisions to follow Christ. “Amazing isn’t even the word for it” is how youth leader Kendra Lorton described the conference.

‘Surrendering the secret’ of abortion Church’s recovery class aids healing By Meredith Flynn

Troy, Ill. | Dr. Chris Midkiff likely didn’t know what kind of bombshell she had just dropped during a women’s leadership meeting at Bethel Baptist Church. The OB/GYN mentioned an abortion recovery Bible study she’d read about called Surrendering the Secret. Some of the women in the meeting personally understood the need for such a study. Karen Schemerhorn remembers thinking, “What expression should I have on my face?” The prison ministry leader hadn’t told anyone about her abortions. Mary Beth*, also there for the meeting said, “If you’re a woman who has had that in your past, you’re sweating, you’re nervous, you’re

thinking everybody’s looking at you because everybody knows. “It’s one of those secret sins that just eats you alive.”

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is this month.

Now, more than five years later, Bethel’s women’s ministry has facilitated numerous Surrendering the Secret classes. Dr. Midkiff hosts the group at an off-campus location, and confidentiality is vital as women share their stories, many for the first time ever. Karen cites a statistic that nearly half of all women of child-bearing age have had at least one abortion. Continued on page 6

Return to ‘first love,’ Rainer pleads In an open letter on his blog, LifeWay Christian Resources President Thom Rainer urged his denomination to return to their “first love” of reaching people who don’t know Christ. “Where is the passion in most of our churches to reach the lost?” blogged the leader of the SBC’s publishing arm. “Where is the passion among our leaders, both in our churches and in our denomination? “Jesus told those at the church at Ephesus that they had sound doctrine, that they hated evil (Revelation 2:1-7). But He also told them they had lost their first love. When we truly love Jesus with all of our hearts, we can’t help but tell others about Him. We can’t help but share the good news.” The post expresses concern that the Southern Baptist Convention is Continued on page 2