A
P U B L I C AT I O N
O F
A R I Z O N A
S O U T H E R N
B A P T I S T S
January-February 2016
Vol. 20 No. 1
WE VALUE
LOCAL
CHURCHES
David Johnson
Executive Director Arizona Southern Baptist Convention
Connecting Point ...
VALUES THAT DRIVE US
V
alues drive behavior. We live by what we
think is important. Those are our values.
No matter what we say we believe, our
values are shown in how we live and what we do
each day.
What is true for our personal lives is also true for
churches and for us as Arizona Southern Baptists.
When we adopted the Centennial Vision, there were
seven values stated. They are biblical authority, the
Great Commission, the local church, diversity in
unity, innovation, relationship, and prayer.
In the last two years, we have unpacked the
mission statement and our five strategic goals in
Portraits. This year, we would like to focus on our
values.
The church
is Plan A.
There is
no Plan B.
In this issue, we are looking specifically at
the local church. The definition given to
this value in the Centennial Vision is
“We value the local church as God’s
divinely established instrument for
evangelism, making disciples, and
multiplying churches.”
The way we say it for our staff
is, “The church is Plan A. There
is no Plan B.” It is a reminder to
us that our work is not about a
denomination or a convention,
but helping local churches do
Read the ASBC blog,
“Fuel,” at
www.azsbc.org
Like Arizona Southern
Baptists on Facebook
Follow AZBaptists
on Twitter
the work God has given them to do.
Churches reach local communities for
Christ. Churches make disciples. Churches plant
churches. And churches send missionaries. The
local church is the expression of the kingdom of
God, wherever it is.
There is no reason for a convention or
denomination to exist, except as an expression
of the local church. You will not find either in
the New Testament, but you do find churches
working together for missions, evangelism and
helping those in need.
Churches discovered they could do more by
working together than by themselves. That is
what the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention
is all about — local churches working together
to make disciples of all peoples in Arizona and
around the world. That is what we value!
The purpose of Portraits is to support
the mission of Arizona Southern
Baptists: Working together to make
disciples of all peoples in Arizona and
around the world.
Published bimonthly by the
Arizona Southern Baptist Convention,
2240 N. Hayden Road, Suite 100,
Scottsdale, AZ 85257.
Internet: www.azsbc.org.
For information, call (480) 945-0880
or (800) 687-2431.
Portraits is supported by Arizona
Southern Baptist churches through
their Cooperative Program giving.
Additional funding comes from
advertising and subscriptions.
Editor
Elizabeth Young
Portraits Team
Dallas Bivins
Golden Gate Baptist
Theological Seminary
Rik Danielsen
Yavapai Association
Lainee Pegelow
Christian Challenge, Flagstaff
Michelle Clements
Arizona Baptist Children’s Services
David Johnson
Fernando Amaro
Ken Belflower
Josue Castro
Keith Henry
Mitch McDonald
Eddy Pearson
Arizona Southern Baptist Convention
Design
Whiten Design
Subscriptions: Portraits is sent at no
charge to the homes of Arizona
Southern Baptists and to all Arizona
Southern Baptist churches. Additional
copies are available on a subscription
basis for $7.00 per year.
Subscriptions for those living out of
state are $10.00 per year. To subscribe,
call (480) 945-0880 or (800) 687-2431.
Change of address: Please respond in
writing by sending the mailing label
from this issue and the new address
to Portraits, 2240 N. Hayden Road,
Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
or email the old and new addresses
to [email protected].
Advertising: For display advertising
rates or to place a classified ad, email
[email protected] or call
602-942-8069. Email written classified
ads to [email protected] or
mail to Portraits, 2240 N. Hayden Road,
Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85257.
Presence of advertising in this
publication does not necessarily
represent endorsement by the Arizona
Southern Baptist Convention.
On the cover:
Pastor Anthony Cox (center) has led
members of Church on Fillmore in Phoenix,
including (from left) Tommy Eggers and Pam
Tate to launch Mercy Hill Church, which has
drawn new members like Gail Skeens and
Autumn Busby.
Photo by Jean Bihn
The Local Church:
GOD’S PLAN
By Dallas Bivins
The Church is God’s Plan A
for accomplishing the
Great Commission. There
is no Plan B. The church
is the instrument God has
designed to establish His
kingdom.
Through the church,
worship, evangelism,
community, service and
discipleship happen. This
is demonstrated in Acts
2:42-47. It is a picture of
how God wants the church
to function.
WORSHIP
Worship is the first responsibility of the church. Until the
church worships, it really can’t do anything else. Worship
fuels the church, nurturing its relationship to the Lord. The
church engages in both corporate and personal worship.
Worship includes praising God, hearing God’s Word, seeking
God’s leadership, finding God’s encouragement and nurturing
presence.
The church as a whole meets regularly for worship. Individual
Christians should engage in daily times of personal or family
worship. In the Acts 2 passage noted previously, the church was
meeting daily. This worship empowered the church and knit the
believers into a community of God’s people.
How can the church be successful in worship?
•฀ Through prayer (1 John 5:14).
•฀ Through meditation and reflection (Joshua 1:8; Phil. 4:8).
•฀ Through generous giving (Luke 6:38).
EVANGELISM
Sharing the gospel with unbelievers should be the second
responsibility of the church. The church first worships and then
it turns to the world of the lost to share the gospel with those
who are not yet believers.
A true disciple is committed to sharing the gospel, starting
with those who are nearest. The church witnesses with words
of hope (1 Peter 3:15; Mark 16:15) and proclaims God’s love
through works of service (Eph. 4:12).
How does the church fulfill the responsibility of evangelism?
•฀ By฀being฀committed฀to฀witness฀(2฀Tim.฀4:5).฀Without฀
We are God’s instruments to serve
others. If we are following God’s
leadership, He gets to choose who and
where that service is used. He will place
those He wants us to serve in our path or
He will lead us to them. He will provide
the resources.
We need to care genuinely for those
whom we serve. Our service is not to
fulfill our needs, but their needs. Our
service should be done with the right
attitude and motives (Phil. 2:3-5).
How does the church fulfill the
responsibilities of service?
•฀ By฀recognizing฀and฀utilizing฀God’s฀
provisions, faithfully and wisely (Matt.
25:14-30).
•฀ By฀realizing฀that฀the฀Master฀provides฀
resources for our service: the plan,
preparations and provision, along with
the skills, talents, passions and calling.
a commitment to witness, little
evangelism will ever take place.
•฀ By฀being฀watchful฀for฀opportunities฀
(Luke 21:12–13). Opportunities
come every day, if we are alert to
watch for them.
•฀ By฀being฀prepared฀anywhere,฀anytime฀
(Acts 4:20), using planned or
unplanned occasions.
COMMUNITY
The local church is a community of
born-again believers who have become a
spiritual family or community because of
their shared relationship to Jesus Christ.
Through their relationships with
each other, believers are motivated to
obedience and growth in Christlikeness.
Mature believers model the Christian life
for younger believers. Distressed members
of the church find encouragement and
help from others.
Good interpersonal relationships in
the church are the result of fellowship
in the church (Matt. 22:37-38; Gal.
5:13). Members encourage one another
(1 Thess. 5:11; Prov. 18:24; 27:6).
Disagreements that arise can be resolved
quickly (Matt. 18:15-17).
How does the church develop genuine
community?
4 P ORTRAITS
•฀ By฀honoring฀the฀traits฀of฀humility,฀
gentleness, patience and love, while
maintaining the unity of the Spirit in
peace (Eph. 4:2-6).
•฀ By฀loving฀God฀and฀each฀other฀(Matt.฀
22:37-40).
•฀ By฀having฀a฀common฀vision฀and฀
commitment (1 Cor. 1:10).
•฀ By฀being฀in฀full฀accord฀and฀of฀one฀mind,฀
fulfilling the plea of the apostle Paul
(Phil. 2:2).
