The Ohio Baptist Messenger is the monthly news publication of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. Visit www.scbo.org to learn more...
VOLUME 72 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2024
Ohio Disaster Relief on the Ground After Hurricanes Full story on page 6
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Featured This Month
Thanking God for His Blessings in Preparation for Annual Celebration By Jeremy Westbrook
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The Father Loves the Son. Do You? By Adam Pursel
Steward Your Life and Ministry Well
Ohio Disaster Relief on the Ground After Hurricanes
Meet Church Planters Tony and Beth Loseto, Gateway Church Old Brooklyn
SCBO Vision Tour 2024 Engages Leaders Across Ohio
Revitalize Ohio: The Path Ahead
Two years later, Serve Tour Continues to Impact in Dayton and Beyond
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Ohioans March for Life in Columbus
“Go Experience” - Costa Rica Mission Trip 2024 Ross County Church Reaches Unchurched With Real Joy
The Ohio Baptist Messenger Staff
Dr. Jeremy Westbrook, editor-in-chief Stephanie Heading, managing editor
Seth Wicker, digital communication assistant AJ Frasure, digital communication assistant
Dan Stupakewicz, director of information technology
-- Tell us your story -- The Ohio Baptist Messenger is a monthly publication highlighting what the Lord is doing in SCBO churches or min- istries, and we need your help! Tell us your story and we could feature it in an upcoming issue of The Messenger . Please submit your stories to messenger@scbo.org. For more information, please contact Stephanie Heading at messenger@scbo.org.
Published monthly by The State Convention of Baptists in Ohio for members of Southern Baptist churches in Ohio. | 9000 Antares AveColumbus, Ohio 43240
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Thanking God for His Blessings in Preparation for Annual Celebration Greetings SCBO Family! What an incredibly blessed year we have enjoyed from the Lord here in the Buckeye State.
We have so much more to share and celebrate with you, so I hope to see you at the SCBO Pastors Conference and Annual Celebration. Jersey Church, New Albany, is hosting us on Monday, November 11 and Tuesday, November 12. On Monday, Ohio WMU is holding a Mission Celebra- tion and a luncheon for parents of IMB missionaries. The Pastors Conference kicks off at 4 pm with great preaching from pastors and planters around the state. Finally, on Tuesday, our Annual Celebration begins at 9 am and concludes by 3 pm. Please be sure to visit www.scbo.org/celebration to learn more and get registered! I look forward to seeing you soon and expressing our gratitude together to the Lord for the great things He has done. Moving Forward,
Spending most of it traveling throughout all six regions of the SCBO has been the highlight of the year for me personally. Hearing your testimonies, having genu- ine conversations, and hosting meals together has in- creased not only my hope for the future, but my grati- tude in the present. Lord willing, we will soon gather together to collaborate, communicate, and celebrate God’s activity among us here as Ohio Baptists. Why? Because we are grateful and should come to- gether to express our gratitude. Here are just a few ex- amples of how the Lord is blessing us in the SCBO. Cooperative Program giving is on the rise and through the first nine months of the fiscal year is up over this same period last year. Nationally, CP giving is slightly down, but in Ohio, it’s on the rise. Church planting is on the rise here in Ohio as well with an anticipated increase in the number of new plants and replants from last year. We should thank the Lord for placing His good hand upon us and never take the days for granted. This is but a small taste of how God is blessing us.
Dr. Jeremy Westbrook Executive Director-Treasurer, SCBO
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President’s Pen The Father Loves the Son. Do You?
The Father loves the Son. Do you? Jesus comes from above and is above all. Jesus utters the words of God. Jesus bears witness to what He saw and heard in Heaven. Jesus is the Son of God, and the Father loves Him. Do you? If you’re reading the Ohio Baptist Messenger, there’s a good chance you already love Jesus. Praise God! Me too! If you already love Jesus, I know you’re captured by a desire to love Him even more than you do today. He is so worthy of so much more worship and love than we can give, and the Spirit stirs in us a passion to love Him more! 31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Jn 3:31–36). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
So, how do we do that? How can we grow in our love for Christ? I’ll offer two suggestions: Time in His Word and Time in His work.
