Vigil’s swing launched a three-day project to gut and rebuild the interior of the Lopezes’ home in Progreso, Texas. Vigil, a member of Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, was part of a joint mission project sponsored by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Texas, Buckner Children and Family Services and the Global Missions office of national CBF. More than 200 volunteers from 23 Baptist churches across Texas worked in the lower Rio Grande River Valley during the first-ever KidsHeart work week, rebuilding homes, hosting Vacation Bible Schools, ministering to women and running sports camps. The project in the Valley is part of a larger, international partnership between the Fellowship and Buckner known as KidsHeart. Through the partnership, the Fellowship provides substantial funding and volunteers to assist the ministries of Buckner in colonias — small, rural communities with substandard housing that lack serv- ices such as electricity, water and sewers. The project was part of Partners in Hope, the Fellowship’s rural poverty initiative, and was organized by former CBF Texas Administrative Coordinator Judy Battles and the missions committee of CBF Texas. Buckner has been working in the colonias of the Rio Grande Valley for more than 20 years, and year-round churches come down to work. “That’s the beauty of COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP’S MISSION: SERVING CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES AS THEY DISCOVER AND FULFILL THEIR GOD-GIVEN MISSION. Students Train in Cross-cultural Ministry Meet CBF’s New Moderator: Cynthia Holmes Child Provides Example of Sacrificial Giving New Church Start Flourishes in North Carolina Being Baptist: A Fellowship Perspective INSIDE CBF fellowship! COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2003 WWW.CBFONLINE.ORG Children attended Vacation Bible School at four local Hispanic churches and one community center during the KidsHeart work week. Russ Dilday photo Online Newsletter You can access the fellowship! newsletter online in a PDF format. Go to Newsstand/fellowship! newsletter at www.cbfonline.org. [continues p. 2] KidsHeart brought more than 200 volunteers from 23 Texas churches to the Rio Grande Valley to run Vacation Bible Schools, do home repairs and conduct sports camps. Russ Dilday photo Texas Volunteers Gather in Rio Grande Valley for Work in ‘KidsHeart’ Partnership JULIAN VIGIL RAISED THE HAMMER over his head and, with a violent swing, struck the bedroom ceiling of Jorge and Ramona Lopez. As he pulled the hammer down, Vigil brought with it a cloud of dust, drywall and rat feces.
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Transcript
Vigil’s swing launched a three-day project to gut and
rebuild the interior of the Lopezes’ home in Progreso,
Texas. Vigil, a member of Wilshire Baptist Church,
Dallas, was part of a joint mission project sponsored by
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Texas, Buckner
Children and Family Services and the Global Missions
office of national CBF.
More than 200
volunteers from 23
Baptist churches
across Texas worked in
the lower Rio Grande
River Valley during the
first-ever KidsHeart
work week, rebuilding
homes, hosting
Vacation Bible Schools,
ministering to women
and running sports
camps. The project in
the Valley is part of a
larger, international
partnership between
the Fellowship and Buckner
known as KidsHeart. Through
the partnership, the Fellowship
provides substantial funding and volunteers to assist
the ministries of Buckner in colonias — small, rural
communities with substandard housing that lack serv-
ices such as electricity, water and sewers. The project
was part of Partners in Hope, the Fellowship’s rural
poverty initiative, and was organized by former CBF
Texas Administrative Coordinator Judy Battles and the
missions committee of CBF Texas. Buckner has been
working in the colonias of
the Rio Grande Valley for
more than 20 years, and
year-round churches
come down to work.
“That’s the beauty of
COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP’S MISSION: SERVING CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES AS THEY DISCOVER AND FULFILL THEIR GOD-GIVEN MISSION.
Students Train in Cross-cultural
Ministry
Meet CBF’s New Moderator: Cynthia Holmes
Child Provides Example of
Sacrificial Giving
New Church Start Flourishes in North Carolina
Being Baptist: A Fellowship Perspective
INSIDE
CBFfellowship!C O O P E R AT I V E B A P T I S T F E L L O W S H I P
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2003
WWW.CBFONLINE.ORG
Children attended VacationBible School at four localHispanic churches and onecommunity center during theKidsHeart work week.
