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Churches:
Argenta
Arthur
Atwood
Boody
Calvary
Emmanuel
Fellowship
Findlay
Forsyth
Galilee
Hammond
Heyworth
Lincoln
Lovington
Mt. Zion
Shiloh
Sullivan
Summit Avenue
Tabernacle
Tri-Valley
Trinity
Mission Statement
Central Baptist
Association exists to
foster relationships
among churches in
order to assist them in
fulfilling the Great
Commission.
The Vision of CBA is
to see churches collabo-
rating together to build
the Kingdom of God.
In This Issue:
Front Page-How Your Church Can be a Great
Church
Page 2–Sr. Adults, Missions & Camp
Page 3-VBS & Upcoming Meetings
Back page-News from the Pews, Anniversaries,
Birthdays & Calendar
Central Baptist Association (217) 428-1730
Email: [email protected]
Volume XVIII No. 4
May 2015
1255 S. Lake Ridge Ave. Decatur, IL 62521
Website: www.cbadecatur.com
By Karl Vaters (http://NewSmallChurch.com) Used with permission from Karl Vaters.
No church can do everything. Not if we want to do any of it well. But every church can do something really
well. Maybe a couple things. That’s what make a church great. Knowing what God’s called us to do and doing it really well. Especially in a small church. But too many churches waste unnecessary
time and energy trying to copy other great churches instead of doing what they’re called to do. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it’s no way to build a great
church.
So how do we build a great church? Find out what you’re called to do, then do it really
well.
And make sure that the thing you do well isn’t buried beneath things you don’t do as well. In publishing, that’s called burying the lead. Churches bury the lead all the time. We hide
our best stuff beneath layers of things we don’t do well at all. Why? Because we have a template in our
head of what a church is supposed to look and act like. But more often than not, that template is based on churches we look up to, or churches we were raised in, instead of what God is calling our church to be and do. We all need to figure out what our church is
supposed to be about, then feature what we do well. Here are a few ideas.
Feature What You Do Well
Are children and families your emphasis? You should have “kid-friendly” written all over everything you do. Literally. Hang banners and balloons in front of the church. Feature your kid’s artwork all over the walls—and not just the Sunday School walls, the main lobby walls, too. Do you want to be known for your
friendliness? Have smiling greeters waving people into the parking lot. Assign people in each seating section to say “hi” to guests and introduce them to others before and after the
service. But don’t have guests stand and introduce themselves during the service—that’s not friendly, that’s just awkward. Is your church strong on preaching the
Bible? Then why are you waiting until half an hour or more into the service before the preaching starts? Maybe you should begin with preaching. Then have worship in response to the Word. Find and Feature Your Unique Voice
Here are two real-life examples. From a mega-church and a small church. 1. Hillsong church in Australia used to be
called Sydney Christian Life Centre. But they became known for their phenomenal music, so they decided to put their worship music front-and-center, including changing the name of the church to fit that.
2. The church I pastor is Cornerstone Christian Fellowship. One of the things we do really well is reach out to neighborhood youth. So if you drove by the church door, you’ll see skateboard ramps in the front parking lot. They’re not hidden in the back, they’re featured out front. No, you don’t have to change the name of
the church. In fact, I don’t recommend that your church does any of the ideas I just mentioned. That would be imitation. Use these ideas as inspiration and start
asking yourself these questions:
• What does our church do well?
• What can our church do really well?
• What do we want to be known for?
• Have we been burying the lead, making people look through layers of fluff to find what we do well?
• How can we remove the extra layers and feature what we do best? This is not about gimmicks. This is about
mission. What has God called you to do? Why does
your church exist? And how can you let people know about it?
Missions Spectacular Are you interested in doing missions, but haven’t the time
or resources for a short-term trip? Here’s the perfect opportunity for you and your family: Missions Spectacular.
Meet at Tabernacle Baptist Church at 9 AM for the
orientation on Saturday, June 6th.
Projects available to register for include:
Sorting clothing at Hope’s Attic and the New Life Pregnancy Center’s Resale Shop, or sorting food at Northeast Community Food Pantry.
Prefer outside work? Oasis Day Care, God’s Shelter of
Love, Big Sister/Big Brother and Camp One Way need outside/garden work and some painting done; or you can pass out brochures around the neighborhood for Hands of Jesus. Mission Spectacular is a one-day hands-on missions opportunity specifically designed for families, youth groups, and adult groups. It can be used by the local church to help members move beyond the walls of the church and to engage one of their Acts 1:8 mission fields right here in Illinois. Families and groups can choose from a variety of mission projects.