I want to give a brief comment on #2. There are so many ways to spend time in the work of the Lord. We can feed the hungry, serve in our church’s children’s ministry, or teach a fellow believer the Scriptures…but if your goal is to grow in your love of Christ, it seems that there is a unique correlation between sharing the Gospel with an unbeliever and a powerful experience of joy and love in the Lord. Yet, if surveys by Lifeway et al. are to be believed, too many Christians forgo that joy. Too many of us neglect that particular work of sharing Christ with the unbelievers in our communities. Let that not be true of us. The Father loves the Son, and we do too. Let’s redouble our efforts to share and grow our love of the Son by inviting others to believe in Him and love Him as we do. One of the great things about being an Ohio Baptist is the support. Help is just an email or phone call away. There are amazing resources in our state to help church leaders. We can help you proclaim the Word of Christ in your community so that lost people can hear and respond to the gospel! You can always reach me at president@scbo.org.
Grace and Peace, Adam Pursel SCBO President
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Steward Your Life and Ministry Well I’m 49 years old, and even as I write that, it feels surre- al. How can I be on the brink of turning 50 in just a few months? It seems like only yesterday I was playing high school sports, attending college, writing papers in sem- inary, and celebrating the birth of my children. Geoffrey Chaucer once famously wrote, “Time and tide wait for no man.” How true those words ring, both in life and in ministry. We’re all getting older, and change is inevita- ble. By Chad Keck, SCBO regional catalyst
permanent fixtures; we’re stewards. Stewards of our children until they become adults, stewards of our time and talents until we can no longer exercise them, stew- ards of financial resources until they or we are gone, and stewards of our pulpits until the Lord moves us or calls us home. My challenge to myself, and to all of us, is to steward well. Run the race not only to win, but to finish—be - cause none of us knows exactly where our finish line lies. So how do we do that? Here are three suggestions: Don’t neglect time with the Lord and with your fam- ily. Relationships are vital, and no one can pastor well if they’re not healthy in their walk with God or out of fellowship with their spouse and children. Pursue accountability and transparency. We need these qualities with those in our church and community to steward our ministries well and for the long haul. Seek partnership. I cherish the partnerships I have with fellow pastors in our association and throughout the SCBO. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” SCBO family, let’s go far—and let’s go together.
As I near this milestone of 50, I find myself reflecting more deeply—on life, family, friendships, work, and es- pecially my ministry. Earlier this year, I officiated four fu - nerals within seven weeks. These were for people who, by human standards, were “too young to die”—some my age, and a few even younger. We also lost a couple of pastors in our association, men who by outward ap- pearances were “taken too soon.” These losses stirred my heart and added to my sense of reflection. During my daily time with the Lord, Hebrews 9:27-28 kept surfacing: “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” We are all going to leave this world one day. Every pas- tor will eventually pass on their leadership. We’re not
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Ohio Disaster Relief on the Ground After Hurricanes By John Heading, SCBO Disaster Relief state director
An Ohio DR chainsaw team removes a fallen 100-year-old tree in Live Oak, Florida, following Hurricane Helene.
Chainsaw Team - Tom Miller, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Logan, led a chainsaw team to Live Oak, Florida clearing massive 100-year-old trees downed by the hurricanes. The only way to clear those trees was to rent heavy equipment for $2500 per week. Mike and Michael Ben- edetti from Benedetti Construction are new to Ohio Di- saster Relief. They brought what equipment they had and OHDR rented whatever they needed. In Live Oak, teams worked to clear an old tree and learned from the homeowner that the ashes of fami- ly members were buried underneath the tree. To lose these old trees is sad, but the anxiety it caused in the family related to the ashes buried there will be some- thing they will struggle with for a long time. Flood Recovery Team - Josh Wright, Urbancrest Bap- tist Church, Lebanon, led a flood recovery team that served in Clearwater, Florida. Their flexibility was chal - lenged as soon as they arrived. Instead of sleeping in an air conditioning church they were assigned to sleep in a giant tent without air conditioning. Considering what the residents of Florida are experiencing, not having air conditioning seems small. The team got to work clean- ing up flood damage from the hurricanes. Chaplains - Chaplains are an important part of disaster relief. While other DR teams are working to cut down trees or clearing mud from a home, DR chaplains focus on the spiritual and emotional needs of the homeown- ers impacted by the disaster. Story continues on the next page...
