Quick Snapshots

It's late, so here are a few quick snapshots from the day.

There was a long line of cars to get into affected areas this morning.

We helped send out over 30 teams today, who engaged in a variety of jobs, such as cleaning debris and looking for valuables.

Bethany's farmhouse served as a staging location for the various teams that went into the community.

Command central was a well-oiled machine.

Volunteers came from a variety of churches and locations. On the right of the frame, from left to right, are pastors Joe Bella and Jason Alligood.

And here are Ritch and Jerry. I wasn't here when the teams were being sent out, but I'm told this place was really hoping. Some 200 volunteers went out today into the community.

Teams received safety orientation before leaving.

Mike and Matt helping families clean up.

The Past 60 Hours

It is now Tuesday evening, a little after 11:00 PM central time. It has been about 60 hours since the tornado struck our town. This is the first time I've had the opportunity to turn on a computer and write down my thoughts. Let me share a few of them with you and  give some updates on what is happening in our church and community.

Ministry Changed and Unchanged

In one sense, this crisis has altered our ministry dramatically—perhaps for years to come. 

When the tornado hit, we had just passed out bulletins describing our ministries for the upcoming week. Today, none of those events are on the schedule. There is only one event on the calendar: helping our neighbors.

When the tornado hit, we were wondering how to build a ministry facility. Today, we're wondering how to rebuild a community. 

When the tornado hit, we were in church at Five Points. Today, we aren't sure where we will be worshiping on Sunday. We hope it is at Five Points, but we presume nothing. 

In another very real sense, this crisis has altered nothing. Our fundamental purpose as a church remains what it has been since before we even held our first worship service: The purpose of our church is to glorify God as we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and prepare His people to worship Him forever.

Our purpose is beautifully simple: proclaim and prepare. Whether we are having AWANA on a Wednesday night or helping someone find a missing necklace in the rubble that was their home, we exist to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and prepare His people to worship Him forever.

This means that we do not merely want to see people's physical lives restored (though we do!). We want those who do not yet worship God to understand the good news of Jesus Christ and place their faith in Him alone for their salvation. We want those who have trusted in Christ to continue the difficult road of discipleship even through suffering.

The Sunday before the tornado, I made this statement as we talked about suffering in the book of Judges: "Suffering is a tool a sovereign God uses to conform you to the image of His Son Jesus Christ. If you have not yet been fully conformed to His image, know that suffering in this life still awaits you."

Suffering, then, is not always a sign of God's displeasure. It is part of His loving plan to sanctify us as we trust in Him. "Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead" (2 Cor. 1:9).

Bethany Community Church and Washington Community: we are being called to be sanctified.

With this framework in mind, that our purpose is to proclaim and prepare, let me give you an update. 

The Past 60 Hours

Here's my perspective of the last 60 hours. I apologize if it's too personal or too long. Some of this I'm writing so I don't forget. 

SUNDAY: At around 10:45 AM, I made my way to the stage of the Five Points Community Center where our church meets. I waited in the wings as Mike and the worship team sang "The Gospel Was Promised." I prayed that the Lord would prepare my hear and the hearts of the church for His Word. 

But something seemed off. Looking up, I noticed that Mike and the team were still singing but I couldn't hear them. A voice came from the speakers that I thought was coming from the Five Points staff (maybe some wires got crossed) but then I realized it was Dan Ebbert directing people to exit to their left (my left or the audience left?).

We exited the auditorium and throughout Five Points our Sunday School teachers were directing the kids and adults to places of safety. I was annoyed. We're going to do all this work and then come right back in. "Just so you know, I'm not cutting anything out of my sermon," I joked to someone as we walked to safety.

Even as we waited for the all clear, I had no idea how terrible the devastation was. I didn't hear the loud "boom" others did. 

Even when we heard that the house of some of our members was destroyed and their son was missing for about an hour, I had no idea how terrible the devastation was. 

Even when Five Points was set up as an emergency temporary shelter and shocked victims began to enter the building, I had no idea how terrible the devastation was.

Supplies and people came into the community center throughout the rest of the day. People in the church stuck around and helped provide food and care for those who were hurting.