SERVICE
The church must remember who and
how we serve. For the who, we are serving
God, primarily. For the how, we are
ministering to people who need God’s
touch.
Get I NVOLVED
•฀ By฀remembering฀that฀the฀Master฀
provides opportunities for our service.
DISCIPLESHIP
A church is to grow believers in their
individual and corporate spiritual life.
Believers should exhibit a passion for
God, and for others. Our passion for God
is seen by our focus on Jesus and how
we bring glory to Him (Psalm 73:25-26;
1 Cor. 10:31). A passion for God should
activate a passion for obedience and a
passion for others (Matt. 22:27-28; Rom.
12:10-11).
How does the church fulfill the
responsibilities of discipleship?
•฀ By practicing a commitment to
Christian living and growth (Luke
9:23).
•฀ Examine฀your฀church฀in฀the฀light฀of฀this฀article.฀How฀does฀your฀church฀rate฀on฀฀ ฀
these฀five฀responsibilities฀of฀the฀church?
•฀ How฀are฀you฀doing฀in฀your฀own฀growth฀as฀a฀disciple?฀Are฀there฀steps฀you฀need฀to฀take฀to฀
become฀a฀more฀knowledgeable,฀more฀effective฀Christian?
•฀ Perhaps฀a฀course฀at฀the฀Arizona฀Campus฀of฀Golden฀Gate฀Baptist฀Theological฀Seminary฀could฀
help฀you฀grow฀as฀a฀disciple฀and฀church฀member.฀There฀are฀courses฀that฀are฀applicable฀to฀lay฀
people฀as฀well฀as฀church฀staff฀members.฀For฀more฀information,฀go฀to฀www.ggbts.edu฀or฀call฀
480-941-1993.
Our churches must equip disciples who are committed to
fulfilling all five responsibilities of the church. Often, churches
prioritize one or two, resulting in lopsided ministry.
To ensure a well-rounded, healthy church, remember these
responsibilities whenever you look at your hand: “What Every
Christian Should Do!”
•฀ What (worship) — thumb — the only digit that touches each
of the others
•฀ Every (evangelism) — pointer finger — intentionally target
those who need to know Jesus
•฀ Christian (community) — middle finger — the biggest, most
notable; can be good or bad
•฀ Should (service) — ring finger — faithful, serving relationship
•฀ Do (discipleship) — little finger — holds and supports the
other fingers
•฀ By following Christ’s example (1 Peter 2:21).
•฀ By continuing to grow, desiring solid food, not milk (Heb.
5:12-14).
If the church is Plan A, and there is no Plan B, then we must
work to make sure the church is all it should be.
•฀ By going on to maturity and a deepening faith (Heb. 6:1).
Dallas฀Bivins฀is฀director฀of฀the฀Arizona฀Campus฀of฀Golden฀Gate฀Baptist฀
Theological฀Seminary
•฀ By experiencing community growth (1 Cor. 3:6-7; 2 Thess. 1:3).
PARTNERS
on the Journey
Why our church supports
the Cooperative Program
If a stranger were to ask me, “Why does
your church support the Cooperative
Program?” I would have an immediate
answer. “Our church supports the CP
because this is the most practical way
that we, as a small church, can have a
worldwide missions endeavor that takes
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the
whole world.”
So, how did we get to that place in
the life of our church? It all begins with
love — loving the Lord. Jesus said it this
way, “If you love Me, you will keep My
commandments” (John 14:15, NASB).
Loving the Lord is our motivation, and
that love can be expressed by pleasing the
Heavenly Father (John 8:29).
We know that God desires all men to
be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). So, our mission is
clear: Go into the whole world and make
disciples (Matt. 28:19-20). In our church,
that mission is embraced and promoted
by me as pastor, and I have led the
congregation to be missions minded.
Now we come to the how, the challenge
of how to accomplish our mission! We
have chosen the CP to be our means to
fulfill our world mission for four good
reasons:
1. The CP is a good way for us
to cooperate with other likeminded
Christians to do worldwide missions.
2. There is built-in accountability for
your CP dollars, where they go and how
they are being used — and the reports are
published yearly.
3. The CP allows for a stable source of
income from which to plan a worldwide
missions endeavor.
4. The CP is a simple and flexible
way to fulfill the worldwide missions
endeavor — in Alpine, Arizona, the
By Franz Tomlinson
Pastor, First Baptist Church,
Alpine
United States and worldwide.
In short, the CP allows us to get the
most for our missions dollar.
Editor’s note: The First Baptist Church of
Alpine is ranked number one in Arizona
in per capita giving to the Cooperative
Program. In 2014 they gave $529.86 per
person. The church gives 10 percent of its
undesignated receipts to the Cooperative
Program.
P ORTRAITS 5
NEW CHURCH
BUILDS ON
LONG LEGACY
T
wo years ago,
members of The
Church on Fillmore
had to face facts:
Their beloved church
was failing.
A Phoenix
institution, the
downtown church began as a
Bible study in 1938. Shortly
after constituting as Parkview
Baptist Church in 1942, the
congregation purchased land
near the then one-runway
Above, members of The Church on Fillmore participate in a
Sky Harbor Airport and
constructed a building. In 1980, covenant-signing service launching Mercy Hill Church. (Photo
provided) Right, Anthony Cox is leading the new Mercy Hill Church,
church members sold that site
which includes former Church on Fillmore members, to be a family.
and bought a city block at 7th
Avenue and Fillmore, inspiring a
new name: The Church on Fillmore. Beautiful red brick church facilities were built.
Several years later, gentrification of the inner city began to displace many low-income families
and homeless individuals, leading to declining attendance. Recent economic downturns added
to the church’s trials.
Still, despite its struggles, God was not finished with the 73-year-old church.
Monty Patton, a local pastor and North American Mission Board Send City coordinator
for Phoenix-Tucson, identified The Church on Fillmore as a possible site for a church plant.
NAMB representatives asked Hillside Baptist Church in Phoenix and Open Door Church in
Raleigh, N.C., to join them in a church-planting partnership. Also in the mix were Central
Association of Southern Baptists, the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention and, of course, the
remaining members of the downtown church.
“Church on Fillmore members voted to allow a church plant to meet in their facility,” Patton
says. “They were gracious enough to allow us to do that.”
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEAN BIHN
6 P ORTRAITS
P ORTRAITS 7
‘‘
God
brought
the church back.
It’s been a
long haul,
but it has been good.
Charlotte Mroczkowski
Anthony Cox, who had completed Open Door’s pastoral
training, was chosen to lead the new church plant.
Patton says of Cox, “The Father knew Anthony was the
perfect guy for this. Not only is he extremely intelligent,
he really seeks where the Father is working. I’m extremely
impressed with him.”
Cox hit the ground running when he and his family arrived in
June 2014.
“From the very beginning, I served in a pastoral relationship
with The Church on Fillmore, with three bodies [Open Door,
Hillside and The Church on Fillmore] embracing this idea of
making disciples in the city,” he says.
Once he assumed the role of servant-leader at The Church on
Fillmore, his heart became burdened for the struggling church.
“It became a burden that could not be ignored,” he says.
Thirteen months later, on July 19, 2015, members of The
Church on Fillmore held a covenant-signing service, voting to
launch Mercy Hill Church in their historic location.
Charlotte Mroczkowski was a member of The Church on
Fillmore for more than eight years.
8 P ORTRAITS
Top, two members of Hillside Baptist Church talk with Mercy Hill Pastor
Anthony Cox during a basketball community outreach. Above, among
the many volunteers at the event were Mercy Hill members (clockwise
from top left) Rod Pitts, Autumn Busby and Charlotte Mroczkowski, a
former Church on Fillmore member.
“It’s night and day,” Mroczkowski says. “God brought the
church back. It’s been a long haul, but it has been good — it
brought us closer. This church has love. The first time I came
here, I felt the love.”
