ALPHARETTA, Ga. — In the wake of Hurricane Irene — which has now claimed 40 lives — Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) leaders and volunteers are mobilizing for an 11-state disaster response.

Coordinated by the North American Mission Board’s disaster operations center in Alpharetta, Ga., Southern Baptists are deploying to respond in 11 states up and down the East Coast — North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont.

In Ludlow and other towns in Vermont, flooding triggered by Hurricane Irene has inundated countless homes and businesses. In many New England communities, flooded roads and washed out bridges are logistical challenges for disaster relief work, such as provided by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. “Eventually the Southern Baptist relief organizations will get here,” Terry Dorsett, a Baptist leader in Vermont said, “but until then, we can't just sit and wait. We have to some stuff until reinforcements arrive.”

The American Red Cross has asked SBDR to generate the capacity to prepare and deliver 100,000 meals a day in North Carolina, 50,000 meals in Virginia, 15,000 meals in New England and 5,000 meals in New York.

Deployments include:

— In the Tar Heel State, feeding kitchens from state conventions in North Carolina, Mississippi and Florida have deployed to provide meals for victims, responders and volunteers.

— In hard-hit New England, conventions from New England, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio will staff feeding units.

— New York and Mississippi conventions will provide feeding units in New York state.

— In Virginia, the Virginia Baptist Mission Board (VBMB) and Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV) conventions will handle all feeding in the state. VBMB and South Carolina are providing five shower and laundry units for Virginia.

Because Hurricane Irene turned out to be more of a rain event than a wind event, SBDR mud-out teams are in heavy demand to assist victims whose homes were flooded in some areas where as much as 14 inches of rainfall were recorded.

North Carolina has requested 10 chainsaw and 10 mud-out teams. Seven chainsaw teams — four from Mississippi and three from Arkansas — already are headed to North Carolina, with four more teams from the two states on standby. In all, North Carolina DR leaders have requested 20 recovery teams.

VBMB is providing three shower and laundry units in Lawrenceville and Warsaw, Va., while the Maryland/Delaware convention has asked for four chainsaw teams and two assessors to survey damage there.

Needs are still being assessed in New Jersey and Vermont, where massive flooding has caused entire towns to be stranded by overflowing creeks and rivers that washed out roads and bridges.

As if the SBDR response to Hurricane Irene wasn’t challenging enough, work continues for the seventh week in Minot, N.D., where June floods ravaged that city of 40,000.

“We can’t forget about the serious situation and the needs of flood victims in Minot,” Caison noted. A full complement of mud-out, feeding and shower/laundry volunteers currently are working in Minot, where SBDR volunteers have worked 4,600 volunteer days to provide some 114,000 meals and complete 117 mud-out jobs.

But dozens of mud-out crews — representing many state DR teams over the past six weeks — have only been able to complete about a fourth of the total requests for mud-out by Minot homeowners. Caison said mud-out work in Minot must be completed before the end of September, when colder temperatures come to the North Dakota area. SBDR assets encompass 82,000 trained volunteers, including chaplains, and some 1,550 mobile units for feeding, chainsaw, mud-out, command, communication, child care, shower, laundry, water purification, repair/rebuild and power generation.

SBDR is one of the largest mobilizers of trained, credentialed disaster relief volunteers in the United States, including the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

Southern Baptists and others who want to donate to disaster relief operations can contact their respective state conventions or, for NAMB’s disaster relief fund, go to namb.net/disaster-relief-donations and hit the “donate” button. Other ways to donate are to call (866) 407-NAMB (6262) or mail checks to NAMB, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. Donations can also be sent via texting “NAMBDR” to the number “40579.” A one-time donation of $10 will be added to the caller’s mobile phone bill or deducted from any prepaid balance.

To help in North Carolina, visit baptistsonmission.org.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Noah writes for the North American Mission Board.)  

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NEW BERN — When Steve Wynn serves behind the food assembly line he meets hurting people, yet he finds that being out in the community surveying damage to homes is even more overwhelming. That’s when he really gets to sit down and talk with victims of natural disasters.

“People ask what I say to them. I really don’t. I just listen,” Wynn said. “I let them tell their story.”

BSC photo by Melissa Lilley Volunteers with a North Carolina Baptist Men feeding team form an assembly line to prepare meals for people without power in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

By day three of helping coordinate Hurricane Irene recovery efforts in New Bern, Wynn already had plenty of opportunities to listen. One woman was so upset when she came to First Baptist — where N.C. Baptist Men (NCBM) is set up with a feeding/recovery operation — she couldn’t even put into words her request. Volunteers followed up with her a few hours later and learned that her home is now condemned due to extensive water damage.