Several pastors stopped by to help care for people. My phone was constantly buzzing with offers of help. Friends from our sister churches and close pastoral friends desperately wanted to help or at least know how we were doing.

But I still didn't understand how profound the damage was. I knew people were having a hard time getting around Washington, but that was to be expected during an emergency, right?

And then I went out with Pastor Dave Jane from Connect Church to take workers some food. And we saw this:

It's hard to grasp the enormity of the scene if you don't know what this is supposed to look like. Here's a hint: there should be way more homes in that picture.

I run several times a week along Kingsbury. I like hitting this part of the route when it's windy because the homes act as a windbreaker. This is what I saw Sunday along Kingsbury hours after the tornado hit:

Even when I was on streets where the homes weren't totally damaged, I couldn't grasp where I was. Nothing looked the same.

 After returning to Five Points, we did what we could and people began to leave for more permanent shelters. Whitney and the younger kids gave someone a ride to East Peoria. At around 7:00 PM, Hannah, Austin, and I tried to get home by car and couldn't. We left the car with a friend and walked until a police car gave us a lift to an area where Whitney could pick us up.

We returned to a house without power. The milk was still cold, so we ate some cereal by candlelight. The whole family slept in our bedroom that night, encircling our beds with sleeping bags. I lost count of how many hugs and kisses were given.

MONDAY: The next day, Monday, the staff had planned to meet at the farmhouse but some weren't allowed to leave their subdivisions. A few of us made it to Crossroads Church, which is functioning as an emergency shelter. We ran into several families from church and tried to see what sort of needs we could help meet.

One of the primary problems was our inability to get into the neighborhoods. Even residents were only allowed in intermittently. The best bet seemed to be travelling by bike. So I hopped on my bike and began visiting families who had been impacted by the storm.





One of my first stops was at the Dentino house down the street. Several families had gathered together and were helping each other out. Like any good pastor, I arrived right as food was being served.









Another stop was at the Allaman's house. It's a privilege to know the Allamans and I couldn't be more complimentary of the leadership Chad and the other teachers and administrators at Central School have shown. Both he and Laura are responding to a tremendous loss with gracious and thankful hearts.






Pastor Kent was hard at work on Sally's house. I tried to help, but I put a ladder where he didn't want it and I may have unknowingly knocked over some nails while trying to "help".

I'm not sure how many other homes I visited, but everywhere I went, the community was coming together to meet needs. Because others weren't allowed in to Washington, our church had unique opportunities to help those we love.

We ended the night where I had begun my afternoon: at the Dentino's. The Pacini's picked up some sandwiches and we ate dinner together. Even though we could have scrounged around for food at our house, there was something special about being with our church family.

TUESDAY: Today is when our church really got organized. Ben, Phil, Diane, and Seth ran a command center. They put together 15-20(?) teams of 5-7 people and sent them out into the neighborhoods.

Sunrise Roofing helped us put a tarp on the Tomlinson's house.

 I saw groups from other churches helping out. Here's a group at the Learned house. Dan and Carol and their family have amazing ministers to others, exemplifying 2 Corinthians 1:4, in which Paul praises the God "who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Many of the houses we worked at weren't associated with our church. This is a house we stopped at and just asked the homeowners if we could help clear some debris for them. There were several connections they had to Bethany families.












Team 6 helped an older couple find some of their belongings in the rubble. After they finished here, they helped move some belongings out of an apartment building.

This team helped a family who have no friends or family in the area. They are from another country and were more excited than any other family I encountered today to receive help. They felt so very alone and were thankful that someone stopped to ask how they could help.

The Becks are doing well and grateful for God's protection over their family.










 As are the Smith's!

There were lots more pictures and many families and teams working I didn't get to see today. Great job everyone who participated in helping today. There's lots more to be done, not just this week but in the coming weeks, months, and years. This is a marathon and may God give us the grace to endure.

Our ministry field has changed dramatically overnight. Our purpose remains the same: proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and preparing His people to worship Him forever.

Questions for Christians Who Oppose Obamacare

Disclaimer: As always, each post represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the opinions of other bloggers on God Centered Christian. -DB.