Rus
s D
ilday
pho
to
Online Newsletter
You can access the fellowship!
newsletter online in a PDF format.
Go to Newsstand/fellowship!
newsletter at www.cbfonline.org.[continues p. 2]
KidsHeart brought more than 200volunteers from 23 Texas churchesto the Rio Grande Valley to runVacation Bible Schools, do homerepairs and conduct sports camps.
Rus
s D
ilday
pho
to
Texas Volunteers Gather in Rio Grande Valley for Work in ‘KidsHeart’ Partnership
J U L I A N V I G I L R A I S E D T H E H A M M E R
over his head and, with a violent swing,
struck the bedroom ceiling of Jorge and
Ramona Lopez. As he pulled the hammer
down, Vigil brought with it a cloud of dust,
drywall and rat feces.
2
GLO
BAL
MIS
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& M
INIS
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this partnership,” says Tom Ogburn, CBF’s liaison to
Buckner for the KidsHeart partnership and assistant coor-
dinator for partnership missions. “Buckner has been work-
ing here for 25 years, so they know the people, they know the
needs. CBF has made a 25-year commitment to be here and
improve the conditions. We have access to resources to plug
into the existing work as well as the commitment to be here
long term.”
Church groups composed of children through senior
adults traveled up to 15 hours to participate in the pilot
project that resulted
in changed lives,
among both the
church workers and
Valley residents alike.
“When we met in
January in Dallas to
begin planning for
this event, we asked
ourselves, ‘How can
we capture the hearts
and imaginations of
Texas Baptists?’” says
David Wright of
Willow Meadows
Baptist Church in Houston and chair of the CBF Texas mis-
sions committee. “We all knew the answer – missions and
ministry. That’s how this was born.”
The committee, with guidance from Jorge Zapata and
Tommy Speed of Buckner and Ogburn of national CBF,
decided to plan an event where small and large churches
could plug into a pre-
planned project.
Zapata, director of
border ministries for
Buckner Children and
Family Services, identi-
fied the construction
sites as one of the most
pressing needs in the
Valley colonias. Under
Ogburn’s supervision
and with approximately
$7,500 from the
Fellowship, the con-
struction projects made
dramatic gains in three
days.
“I wasn’t expecting
this much help,” says
homeowner Jorge Lopez
through an interpreter.
“I thought we might get
the bedroom and bath-
room finished, but they
have done the whole
house.”
In addition to the
construction projects,
the churches hosted
Vacation Bible Schools
at five sites and sports
camps each evening that drew nearly 100 kids at each of the
three locations.
“We’re excited because we’re seeing people being trans-
formed by the power of God and by the love of these people
who came from all over Texas,” Zapata says. “Even though
there are a lot of churches, we have become one body this
week.”
Each work team brought school supplies for the children
at Valley community centers to assemble into packages to
send overseas through World Vision’s school kits project.
“The children can give of their time and energy to put
these packets together, and they get to feel the satisfaction
of doing something for someone else,” says Battles, the
main logistical organizer on site during the week. f!
For more information about KidsHeart, contact Tom Ogburn at
By Scott Collins, Buckner Communications, and Lance Wallace, CBF
Communications
Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas andFirst Baptist Church of Gatesville helpedrun Vacation Bible School at IglesiaBautista Southside in Mercedes, Texas.
Student.Go participants enjoy a week of fellowship and training priorto their commissioning.
Cou
rtes
y of
Stu
dent
.Go
Julie Case from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor serves as missionteams coordinator in Helena, Ark., for Partners in Hope, theFellowship’s rural poverty initiative.
Cou
rtes
y of
Stu
dent
.Go
6
LEAD
ERSH
IP P
ROFI
LES
“It’s hard for me to consider a pastor’s wife, a teacher at a
Baptist University, a WMU national leader, or someone who
has given hundreds of hours of volunteer service to their
church as their primary work to be laity,” says Holmes,
referring to the five women laity and clergy who have previ-
ously held the position of Fellowship moderator.