Wynn is a 15-year disaster relief volunteer with most of his experience in mass feeding. More recently he has cross-trained in recovery efforts and is coordinating those efforts in New Bern. Wynn and the volunteers serving in recovery are focusing their immediate efforts on trying to save homes from further damage. They are removing trees that have fallen on top of homes so that tarps can be placed to cover the roof before another thunderstorm rolls in.

Kim McIntyre was part of a team from River of Leland Church in Wilmington that arrived Sunday afternoon to begin helping with recovery in New Bern. She spent a lot of her time talking with the homeowners and just listening to their story.

At every job site, recovery teams try to be intentional in their efforts to share the gospel. They also give homeowners a Bible and offer to pray with them. The second home the team visited that Sunday was of a husband and wife in their 80s. That day, the husband prayed to receive Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior.

At one home, the team met a man who was a cancer patient and couldn’t even go in his yard. At another home they met a woman who recently broke her back. Home after home, the team met people in unique circumstances. “They were hurting and needed help,” McIntyre said.

BSC photo by Mike Crewell Walker Carriker, left, a North Carolina Baptist Men volunteer, interacts with a young child and her mother as they wait in line to get a hot meal. Carriker is a member of Etowah Baptist Church in western North Carolina.

McIntyre said the homeowners were surprised that someone was willing to help and to go beyond just helping with a small task. “They were expecting us to do little things,” she said. But the team cut down trees and cleaned entire yards, whatever needed to be done.

Volunteer teams have completed about 20 job requests in the New Bern area since Sunday afternoon.

Bill Martin, coordinator for the recovery unit in Greenville, said so far NCBM volunteers have received 217 job requests from residents in Greenville and nearby communities.

As of Tuesday, more than 210,000 homes and businesses through eastern North Carolina were without power. Steve Fitzgerald, pastor of First Baptist in New Bern, was waiting for power to be turned back on in his home. A number of his church members live near the river, and their homes suffered much damage. Some church members have not left their property because trees are still blocking the roads.

Fitzgerald is an active disaster relief volunteer. He first learned about disaster relief ministry 10 years ago while living in Charleston as a stockbroker. When Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston, Tennessee volunteers served meals out of the parking lot of the church where Fitzgerald attended.

Around the same time Fitzgerald suffered a business failure. “I lost everything,” he said. “I had to ask for help.” Fitzgerald said God used that to point his life in a different direction, and about two years later he answered God’s call to full-time vocational ministry. Because of that experience he better understands what it’s like for the people he has met this week who are asking for help.

NCBM leadership continues to assess needs not only in New Bern, but throughout eastern North Carolina. As a result, more “hubs” are being set up where volunteers can serve. The New Bern site, as well as Greenville, Williamston and Manteo sites, were ready Monday.

NCBM is now also working recovery units out of Kinston and Atlantic, a shower/laundry unit out of Rodanthe/Salvo, and a temporary emergency childcare unit is set up in Pamlico County. Baptist Men volunteers from Florida are helping with both recovery and feeding efforts in Washington, and Baptist Men volunteers from Mississippi are doing the same in Ahoskie. Preparations at the feeding sites begin early. By 4:30 a.m. volunteers are setting up, and by 9 a.m., 800 lunches had already been sent out from New Bern to nearby communities.

The New Bern site prepared more than 11,000 meals Tuesday, up from the 5,100 count on Monday. NCBM have prepared more than 60,000 meals this week. As additional feeding units in Washington and Ahoskie get underway, NCBM expects to feed more than 30,000 people today.

By 10:15 a.m., a group was already gathered at First Baptist in New Bern waiting to eat lunch.

For some, such as Wendy Sawyer and Bridget James, this would be their first hot meal since Friday. James said the water came into her first floor apartment, into the kitchen and bathroom, and a mold/mildew smell has taken over the home. Both women have several children to care for while they try to put their homes, and their lives, back in order.

Thousands of North Carolinians are trying to get their lives back to some sense of normalcy.

Areas of the Outer Banks are still closed to visitors, and some remain closed even to residents. More than 800 people remain at one of 13 shelters located throughout Hurricane stricken areas. Volunteers are still needed to help with disaster relief efforts. Visit baptistsonmission.org.

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When Rusty Martin Jr. was born, his parents, Rusty Sr. and Kim, were awestruck by the miracle God had given them.

Since doctors had told them having a child was unlikely they said they have treasured their son during his 16 years on earth.

“We’ve just been very blessed to raise him,” Rusty Sr. said.

Junior’s big screen debut comes Sept. 30 when “Courageous,” the latest offering from Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., opens in 900 theaters across America.