I have a few questions for Evangelical Christians who are opposed to Obamacare/the Affordable Care Act.(ACA). These are questions I have posed to myself and, even if the answers aren’t immediately obvious, may help us sharpen our understanding of God’s will for us and bring unity among Christians who disagree about how we should view the role government.

On what grounds would you say that you primarily object to ACA? Do you believe it fundamentally violates Biblical principles? Or do you oppose it based upon wisdom principles? Or some combination of the two?

Since I would count myself among those who wish Obamacare would go away, I’ll take a stab at this, realizing that there may be some significant holes in my thinking.

First, I’m against the concept of ACA more for wisdom principles than for absolute Biblical principles (I think).

Here are some questions that have caused me to reach that conclusion:

Is the government assisting individuals who are impoverished with their health care costs inherently unbiblical? My conclusion is no.

Is the government providing regulation to the health care industry inherently unbiblical? My conclusion is no.

Is the government mandating that individuals have some sort of medical insurance to protect themselves, their family, and the rest of society that would bear the cost of caring for them if they became sick inherently unbiblical? My conclusion is no.

This does not mean that (1) I believe the government is wise to do these things nor that (2) these things might not become evil. Indeed, the generic, disinterested benevolence offered by the government seems to very often become both ineffective and evil (see an earlier blog post here).

As an example of this second point, consider the contrast provided between Obamacare and the funding method used by Samaritan Ministries. Those who members of Samaritan Ministries health sharing program have an incentive to keep their costs low. They are careful not to abuse the medical system and they tend to use it the way it was meant to be used. This is an example of how a morally neutral thing like healthcare can be designed to encourage immoral or unethical behavior. For an article describing these contrasting approaches, click here.

Second, I’m against some of the specific parts of ACA because I believe they do violate Biblical principles.

I believe that some parts of the ACA are morally repugnant and force believers to violate their conscience. For example, forcing employers to pay for plans that provide the so-called “morning after” pill or other abortifacients is morally wrong.

Finally, there are some things that I’m against that I’m unsure as to whether they are wisdom principles or clear Biblical principles.

For instance, there is a part of me that believes that there may be something inherently unbiblical with the subsidies that are being given to people to pay for their health care. I don’t know what the exact numbers are yet, but the numbers I’ve heard thrown around seem a little strange.

Should a family of four making around $50,000 a year really bear no responsibility for their own health care? Is that not defrauding my brother or sister who is subsidizing my care? Is it violating the “don’t work, don’t eat” injunction of Scripture?

Before we answer those questions too quickly, consider this. If you believe it is wrong for me to subsidize your health care, do you also believe it is wrong for me to subsidize you having children? In other words, if you have children, do you refuse to take a child tax refund for moral reasons? If you have a home, do you believe it is wrong for me to subsidize you and therefore do you refuse to take a tax credit for the interest you pay on your mortgage?

I’m open to being wrong in my thinking here, but at the moment you take a Social Security payment, or a mortgage deduction, or a child tax credit, you’ve acknowledged that you believe it is OK at some level for the government to take money from one citizen and give it to another who is not in dire need..

These are complicated issues and my thoughts here just reflect my convictions at this point. Thinking through them honestly may help us stay unified on clear Biblical truths. I’d be interested in your perspective, but if you leave comments on the blog or my Facebook page, let’s remember to play nice!

Daniel

Driscoll's Tribal Christianity

Tim Challies' review of Mark Driscoll's new book, A Call to Resurgence, is up on his website. As usual, Challies gives a great synopsis of the book and provides a fair critique. It can be found here. {And after writing this post, just saw this review by Andrew Wilson, which provides a perspective from a different angle.}

I'll admit it. I'm not objective when it comes to Driscoll. A lot of my friends really like him (and I hope we're still friends after you read my comments!). For a long time, I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Though I wasn't an ardent defender, I believed that he was at least misunderstood.

I don't feel that way anymore. In my opinion, he lacks many of the character attributes I believe are essential for effective pastoral ministry. Controversy doesn't just follow him... he stokes it like you would a strange fire. Pastoral ministry isn't just about saying the right things, it's about saying the right things in the right way.

I look forward to the day when testosterone-fueled, hyper-aggressive leadership styles wane in influence in Christ's church. So, at this point, my knee jerk reaction to Mark Driscoll is to be critical.