When Holmes attended the first General Assembly in
1991, she didn’t know anyone in the Fellowship movement.
“I was always proud to be a Baptist because of the principles
on which we stand, including absolute religious liberty and
soul freedom,” she recalls. Since 1991, Holmes has been at
every national and CBF of Missouri Assembly.
The St. Louis attorney will preside at Coordinating
Council meetings and at the 2004 General Assembly in
Birmingham, Ala.
What are your
goals as moderator?
My goal is to tell
the Fellowship
story. I still believe
there are innumer-
able Baptists out
there who do not
understand the
current realities of
Baptist life. They
would find a home
in the Fellowship.
After this year’s
General Assembly, a story about CBF and
me appeared in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
My pastor received telephone calls from
numerous people indicating that they had given up hope of
continuing to be Baptist, that they did not realize there was
a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and people like us.
What are the challenges that you see ahead for CBF in
the upcoming year?
First, the continuing struggle to finance all of the
meaningful initiatives and priorities of CBF. The economy
in general presents a challenge as every church and
nonprofit agency of which I am aware has had a severe
falling off of donations. The second challenge is to impart
to the next generation the Baptist principles we cherish.
The third challenge is to continue our Baptist tradition of
combating an ever increasing agenda by both politicians
and some religious people to mingle religion and govern-
ment. I strongly believe that the Church’s prophetic witness
suffers when we look to government for affirmation of our
worth, or for financial support for our ministries. Christ
did not tell us to look to Caesar to fund the care of the least
of His children.
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
I believe that I have the respect of most of my peers and
clients. On many occasions, a new client has come in the
door and when asked who referred them, answered that it
was someone in a prior case. Many times it has been not my
client, but the party on the other side, who has sent their
friend to me.
What personal achievement are you most proud of?
I’m probably most proud that I have maintained my
sanity in balancing my personal and professional roles, and
the fact that my husband, Al, still values me as his spouse
after nearly 25 years of marriage, and that I have a wonder-
ful relationship with all my family.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in St. Louis, Mo., and grew up in Overland, a
suburb in St. Louis County. I still attend Overland Baptist
Church, the church in which I was raised and where my
mom (now 96) is still a member.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
What I enjoy is having free time, which is becoming
more and more rare these days. My hobbies include my
avocation, fighting for religious liberty and separation of
church and state. Others are running (I have finished four
marathons), reading and playing with my husband, dog and
family. f!
For more of the Q-and-A with Cynthia Holmes, go to
Newsstand/CBF News/News Archive at www.cbfonline.org.
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
A
Q
A
Q
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g
Holmes Brings Unique Perspectiveto Her Role as Fellowship Moderator
C Y N T H I A H O L M E S likes to joke that she’s the first “laywoman” moderator of the Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship.
“I WA S A LWAY S P R O U D
to be a Baptist because of
the principles on which we
stand, including absolute
religious liberty and
soul freedom.”— C B F
M O D E R AT O R
C Y N T H I A H O L M E S
w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2003
EVERY PARENT AND GRANDPARENT has children
stories to tell, I know. But I want to share one of mine.
When she was 9 years old, our granddaughter,
Madeline, spent a few weeks with us during the summer.
She helped out around the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
office by folding offering envelopes and doing other odd
jobs. My wife, Carolyn, and I promised to take her with us
to visit mission work in Miami, and then to drive to Key
West for some sightseeing. We paid her a penny each to
fold the envelopes, and she earned about $6 as her
“spending money.”
In Miami, she sat with us during meetings with the staff
of Touching Miami With Love Ministries and for the first
time, I believe, she met some homeless people. She went
with us to an AIDS hospice and visited the city park where
many Fellowship volunteers and staff work among the
poorest children in Florida. She quietly overheard our
conversations, the plans for ministry, the needs of lost and
hurting people.
Later, on our way to Key West, we stopped at Open
House Ministries in Homestead, where Madeline met
Open House volunteers and saw uninsured poor people
who desperately needed medical assistance. Again, she sat
quietly as we discussed the ministries and the plight of
poor and disadvantaged people.