Another member, Pam Tate, says, “It’s nice to hear the babies
in church. Members were aging; Anthony is bringing young
people into the church.”
Cox says the goal was to meet people where they are.
“Our strategy was not to come in and take over and displace
those who are on the margins,” he says, “but to meet them at
the margins to build community together in partnership.”
The church has adopted a new vision while continuing the
positive ministries of the past, such as its weekly food ministry.
In the future, Mercy Hill leaders hope to begin an equipping
center for pastors and lay people to gain an urban experience
within a local church context.
Cox says Mercy Hill’s mission statement best describes the
church’s vision: We exist as a family of believers in Jesus Christ,
who unite in Gospel, Community, and Mission for the glory of
God and the good of our neighbors.
“Not like family, but as family — a functioning family,” he
says.
Jean฀Bihn,฀a฀freelance฀writer฀and฀photographer,฀is฀a฀member฀of฀
Mountain฀Ridge฀Baptist฀Church,฀Glendale.
Get I NVOLVED
•฀ As฀a฀new฀church฀plant,฀Mercy฀Hill฀Church฀receives฀support฀
through฀the฀Cooperative฀Program.฀As฀you฀give฀to฀your฀church฀
and฀your฀church฀gives฀through฀the฀Cooperative฀Program,฀you฀are฀
part฀of฀the฀ministry฀of฀Mercy฀Hill฀and฀other฀missions฀and฀ministry฀
efforts฀in฀Arizona,฀the฀United฀States฀and฀around฀the฀world.฀Visit฀
http://iamcp.azsbc.org฀to฀learn฀more฀about฀the฀Cooperative฀
Program.฀
•฀ Find฀out฀how฀your฀church฀can฀be฀involved฀in฀church฀planting฀
in฀Arizona฀by฀contacting฀Ken฀Belflower,฀AZSBC฀church฀planting฀
facilitator,฀[email protected].฀For฀church฀planting฀information฀
specifically฀in฀the฀Phoenix-Tucson฀corridor,฀you฀may฀also฀contact฀
Monty฀Patton,฀[email protected].
•฀ Visit฀www.namb.net/phoenix/฀to฀learn฀more฀about฀Send:฀PhoenixTucson.
February
19-20
CrossPoinTempe Church,
1001 E Southern, Tempe
Friday 5:00 pm
Registration, Dinner, Worship
Saturday 8:30 am
Registration, Breakouts,
Missionaries, Worship
Mission Fair and Bookstore open Friday and Saturday
No registration fee, offering will be taken
Sponsored by AZ WMU azwmu.com
WORKING
TOGETHER
TO REACH
ARIZONA ...
AND THE
WORLD
Share these
Cooperative Program
stories with your church
Order these new bulletin inserts at IamCP.azsbc.org
P ORTRAITS 9
FIRST BAPTIST, PINETOP:
GROWING DISCIPLES
STORY AND PHOTOS BY IRENE A. HARKLEROAD
F
irst Baptist Church of Pinetop is on a mission
to draw people to Christ by finding fun and
exciting ways to meet the needs of people in their
community. They have developed engaging
activities that make members want to participate in
consistent outreach. And they are excited.
Change began in 2014 when the church studied
Transformational Church by Ed Stetzer and Thom
Rainer. The goal: to change hearts and make disciples. Leaders
want God to get hold of the people inside and outside their
fellowship.
First Baptist was already reaching out to neighbors with warm
clothing and weekly distributions from the church’s food pantry,
but that didn’t seem to be enough to draw people to worship.
Through a church assessment, the members pinpointed their
mission and determined the unique (to them) steps that would
help achieve it.
“Life on Mission [by Dustin Willis and Aaron Coe] came next,”
says Pastor Coy Brewer. “We participated in a churchwide study
from January to March 2015.”
Brewer tasked the deacons with developing projects that would
attract their neighbors in the low-income housing units across
the street from the church. The ideas came and projects were
presented to Sunday School classes, which gladly took them on.
“There were three or four events the first year,” Brewer says.
“Our people liked it so much they wanted to do it all year.”
One ongoing project started in 2015 was the donation of more
than 400 books to a local K-5 school’s reading program.
“The school loves it. Just knowing that kids are learning to
read and that they can keep trading in books year after year is
exciting,” Brewer says, smiling widely.
“Some things will work and some won’t,” he says. “We’ll run
with the things that do and not worry about the ones that don’t.”
Other 2015 outreach activities included:
฀ •฀A฀picnic฀and฀barbecue฀right฀before฀Vacation฀Bible฀School฀
— 21 kids from that event came to VBS, bringing attendance to
more than 100
฀ •฀Free฀haircuts฀before฀school฀started฀฀฀
฀ •฀A฀card-making฀class
฀ •฀A฀cooking฀class฀using฀staples฀from฀the฀church’s฀food฀pantry
฀ •฀A฀“Trunk฀or฀Treat”฀event฀at฀Halloween,฀where฀600฀tracts฀and฀
300 Bibles were distributed
฀ •฀A฀bucket฀of฀cleaning฀supplies,฀a฀Bible,฀church฀information฀
10 P ORTRAITS
Members of First Baptist, Pinetop, have responded to the challenge of
Pastor Coy Brewer, above, with a variety of outreach activities, including
welcome buckets for apartment dwellers and a cooking class using food in
the church’s food panty.
and homemade cookies will be delivered to each new resident of
the low-income apartments. Brewer is awaiting the apartment
manager’s final approval to allow church members to make the
deliveries.
฀ •฀A฀“Surprise฀Squad”฀randomly฀gave฀cash฀and฀gift฀cards฀to฀
people at grocery and department stores, as well as gas stations, to
help reduce Christmas expenses. Toys collected by members were
distributed to low-income families whose kids are involved at
church.
“We don’t do what we do for the attention or publicity,”
Brewer says. “We do it to reach out. We don’t take many photos,
because it’s not about how good we look. We don’t want to start
pointing out the things we’ve done, but if it encourages other
AND REACHING OUT
churches to reach out, we will gladly share our story.”
There is another important dimension to the church’s
outreach. Two years ago, members were building bridges for
future ministry as they regularly walked the neighborhood,
introducing themselves and praying for God to touch the
hearts of each family member.
The response so far: several children are learning and
growing by attending services and activities throughout the
week, even though only a few parents are involved.
But First Baptist Church of Pinetop is determined. They
know outreach is a marathon, not a sprint. There is too much
at stake to stop moving forward.
Irene฀A.฀Harkleroad,฀a฀freelance฀writer฀living฀in฀Carefree,฀is฀a฀
member฀of฀Black฀Mountain฀Baptist฀Church,฀Cave฀Creek.
bonus story:
Get I NVOLVED
•฀Find฀new฀ways฀your฀church,฀small฀group฀or฀Sunday฀฀ ฀
School฀class฀can฀reach฀out฀to฀the฀community.฀For฀ideas,฀
see฀the฀Arizona฀Southern฀Baptist฀Convention’s฀Community฀
Connections฀webpage฀at฀http://azsbc.org/church-life-team/
community-connections/.
•฀Volunteer฀at฀a฀church฀food฀pantry,฀clothing฀closet฀or฀shelter.฀
You฀will฀get฀a฀new฀perspective฀and฀possibly฀jumpstart฀your฀
personal฀ministry.
•฀If฀you฀are฀interested฀in฀helping฀your฀church฀focus฀on฀God’s฀plan฀
for฀it,฀contact฀Keith฀Henry,฀[email protected],฀or฀Eddy฀Pearson,฀
[email protected],฀to฀learn฀more฀about฀Transformational
Church,฀Life on Mission฀and฀other฀resources.
Bonus฀story฀and฀photos฀from฀Pinetop฀Church:฀http://portraits.azsbc.org.