But I have to admit this: he says some good things sometimes in terms of the content of his messages. For example, I haven't read A Call to Resurgence but Challies gives the following synopsis of a chapter that deals with "tribalism" within Christianity:

With a nod to Seth Godin, he [Driscoll] shows how tribalism is now more prominent than denominationalism and describes some of the common tribal commitments within Christianity. He highlights four questions and shows how Christian tribes may be distinguished by their answers to these questions. 

• Are you Reformed or Arminian?
• Are you complementarian or egalitarian?
• Are you continuationist or cessationist?
• Are you missional or fundamental? 

He then builds profiles based on the possible answers. So, if you are Reformed, complementarian, cessationist and fundamentalist, “you probably like Together for the Gospel, the Gospel Coalition, Nine Marks, R.C. Sproul, reading books by dead guys, expository preachers who wear suits and have bad bands at their services, and wish this book had more footnotes and fewer jokes.” Driscoll himself is a tribal chief within the Reformed, complementarian, continuationist and missional tribe. “You probably have an occasional bad attitude, tattoo, impressive theological library and liquor cabinet, ESV Study Bible, entire collection of the latest indie rock, flannel shorts, and boots for no reason as you do zero logging.”

Assuming Challies is capturing Driscoll's content accurately, there is much to think about here.

First, is Driscoll accurately capturing the major "tribes" within Christianity? My sense is that he is to a large degree.

Second, are these false dilemmas? Must we choose an either/or in each category? I'm not sure of the way he defines the difference between, for example, missional and fundamental, but are they (a) my only two options and (b) so binary that I can only choose one?

Third, as we become infatuated with certain leaders and fads within Christendom, do we find ourselves forced to affirm certain things out of fear we won't fit it? Does our drive to conform to a certain tribe trump our desire to earnestly study God's Word and conform to it?

Fourth, does the mega-church, multi-campus model of ministry fuel the tribes-mentality within Christendom? I sense a certain irony to the chapter as Challies describes it and I wonder how Driscoll handles that irony. He hasn't just passively been forced into the tribe of which he is chief. He actively celebrates that tribe and mocks those who are not part of his tribe (though, to be fair, he often mocks himself as well).

Ultimately, I think there is a lot to be said for what Driscoll warns of here, but I wonder if he's the best messenger to deliver the message.

The Challenges of Missions

Having returned from the Solomon Islands, I witnessed several challenges that missionaries face.  Most of these challenges are common to all missionaries, but some of them are related especially to what I recently encountered.  I share these with you so that you might be better equipped to pray for the advance of the Gospel around the world and so that you would be fully informed about the unique challenges that missionaries face.

Challenge #1 Missionaries have lots of bosses

Missionaries are unique in that they have lots of people to whom they are accountable.  When those people are unclear or especially if they contradict one another in priorities, the missionary is justifiably nonplussed.  Here are some of the “bosses” of missionaries:

--Sending churches.  Often there can be more than one.  What happens if sending churches differ in priority from one another?  What happens if a sending church experiences decline or decides to reallocate resources away from the missionary?

--Supporting individuals.  There can be hundreds of supporting individuals on a missionary’s mailing list.  All of them are interested in the missionary, but some of them feel like they can be the missionary’s boss.  This goes particularly to lifestyle choices.  I knew of one missionary who was given a Cadillac to use for furlough, but they could not use it because supporting individuals felt that it was “extravagant” for a missionary to have a luxury automobile.  The problem is that all of us make choices in our lives with the resources granted to us.  What might be “extravagant” to one person could be a relaxing hobby for another person.

--Missions agency.  The agency that the missionary serves with has priorities which often can interfere with where the missionary actually wants to serve.  I knew of a camp in South America that no one in the agency wanted to direct because it was so dangerous to travel to the camp.  However, the camp was an effective ministry.  The solution was to give the job to the newest missionary on the field, and whenever a new missionary arrived, the job was shifted to the newest missionary.

--Field Directors.  Most mission groups have a field director.   The missionary is often evaluated and given assignments by this field director.  Most agencies also have a field committee which exists as a balance of power on the field director.  The missionary is accountable to some extent to all such on field authorities.