Headed for Key West, we talked excitedly about what we
would experience there. After a long time of silence as we
drove through the Florida Keys, Madeline said, “Would it
be OK if I gave some of my money to Touching Miami With
Love and Open House?”
Carolyn and I looked at each other, and Carolyn said,
“Why, sure, sweetheart … if that is what you want to do, I
think it would be a wonderful thing to do.” Madeline
thought further and said, “I think I’ll give $2 to TML, and
$2 to Open House … and then I will still have $2 for myself!”
I could see Madeline in the rearview mirror as she con-
templated this, happy and at ease in sharing what she had.
The Offering for Global Missions gives each of us the
opportunity to follow Madeline’s good example. “Would it
be OK if I gave some of my money? …” You and I have been
blessed to such an extravagant extent that, by comparison,
Madeline’s $6 seems paltry. But, in proportion to the
resources available to her, Madeline’s generosity inspires us.
You and I are much more knowledgeable than Madeline
about Fellowship global missions. We know about unevan-
gelized, poor, isolated, marginalized people — living on the
edge, without justice, homeless, hurting. Our field personnel
in hard places communicate the needs and challenges and
victories. We have ears to hear and eyes to see and
resources to share.
As you prayerfully prepare to participate in the Offering
for Global Missions, will you respond generously?
Fellowship field personnel depend on our financial support,
and many people are blessed by the resources we can garner
to share Christ-like love. [“Everyone … Everywhere:
Being the Presence of Christ” is the theme for the 2003-04
Offering for Global Missions, with a goal of $6.1 million.]
Also, since our hearts and treasures coexist in the same
place, will you pray with all of your heart for the work of
Christ throughout the world?
Listen, see and respond … give, pray and go … . f!
The insert in this issue provides information about 2003-04
Offering for Global Missions resources.
By Patrick R. Anderson, Fellowship missions advocate
Would it Be OK if I Give My Money?Listen, See, Respond
GO
ING
TO HARD
PLACES
7
Thanks to volunteers fromSnyder Memorial Baptist Churchin Fayetteville, N.C., children atTouching Miami with LoveMinistries summer camp ‘trav-eled’ back to the land of Egypt.
Cou
rtes
y of
TM
L
8
GLO
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& M
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PASTOR GAIL COULTER RECEIVES GUESTS on the
front lawn of Providence Baptist Church on a perfect sum-
mer Sunday morning when she notices that several letters
have fallen to the bottom of the church message board.
With a quick turn, she excuses herself and dashes into the
church, returning with a screwdriver.
Clutching the screwdriver in her right hand, her left
gingerly retrieves and replaces the recalcitrant letters.
“When you’re the pastor of a small church, you have to be
prepared to do almost everything,” she says with a laugh.
Providence Baptist Church in Hendersonville, N.C., is a
church start sponsored by six Fellowship churches in the
Asheville area, in
cooperation with
Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship of North
Carolina, national
CBF and the Baptist
State Convention of
North Carolina.
Two local Baptist
associations refused
to admit Providence
because it is aligned
only with CBF. Refusal
of fellowship by the
association dictates
that the Baptist State
Convention may not
provide new church
support to Providence.
A second problem:
their pastor was a woman. The pain of those rejections
ended when the United Association of Charlotte, a group of
like-minded congregations, invited the fledgling congrega-
tion to join them. Providence was thrilled to find a home.
Recently, with the financial and spiritual support of 11
partner congregations and the sacrificial giving of its 40
members, the congregation moved from a rented movie
house and bought a “real” church building in a historic
Hendersonville community. Despite the controversy swirling
around its formation, the small congregation is growing in
numbers, in love for each other and in ministries to its
community.
According to those who know her best, Coulter’s practice
of shared leadership, her loving, welcoming spirit and her
unflappable style are key to the congregation’s successful
beginning.
“There is something of Christian elegance about Gail,”
says Buddy Corbin, pastor of Calvary Baptist in Asheville,
and her mentor. “For her, it was never about being a
woman pastor. It was all about calling. She is flexible,
articulate, creative and grace-filled, able to extend herself
to people who are very critical of her role as pastor. She’s
turned something negative into something positive.”