The film highlights the importance of fathers, and shows how five different men, four of whom work together on the police force, struggle to become better fathers.

Junior plays Dylan Mitchell, the son of Adam Mitchell, played by Alex Kendrick, who also helped write the script. The role was a stretch for Junior, who calls his father his best friend.

Contributed photo Once Adam Mitchell, right, played by Alex Kendrick, begins to step up in his role as a father, he begins running with his son Dylan Mitchell, left, played by Garner resident Rusty Martin Jr.

Rusty Sr. also has a part in the film. He plays a businessman who challenges one of the characters with a moral dilemma.

The Martins are members of Turner Memorial Baptist Church in Garner. The screenings of the film across the state have raised interest in the father and son.

The family was in Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 26 for the red-carpet premiere.

Junior is a sophomore at Wake Christian Academy, and his father owns a precious metals business. Kim is a hearing instruments specialist. The parents have flexible work schedules to coordinate with Rusty Jr.’s filming schedule. Rusty Sr. said he generally only takes roles filmed in the area or short-term gigs so he can be home with his family. Rusty Jr. is thankful to have Christian parents who have helped his faith. While Rusty Jr. is taking all honors classes, he said his favorites tend to be science and history. In the midst of juggling a budding acting career, Rusty Jr. tries to stay active in his church’s youth group. “I call acting a passion,” Rusty Jr. said.

He’s not sure about college yet but is considering the Air Force Academy in Colorado. He’s waiting to see what God’s will is for his life.

Getting started

When Rusty Jr. was in third grade, no one had tried out for the main role for the school play, so he auditioned.

That was just the beginning. It wasn’t long before he’d found a talent agency and was filming his first commercial.

One of the activities he likes is Boy Scouts. He is working his way toward Eagle Scout.

“I’ve been working at it for such a long time now,” he said.   He was 14 when he was cast in “Courageous.”

While Rusty Sr. followed his son into acting, he was the first one cast in “Courageous.” They sent audition tapes in and also auditioned via the Internet.

Of the films in which they’ve been involved, “Courageous” was the most family friendly. They would routinely work for a week or two and give breaks for actors and crew to have time for family.

Both actors said they want people to be changed by “Courageous.”

While Rusty Jr. said his relationship was “rock solid” with his dad before the movie, he said the film’s subject challenged him to be a better son. Rusty Sr. echoed the sentiment about being a better father.

Rusty Sr. indicated his family life was not the happiest. He said he was fortunate that when he was in his 30s he met some men who modeled manhood and displayed what a godly home should look like.

He married Kim when he was 33. When Rusty Jr. was born, “I determined he was going to be a priority.”

While the family has seen several screenings of the movie, in the next few weeks they’ll be seeing it again with family and churches.

Contributed photo One of the activities Rusty Martin Sr. and his son Rusty Jr. like to do together is go to the shooting range. The two will be on screen in “Courageous,” a film by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., which opens Sept. 30.

“I get emotional every time I see it,” Rusty Sr. said. “It just really tugs at the heart. It makes you want to stand tall and makes you want to do better as a father.”

Father and son would love to work together again, and Rusty Sr. said he would love to play father-son on screen.

In the meantime, Rusty Sr. might be seen in a new production called “Snitched,” developed by Cross Shadow Productions.

See Snitchedthemovie.com. It was filmed in Apex. Father and son also recently worked on Destiny Road, a film for Brazil but filmed in North Carolina.

Word-of-mouth

As the film nears its debut, more people are contacting the Martins about speaking at their church or appearing at the movie theater to answer questions.

Both Rusty Jr. and Sr. said this picture has raised the bar for Christian films.

“This is a film that Christians can be proud of,” Rusty Sr. said. “A guy who goes to see it on Friday night, on Sunday afternoon he can grab his neighbor and take that guy to the theater and be proud of this product.”

Some churches are buying tickets for members and for guests to go the opening weekend. Some have private screenings scheduled opening weekend.

Kim handles the Garner area, and she said there has been a positive response to ticket sales.

She mentioned one church bought more than 100 tickets for first responders. At the movie the church will invite them to its services that following Sunday to meet a couple of local actors from the film.

“Courageous” opens in theaters Sept. 30.

Ways churches can help

Seeing “Courageous” is just the beginning of how churches can use the movie as a ministry tool. Churches can buy tickets for opening weekend (courageousthemovie.com) and can find resources at another website, CourageousResources.com.

The following are ways churches can support and use the movie for ministry:

Buy all the tickets for a showing. Churches can rent out a theater so their congregation can see the movie together.