How would you feel having so many bosses?  As you pray for your missionaries, pray that they might be able to sort out this sometimes confusing array with wisdom and discernment.

Challenge #2  Getting Along with Fellow Missions Team Members

This might well be the greatest challenge facing most missionaries.  There is an expectation that missionaries will all get along and serve the Lord with gladness and grace.  However, everyone takes their sinful nature to the mission field.  This means that along with all the other challenges that missionaries face, they have to face conflict with fellow missionaries.  This can be extremely disillusioning because it can be so unexpected.  We can expect the poisonous snakes, the hot or cold weather, but to be expected to work with weird, unpredictable, and sinful missionary colleagues??  Think about it—do you get along perfectly well with everyone in your church?  Are there some people that you try to avoid working with?  Or perhaps there are just some people that you really, really like working with, while others are simply “okay” to work with? On the mission field, you are not given that luxury.  You are called to live out the beauty of the church even amidst challenging conflicts.  There is no easy way to plan avoiding a colleague.

Challenge #3  Marriage and Family

Life in another culture is stressful.  For many,  just the task of getting meals prepared, clothes and dishes washed, rooms cleaned, vehicles maintained, and shopping done can take more time than is available in a day.  It is easy for missionaries to feel guilty that they are not “doing enough” to justify their presence on the field when just living takes so much time.

This has a way of spilling over into marriages.  Frustrations which cannot be expressed to others are all too frequently deflected onto spouses.  This leaves marriages in great need of refueling.  Further, since there are often isolated settings for mission work, there is no place to get away to be playful as a couple.  There is often such a small margin of financial resources, even if there was a possibility to get away, there would be no money for it.  This was why this past year, our missions team gave money to each EWO missionary couple for a getaway.

The raising and particularly the education of missionary children have particular challenges.  These challenges change as the children grow.  Third culture kids (as MK’s are known) have unique blessings and peculiar challenges.  They are part of both the culture of parental origin and the culture where they serve, BUT they are also NOT a part of either culture.  They can easily feel like they never fit, no matter where they are.  Launching MK’s into adulthood feels like a huge burden to most missionaries.

Challenge #4 Cultural Literacy

It goes without saying that language acquisition is the beginning of developing cultural literacy.  However, the missionary has a greater task than just becoming fluent in a language.  She/he needs to understand the culture to which she/he is sent.  This can be a lifelong task, as some cultural intricacies are known only after spending a lifetime in the culture.  Sometimes, it can feel like years are being wasted.  Other times, a false sense of understanding and even of ministry effectiveness comes, only to be revealed later as a huge cultural misunderstanding.  What can be thought of as a cultural value might only be the unique behavior of one individual.  Further, there is the challenge of what to do when one has a hard time getting along with an indigenous believer, especially if that person is a spiritual leader.

Challenge #5  Unique Hardships

In the Solomon Islands, almost all of the missionaries have had to deal with parasites, malaria, illnesses, infections, etc.  In some mission fields, it is the harshness of the cold, while in others, it is the suffocating heat.  Sometimes it is political strife; other places, it is demonic opposition.  Some places are so wet, that everything is moldy; other places are so dry, that one’s cheeks  are constantly chafed and windburned.  The challenges of dangerous animals, destroying insects, earthquakes, mudslides, floods, droughts, it goes on and on!  In the midst of all this, the missionary has limited resources, often only what could be carried to the mission station.  Clothes are worn until they literally fade away;  computers are both a blessing and a curse.  The sense of isolation, even in the era of Skype, can be daunting.

Challenge #6 Inefficiency

We Americans love efficiency and productivity.  If we something that is efficient, effective, and productive, we will love and support that endeavor.  If we something that is inefficient, ineffective, and unproductive, we call into question the person’s capabilities and even character.  Don’t believe for a second that your missionaries do not recognize this.  That is why they feel compelled to tell you the rosier side of their story.  They do not lie, but I think that many missionaries feel scared to tell the whole truth, for fear that the lack of “efficiency” will make supporters go away.