“There’s an openness here to show Christ’s love to all
people and to impact the lives of those who would fall
through the cracks,” says Carolyn Sierk, who with her
husband, Herb, has been a part of the church since the
beginning.
“Most churches are inwardly focused,” adds Herb. “This
church is outwardly focused.”
Providence is Coulter’s first pastorate. Now a grand-
mother, she began her journey to ordination in middle age
with the solid support of her husband, Dutch, and their
three children. While assistant pastor of First Baptist
As pastor of a small church, Gail Coulterdoes a little bit of everything — whichsometimes includes fixing up thechurch’s message board.
Using creative worship planning, pastor Gail Coulter hangs tongues offire around the Communion table and behind the pulpit for her sermon on Pentecost.
Ever
ett
Gill
pho
to
Ever
ett
Gill
pho
to
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g
New Church Start FlourishesBy God’s ‘Providence’
“T H E R E ’ S A N O P E N N E S S H E R E to show
Christ’s love to all people and to impact
the lives of those who would fall
through the cracks.”— C A R O LY N S I E R K ,
P R O V I D E N C E B A P T I S T
C H U R C H M E M B E R
w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2003
Church of Asheville, Coulter served on the Hendersonville
CBF church-start committee – whose tasks included
finding a pastor. Jim Fowler, missions coordinator for
CBF of North Carolina, asked, “Gail, how about you?”
“It took my breath away,” Coulter recalls. “His question
was like a bolt out of the blue – only from the imagination
of the Holy Spirit.” Now, after two years as pastor, she
describes Providence as “a group of courageous, committed
Christians, authentic in their faith and in relating to folks
around them.”
Arbuna and Guy Wiggins came to Providence from a
larger church where they didn’t feel needed. No longer.
At Providence they happily do it all: from maintenance to
running the vacuum, from serving on the finance committee
to making Chrismons for the Advent tree.
“This is a family,” says Arbuna, shedding tears of grati-
* includes Offering for Global Missions and Lilly Endowment grant (2002-03)
w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2003
A SMALL V ILLAGE IN NORTHEASTERN Macedonia
has water flowing again thanks to a collaborative effort
between the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and
Partnership for the Environment.
Earlier this year, Fellowship global missions field
personnel Darrell and Kathy Smith worked with Terri
Morgan of PFE to complete a project that restored the
supply of fresh water to the village of Turija.
“The need for potable water in communities across
Eastern Europe is severe,” says Morgan, president and
chief executive officer of PFE, a faith-based nonprofit
organization dedicated to agriculture, water and sanitation
projects that improve the quality of human life. “When
Darrell asked PFE to help, we were delighted to provide
the technical assistance and basic engineering needed to
resolve the problem. Collaborating with governments and
local businesses … is an application of the Gospel that is
deeply gratifying.”
The Baptist General Convention of Texas, which houses
PFE at its offices, was instrumental in guiding and sup-
porting the work early on in the project, Morgan says.
“In preaching the Gospel without words, our board and
officers found a level of interest among Texas Baptists that
allowed us to meet human needs in very practical ways,”
she says. “CBF was our first international partner in a
specific foreign mission project.”
The village’s needs were assessed in summer 2002, and
the project proceeded with the full support of local gov-
ernments and volunteers until its completion in late 2002.
“The men of the village worked tirelessly, digging
ditches by hand and carrying slabs of broken concrete and
were well-rewarded for their labors,” says Darrell Smith,
who has been working in Macedonia since 1997.
Supported with in-kind contributions from the com-
munity, outside grant funding, and funding from PFE and
the Fellowship, the entire project was completed for about
$15,000. Project management was an in-kind donation
from Darrell Smith, Morgan and PFE board members.
The local people became “stakeholders” in the process,
Morgan says. “It was also amazing to see how far a little bit
of money went in improving the living conditions of the
people,” Morgan adds.