Flexibility is important in Disaster Relief (DR) ministry. Disaster situations change rapidly, so DR teams must be flexible and willing to pivot on a moment’s notice. Since two catastrophic hurricanes, Helene and Milton, roared through the southeastern United States, South- ern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) teams have been on the ground in the impacted areas bringing help, hope, and healing. Ohio DR teams are among those SBDR teams respond- ing to the disaster. In mid-October, SBDR was manning 31 Disaster Relief sites in six states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The process to deploy Ohio DR teams to hurricane-rav- aged areas began as soon as the storms moved out to sea and flexibility was a big part of the process. At first, Ohio DR teams were scheduled to deploy to Brevard, North Carolina. However, that site closed be- fore the teams arrived so they were reassigned to either Perry, Florida, or Hendersonville, North Carolina. One team was sent to Inverness, Florida, only to be redirected to Clearwater, Florida, as soon as they ar- rived. An Ohio team traveled to Perry, Florida, but was eventually redirected to Live Oak, Florida. Deployment changes like these are a regular part of DR ministry. Multiple Ohio DR teams deployed in October. Food Service Team - Jodi Calhoon, Cuyahoga Val- ley Church, Cleveland, led a feeding team to Valdosta, Georgia. The team partnered with Kentucky DR as they cooked and served roughly 6000 meals per day and saw 43 professions of faith.
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Stephen Magill, First Baptist Lancaster, served as the chaplain on the flood recovery team in Clearwater. He had conversations with homeowners wherever the team was serving. You never know when a casual conversa- tion will turn into a gospel conversation that ends with someone finding faith in Christ during a difficult time. Church teams - Local church teams are relatively new to Ohio DR and the process of Ohio DR deploying church teams has just begun. DR church teams exist to be disaster ready by equipping their church to serve.
Three church teams deployed in October, two for the first time. FBC Waverly and FBC Lancaster deployed to Augusta, GA to do chainsaw work. Urbancrest BC deployed to Georgia to do chainsaw work. Ohio DR volunteers do difficult work that forces them to be flexible as they spend a week out of their regular rou - tine. As of mid-October the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief hurricane response has seen 114 people come to faith in Christ. No matter how uncomfortable we are in the field, it’s all worth it.
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Meet Church Planters Tony and Beth Loseto, Gateway Church Old Brooklyn
Gateway Church Old Brooklyn is a nearly ten-year-old church plant in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighbor- hood. The church was planted in 2015. Personal Information: Tony is a native of Cleveland; Beth is from Alabama. They met while attending Boyce College, the under- graduate school of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. The Losetos have been married for 13 years and are fos- ter parents. “We have had several kiddos pass through our home and are currently on our way to adopting an 8-year-old girl,” Beth said. Tony’s Call to Church Planting: “I grew up in the Cleveland area very well-steeped in Roman Catholicism as the son of an Italian immigrant. I knew a great deal of the religious practices of Roman Catholicism, but did not know the redeeming power of faith alone in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through the continual evangelism of my uncle over a period of five years, and the death of a family member, God opened my heart to see and believe in the Savior that Christ alone is. In the years that followed, I always carried an awareness of how many people in my city were in need of hearing the gospel of Jesus from the plain teaching of the Bible. In Kentucky, I pursued a ministry degree at Boyce College and was introduced to the concept of church planting and its effectiveness at reaching unreached people with the gospel. From the beginning, the in- tentionality of church planting was something the Lord “I knew growing up that I felt called to mission work and loved different cultures. I thought those things would lead me to ministering in a different country or continent, but instead God called me ‘up north’ to Cleveland.” Challenges of Church Planting in Cleveland Beth: “Church planting in Cleveland is often more like church planting amongst an unreached people group and extremely different from the spiritual climate I was used to when I lived in the ‘Bible Belt’ in the south. With only 8.5% of Cleveland’s population belonging to an evangelical church, most people we interact with may have heard of Jesus but have absolutely no idea why he died on the cross or why it matters that he rose again. burdened my heart to pursue.” Beth’s Call to Church Planting:
Church planting is tough in Cleveland because we are sowing gospel seeds in areas they have never been sown before. It takes time to see the fruit from those seeds. People in Cleveland have a hard time trusting people. This makes ministry a very slow process which is hard in a small church with limited resources. A lot of our ministry is done outside the church walls. People in our community aren’t quick to trust churches. No one in Cleveland will come visit your church just be- cause you put a church sign out. They will come once you build relationships with them. Getting to share the gospel with people that have never heard it before makes all the toughness worth it.” Tony: A challenge for churches in Cleveland is remem- bering that disciple-making will likely not begin with a lost person’s Sunday morning church attendance and a conversation with a pastor. Disciple-making in Cleve- land often begins with a believer sharing the gospel with a lost friend or family member, living it out for them to observe, and leading them to faith in Jesus Christ over a period of months or years. Blessings of Church Planting Beth: “Gateway Church Old Brooklyn is a melting pot of backgrounds. We have people from all differ - ent walks of life – different ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, life seasons – but all have one Lord. Jesus being the one thing we all have in common Story continues on the next page... Church Planters Tony and Beth Loseto, Gateway Church Old Brooklyn
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makes our fellowship very sweet. Getting to see God’s grace and strength be sufficient for the couple in their 80s navigating health problems, the single mom work - ing two jobs and going to school, the couple getting ready to welcome their second child, and the father whose son is incarcerated really encourages our own faith and confidence in the Lord.” Prayer Requests for Gateway Church Old Brooklyn Tony: “First, we currently have individuals at every stage of exploring Christianity, considering believ- er’s baptism, and committing to church membership. Please pray for the Lord’s leading in their hearts. Second, please pray for the members of Gateway to
In addition, he saw multiple reasons to celebrate during Vision Tour. “Having both regional catalysts and AMS leaders from each region not just in attendance but engaged and inviting leaders to come with them was a highlight,” Westbrook noted. “We were able to also produce and pass out a new brochure detailing how the Cooperative Program works and we also enjoyed a meal together afterwards. At each of the gather- ings, Buzz Kocher, Reggie Hayes, and Steve Hopkins also shared from their respective ministries as Senior Staff!” Westbrook came away from SCBO Vision Tour 2024 encour- aged about the future of Ohio Baptists. “I see greater communication and collaboration in the days ahead, resulting in an increased level of cooperation,” he said. grow stronger in their faith and to be mobilized in mis- sion. We desire especially to help our members dis- cover their spiritual gifts and to develop a culture of mutually serving one another and reaching lost persons with the gospel. It’s one thing to say we want to live on mission, it is an- other to stick with it, so we ask for prayer that we would not grow weary of doing good, knowing in due season the Lord will bring a harvest. Finally, please join us in giving thanks to God, whose grace has been sufficient for the church planting work and whose gospel continues to shine brightly in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.”
SCBO Vision Tour 2024 Engages Leaders Across Ohio After six regional meetings and hours of celebrating the past and casting vision for the future, the SCBO Vision Tour 2024 has come to an end. By Stephanie Heading, managing editor
SCBO Vision Tour 2024 was created to provide pastors, church staff and church leaders with the opportunity to enjoy a meal together with Dr. Jeremy Westbrook and other SCBO leaders, engage in conversation, ask questions, and connect over the heart of ministry in Ohio. Westbrook was pleased with Vision Tour and impressed with the turnout in all regions of the state. “The number of younger leaders in the room was so encourag- ing,” he said. “Many who were genuinely unaware of how the SBC and SCBO actually work asked questions. How great!”
Revitalize Ohio: The Path Ahead By Mark Jones, SCBO revitalization catalyst As SCBO Revitalization Catalyst, I have been working for the past “More than 70 churches close their doors each week. You don’t have to…” – Corpus Vitae
a biblically-based process, and continued support.” I am excited for this addition to our toolbelt. Our desire is to help every SCBO church thrive in its community for God’s kingdom instead of simply surviv- ing. We will begin with a few “pilot” congregations and expand every year with more coaches and a greater op- portunity for a revitalization strategy. I am grateful to be a part of a kingdom effort to bring revival to our state. I want to take a moment to thank you for your gifts to the Ray Roberts offering which is designated to Disas - ter Relief, Church Planting, Church Revitalization, and Church Replanting in Ohio. Your gifts will be used to minister to communities physically and spiritually. Will you commit to praying for the congregations in your association, region, and state to seek revival and a kingdom focus in everything they do? Know that I am praying for you. If I can be of any assistance to you or your congregation, please email me at mjones@scbo. org or check out www.scbo.org/revitalize.
two years sharing revitaliza- tion tips and observations with pastors across Ohio. After speaking with pastors, distributing books, training leaders, and helping imple- ment revitalization strategies, I’m excited to announce another revitalization tool to our churches.
