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Basics for baptists who we are what we believe how we serve A series from the Illinois Baptist • Vol. 9 Searching for truth in Central America During a mission trip to El Salvador, Paul Sadler shared with a soccer coach as the team ran laps around them. When he neared the end of his presenta- tion, “The guy said, ‘Stop!’” said Tim Sadler, Paul’s son and IBSA’s director of . “He started hollering at his soccer team, and got the whole team to run over.” The coach asked Paul to give his message to the soccer players. “I forget how many trusted Christ on that day,” Tim said. was moving that day, he said, and it wasn’t the only time. Over the past several years, Tim Sadler has taken mission teams to work with Baptist churches in El Salvador. People in the country are generally recep- We serve in … El Salvador tive to the message, but Christian leaders have Tim Sadler (second from left) leads annual mission trips to to rely on the to work through generations Central America to partner with Baptist churches in the region. of religious tradition—much of which isn’t based on true relationship with Christ. El Salvador, youth Courtney Hill from First “It’s a very spiritual climate; it’s a very religious cli- Baptist in Herrin, Illinois, observed on a recent mate,” he said. “But many are lost in , and are mission trip. in desperate need of .” While many Salvadorans are culturally religious, if Religious practice in Latin America (which includes they make the choice to become Christian—often fol- countries in South and Central America and the lowed by —they make an all-out commitment. Caribbean) has changed over the past century. Accord- “If you go up to a house and share the gospel, the ing to 2010 research by Pew, the region is home to whole church goes with you and stands in the street, 39% of the world’s population, the most of praying while you share the gospel,” Sadler said. any region. But the share of Latin America’s popula- “You knock on the door and say, ‘Are there any tion that practices Catholicism has decreased from in this house?’ The Christian will come to 90% in 1910, to 72% in 2010. the door and say, ‘My husband’s lost; come in and talk has influenced the culture in Central to him.’ America, including a widespread Pentecostal move- “It’s just different. It’s fun to share the gospel in that ment. Other groups, like Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mor- context.” mons and Seventh Day Adventists, also are present in – Meredith Flynn

A B ODY , WITH LIVING MEMBERS Many face this dilemma: Someone wants to Baptism is the that serves public witness of a join the church, but they haven’t been baptized by im- person’s salvation. Followers of Christ obey his command mersion. They grew up in another tradition and were to be baptized after they become believers. And to be- christened as a child. At some point, they made a come part of the , the pastors should be public commitment to Christ. But now they want to reasonably sure the person is an actual believer – not join a Baptist church, without being baptized. just a well-intentioned person who wants to join the club. “Can’t I just join the church?” The result is a church body whose members have all No. Sorry. You can’t. Here’s why: been regenerated by the Holy Spirit when they accepted Baptists believe in “regenerate church member- as Savior. ship.” The church isn’t a club. You can’t just sign up, like at “The Lord added to the church daily those who were the Rotary Club or the gym. Everyone who is officially a being saved” (Acts 2:47 NKJV). member of the local Baptist congregation should be a born-again believer, alive in Christ.