Next on the agenda for the CBF-PFE partnership is a
sewerage project in Kamenjane, Macedonia, an area 50
miles from the border of Kosovo. The current wastewater
disposal method consists of rock-lined cisterns, a primi-
tive system which causes the spread of disease.
The Macedonian government has not addressed the
public health needs of the Albanian Muslim population of
Kamenjane. PFE has contributed $3,000 for the first
phase of this project, estimated to cost $1.5 million.
“The high rate of disease – especially among children –
is closely related to a lack of clean water and sanitation
throughout the region,” Morgan says. “Because the com-
munity is Muslim, they face severe discrimination from
their own government, even for humanitarian needs. But
the opportunity to bring a witness by our actions is a
powerful way to demonstrate the love and grace we know
as Christians.” f!
The Fellowship’s October 2003 missions education curriculum
focuses on ministry among Albanians living in Macedonia.
The November curriculum highlights CBF’s Offering for
Global Missions. (Annual subscription: adult and youth, $20;
children and preschool, $80. Shipping will be charged.) To
order, contact the CBF Resource Link at (888) 801-4223.
By Lance Wallace, CBF Communications
CBF, Partnership for the Environment Build Water System for Macedonian Village
GLO
BAL MISSIO
NS & M
INISTRIES
11
Local workers dig a trench for the new water line along the hillside inMacedonia. Because of the rocky terrain, most of the excavation workhad to be done by hand.
File
d pe
rson
nel p
hoto
“… T H E O P P O R T U N I T Y to bring a witness
by our actions is a powerful way
to demonstrate the love and grace
we know as Christians.”
— T E R R I M O R G A N ,
C H I E F E X E C U T I V E O F F I C E R O F P F E
12
AS W
E JO
URN
EY
I T IS POSSIBLE TO DEF INEBAPT IST in numerous ways. Some
define it from a historical perspec-
tive. Baptist is a faith tradition born
out of a historical context and shaped
by historical circumstances.
Like all Christian faith traditions,
the Baptist tradition gives witness to
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Baptists
share a common commitment with
other followers of Jesus to the historic
Christian faith. They also share a
common commitment with one
another to certain biblical truths that
have defined their heritage and tradi-
tion. These include commitments to
the priesthood of all believers, the
authority of Scripture for faith and
life, freedom of conscience, the
autonomy of every local church,
believers baptism, religious liberty
and the separation of church and
state. The Baptist faith tradition is
still strong and vibrant.
Others define Baptist from a
denominational perspective. In
faithfulness to their principles, the
“nerve center” in Baptist life lies in
the individual believer and in the local
church. However, from their begin-
ning, Baptist churches and individuals
have held to the concept of voluntary
cooperation and formed themselves
into associations/unions/conventions/
societies/alliances/fellowships for
witness and ministry. The idea of
organized and organizational cooper-
ation is not new to Baptists.
Within the Baptist faith tradition,
there are hundreds of structures and
systems in which Baptists work
together. In more recent time, the
word “denomination” has come to be
equated with a particular organized
Baptist body, whereas for the
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, it
seems more accurate to say that each
of these organizations are a part
of the Baptist denomination.
Still another way to see Baptists is
from a global perspective. Estimates
vary, but there are perhaps as many as
50 million Baptists worldwide. In
some places, they are a small perse-
cuted minority, and in other places,
they are intertwined in the majority
culture. Globally, Baptists share com-
mitments to historic principles but
are diverse in theology, leadership,
worship and liturgy. A global perspec-
tive is foundational for collaborative
mission and enriching fellowship.
For Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,
all of these perspectives on being
Baptist are important, but the one that
is most important is the congrega-
tional perspective. Our mission is to
serve churches as they discover and
fulfill their God-given mission. With a
commitment to our faith tradition and
the principles it has championed, as
an organized body within the Baptist
denomination and with a global view,
we want to be a resource to and for
local churches.
Our passion is the health and wel-
fare of Baptist churches. Our vision is
congregations being the presence of
Christ locally, globally, cooperatively.
Our strategy is to network, empower
and mobilize churches. We partner
with schools in theological education
to prepare future congregational lead-
ers and we partner with a number of
institutions to strengthen the witness
of churches.