Understand this—the call to make disciples of the nations is necessarily an inefficient endeavor.  That does not mean that missionaries are permitted to be lazy, but the very nature of opposition arrayed against the missionary is so daunting that it cannot be that we can measure it solely in terms of productivity and efficiency.  I have observed that we often lead with “efficiency” questions when we question our missionaries.  This leads them to have to justify their existence, which leads us to be satisfied (or not) with their answer.  I think that leads to phony conversations.

What to Make of All This?

With all of these challenges, why would anyone want to be a missionary?  Why indeed would one subject himself to these burdensome and painful challenges.

Well, if hell is not real and if heaven is not real, then it would be foolish to do this.  If the resurrection of Jesus Christ did not happen, then it would be foolish to do this.  If Jesus did not command us to take the Gospel of Christ to the nations, then it would be foolish to do this.

But hell is real, and many people will go there.  (Matthew 7:13--Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.)

Heaven is real, and a few will go there.  (Matthew 7:14--For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.)

The resurrection of Jesus did happen. (1 Corinthinans 15:17-20--And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.)

The Great Commission is Jesus’ command to His church. (Matthew 28:18-20--And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”)

So, we go; we send; we pray; we give.  We GLADLY accept these challenges and bear any burden to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  Someday, Revelation 7:9-10 will happen, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”

And the missionaries that I witnessed in the Solomon Islands last month will rejoice, for it will not be in English that that cry will be uttered, but in every language under heaven, including the 70+ languages of the Solomon Islands.  And it will be worth it all, every bit of it!

Crazy Busy

Five or six years ago, I emailed Kevin DeYoung to see if he would be willing to speak at our conference the following October, which was then about 18 months away. I had just read Why We're Not Emergent, and though the book was doing well, Kevin hadn't really hit the conference circuit yet.

Kevin responded personally and was enthusiastic about the idea. He seemed surprised that we were planning things that far in advance. He encouraged me to contact him again when we had more details.

About six months later, I contacted him again. Unfortunately, during these six months the demands on his schedule had greatly increased. This time, I did not get a personal response. I got a response from his secretary, who informed me that his schedule would not allow him to participate.

I've often kicked myself for not staying on top of the email communication with Kevin. But I understood and assumed that he was probably way busier than he would like to be.

My suspicions about Kevin's ministry being quite busy seem to be true. He's just published an excellent book entitled Crazy Busy. I highly recommend it to those who are struggling with the demands of a hectic life (i.e., everyone). His advice is sound, biblical, and cuts to the root issues in the hearts of those who struggle with being "too busy."

There are lots great insights in the book, but let me just give one sample from a chapter entitled, "A Cruel Kindergarchy." In the chapter, DeYoung suggests that one reason we're too busy is because of our child-centered lifestyles. We're "freaking out" about our kids, assuming that if we don't create an idyllic environment for them, they'll flounder in life.

After discussing some data illustrating how our parenting doesn't always affect our children in the way we think it will, DeYoung concludes:

How we parent matters less than we think when it comes to the sort of person our kids will become in twenty years but it still matters a great deal in determining what our kids' present experience will be and how they will remember their childhood twenty years from now. We may not be able to shape our child's future identity as much as we'd like, but we can profoundly shape their experience of childhood in the present. 

That's why one of the best things we can do for our kids is to find a way to stop being so frantic and frazzled. 

There's lots of good stuff in here. Pride, misplaced priorities, the lure of modern technology, and the refusal to rest are all topics that are covered well by DeYoung as he considers how "crazy busy" we are.

Oh, and I almost forgot the best part: the book is really short. I read it during my daughter's gymnastic's class while occasionally answering email while my wife was taking our boys to a parade and our other daughter to her cross country meet.

Baptismal Service on October 6

I'm looking forward to our baptismal service on October 6! If you'd like to participate, please contact the church at 309-508-1755 or info@bethanycommunitychurch.org.

Many believers rightly understand that baptism doesn't "save" you. Baptism doesn't bring about the restoration of your relationship with God. What many believers fail to understand is that baptism is still extremely important and intricately connected to our salvation experience. Baptism proclaims the story of my salvation.

If you haven't been baptized and are wondering about the significance of baptism, let me encourage you to check out this message from John Piper on the meaning and importance of baptism.


T

The transcript of the message can be found here: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/what-is-baptism-and-how-important-is-it