Saturday, June 6th, 2015
Tabernacle Baptist Church
Schedule: 9 AM-Orientation 9:30 AM-Leave for Projects 4:30 PM-Projects are complete
Register at www.IBSA.org/missions. For more information, please contact [email protected] or call (217) 391-3142.
Senior Adult: Do you have a talent or hobby you could share with us? Seniors, can you juggle, do sign language, sing, play an instrument, write poetry, act in skits, puppetry, clowning, do crafting, have an interesting hobby, etc.? Tables will be set up for the hobbies and crafts/interests. We’d like as many individuals, or groups, who’d like to be included in this event to sign up by April 29th by telling us your name, contact information and what you will be sharing, and if you need a table.
We’d like at least one from each church.
Tues., May 12th, 2015
10 AM-Noon Calvary Baptist Church
Cost: $5 each
MENU Choice of: Roast Beef, gravy Mashed Potatoes Or: Chicken & Noodles Plus: Green beans Cole slaw Jello Salad Dessert Drinks
Pastor Mitch Flesch will share a message from God’s Word with us.
NOTE: We’ll be enjoying Calvary’s new addition for our meal.
Please signup on the sheet provided and have
someone contact the CBA office at cbadecatur
[email protected] or 428-1730, with the number
of people attending and the information from the
note above.
*Number attending due by: May 5th
This summer, Illinois Baptist churches can choose between four full-week opportunities for children 3rd-6th grade. The theme, "Treasure Island: Discovering Truth and Our
Mission to the World," is designed to help kids learn how to be missionaries by sharing the gospel every day. The children's camps will have many of the same elements
as IBSA's former missions camps for kids, including a missions-focused guest speaker, said Pastor Scott Slone of FBC Elkville. He works with IBSA's Church Resources Team to plan events at Lake Sallateeska. The 2015 children's camps are facilitated in partnership
with local associations and churches. For example, Nine Mile
Baptist Association has been doing an associational children's camp for several years, but this year they're working in partnership with IBSA and Metro East Association to open up registration to all churches. They will facilitate week two of camp at Lake Sallateeska, while the other camps will be organized and directed by fellow associations or local churches. "The goal is to make it possible for all IBSA churches
to participate in children's camp by giving them a variety of schedules to choose from," Slone said. Children's camps are week-long camping experiences
for boys and girls. Camps are mission focused giving participants the opportunity to learn how to be missionaries each day by telling the Good News of Jesus. Early-bird registration is $125 per person through May 4. After May 4, registration is $135 per person. Week 1-June 15-19; Week 2-June 21-25; Week 3-
July 6-10; at Lake Sallateeska
Week 4-July 20-24, 2015 at Streator (the week our
CBA churches attend)
For more information, please contact Cathy Waters at (217) 391-3124.
Next Pastor’s Gathering Tuesday, May 5th
12 Noon at Emmanuel Baptist
Fellowship Hall Room Focus/Theme: Prayer
Call or email Rich to confirm attendance: (217) 855-8541 or [email protected]
PRESCHOOL CHILDCARE for children birth through kindergarten will once again be provided by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Childcare Teams Sunday through Wednesday. Registration for all children/youth events opened in February at www.sbcannualmeeting.net.
GIANT COW CHILDREN’S MINISTRY (formerly Children’s Conference International) will again provide activities for children ages 5-12 on Sunday and Monday during the SBC Pastor’s Conference.
CHILDREN IN ACTION for those children who have completed grades 1-6 and YOUTH ON MISSION for those children who have completed grades 7-12 will be provided again by WMU Tuesday and Wednesday.
MESSENGER PRE-REGISTRATION WAS OPENED
IN FEBRUARY.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS can still be secured by going to www.sbcannualmeeting.net
CBA 2015
VBS Dates The other CBA churches haven’t set their VBS dates. The Association is willing to help with arranging shar-ing of materials and decorations.
Also, some of our sister churches could use some VBS workers, so if you’d like to help at another VBS, please
let me know and I will pass it along.
Thank you, Chris
Granda
JUNE VBS DATES Fellowship June 1-5 (FBC, Mt. Zion helping, using last yrs. VBS materials from LifeWay)
Sullivan June 7-11 (Truth Quest) Lincoln June 15-17 Arthur June 22-26 Mt. Zion June 22-26
JULY VBS DATES Emmanuel July 12-17 Forsyth July 12-16 Calvary July 13-17 (9 AM-Noon) Argenta July 19-24 Tabernacle July 19-25 Lovington July 20-24 Atwood July 26-31 GalileeBackyard Bashes instead of VBS
Leadership Team Meeting
5:30-7 PM– Tuesday, May 12th, 2015 At CBA Office
A casserole, tea and coffee provided.