P ORTRAITS 11
RINCON BAPTIST, TUCSON:
ON MISSION TO SERV
12 P ORTRAITS
VE THE COMMUNITY
R
STORY AND PHOTOS BY
ROSALVA ZIMMERMAN
incon Baptist Church has a long history of serving
the southeast side of Tucson, and theirs is a story
of steadfast ministry. But it hasn’t been without
challenges.
Perhaps it was a drift in mission or a loss of
focus, but in the mid-1990s, the congregation had
dwindled so far that the church was planning to
close its doors. At one point, a For Sale sign was
even placed on the property.
Change began to take place when a new pastor
was called on an interim basis in 1997. Edward
Vernon served in that capacity for two years before being
called as the permanent senior pastor.
A “people-centered”
approach to ministry, led
by Vernon, revitalized the
church’s impact on the
surrounding community.
His son, Gordon, who was
called as the church’s associate
pastor in 1999, became the
senior pastor following his
father’s retirement. Gordon
Vernon has continued to
lead Rincon Baptist in that
missional vision to make
an impact for Christ. A new
larger worship center was
dedicated in October 2010 to
accommodate the church’s
need for more space.
A monthly food distribution
Vernon attributes steady
is one way Rincon Baptist
growth — both numerically and
Church, under the leadership of
spiritually, through the Lord’s
Pastor Gordon Vernon, above,
is impacting lives for Christ and leading — as the reason for the
meeting needs.
turnaround at Rincon.
P ORTRAITS 13
‘‘
People want
to be a part of
a church
where they can be involved in
service to the
Numerous members of Rincon Baptist Church volunteer at the church on
the fourth Saturday of every month, when Rincon partners with Caring
Ministries in Tucson to provide thousands of pounds of free food to the
community.
“It hasn’t been any particular program-driven effort that has made
the difference,” he says. Instead, he credits the transforming power of
God working through a group of people on mission together to serve
their community.
“The church has just looked for ways to impact lives for Christ and
meet needs on a personal level,” Vernon says, “and I believe we end
up being more blessed by the opportunity to serve than the people
who come for help.”
Ministry to the needy is supported by numerous volunteers
14 P ORTRAITS
community.
gordon Vernon
from the church, which partners with Caring Ministries to provide
thousands of pounds of free food on the fourth Saturday of every
month.
On a recent food distribution day, Vernon says, three couples
— all recent newcomers to the church — showed up because they
wanted to see what was happening and help.
“People want to be a part of a church where they can be involved
in service to the community,” he says.
On Friday nights, church volunteers host Celebrate Recovery
Rincon member Mike Duckery unloads supplies for the free weekly
dinner before Celebrate Recovery.
sessions, where they help people find healing in recovery from
addictions. The weekly sessions include a free meal, a time of
worship, teaching, testimony-sharing, small groups and a dessert
fellowship.
Ministry to children and young families has grown, in part,
through the work of the church’s Lil’ Bear Preschool, which offers
quality childcare through Christ’s love.
A recent Trunk or Treat event drew more than 700 children and
their families.
“Having a busy campus is a great draw for passersby who stop by
just to see what is going on at the church,” Vernon says.
The property is particularly busy on Sundays, when both the
First Nepali Church of Tucson, as well as the Filipino-American
Christian Fellowship of Tucson, meet in addition to Rincon’s
schedule of traditional services.
Though Rincon Baptist has had a presence of more than 50 years
on their corner on the east side of Tucson, they have moved far
beyond the days of that For Sale sign.
“We are just looking to help people where they are,” Vernon says.
In that process, Rincon is impacting the community for kingdom
purposes.
Rosalva฀Zimmerman,฀a฀freelance฀writer฀who฀recently฀moved฀to฀Tucson,฀
attends฀First฀Southern฀Baptist฀Church฀of฀Tucson.
Get I NVOLVED
•฀ Actively฀engage฀in฀activities฀in฀your฀community฀to฀build฀
relationships.฀
•฀ Research฀to฀discover฀needs฀and฀available฀resources฀in฀your฀
community.
•฀ Look฀for฀ways฀to฀connect฀those฀needs฀with฀resources฀in฀your฀area.
•฀ Consider฀partnering฀with฀other฀ministries฀to฀expand฀your฀outreach.
•฀ Ask฀God฀to฀show฀you฀where฀your฀gifts฀and฀talents฀might฀best฀be฀
used฀to฀further฀His฀work฀in฀your฀community.
P ORTRAITS 15
A PARTNERSHIP
P
astor Victor Berrelez was thrilled enough to be invited to lunch
on someone else’s dime, but when that invitation led to another
invitation, he realized God was up to something bigger.
“Steve Hanna shared with me his vision for Arizona Baptist
Children’s Services & Family Ministries’ reaching people through our church,”
says Berrelez of his lunch meeting with the executive director of ABCS. “From
that meeting, God put together a partnership we love.”
Berrelez is pastor of Mission Drive Baptist Church in Phoenix, the new home
of ABCS’ Phoenix office. The family resource ministry has been renovating the
church’s two-story education building for several months, with hopes to move into the
facility early this year.
“I’ve never liked the fact that most churches have unused space Monday through Friday,”
says Berrelez. “Our congregation is thrilled that our building will be used every day to help
introduce people to Christ. That’s why we’re here.”
According to Hanna, ABCS relies on vibrant and ongoing partnerships with local
churches such as Mission Drive to help families in distress and transition.
Above, ABCS President Steve Hanna (left) and Mission Drive Baptist Church Pastor Victor Berrelez
celebrate the partnership that allows ABCS to have its Phoenix office at the church. Right, Raquel
Williams (facing camera), ABCS employee and Hillside Baptist Church member, prays with the
Hillside youth group as they work on the new ABCS Phoenix office.
BY KAY HARMS
16 P ORTRAITS
CONNECTING CHURCHES & COMMUNITIES
P ORTRAITS 17
“It was my deliberate intention 17 years ago when I opened
the first region of ABCS that we would partner with our local
churches and associations,” insists Hanna. “It is part of who we
are, and I will continually pursue that as long as they allow me
to be in this position. That partnership is very important to our
relationships and who we are.”
Many other Arizona Southern Baptist churches already partner
with ABCS by sharing or leasing space. For instance, most of the
15 New Life Pregnancy Centers run by ABCS are on properties
that are either part of church campuses or owned by churches.
Trinity Southern Baptist Church in Casa Grande made a house
available to open the first New Life Pregnancy Center outside of
Tucson.
Emmanuel Baptist Church in Tucson has one of the longest
running partnerships with ABCS, housing their southern
regional and operations offices for 17 years.
“We rent the buildings we use at Emmanuel,” says Hanna,
“but the church has graciously helped renovate those buildings.
It’s really a mutual partnership in which both the church and
ABCS benefit.”
Often when ABCS rents or occupies properties belonging
to churches, the organization upgrades the facilities. They’ve
used volunteer labor as well as professional contractors to add
bathrooms and kitchens to the building they will occupy at
Mission Drive, for instance.
“We remodeled the old fellowship hall at Tucson Chinese
Baptist Church,” notes Hanna, “and we use it to provide parent
aide visitation for families who have had their children removed
from the home. We also have a resource center there where we give
out government food boxes, clothes, hygiene bags and diapers.”
ABCS would like to have offices located next to or in churches
in all five regions of Arizona. According to Hanna, partnering
with local churches not only helps ABCS and the churches
financially, but it’s also the best way for both to connect with the
people of the community.
Close relationships between congregations and ABCS also fuel
the actual work of the ministry. Hanna reports that in the first
half of 2015, of the 776 volunteers who have served — together
investing more than 12,000 hours — most have come to ABCS
through churches.
“We provide local churches a great avenue for ministry and
mission trips,” says Hanna. “I grew up an MK (missionary kid)
and I know the value of the local church. We don’t want to
take away from the churches’ ministries. ABCS simply hopes
to augment the ministry of local churches with counseling,
pregnancy support, foster care support, transitional care, etc.”