SCBO has entered a partnership with Dr. Rob Peters and Corpus Vitae which takes a biblical approach to real, lasting revitalization. According to the Corpus Vitae website, “Corpus en- visions a world where vibrant churches and effective pastors impact their communities with the gospel. Our customized church revitalization approach will fit your church revitalization needs with accurate assessments,
Two years later, Serve Tour Continues to Impact in Dayton and Beyond By Send Relief Staff 10 | November 2024
There were a million reasons Julie couldn’t address the roofing issues in her home. Being widowed made house repairs difficult. Then there was her age and declining health. And with kids constantly scurrying around her house—two grandchildren she was raising on her own—roofing repairs felt as far out of reach as the sky. When neighbors reported that Julie’s roof was falling apart, the city code officer knew just who to call. Since the 2022 Send Relief Serve Tour in Dayton, Ohio, Grace Point Fellowship has earned a reputation for serving the community. The officer contacted the church, and last fall, they repaired Julie’s roof, opening the door to building a relationship with her. Eventually, Paul Bilunka, the local missions pastor at Grace Point, learned that Julie wanted to reconnect with God but believed she had committed the unpar- donable sin. “She said, ‘I’m Catholic, and when my 21-year-old son died 12 years ago, I yelled at God, and I haven’t been able to talk to him since,’” Paul recounts her words. “I told her, ‘Julie, that can be forgiven.’ We prayed right then on her doorstep, and she just started bawling. It was like a burden was lifted from her.” Julie started regularly attending Grace Point Fellow- ship, and on a Sunday not long ago, she was baptized, with several of her family members joining the service to celebrate. “She has been almost like the Samaritan woman,” Paul shares. “She has been telling everyone about her sto- ry and how she found forgiveness. In fact, one person she’s impacted the most is the city code officer. But none of that could have happened without the Serve Tour and us having the resources to fix her roof.” Now, the city code manager directs Grace Point to three or four houses a month where people in difficult circumstances need help taking care of their homes, just like Julie did. And watching a church step up to serve their community, seeking nothing in return, has touched his heart, too. “I don’t understand why you guys do what you do,” he told Paul several months ago, to which Paul respond- ed, “Because of the gospel.” But helping people take care of their properties is just one of the ways that the 2022 Serve Tour came to stay in Dayton. During the Serve Tour, Grace Point Fellow- ship also hosted a ministry that builds beds for families in need by gathering volunteers in their church parking lot. Since then, one church member—a UPS driver
from a neighboring county—has started a new chapter of the ministry for his area. “Now, close to 1500 kids who would have been sleep- ing on the floor have beds,” Paul says. “So, the Serve Tour just spawned a continuation of those ministries. Two years later, we’re still seeing the lasting effects, and it’s still going strong—which is a pretty good track record, I would say.” Grace Point Fellowship was planted just nine years ago by Thompson Station Church in Tennessee. Since then, Grace Point Fellowship has helped start several church plants by leveraging a church residency to de- velop planters and send people out with them. By en- gaging their city, the church has grown to 750 strong. Seeing how Serve Tour helped accelerate gospel in- roads into their own community, the church decided to volunteer at the Serve Tour stop in Flint, Michigan, this past summer. “We were so blessed by people coming to our city to help that we wanted to give back and go to another town,” shares Paul. “And we’re planning on doing it next year as well.” The highlight for Grace Point church members who vol- unteered in Flint was witnessing local churches form relationships with the people in their communities, much like they were able to do two years ago. To find out how your church can reach communities for the gospel through Serve Tour, visit our Serve Tour Page. Explore Serve Tour stops for 2025 and register today.
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Ohioans March for Life in Columbus
This year’s Ohio March for Life was a time for pro-life generations to gather and support the advancement of making Ohio a pro-life state. “Together, we march for the lives of Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens - for their right to be born and for their mothers,” said Aaron Baer, president, Center for Christian Virtue. “We care about unborn children, but we also care about their mothers. Children, marriage, and family are beautiful gifts that we’re here to celebrate and amplify in Ohio.” The event was not just a march but a call to action. Ohioans are encouraged to message their Ohio legislators and urge them to sup- port pro-life legislation and advocate year round for the sanctity of human life. The nation 2025 March for Life will take place on January 24, 2025 in Washington, D.C. with the theme Every Life: Why We March.