Towns where “Courageous” is not playing can also get in the action and bring the movie in by pledging to purchase 1,000 tickets. (For more information go to CourageousMovie.com and click “Take Action.”)

Have church at the movies. Instead of a traditional Sunday morning service, churches can call their theater to set up a morning showing and provide childcare back at the church nursery for families who attend.

Give tickets to chaplains, law enforcement officers and first responders.

Invite unchurched friends, coworkers or family to see the movie.

Put up posters and flyers to promote the movie on church campuses or in the community.

Embed the movie trailer on church websites. (To find the trailer, go to the movie’s website and click on “Click Here to Watch the Trailer.” Then copy the code beneath the video.)

Plan a sermon or series on fatherhood either leading to or following the movie’s release.

Use “Courageous” material to start a men’s ministry or to study in an existing one. (Resources, including small group guides, can be found at CourageousResources.com)

Reaching out to men with an event like a breakfast or special service honoring fathers.  

Books:

• The Resolution for Men by Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick, with Randy Alcorn
• The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer, with Alex and Stephen Kendrick
• Courageous Living - Dare to Take a Stand by Michael Catt
• Rite of Passage - A Father’s Blessing by Jim McBride
• Courageous - The Novel by Randy Alcorn
• Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood by Dennis Rainey

Other resources

DaySpring has produced greeting cards as well as a framed print of “The Resolution” that is available. Check dayspring.com/courageous for priced materials relating to the movie.

Other family-friendly sites

• Focus on the Family – focusonthefamily.com
• All Pro Dad – allprodad.com
  • Tony Dungy, former Indianapolis Colt head coach, has created a website promoting how to be an All Pro Dad.
• iMOM.com
  • Lauren Dungy has a similar site to her husband’s promoting motherhood.

Events

Men at the Cross conference
Website: menatthecross.org
Date: Nov. 5; Time: 8 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Location: First Baptist Church, Shallotte
Speakers include Joe White, Rick Rigsby, Ted Cunningham, and Joe Brown.

There is also a track for teen guys ages 13-18. White and Adam Donyes will lead the teens. The featured artist is Christopher Julian. Other conferences are in development for Raleigh and Winston-Salem.  

Iron Sharpens Iron
Website: ironsharpensiron.net
Date/location: Nov. 5 at The Park Church in Charlotte

Four resource CDs are available featuring interviews and message clips from national leaders. Each CD has seven tracks and each track is five to eight minutes long. Visit Ironsharpensiron.net/fatherfactor for more information.

Greensboro church ‘Fireproof’

Southside Baptist Church in Greensboro formed an action squad when “Fireproof” came to theaters. In place of their regular Sunday evening service on opening weekend of “Fireproof,” the church bought all the seats at their local theater.

Members were encouraged to buy tickets not only for themselves, but also for unchurched friends, with whom they could then enjoy dinner and discussion after the movie.

In the following weeks, Pastor Patrick Fuller preached a sermon series on marriage, and Sunday school classes focused on “Fireproof” were offered.

Three years later, 75 new families that were part of that outreach are members of the church. The church held a special “Courageous” Father’s Day service in June in an effort to purchase tickets opening weekend (Sept. 30-Oct. 2).

Triangle initiative

An Action Squad coordinated by a Triangle radio station is recruiting people to buy tickets for first responders and their spouses.

The same squad helped 500 first responders see “Fireproof,” another film from Sherwood, when it debuted.

Each year North Carolina Baptists give generously to the North Carolina Missions Offering (NCMO) so more people in North Carolina and around the world will have an opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. N.C. Baptist Men, mission camps, new church plants and local associations all benefit from the NCMO.

This year’s goal is $2.1 million. The theme for the offering is “Compelled By Christ, By Love, By Lostness.” Church planting, one of the Seven Pillars for Ministry of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSC), will receive 28 percent of all NCMO funds this year. A recent article in USA Today reported that North Carolina’s population has increased 18.5 percent in the past 10 years. With more people moving to the state comes a greater diversity and a greater need for more churches to reach people with the gospel. Last year, the BSC assisted North Carolina Baptists in planting 125 new churches.

“If we are truly compelled by the spiritual darkness around us, and want to impact lostness, we will commit ourselves to doing whatever it takes to get the gospel to those who need to hear it,” said Chuck Register, BSC executive leader for church planting and missions development. “More than 5.6 million people in this state do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. One of the most effective ways we can help them hear the name Jesus is through planting new churches.”

The 125 new churches included 29 Anglo, 27 Hispanic, 15 Asian and 18 multi-ethnic churches. Other types of churches included cowboy, biker, Montagnard, Chinese, Haitian, American Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, African, African-American, Burmese, Asian Indian, Filipino and Romanian. More than 2,800 people came to faith in Jesus Christ as a result of these church plants.