Unlike states in the Bible Belt, Arizona may not have a church
on every corner in every community. But Hanna hopes AZSBC
churches know that ABCS is in their corner to help them reach
their communities.
Kay฀Harms฀worships฀at฀First฀Baptist฀Church฀in฀Sierra฀Vista.฀She฀blogs฀
at฀www.offthebeatenpathministries.com฀and฀frequently฀speaks฀at฀
women’s฀Bible฀conferences฀and฀events.
18 P ORTRAITS
A number of volunteers have helped with renovations for the new ABCS
Phoenix office, including, top, groups from Hillside Baptist Church,
Freedom Valley Church and The Church at Arrowhead; center, Tucson
Chinese Baptist Church and Voice for Christ Church; and, bottom, The
Way Fellowship Church.
Get I NVOLVED
•฀ If฀your฀church฀would฀like฀to฀help฀Arizona฀Baptist฀฀ ฀
Children’s฀Services฀in฀a฀tangible฀ministry,฀contact฀ABCS฀office฀
at฀800-678-0648.฀For฀instance,฀First฀Baptist฀Church฀in฀Sierra฀
Vista฀had฀an฀“Undie฀Sunday”฀on฀which฀they฀collected฀packages฀
of฀children’s฀underwear,฀socks฀and฀diapers฀for฀children฀in฀
transitional฀care.
•฀ To฀learn฀more฀about฀ABCS฀and฀the฀services฀they฀provide฀and฀
avenues฀for฀ministry,฀visit฀www.abcs.org.
•฀ ABCS฀gives฀back฀to฀churches฀by฀providing฀counseling฀and฀
support฀for฀pastors,฀church฀leaders฀and฀their฀families฀through฀the฀
New฀Life฀Counseling฀team’s฀Leader฀Care฀ministry.฀To฀find฀a฀New฀
Life฀counselor฀in฀your฀area,฀visit฀www.NewLifeAZ.org.
January 29-30
Introducing
Pastors
Summit 2016
First Baptist Church, Chandler
Each pastor
attending will
receive a packet of
MY316 materials
Randy
Adams
Randy
McWhorter
Executive Director
Northwest Baptist
Convention, and
author of
MY316 materials
Director of
Evangelism,
California Southern
Baptist Convention
Registration
deadline:
January 15
LEARN A SIMPLE
WAY TO HAVE
A JESUS CONVERSATION
USING YOUR STORY AND JOHN 3:16
Register online or find details at http://azsbc.org/summit
A Cooperative Program ministry of Arizona Southern Baptists
P ORTRAITS 19
Ranked as a U.S. News & World Report Best College for more
OUR PURPOSE
IS TO HELP YOU
LIVE YOURS.
than a decade, California Baptist University has designed an
educational experience that equips the mind while energizing
the heart. More than 8,000 students from across the nation and
world travel here to discover and live their purpose from among
more than 150 majors and concentrations including accounting,
engineering, marketing, music, nursing and theology.
Find out more at calbaptist.edu
AZSBC focus: Missions, ‘All Peoples’
By Elizabeth Young
A
t an annual meeting bookended
by missions activities, Arizona
Southern Baptists heard
Cooperative Program testimonies,
adopted the first Cooperative Program
budget increase in five years and were
reminded of their personal responsibility
to share the gospel.
“All Peoples” was the theme of the
annual meeting, attended by 175 messengers and 40 registered visitors at Stone
Ridge Church in Yuma. It was the first
time since 1979 that the Arizona Southern
Baptist Convention annual meeting had
been held in Yuma.
Riding for the Cooperative Program
Preceding the Nov. 13 meeting, eight
men completed a three-day, 182-mile
bicycle trek from the site of next year’s
annual meeting, Palm Vista Baptist
Church in Surprise, to Stone Ridge
Church. Their purpose was to spotlight
the Cooperative Program, with all participants either representing organizations
that benefit from or give through the
Cooperative Program.
“I learned a lot on this ride, not just
about the guys I was riding with but
about working together as a team,” said
David Johnson, AZSBC executive director.
“There is no way that I would have
made it to Yuma without the team. ... We
depended on each other.”
On the second day — which was the
longest, with 88 miles to cover — the
Bret Burnett
(center) was elected
to a second term
as president, and
Joshua Tompkins
(right) was
re-elected first
vice president.
Charles Wesner
was elected second
vice president. All
were elected by
acclamation.
Jackie Allen (far
left), pastor of
Palm Vista Baptist
Church in Surprise,
leads the bike team
in prayer before
they start their
182-mile journey
to Yuma prior to
the beginning of
the AZSBC annual
meeting.
team battled 18-mile-an-hour headwinds.
“The only way that you can do that is
if you’re working together and you help
each other as you’re going along the way,”
Johnson said. “It’s a beautiful illustration
of the Cooperative Program. You can do
far more together. You can go farther,
you can go faster when you’re working
together.”
During his annual report, Johnson
asked the cycling team and others to share
what the Cooperative Program means to
them.
Bike team member Victor Berrelez
said when he was called as pastor of
Mission Drive Baptist Church in Phoenix,
the church was not giving through the
Cooperative Program.
“I challenged the people that if we’re
going to be partners with someone, we
should be partners all the way,” he said.
“We want to be a part of missions. The
Cooperative Program does that. Even
though we’re home and [missionaries] are
out in the mission field, we take part in
that blessing as well.”
Bike team member Dallas Bivins,
director of the Arizona Campus of Golden
Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, said
five of the eight cyclists attended Golden
Gate.
“About one-third of the churches in
the state have a Golden Gate Seminary
student or a Golden Gate graduate or
former student, and your Cooperative
Program dollars made that possible,” he
said.
CP missions
IMB missionary David Hooten said
because of the Cooperative Program, he
and his wife, Janet, are able to serve in the
midst of unreached people groups.
“IMB is not doing missions for
Southern Baptists,” he said. “IMB is
Southern Baptists doing international
missions. ... We are you. You are us. You
are doing missions in these countries ...
and we want to thank you for your obedience.”
A father and son — Ashley Clayton,
Southern Baptist Convention Executive
Committee vice president for Cooperative
Program and stewardship development,
and Whitney Clayton, who is planting
Living Stone Community Church in the
See Annual meeting on page 23
P ORTRAITS 21
Collegians on mission at City Impact
By Lainee Pegelow
Among the five
mission projects at
City Impact were
assisting DTPHX
Church with
applying makeup
for participants in
the Zombie Walk 7
(left) and holding a
backyard Bible club
for Burmese refugee
children for First
Southern, Phoenix
(below).
M
ission projects and times of
worship highlighted City
Impact, a Christian Challenge
AZ event in partnership with the Arizona
Southern Baptist Convention, held Oct.
23-25 in downtown Phoenix.
About 175 college students and staff
attended the gathering, hosted by Mercy
Hill Church. All Christian Challenge
ministries were represented, as well as six
church groups.
City Impact was birthed several years
ago as a way to involve Arizona college
students in missions through serving
alongside new church plants. The hope
is that they catch a vision for church
planting and how they can become
involved. In previous years this event has
been held in the Tucson and Phoenix
areas.
Friday and Saturday nights, the group
was led in musical worship and times of
prayer by a group of musicians assembled by Kelcey Fry from Hi-Way Baptist
Church, Mesa. David Johnson, AZSBC
executive director, and British evangelist
Dennis Pethers brought biblical challenges
to have a “Heart for the City.”
Groups of students served in five projects around the Phoenix area on Saturday
morning. The projects were as varied and
unique as the communities being loved
and served.
One group aided in the remodeling of
Mission Drive Baptist Church, preparing
the facility for Arizona Baptist Children’s
Services to move in. They also distributed
flyers in the community with information
about the services that will be offered
once the ABCS office opens.