1 W HAT W E B ELIEVE A BOUT ... Baptism and the Lord’s Supper Read Article 7 of The Baptist liever’s death to sin, the burial of Scripture as performed within the & Message (2000) at the old life, and the resurrection to context of the local church. Paul is www.IBSA.org/B101. walk in newness of life in Christ clear: when preparing to partake, Jesus.” Likewise, it depicts the the should wait for one an- Our Postmodern Age has re- Lord’s Supper as a “symbolic act other so that “you all should eat to- jected the structure, uniformity, of obedience whereby members of gether” (1 Cor. 11:33, NIV). and institutional authority of its the church, through partaking of Baptism not only identifies the predecessor, modernity, according the bread and the fruit of the vine, believer with Christ’s death, bur- to Stanley Grenz. And Postmod- memorialize the death of the Re- ial, and resurrection, it establishes erns have criticized the modernist deemer and anticipate His second one’s union with the church. “To worldview that emphasizes the in- coming.” identify with Christ is to identify dividual above the community. with his people,” Norman said. “A It’s no wonder so many of believer cannot be united with the the younger generation have no head of the body without simulta- desire to be a part of the church. neously being united with the In his 2001 book “Reforming body.” Pastoral Ministry,” John H. Lately, at Love Fellowship Bap- Armstrong said the church is “in tist Church, there has been an in- the middle of an increasingly in- tentional effort to teach the dependent society. ” The notion Southern Baptist differs theological link between the ordi- of “rugged individualism” has from the Reformed and Catholic nances of the church and their joy- dominated western culture since traditions but is no less meaning- ous effect on the individual’s the early seventeenth century and ful. There is no sacramental qual- connection to the local community has crept into the church, having ity associated, meaning it is not of faith. an adverse effect on the concept of required for salvation. Nor is there It may be coincidental, but biblical fellowship. “The church is any transubstantiation; the ele- we’ve had an increase in young called to fashion independent indi- ments do not transform into the lit- people ages 18-28 making com- viduals into an interdependent eral body and blood of the Lord. mitments to Christ, submitting to body,” Armstrong said. They are not magic. believer’s baptism, and partaking One way the church can answer Baptists, according to R. S. Nor- regularly at the Lord’s Table. this challenge is by renewed focus man in his book “The Baptist Perhaps if the church capitalized on the ordinances of the church: Way,” have followed the on these time-honored traditions, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Zwinglian interpretation holding accentuating the bond that exists And we might win back some of to a “memorial understanding of between Christians by virtue of a the young people who are so hun- the meal,” honoring the words of mutual faith in Christ, we would gry for community. the Lord “this do in remembrance discover a new means of reaching Both baptism and the Lord’s of me” (Luke 22:19 and 1 Cor. a generation deemed difficult to Supper are symbolic, but also nec- 11:23). reach. essary for obedience to our Lord. The BF&M holds true to Scrip- Bryan Price is pastor of Love The Baptist Faith & Message arti- ture, but it doesn’t bring out Baptist Church in cle on baptism focuses on the indi- communal nature of the cherished Romeoville. vidual’s “faith in a crucified, ordinances. The Lord’s Supper is a buried, and risen Saviour, the be- shared meal described explicitly in

C ONSIDER T HIS For personal study or group discussion State in your own words the difference between sacra- 1 ments and ordinances. How can we make the ordinances more vital in , especially for people on the fringes of church life?

Look up “” and “.” 2 Which does your church practice? What would be the impact of more frequent Lord’s Supper 3 observances, with a focus on “community” as Jesus and the disciples experienced it in the upper room?

2 W HAT MAKES US DIFFERENT Missions Sharing Christ in the U.S. begin here! “My dad’s a foreign ,” the girl said of her father’s work, “but 100 years ago my mom’s a ‘home’ mis- there was sionary.” Everyone laughed as the 1 SBC church missionary kid from South for every Korea tried to explain 430 what her stay-at-home did. people in the US. The term “home mission- ary” was kind of confus- ing. “Home missions” has Today it’s little to do with Korea. 1 per 6,194 As the Southern Baptist people. Convention was founded in 1845, leaders organized two missions agencies, one for Fast-forward to 1997 and an- foreign missions and the other other renaming. The North In Illinois it’s for “domestic” work in the American Mission Board 1 per 12,112 . added responsibility for The Board of Domestic Mis- Canada (previously Foreign people. sions started with three goals: Mission Board territory), and to send to frontier evangelism through church territories, strengthen churches planting became NAMB’s in the Southern home base, and main goal. Through the North American Mission to evangelize slaves. Ten years With its “Send: North Amer- Board, Southern Baptists support later, evangelism of Native ica” strategies, NAMB has Americans was added. sought to reallocate funds to 2,324 career missionaries The early years were trou- underserved U.S. cities, and to and bled, even messy. But in 1874, forge relationships between large Southern churches and student missionaries. a new era began. 1,255 Called the Home Mission church planters in the North; 2,600 churches have signed up More than 3,500 NAMB-endorsed Board for over a century, the agency started new Sunday so far. chaplains serve in the military In 2013, 929 new churches and in hospitals. schools and churches, founded grade schools in the Appalachi- were started in ; ans, and encouraged Baptist- 52% of them were African- related colleges. Southern American or ethnic congrega- Through the Cooperative Program, Baptists supported hospitals tions. But NAMB reports, “To Southern Baptists gave$41.8 million and homeless shelters. In keep up with population places where Baptists were growth and to offset the 1,000 churches we lose each year, we to NAMB-led missions in 2013 few, these ministries earned the SBC a good name and oppor- need to start new churches at a (that’s almost of CP gifts!) 23% tunity for witness. pace of 15,000 every 10 “The work of the Home Mis- years.” and another $57 million through the sion Board has always been There’s a lot of work to be Annie Armstrong . cutting edge. Involvement in done, right here at home. work with Indians, Blacks, cri- – Eric Reed Every Sunday, every dollar sis centers, other , touches the world. urban centers and student in- Think about it: ternships produced a string of Read Acts 1:8. Which of the four controversies,” professor Jerry places named would you equate Windsor told the Bap- with the U.S. Why? tist Witness. “Pushing the mis- sions envelope has always Why two missions boards? been a purpose and appeal of Are international missions so different from missions here? the board.”