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“Go Experience” - Costa Rica Mission Trip 2024 By Anita Deer, pastor’s wife, College Heights Baptist Church, Elyria Editor’s Note: Go Experience is an IMB volunteer pathway designed to provide churches with a short-term mission trip as a gateway opportunity with hands-on ministry experience, pre-trip training, and onsite training.
meals to us, prayed and worshiped with us. We be- came one big team working together. Be involved with your local church. We went to Costa Rica with the love, prayers, and support of our church family. We worked with people from another local church. We had the opportunity to see Pastor Sergio lead and love his church who welcomed us with open arms. We weren’t created to minister alone. We need each other, and there’s no place better to minister together than the local church. Be Supportive of Missions. Mission involvement is for everyone, not just pastors or missionaries. Missions and discipleship should be ongoing both at home and overseas. Jeff and Lori Herrington are the only IMB missionaries in Costa Rica. Their task is huge as they strive to help churches and disciple people. It was a privilege to be invited into their home, share a meal with them, get to know them, and minister with them. Local churches who support IMB through the Coop- erative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering enable missionaries like Jeff and Lori to do the work they do. Our “Go Experience” trip was a blessing. We saw peo- ple come to Jesus, had the opportunity to encourage fellow believers, and be encouraged by them. We re- turned home with new friends who live and minister in other parts of the world. We are part of the church in Calle Blancos and they are a part of us. We are told in scripture to “go and make disciples.” With God’s help, may this be our focus. Please pray for the work in Costa Rica, the Herringtons, and the continuing work of making disciples both here and abroad. For more information about “Go Experience” mission trips, visit https://www.imb.org/go-experience/ .
Early in the morning on September 24, a group of four from College Heights BC, Elyria, boarded a plane bound for San Jose, Costa Rica. We were a small group of four–myself, my husband, Pastor Darrell Deer, Darlene Brown, and Bev Alt. We were ready to participate in an IMB “Go Experience” mission trip. Upon arriving in San Jose, we met IMB missionary Jeff Herrington, as well as two men from Tennessee who joined our team. For a week we worked alongside Iglesia Biblica Bau- tista de Calle Blancos and its leader, Pastor Sergio. We prayer-walked the University of Costa Rica campus, surveyed communities near the church, and shared our testimonies, the gospel and Bible stories. Darrell preached on Sunday morning. Looking back on the week, a few things stand out. Be ready to minister. We went to Costa Rica because we felt God’s call but we also prepared ourselves phys- ically, spiritually, and intellectually to go. Our mission experience began months prior to the trip. The IMB requires online training for everyone who par- ticipates in a “Go Experience” trip. We trained in cul- ture, safety, different religions, and evangelism. We also had face to face training and debriefings every day with Jeff. The church in Calle Blancos was prepared to serve too. In their fellowship, Pastor Sergio was prepared and he encouraged his members to participate with us. They went door to door with us, translated for us, served Darrell and Anita Deer served Iglesia Biblica Bautista de Calle Blancos in Costa Rica while leading a team from College Heights Baptist Church, Elyria.
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14 | November 2024
Ross County Church Reaches Unchurched With Real Joy
By Stephanie Heading, managing editor
Pastor Tony Lambert has a heart for reaching the un- churched. For the past 16 years, Lambert and the members of his church plant, Real Joy Community Fellowship, Chill- icothe, have done whatever it takes to reach the un- churched in Ross County. Lambert’s call to plant Real Joy came in an unusual way. The Lord used a canceled mission trip, a thunder- storm, and an unchurched mom and daughter on the run to make his will clear. A youth mission trip Lambert was planning for students in the church he was serving was canceled. He decid- ed to do a home mission week holding block parties in parks in Chillicothe. During the home mission trip, a storm blew up. “We were an hour late getting to the parks because every- body thought it was a tornado, and actually, funnel clouds were seen,” Lambert remembered. During the torrential downpour, the students ap- proached Lambert wanting to know if they were going to go out. “And I said, ‘You know what? Maybe someone is wait- ing for us so we’ll go an hour late.’ So we went down to one part of town that was more on the lower income side and we started setting up. And of course, we’re an hour late and nobody’s there,” he said. Then a little girl and her mother showed up. While the youth were with the little girl painting her face and giving her cotton candy and snow cones, older team mem- bers approached the mother, shared the gospel, and led her to Christ. Lambert spoke with the mother. She was fleeing an abusive relationship. “I started talking to her and it just kind of broke my heart,” Lambert noted. He had been reading about reaching the unchurched and now it was in right front of him. “We set out to reach the unchurched in Ross County. And that’s what we did,” he said. With a group of 30 people, mostly family, Lambert planted Real Joy Community Fellowship. He leased a building with one restroom and the church was born. However, the building had a few issues. “We had mis- matched chairs and a building that didn’t have a ceiling in it. We had cobwebs all over the place and I’ll never forget the sermons of my preaching and snow coming down through the roof. And you’d see people get up and move their chairs.”