Just down the road, another group
served with First Southern Baptist
Church, Phoenix, offering children’s
tutoring and a backyard Bible club for
Burmese refugees in nearby apartment
complexes. The group also did some
“spring” cleaning at the church facility.
At Mercy Hill — a new church plant
that recently merged with an existing
church with a more than 70-year history
— students cleared an area for a community garden. They were so efficient that
they also had time to clean some of the
church rooms and offices.
A fourth group worked with DTPHX
Church, which partnered with DTPHX
22 P ORTRAITS
Zombie Walk 7, with the goal of gathering
food for St. Mary’s Food Bank. The
students were trained to apply makeup
to “zombiefy” participants in this
fundraising walk, furthering the church’s
relationship with their community.
The final group of students was spread
between Centro Cristiano de Alabanza
y Adoracion, Iglesia Vida Cristiana
Practica, Mision Hispana Westridge
Baptist Church and Tempe Christian
Church. Students distributed flyers
inviting the community to upcoming
events, prayerwalked areas that hopefully will birth new church plants in
the Hispanic community and built
relationships to further the gospel.
Burnett accepts NAMB post
B
ret Burnett, senior pastor of
Mountain View Baptist Church,
Tucson, and Arizona Southern
Baptist Convention president, is Arizona’s
newest North American Mission Board
church planting catalyst apprentice.
He began serving Jan. 1 as the resource
person for church planting in Catalina
and Cochise associations in southeastern
Arizona. Burnett succeeds John Guillott,
who is continuing in his other positions
as director of evangelism/missions for
Catalina Association and pastor of Green
Valley Baptist Church, Green Valley.
While adding the church planting
catalyst position, Burnett is continuing as
senior pastor of Mountain View. However,
Mark Coppola joined the Mountain
View staff as executive pastor Jan. 1,
relieving Burnett of some responsibilities,
including daily administration.
Burnett said he has a love for church
planting.
“I came to Arizona almost 25 years
ago as a church planter in Yuma, and I
have been involved in church planting
ever since both at the associational and
state levels,” he said. “I have also led the
churches I have pastored to be church
planting churches. Currently Mountain
View is the sending church for two plants,
one in Las Vegas and one here in Tucson.”
For the first year, Burnett will be a
church planting catalyst “apprentice”
and will be supervised by Monty Patton,
Phoenix-Tucson Send City coordinator.
Because he will not be supervised directly
by AZSBC staff, as are the church planting
catalysts, he will be able to fulfill his term
as AZSBC president.
Annual meeting from page 21 --------------------------------------------------------------------greater Phoenix area — spoke of the value
of the Cooperative Program.
“I am so grateful that through the
Cooperative Program, we have a network
of Southern Baptist missions and ministries that are playing at the highest
possible level,” Ashley Clayton said.
“Whitney is locking arms with Arizona
Baptists. ... He is now placed on a team
that can help him to succeed. As a dad,
that’s what you want for your kids.”
To those who question whether they
should be a part of the SBC or should
give through the Cooperative Program,
Whitney Clayton said his answer is “a
resounding yes.”
With only six families, Living Stone still
recognizes its call to reach North America
and the nations, he said.
“I am fully confident that there is no
other place I, as pastor, could be investing
my money that will carry my people into
Jerusalem and Samaria and the uttermost
parts of the earth,” he said. “There is no
better vehicle through which we can help
disciple all the people of all the nations,
teaching them to obey all that Christ has
commanded them.”
CP budget increase
Messengers drawn from the 466
Arizona Southern Baptist churches
adopted a $4,816,164 operating budget
for 2016, a $92,213 or 1.95 percent
increase over 2015. The operating budget
includes a $3,230,000 Cooperative
Program budget — an increase of $50,000
or 1.57 percent over the 2015 budget —
the first increase since 2011.
The Cooperative Program budget
allocates $936,700 or 29 percent — an
increase of 1.5 percentage points — to the
Southern Baptist Convention for national
and international missions and ministries.
The percentage increase represents
another step in reaching Arizona
Southern Baptists’ Centennial Vision
goal of giving 50 percent of Cooperative
Program receipts to missions outside the
state through the SBC by 2028. It will be
the second year for the SBC percentage
to increase. With the 2015 budget, the
percentage was raised 1.45 percentage
points.
The remaining Cooperative Program
budget will be distributed as follows:
Arizona Southern Baptist Convention,
$1,873,400 or 58 percent, a decrease of
Karen Loper (left)
and Carol Smith
make prenatal
packs for expectant
moms at the New
Life Pregnancy
Center in Mexico.
This was one of
several mission
projects following
the AZSBC annual
meeting.
1.5 percentage points from 2015; Arizona
Campus of Golden Gate Seminary,
$226,100, unchanged at 7 percent; and
Arizona Baptist Children’s Services,
$193,800, unchanged at 6 percent.
The Cooperative Program budget and
percentage increases are “made possible
because you as Arizona Southern Baptists
have been increasing your giving,”
Johnson said. “Last year was the best year
we have had since 2009 in giving to the
Cooperative Program, and this year we are
already $67,000 ahead of last year’s pace.”
The Centennial Vision was designed
so that “as we increase the number of
churches, as we increase our generosity to
missions around the world, we can give
more away and at the same time reach our
state for Christ,” he said.
and when we do it appropriately, it costs
us: our time, our energy and even our
lives,” Iorg said. “But whatever life affliction we’ve borne in this regard, think of
the eternal good that will come from that
pain.”
AZSBC officers
Bret Burnett, pastor of Mountain View
Baptist Church, Tucson, was elected to
a second term as president, and Joshua
Tompkins, associate pastor and director
of student ministries at Hillside Baptist
Church, Phoenix, was re-elected first vice
president. Charles Wesner, pastor of First
Southern Baptist Church, Wellton, was
elected second vice president. All were
elected by acclamation.
Prayer tours and mission projects
A challenge to share Christ
The day before the annual meeting,
Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate
about 70 people participated in two
Baptist Theological Seminary, said in his
prayer tours, one of churches and minismessage to the convention that greed is
tries in Yuma County and the other in
the most prevalent sin among Southern
Mexico.
Baptists.
Then, 80-100 people participated in
“We’re robbing God of the tithe and
mission projects, all but one the day
stealing his offering every chance we
following the annual meeting, on both
get,” he said, “and because of that, after
sides of the border. Projects included
a generation of that, we’re [declining
helping with a fall festival at a mobile
in total number of missionaries] and
home park, assisting two Arizona Baptist
adopting skeletal budgets across denomiChildren’s Services’ New Life Pregnancy
national lines rather than having the
Centers, distributing food and cleaning up
resources that we need to go forward.”
yards. After taking an Arizona Southern
Preaching from Ephesians 3:7-13, Iorg
Baptist Disaster Relief chainsaw class,
said all believers have an evangelistic
newly trained volunteers put their skills to
responsibility, and no one is disqualified.
work in another ministry project.
The focus should be on people, “and then
Next year’s annual meeting will be Nov.
let the places follow,” he said.
18 at Palm Vista Baptist Church, Surprise.
“When we share the gospel,
we plug
My316 materials are paid for through the Cooperative Program
ourselves into God’s eternal purpose,
Jean Bihn also contributed to this story.
P ORTRAITS 23
ABCS begins Pursue Life Adult Ministry
G
od is doing something new in
adult ministry across the state
through Arizona Baptist Children’s
Services & Family Ministries (ABCS).
Mona McDonald, formerly the state
director of New Life Pregnancy Center
and a program administrator for the
ABCS central region, is now vice president of Pursue Life Adult Ministry. This
new adult ministry is a rebirth of Baptist
Senior Life Ministries, which merged
with ABCS a couple of years ago.
A clear vision for Pursue Life Adult
Ministry is developing.