Why is our focus so centered in
congregations? Because we believe that
this is where the Great Commission
will be fulfilled and where the Great
Commandment will be lived out.
Peace, reconciliation and justice will
come in the world as churches incar-
nate the life and ministry of Christ
and proclaim the Kingdom of God in
word and deed. f!
Reprinted with permission of The
Center for Baptist Studies, Mercer
University, from the July 2003 issue
of the e-magazine, The Baptist Studies
Bulletin.
By CBF Coordinator Daniel Vestal
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g
Being Baptist: A Fellowship Perspective
“O U R PA S S I O N I S the
health and welfare of Baptist
churches. … Peace,
reconciliation and justice
will come in the world
as churches incarnate the life
and ministry of Christ and
proclaim the Kingdom of God
in word and
deed.”— C B F
C O O R D I N AT O R
D A N I E L V E S TA L
w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2003
3. ONLINE: Go to www.cbfonline.org/community/ga/ andmake reservations online with the BirminghamConvention Housing Bureau.
If you encounter difficulties making your reservations,please call (770) 619-9671 for assistance.
1. Reservation forms must be RECEIVED by the BirminghamConvention Housing Bureau no later than May 23, 2004.
2. All requests for room reservations must be made inwriting or by e-mail. We are unable to process applicationsvia telephone.
3. Sharing a room: Please submit only one application perroom requested listing all occupants in each room. Anacknowledgement listing each occupant will be sent fromthe Convention Housing Bureau to the individual whosubmitted the request (primary occupant).
4. REQUIRED DEPOSIT: In order to process your request,the housing application must be accompanied by anamount equal to one night’s room rate at your firstchoice hotel for each room requested. Deposits areaccepted by credit card only, you may fax the form to(205) 458-8088 or go to our website(www.cbfonline.org/community/ga/) and click on theConvention Hotel Reservations button, then follow theeasy steps to send reservations online. Your credit cardwill be charged for one night’s deposit by the hotel. Thisis refundable if cancellation is made 72 hours prior toarrival unless otherwise stated on the confirmation youreceive from your assigned hotel. Please include thenumber and expiration date of your credit card. Anacknowledgement will be sent to you from the HousingBureau stating that your reservation has been made,and to which hotel you have been assigned. Faxing andmailing this form twice may cause us to duplicate yourreservations. The BCVB is not responsible for duplicatereservations.
All reservations holding more than 5 rooms will berequired to forward a non-refundable, one nights depositfor each room held by April 1, 2004. All rooms held willbe released back to the housing bureau if no deposit isreceived.
5. Changes/Cancellations: The Convention Housing Bureaumakes all changes and cancellations requested in writinguntil May 23, 2004. After that date, changes andcancellations must be made directly with the hotelassigned. Please reference your acknowledgementnumber when making a change or cancellation. Changes,cancellations, and inquiries concerning reservations maybe faxed to (205) 458-8088 ore-mailed to: [email protected]
6. RATES DO NOT INCLUDE 14% TAX. YOU WILL BECHARGED 14% SALES AND OCCUPANCY TAX WHEN YOUCHECK OUT OF YOUR DESIGNATED HOTEL.
HO
TEL RESERVATION
FORM
15
Official Hotel Reservation FormCooperative Baptist Fellowship 2004 General AssemblyJune 24-26, 2004 • Birmingham, AlabamaReserve quickly at www.cbfonline.org/community/ga/
See hotel listings below. If you list only one choice and that hotel isfull, you will be assigned to the next closest available property.
1st choice:
2nd choice:
3rd choice:
Arrival Date: Departure Date:
Arrival Time, if known:
If dates are not listed, you will be assigned the official conventionhousing dates at the top of this form. (June 24-26)
Special Requests: ■■ Nonsmoking ■■ Disabled ■■ Rollaway
■■ Other __________________________________
Unfortunately, special requests are not guaranteed.