May 10th,
2015
Celebrate the
women in
your life.
Future VBS kids from FBC, Atwood.
May 2015 3rd-Senior Adult Sunday 10th-Mother’s Day & BCH&FS Offering 12th at 10 AM-Senior Adults “God-Given Talents” at Calvary Bapt.
14th-16th-Expository Preaching Retreat at Lake Sallateeska 17th-23rd-Baptist Association Week
25th-MEMORIAL DAY-Office Closed
May 21-31, 2015-Chris Granda’s Vacation Time-Office Closed
June 2015 6th-Missions Spectacular, Tabernacle 9th at Noon-Pastors Gathering at Emmanuel in Fellowship Hall 14th-19th-SBC Annual Convention, Columbus, OH
21st-FATHER’S DAY & Baptist Men’s Emphasis 21st-First Day of Summer 22nd-26th-1st Week of Children’s Camp at Sallateeska 23rd-26th-Super Summer at Greenville College 29th-July 3rd-2nd Week of Children’s Camp at Sallateeska
AWANA Family Recognition Day. We are inviting families to attend our morning service and stay for a hamburger/hot dog meal afterward. Families are also being offered a photo-shoot opportunity, with free family photos being given away. Beginning May 6th through July 1st our church will be conducting the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University classes each Wednesday, starting at 6:30 pm.
Calvary-had great attendance at the Spring Revival services in April. We used the new Fellowship Facility and had a good time of fellowship. Our VBS is scheduled for July 13-17, from 9-Noon each day.
Forsyth-will be searching for a new pastor. Pastor Rich Ratts has accepted a call from a new (11 year old) church in Monticello. We wish Rich and his family all the best in their new endeavors.
Birthdays
1-Kathy Shaw (Lincoln)
4-Sylvia Jackson-widow (Shiloh)
5-Bonna Woodrum (Tri-Valley)
8-Chase Smith (Fellowship)
11-Josiah Garrett (Mt. Zion)
19-Peyton Williams (Tabernacle)
22-Arik Inda (Forsyth)
29-Kellijo Leach (Tabernacle)
31-Jennifer Williams (Tabernacle)
Wedding Ann.
13-Chad & Jennifer Williams (Tabernacle)
23-Steve & Triece Lindstrom (Findlay)
Associational Newsletter Access The Central Baptist Association’s Focus Newsletter will be done online as
an e-mail through Constant Contact twice a month to the email addresses I have been given. If you’d like to be added to this e-mail list, please Contact Chris at [email protected] or by calling (217) 428-1730.
In addition, one copy of the Focus will be sent monthly to the church pastor or secretary to be printed and given out to those who don’t have e-mails or prefer a paper copy.
Argenta-has been working on the Raising
the Ceiling building project-April 27th-May 1st, 2015. A couple of volunteers from Sullivan came to help with tearing down the current ceiling and then putting up trusses, hanging drywall and other construction work.
First Baptist Church, Atwood-held our first AWANA Grand Prix in March. The Clubbers used Hot Wheels® cars to race for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. It was a lot of fun and we are already planning for next year's race. In April, Pastor Lanny began TNT, a theology class on Thursday nights. This class will continue through the summer, every other Thursday from 7-8:30 pm. April 18th was the kick-off for R.E.A.C.H., a new visitation program. On May 1st we will have a Worker Appreciation Dinner to recognize those who serve in our church. May 3rd will be
Emmanuel-recently renovated its sanctuary with new carpeting, and a reconstructed front platform/stage. We had a wonderful Spring Revival conference with Dr. Roger Ellsworth, April 26-29. Our Annual Rooster’s Car Show will be held Sunday afternoon on May 17th. Our VBS will be held July 12-19.
Tabernacle-Held several events this Spring, including a Mission Sale that raised over $6,400 for our mission teams; an Easter weekend event that had 1,800 kids picking up 20,000 plastic eggs. We just had a Family Summit training on Sunday with Jeff Reed, Director of LifeWay Kids and we are planning a new church pictorial directory. Our next mission trip is to Alaska on May 15th for 10 days. This year’s VBS is July 19-24 and planning is underway.
PLEASE NOTE: The CBA Office will be closed May 21-31, 2015 while Chris is on vacation.
CBA Annual Meeting Date Set For October 3rd
at Lincoln Baptist Church, Lincoln, IL 10 AM-2:30 PM
With a Continental Breakfast & Lunch