Pastor Tony Lambert, Real Joy Community Fellowship, Chillicothe
Real Joy wanted to upgrade the building so they spoke to the owner, who was a Christian, and asked about purchasing the property. “He gave us a fabulous deal,” Lambert said. “He said, ‘Please don’t tell my wife, be- cause she’s going to kill me.’” With a renovated and eventually expanded building, Real Joy grew to 163 people prior to the Covid pandem- ic. The church closed for six weeks during Covid then reopened with an additional service and new schedule. Sunday school moved to Wednesday nights and Real Joy held two Sunday morning services—a first service for people 55 and older, and a second service for peo- ple under 55. “God blessed and he just blew the doors off,” Lambert recalls. With continued growth, the leadership at Real Joy be- lieved it was time to build a new building on nine acres of land that the church had previously purchased. Securing funding for a new building was a challenge. The church needed money to build a three million dollar building and financial institutions turned them down. “I believed God wanted to do this, so I went to the local bank here,” Lambert remembered. He sat down with the bank president, two vice presi- dents and the loan officer – all Christians. “We don’t know why we’re going to do this,” they said. “But you’ve got to send us all your financials for the
Story continues on the next page...
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first year. I said, ‘Oh, I’m ok with that. You know God. I believe God is going to bless it,’” Lambert said. God did bless and Real Joy moved into its new 850 seat building near a new connecting road that put them close to several busy roads. “We’ve right on the major highway,” he noted. In the first year in its new building Real Joy grew from 239 to 324 and the church has expanded its parking lot four times. As it has grown, Real Joy has kept its focus on reaching the unchurched in Ross County with church events and outreach events sharing the gospel with anyone who will listen. One man who listened is Tank, a local tattoo artist and atheist. Through the witness of a member of Real Joy, Tank and his wife attended church. “I’ll never forget when they slipped in at the 11 am ser- vice and slipped out as soon as it was over,” Lambert said. About six weeks later, Lambert got up on Sunday morn- ing and felt God telling him to change his message. “I switched the whole sermon to an evangelistic mes- sage,” he said.
During the invitation that morning Tank and his wife ac- cepted Christ. “They got saved,” Lambert said. Tank now serves as a deacon at Real Joy and Lambert says 25 to 30 families and their children have accepted Christ through interactions with Tank. “I’m so glad he’s a deacon because he’s witnessing to people that we could never reach,”Lambert said. Real Joy is reaching the unchurched, baptizing 83 new believers in the 2023-24 church year, and in September 2024, they baptized ten more. As the church continues to pursue the unchurched, they are also living up to their name – Real Joy Community Fellowship. “We have a Real God with a real son, Jesus Christ. He brings Joy into your life. And through him we have Community with one another and we have Fellowship together as a local church body,” Lambert said. “One of our members said, ‘You know, if you look at the initials, it’s RJCF. Jesus Christ is always in the middle of real joy.’”
The new sanctuary of Real Joy Community Fellowship, Chillicothe.
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Register Now for Worship 4:24 at Cedarville University Worship 4:24 takes the stage at Cedarville Universi - ty, January 24-25, 2025 and now is the time to make plans for your worship leader, your worship team, and your pastor to attend. Register early for Worship 4:24 as the price increas - es on November 1. In addition, SCBO churches are eligible for a ten percent discount with promo code: SCBO424.