“It’s exciting!” McDonald said. “As I
learn more and more about God’s plan
for His people as we age, He is burning in
my own mind Psalm 92:14: ‘They will still
bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh
and green.’ That is not what the world
communicates to us though.”
McDonald believes we can and must do
something about the mindset that aging is
something to fight or surrender to. Instead,
God provides a life full of His goodness and
a personal calling to serve Him in ministry
uniquely crafted for each individual.
With this inspiration in mind, Pursue
Life embraces the infinite possibilities
of being fruitful during every season of
life. The goal is to help adults live in the
fullness that Jesus speaks about in John
10:10, “I have come that they might have
life and have it to the full.”
The ministry will focus on the needs
and issues of adults.
“Pursue Life seeks to fill the gaps between
adults in need and those willing to be used
by God to help,” McDonald said.
For example, most adults over 50
experience at least two major life
events each year. The nest-egg may
have dwindled, forcing families to
make adjustments, or they may have
experienced a job loss and are learning
something new. Caring for either parents
or grand-children, or both, can be
extremely challenging.
McDonald is being tutored by the
Baptist Aging Ministry in North Carolina
to learn more about these needs. Pursue
Life Adult Ministries will help address
these issues by providing support, community, purpose and legacy, in partnership with churches.
For more information on living fully in
every season of life, visit pursuelifeaz.com.
More news online
Read these stories at www.azsbc.org:
•฀ David Johnson presents progress
report on Centennial Vision goals at
AZSBC annual meeting
•฀ Jeff Iorg speaks about “Ministry in
the Same Sex Marriage Culture” at
the AZSBC Leadership Conference
•฀ Arizona Southern Baptist Disaster
Relief gets a new shower unit
•฀ Ten churches have completed
training through a Church Unique
Vision co::Lab and a new group has
started the process
HELP YOUR CHURCH MEMBERS LEARN A SIMPLE
WAY TO HAVE A JESUS CONVERSATION
USING JOHN 3:16
Learn more at the
PASTORS SUMMIT
at First Baptist Church, Chandler,
Jan. 29-30, 2016.
For further information, go to
MY316.azsbc.org
Resources include a 5-week
Bible study for children-adults
Kits will be mailed to all Arizona
Southern Baptist churches
Resources can also be downloaded
at MY316.azsbc.org
24 P ORTRAITS
S
TURNER GOES
TO CHURCH
ometimes things happen to us without a good reason. But God
always has a plan!
One fine Sunday, Turner visited Dolan Springs. As usual, he was
TOTALLY TURNER TUNED-IN for “yellow” adventure! Nothing excites
Turner more than nosing out a tasty yellow tennis ball!
But today, yellow would not be easy to find. Something very sad had
happened. Fire had destroyed the Dolan Springs Baptist Church just the
night before.
Stepping closer to the still smoldering building, Turner wondered
how and where these people could meet for services. After all, it was
Sunday and church was supposed to be happening!
Tears filled Turner’s eyes as he thought about the children not
Turner’s yellow ball has
having Sunday School or hearing the piano play his favorite hymn,
rolled away and is
“All Creatures Of Our God and King.”
hiding in the pages
Suddenly, our pooch heard something wonderful ... “Let all
of the magazine.
things their Creator bless ... O praise Him.” Someone was singing his
Can you find it?
song!
Think small!
Pastor Chris Zeller and his congregation were sitting under a nearby
Joshua tree and YEP, they were having church! The pastor began to explain
how he and Andrew, a member of the church, were inspecting what the flames
had left behind.
Andrew noticed everything was damaged in the church EXCEPT for the crosses. It seemed the
Lord made sure the fire did not destroy their symbol of hope.
Turner noticed something else that
was not destroyed: Even though the
TURNER'S
building was finished, the people were
Your church may be wood or brick, but it is only
not!
a building. Jesus tells us that His church is the
“This fire has helped everyone realize
girl
sitting by you, the man behind you, and the
our church is not the building, but our
church is the people. We have learned
family across the room. If you love Jesus, then
forgiveness even though we were once
YOU are the church ... take care of each other!
angry,” said Pastor Zeller.
As Turner nosed around, he saw a tiny bit of yellow lying on the sooty floor. It was a Bible book
marker that had made it through the fire!
Turner decided to keep the small ribbon to remind him that God really does have a good plan
when bad things happen to us!
And then Turner let out a great big howl as he joined the singing, “O praise Him,
O praise Him, Alleluia.”
Oh my, Turner ... better stick to barking!
HELP
TURNER
FIND HIS
BALL
A circle,
a pop, and
a smile is all
you need to make
someone happy.
Make several to give
away when someone
needs a smile!
“…we can be so sure
that every detail in
our lives of love for
God is worked into
something good.”
Romans 8:28
LET’S HELP
TIP OF THE TALE
By฀Lori฀Pruit฀฀•฀฀Illustration฀by฀Edsel฀Arnold
HERE ARE A FEW FUN WAYS TO ENCOURAGE
OTHERS. THINK UP SOME OF YOUR OWN!
• Play a game with someone staying in a hospital.
Leave the game or cards for them to enjoy!
• Write an encouraging “chalk” message on your
neighbor’s driveway. It will wash off!
• Grab a bunch of quarters and tape. Stick quarters
on gum ball machines. Lots of smiles!!
• Bake cookies and deliver to the fire station or
police department.
Remember to always have a parent’s help!
Turner’s
Help Kit
Use a large zip bag and
fill it up with items to
help in an emergency.
Make several and ask
your parents to help
you give them to people in need.
Dive in at the State VBS Clinic!
Saturday
April 2
Prepare to take your kids on an adventure
deep within the mysterious sea, where
Mountain Ridge
they will submerge themselves in God’s Church
23104 N. 67th Ave.
Word and find that Jesus looked deep
Glendale
down on the inside of people.
A list of the breakout sessions will be provided
at www.azsbc.org. Please register for each
session you plan to attend.
Schedule:
8:30-9:00
9:00-9:15
9:15-10:15
10:15-10:25
10:25-11:25
11:25-11:30
11:30-12:00
12:00-12:45
12:45-1:45
1:45-1:55
1:55-3:00
Opening Session
Break/snacks
Session 1
Break/snacks
Session 2
Transition
Worship Rally
Lunch (LifeWay Store open)
Session 3
Break
Session 4
8:30 AM
to 3:30 PM
Register at http://azsbc.org/vbs
Registration opens Friday, February 5
Registration deadline: Monday, March 28
per person,
$15 including
Questions? Contact Cheri Dempsay,
[email protected]
lunch
A Cooperative Program ministry of Arizona Southern Baptists
Seeking God together
for revitalization » May 21, 2016
» Foothills Baptist Church, Ahwatukee
Registration: 8:30 a.m.
9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., lunch provided
KEYNOTE
»
$
25 for the first person
5 for each additional person
from the same church
$
DR. ADAM GREENWAY
Dean of the Billy Graham School
of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry
at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Free book:
Can These Bones Live?
»
Register by May 13, 2016,
at http://azsbc.org/revitalize
The Church Revitalization Team of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention
“Working together to make disciples of all peoples in Arizona and around the world.”
by Bill Henard
Door Prizes:
One iPad
Half-scholarship
to Auxano Co-lab
A C O O P E R AT I V E P R O G R A M M I N I S T R Y O F T H E A R I Z O N A S O U T H E R N B A P T I S T C O N V E N T I O N
26 P ORTRAITS
Faith in Action
A
bout 100 people attended an
event hosted by Freedom Valley
Church, Surprise, last fall for spouses
and families of deployed, or recently
deployed, service members. The church
worked through a chaplain at Luke Air
Force Base for the event, which featured
a catered dinner, inflatable games and
door prizes.
Freedom Valley also sent deployed
spouses’ wives a Christian book written
specifically for wives of deployed
servicemen.