3 LLINOIS N IGHT Two great camps I I S Clip and Share Your next pastor could be climb- challenge, and apply those truths in ing a tree at Lake Sallateeska right a safe setting where they can be B-101 with now. Or paddling a kayak, stitch- discipled and equipped to live a ing a leather lanyard, or rubbing missional lifestyle.” Pastors sticks together to spark a fire. Or Both facilities serve as a home Church staff he could be at Streator Camp base for several IBSA camps each Discipleship leaders learning about Jesus, and sensing summer, but they also host retreats, Missions leaders the call to salvation or Christian church events, family reunions and New members service. many other events. Lake Sallateeska, near Pinck- neyville, offers boating, hiking, swimming, and fishing. Accom- modations include hotel-style BOUT rooms at Sallateeska Inn, and the A B-101 camp’s lodges have 200-plus beds. This is a 20-part study on the basic Philip Hall has served as Lake beliefs and missions of our denomi- Sallateeska camp manager for six nation. It is designed for new believ- years. He and his wife, Stephanie, ers, new Baptists, and those who Good things happen at IBSA’s and their three boys live on the want a refresher. Clip it out of the two camps and conference centers. grounds. The camp is special to newspaper, fold into a four-page Over the years, hundreds, if not Philip because he received his call leaflet, and share with the people thousands, have accepted Christ to missions while attending Royal who would benefit from the informa- during events at Lake Sallateeska Ambassador Camp in the fourth tion. You might even lead a study. and Streator. “Last Sunday, two of grade. B-101 can be used for: the 17 children saved at missions Streator Baptist Camp in north- • New members classes camp this past summer were bap- ern Illinois can accommodate three • Study on missions in Illinois tized in their home church,” separate groups simultaneously and around the world IBSA’s Mark Emerson said in with their own sleeping quarters, • Exploration of in July. “Many of the others were or one group of 150. Swimming, The Baptist Faith & Message baptized earlier this summer.” hiking, fishing, and boating are Make as many photocopies as you IBSA’s ability to maintain Lake just a few of the outdoor activities need for study groups, church Sallateeska and Streator Baptist offered at the camp. Nick Candler members, and worship attenders. Camps is made possible by Illinois recently started serving as man- Or download the PDFs at Baptists’ gifts through the Cooper- ager, along with his wife, Whitney, www.IBSA.org/B101. ative Program. Missions Mobilizer and their two sons, Elijah and Produced by the editors of the Carmen Halsey said the facilities Ezra. Whitney is one of the daugh- Illinois Baptist: Eric Reed, Meredith Flynn, “give us a place to present biblical ters of retired camp manager Larry Lisa Sergent. Designed by Kris Kell. truths that penetrate into all aspects Walter. of camp activity—recreation, de- Go to IBSA.org/IBSA_camps Look for B-101 in votions, family groups, electives— for more info. so the students have time to reflect, every issue!

Coming Soon mission illinois Resources for B-101 • Leader’s guides for study groups Pray for a new church • Self-guided tutorials on SBC Location: ’s northwest suburbs missions, , distinctives, and the Cooperative Reaching: Multiple generations of recent Muslim immigrants Program and their U.S.-born children • The whole 20-part series Characteristics: Very diverse neighborhoods are home to will be available for download in peoples from South and the Middle East. time for fall discipleship classes needs: To develop first- and second-generation leaders and and small groups. churches to partner with one another to meet the needs of recent immigrants. Available soon online at – From the IBSA Church Planting Team www.IBSA.org/B101.

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