Room Type
Send acknowledgement and confirmation to: (one acknowledge-ment/confirmation per room)
First Name: Last Name:
Company/Church/Organization:
Mailing Address:
City: State: Zip:
Day Phone: Fax:
Email:
Sharing Room with:
Attendee Information
Please charge my first night’s deposit to my credit card (check one):
■■ American Express ■■ Diners Club ■■ Discover Card■■ MasterCard ■■ Visa
Credit Card Number:
Expiration Date:
Cardholder’s Name:
Cardholder’s Signature (Required):
Guests wishing to avoid an early checkout fee should advise thehotel at or before check-in of any change in planned length of stay.Reservations received after May 23, 2004 will be referred toavailable hotels.
Deposit Information
Available Hotels:• SHERATON BIRMINGHAM (Headquarters Hotel); Rate: $100; across the street
from Convention Center• THE TUTWILER HOTEL; Rate: $100 Single; $109 Double; 2 blocks from
Convention Center• CROWN PLAZA – THE REDMONT HOTEL; Rate: $95 Single/Double; $110
Triple/Quad; 3 blocks from Convention Center• RADISSON HOTEL BIRMINGHAM; Rate: $89 Single/Double; $99 Triple; $109
Quad; 1.5 miles from Convention Center
P. O. Box 450329
Atlanta, GA 31145-0329
Address Service Requested
Quilt Inspires Virginia Church to SupportGlobal Missions with Creativity
A QUILT INSPIRED Tomahawk Baptist Church in
Richmond, Va., to discover a unique and effective way of
promoting Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Offering for
Global Missions.
Each year, Tomahawk uses the month of February to
focus on raising funds for the Offering for Global Missions.
“Everyone … Everywhere: Being the Presence of Christ” –
the theme for the Fellowship’s 2003-04 Offering for Global
Missions based on Acts 1:8 – focuses on communities of
faith being Christ to those around them. This year’s offer-
ing goal is $6.1 million.
A new way to promote the offering got its start this year
at Tomahawk when several church members bought quilts
from Fellowship global missions field personnel Melin and
Ron.* Then one of the members hit on the idea of using the
quilts to promote the offering. After some brainstorming, a
creative solution was reached.
Instead of using a real quilt, members of the congrega-
tion created a “quilt” frame that fit exactly over the church’s
baptistery opening. A cardboard grid with 48 squares was
placed over the frame to represent the squares of the quilt.
Each square was given a $55 value, for a grand total of
$2,640. For every $55 contributed toward the Offering for
Global Missions, one of the squares is filled in with the
photo of a Fellowship field personnel member.
“We just selected 48 missionaries at random from the CBF
promotional material, and I enlarged them on the computer
and then printed them out,” explains Pastor Clay Thornton.
The church’s high school mission group contributes to
the project by decorating the areas around the photos. The
group is also in charge of hanging the photos on the “quilt”
as the money is raised. “They have really had a lot of fun
with this,” Thornton says. “It’s kept them busy for a num-
ber of Wednesday nights.”
In fact, the project seems to have energized the entire
congregation, Thornton reports. “This is as good of a
response as we’ve ever
gotten to the Offering,” he says. “I think the quilt has given
our members something to focus on.” The church exceeded
its $2,640 goal with a total of $3,416.36.
Thornton says he thinks part of the project’s success lies
in the fact that the $55 amount placed on each quilt
“square” was a good amount for many people to contribute.
“Some of our members have given more than usual,” he
says. “I think the fact that the amount for each square was
not so terribly high made it seem more doable for many
people.” f!
All Fellowship churches that have contributed to the Offering
for Global Missions have been sent a 2003-04 offering resource
packet. If your church has not received a packet, contact the
CBF Offering for Global Missions Promotion Office at (770)
220-1653 or go to Missions/Involvement/Offering at
www.cbfonline.org. Offering resources information is also
available in the insert provided in this issue.
*Melin and Ron’s last name is withheld for security reasons.
By contributing writer April Shauf, Bluefield, W.Va.
16
GLO
BAL
MIS
SIO
NS
& M
INIS
TRIE
S
Receipts from CBF's Offering forGlobal Missions assist the min-istries of field personnel who arebeing the presence of Christ to“Everyone … Everywhere.”