Pastor Jason Griffin said the idea for
the event came from military families
who are members of Freedom Valley.
The church has come alongside them,
empowering them to make a difference
on base, he said. A second event is set
for Feb. 11.
M
any Arizona Southern Baptist
churches participated in Operation
Christmas Child, filling shoeboxes for
needy children, and at least two —
South Peoria Baptist Church, Peoria,
and First Baptist Church, Chandler
— served as collection centers at which
others could drop off their boxes Nov.
16-23. In its first year serving as a
collection center, South Peoria received
14,213 boxes, and the church itself
assembled 405 shoeboxes. First Baptist
collected 4,912 shoeboxes, and the
church filled 1,471 boxes.
In early December, a mission team
of 14 from First Baptist served at the
Operation Christmas Child California
processing center, which handled more
than 300,000 shoeboxes.
S
everal Arizona Southern Baptist
churches worked together to share
the Christmas message last year.
More than 60 choir members from
First Southern Baptist Church at
Sahuaro Ranch, Glendale; Palm Vista
Baptist Church, Surprise; and First
Southern Baptist Church, Buckeye,
joined with the Glendale church’s
30-plus-piece orchestra to present
Season of Joy: A Celtic Christmas
Celebration at all three churches.
Desert Sky Baptist Church, Trinity
Southern Baptist Church and St.
Peter’s Episcopal Church in Casa
Grande worked together to present
A Walk Through Bethlehem behind
Desert Sky Church. The event included
a live nativity scene set in a Jerusalem
marketplace, a petting zoo and arts and
crafts.
A 100-voice choir and 30-piece
orchestra from First Southern Baptist
Do you have a story of statewide interest about how your
church or a group in your church is ministering to others?
Write to Faith in Action, Portraits, 2240 N. Hayden Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
Church, Scottsdale, and First Baptist
Church, Chandler, presented A
Sterling Christmas, under the direction
of composer Robert Sterling, at both
churches.
M
embers of Freedom Life Church,
Chandler, partnered with Chandler
Unified School District’s Chandler
CARE Center, a family resource center,
at Thanksgiving. They helped sort
and distribute donated food to about
600 families on the Saturday before
Thanksgiving.
Pastor and church planter Shea
Ferguson said the activity was an
example of the church’s core value of
“investing intentionally” by connecting
with what is already happening in the
community and showing Christ’s love in
the process.
As a new church, Freedom Life is in
the team-building phase, just starting
life groups and hoping to launch publicly
later this year.
T
he Church at Sunsites, Pearce,
held its first-ever fall festival Oct.
31. About 150 people attended, and 30
volunteers made the event happen.
“Many who came do not attend
any church,” Pastor Ted Goodnough
said. “Please pray for The Church
at Sunsites as we minister to our
valley. The follow-up visits will provide
many opportunities for evangelism,
discipleship and ministry.”
C
ochise Association hosted a booth
at the Cochise County Fair, where
members of five Arizona Southern
Baptist churches distributed 2,100
bottles of water and 155 Bibles. The
booth was a project of the association’s
missions/ministry team.
A
ndrew Marquez received the doctor
of philosophy degree from Golden
Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Mill
Valley, Calif., last year. His dissertation
title was “The Seed(s) of Abraham and
the People of God: An Exegetical and
Intertextual Examination of the Pauline
Concepts in Galatians.”
He is executive pastor at North Swan
Baptist Church, Tucson, and site leader
and coordinator of religious programs
for the Sierra Vista-Tucson campus of
Wayland Baptist University.
Marquez also holds a bachelor’s
degree in religious studies from the
University of Arizona and a master of
divinity degree with a concentration in
biblical studies from Golden Gate.
NEW PASTORS
Nathan Heller, First Baptist, Holbrook
Jeremiah Semmler, CityView, Phoenix
Acey Martin, First Southern, Springerville
NEW CHURCH STAFF
Mark Coppola, executive pastor,
Mountain View, Tucson
Jim Hurlburt, associate pastor &
music, Hillside, Phoenix
Joshua Tompkins, associate pastor
& youth, Hillside, Phoenix
Erik Naylor, director of college
ministries, Church on Mill, Tempe
Tim Stokes, director of family ministries,
Church on Mill, Tempe
NEW CHURCHES
CityView, Phoenix
CLASSIFIED฀ADVERTISING
Community Church, Red Rock, Arizona, is a five-year-old
church that is seeking a bivocational pastor who will reside
in Red Rock (near Tucson). Please send resume to Pastor
Search Committee, POB 1118, Red Rock, AZ. 85145.
Queen Valley Baptist Church, located in the foothills of the
Superstition Mountains, Queen Valley, AZ, is seeking a pastor
with the personal calling and flexibility to work in a small town
church which experiences a significant influx of seasonal
members/visitors. Position posted on azsbc.com. Email
resume/letter of interest to [email protected]. Additional
information on www.queenvalleybaptistchurch.com.
Kearny First Southern Baptist Church seeks a pastor with
a heart for a small town church. Parsonage, paid utilities,
stipend provided. Resumes: Vicki Romero, POB 1111, Kearny,
AZ 85237.
Classified ads are $25 each for up to 30 words and $1.00 for each
additional word, with a minimum charge of $25. Next available issue:
March-April 2016. Advertising deadline is Feb. 5. Send written ads to
Portraits, 2240 N. Hayden Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85257 or
email [email protected]. For further assistance, call 480-945-0880
or 800-687-2431.
P ORTRAITS 27
A
PUBLICATION
OF
ARIZONA
SOUTHERN
BAPTISTS
Non—Profit Org
U.S. Postage
PA I D
Images฀of฀faith฀in฀action
Phoenix, AZ
Permit No. 437
Arizona Southern Baptist Convention
2240 N. Hayden Road, Suite 100
Scottsdale, AZ 85257
CHANGE฀SERVICE฀REQUESTED
Elizabeth Young Editor, Portraits magazine, Arizona Southern Baptist Convention
FinishingTouches
The฀local฀church฀...฀at฀the฀heart฀of฀it฀all
H
ere’s a quiz for you.
Of the four entities housed at
2240 N. Hayden Road in Scottsdale
— the offices of the Arizona Southern
Baptist Convention, the Arizona
Campus of Golden Gate Baptist
Theological Seminary, an Arizona
Baptist Children’s Services’ New
Life Counseling office, and Pinnacle
Church — which is most biblical?
If by biblical we mean that it shows
up in the pages of the New Testament,
then the answer is Pinnacle Church,
the body of believers that gathers to
worship in the shared facility.
All the rest of the organizations
exist to assist this church — and the
approximately 470 other churches
that have chosen to be part of
Arizona Southern Baptists — in their
God-given assignment of sharing
the gospel and making disciples
of all peoples. None of these other
organizations are in the Bible.
Sharing a facility with an actual
church is a good reminder for the
AZSBC staff of one of Arizona
Southern Baptists’ core values: We
value the local church as God’s divinely
established instrument for evangelism,
making disciples, and multiplying
churches.
To use a cliché, the local church is
“where the rubber meets the road.”
Before the AZSBC offices moved
to the Scottsdale location — a church
building shared for a while with a
now-deceased church — a previous
AZSBC executive director used to say
there was no baptistry at the convention
office. His point was that the work of
evangelism is done by local churches.
Now, the complex that houses
the convention office does contain a
baptistry, albeit a leaky one that forces
Pinnacle Church to use a portable one
instead. But the point remains: the
Great Commission was not given to
state conventions.
As a part of the state convention staff,
I’m glad to serve with an organization
that facilitates the working together of
local churches. But when I gather on
Sundays with fellow believers at the
church where I am a member, I know
that, from a kingdom perspective, what
happens there is of utmost importance.
After all, the Arizona Southern
Baptist Convention isn’t really that
organization in Scottsdale. It’s your
church and my church, choosing
to work together, following His
commands.