Co-sponsored by The State Convention of Baptists in Ohio and the Cedarville University Department of Music and Worship, this conference is designed to equip and encourage worship leaders, musicians, bands, praise teams, and tech crews to be effective in worship ministry. Worship 4:24 will feature guest artist Charity Gayle. “It’s going to be incredible. You will not want to miss it,” said Zac James, SCBO worship consultant. “This is an event for your whole worship team, in- cluding worship and tech team. We are adding breakout sessions for pastors, so come with your worship leader,” James noted.
“For NAMB church planters in Ohio, I have some free Worship 4:24 tickets as well,” said James. “Aar - on Taylor sent out the invite to his planters earlier this month.” The deadline to apply for these tickets is November 20. Contact Zac James at zjames@ scbo.org for more information. “No matter the worship style or musicians you have, no matter whether you’re a solo worship leader of a church plant or a multi-campus church, we have relevant training for your ministry,” James said. Register at worship424.com today!
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Job Postings
SENIOR PASTOR New Beginnings Baptist Church, Xenia
New Beginnings Baptist Church, Xenia, is seeking a senior pastor. Qualifications include a strong personal relationship with Jesus Christ; commitment to living out the Christian faith; pastor within the SBC; belief in salvation by grace through faith only; belief that the Bible is the divine word of God. Other qualifications include some education with a desire to pursue a seminary degree; Previous pastoral experience preferably in a small church setting; excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to work collaboratively with church leadership,and the congregation; a heart for pastoral care and community outreach; and passion for sharing the gospel. Personal Qualifications include younger pastor, preferably married; bi-vocational or full time; teachable spirit; 1 Timothy 3:1-7 lifestyle; love of country; and servant minded. Responsibilities include preaching and teaching, pastoral care, leadership and administration, community engagement, and spiritual development. Application Process: Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and references to New Beginnings Baptist Church, 1124 Upper Bellbrook Road, Xenia, OH 45385, or email: newbeginningsbaptist1@gmail.com Phone: 937-372-5361 . Lifeline Connect Baptist Church, Hicksville, is seeking a part-time associate pastor. The salary is $1,250 per month. The Associate Pastor is responsible for leading the church body of an average 30 individuals per Sunday in carrying out its mission as a New Testament Church under the leadership of the Senior Pastor. The Associate Pastor is responsible for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, assisting the Senior Pastor in conducting the ordinances and functions of worship, teaching and equipping the church body, engaging in pastoral care, and providing leadership and service in areas where the Senior Pastor designates. With plenty of opportunities to preach God’s Word, this position is a stepping stone for someone looking to take on the responsibility of a Senior Pastor role in the near future. Qualifications: The Associate Pastor shall have a testimony of salvation; be licensed and ordained; be a faithful steward with financial integrity; be sober, self-controlled, and respectable; be above reproach; Be spiritually mature, respectable, and an example to the church; be able to teach; be devoted to his wife; a man who manages his household well; and live within 30 minutes of the Hicksville, area or be willing to relocate. Housing can be provided. To apply, please contact Pastor Steve Eyers, Seyers7984@gmail.com or 260-229-0998 . PART-TIME ASSOCIATE PASTOR Lifeline Connect Baptist Church, Hicksville
PASTOR Woodsfield First Baptist Church, Woodsfield
Woodsfield First Baptist Church is seeking a pastor. We are a conservative Southern Baptist Church with a blended style of worship, located in the small southeastern Ohio community of Woodsfield. Our church has the desire to grow and we seek a pastor who has the same desire, as well as the ability to work with compassion and love with all types of people. The church is seeking a man called to be a Southern Baptist pastor who agrees with the Baptist Faith and Message. He should also meet the biblical requirements listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and 1 Peter 5:1-4. Pastoral experience and pastoral education are preferred. Send resume to: Pastor Church Committee Chairperson, Woodsfield First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 604, Woodsfield, OH 43793, or Email to: fbcwoodsfield@gmail.com. The church Facebook page is 1bcwoodsfield.
Let the Ohio Baptist Messenger help your church find a new pastor or staff member! The Messenger is offering classified ads free of charge for Ohio churches searching for new pastors and staff members. The Messenger is read by churches and individuals in Ohio and across the country. To submit a classified ad, please send brief information about the position along with a return phone number or email: classifieds@scbo.org
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