NCMO funds provide almost all the support of N.C. Baptist Men, who sponsor 14 ministries in North Carolina and partnerships in 17 different states and countries. Disaster relief is an important Baptist Men ministry. Last year, Baptist Men responded to 14 different disasters. More than 700 volunteers worked in Haiti, providing thousands of meals, building hundreds of shelters, and rebuilding many churches, homes and an orphanage. N.C. Baptist Men and women volunteers provided medical treatment to more than 90,000 Haitians.

“We are so thankful to the thousands of North Carolina Baptists who generously give year after year to the North Carolina Missions Offering so that we can continue in this life-changing ministry,” said Richard Brunson, N.C. Baptist Men executive director-treasurer.

“Disaster relief ministry allows us to meet physical needs to show the love and compassion of Christ while at the same time offering spiritual hope.”

N.C. Baptist Men operates two buses as mobile dental/medical clinics, and in 2010 volunteers serving on the buses provided care to nearly 5,000 patients across the state.

Other N.C. Baptist Men ministries include a camp for boys who have a parent in prison, lay renewal/revival, Camp Caraway, agricultural missions and aviation ministry.

NCMO also helps support the Red Springs and Shelby mission camps. These camps provide volunteers a place to stay while they serve throughout the community.

Each year, 10 percent of NCMO is divided among the state’s 78 associations, the amount for each determined by how much each association’s church members contribute.

Last year associations used NCMO funds for food and clothing ministry, church planting, church leader and youth leader training, evangelistic events, community service projects, and mission trips.

“The North Carolina Missions Offering helps make possible many opportunities for missions and ministry,” Register said. “I pray that the love of our Savior will compel each North Carolina Baptist church across the state to get involved in reaching their community and the nations for Jesus Christ.”

For more information and free resources such as lessons for children, prayer guides and NCMO videos, visit ncmissionsoffering.org or call (800) 395-5102, ext. 5547.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This item is part of a package of stories highlighting planting multiplication church ministries across the state. The Biblical Recorder is focusing on the Seven Pillars for Christian Ministry adopted by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. For more stories on church planting or to find out about the entire package, please visit here.)

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Ironically, on Aug. 29 — the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina — Hurricane Irene has almost ended her 1,500-mile path of destruction from North Carolina to eastern Canada.

By all accounts, Irene could have been much worse. But that’s little consolation for the estimated 65 million people impacted on the East Coast – some of whom lost loved ones while many others are facing flood damage from the Category 1 hurricane that reached 600 miles in width.

According to news accounts, Hurricane Irene resulted in 25 deaths, some 2.4 million Americans being evacuated from their homes and 4.5 million without electricity. Irene’s damage estimates range from a low of $7 billion to $20 billion. Katrina, by comparison, inflicted damages of $105.8 billion in Mississippi and Louisiana alone, according to the National Hurricane Center.

“While Irene was not a wind event, it was still a rain event which is producing extreme flooding,” said Mickey Caison, national coordinator for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) with the North American Mission Board in Alpharetta, Ga.

“The flooding continues to develop,” Caison said, adding, “We’re seeing where trees are down due to wind and tornadoes. A lot of roads and bridges are out, so getting into some of these areas is going to take a while. There are some great needs out there.”

It will take a couple more days to get full deployment, Caison said.

“Assessment has to be done. We have to determine where we can house volunteers. Because so much of the damage is in the New England/New York area, we don’t have a lot of churches there, so we have to build the infrastructure to logistically support our teams.”

North Carolina and its Outer Banks caught much of Irene’s fury as a Category 3 hurricane. In the Tar Heel State alone, 1.3 million people were affected and 300,000 people remain without power. Officials estimated that North Carolina suffered $600 million in damages in 14 counties, including 137 washed-out roads and 19 destroyed or damaged bridges. Bunyan, N.C., recorded 14 inches of rain, while Cedar Island, N.C., endured 115 mph winds.

Photo by Pamlico County Relief. The deluge of rain and gusts of wind from Hurricane Irene, shown here in New Bern, was replicated up and down the East Coast. Baptist disaster relief crews, in Irene’s aftermath, are deploying to help feed storm victims and relief workers, while chainsaw teams are busy removing fallen trees and limbs.

Three SBDR feeding and mud-out units from Mississippi already are en route to North Carolina, said Gaylon Moss, a DR coordinator for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

The state DR team in New York already has activated one feeding unit, reported Mike

Flannery, state DR director for the New York Baptist Convention. Flannery said due to serious flooding west of the Hudson River, feeding will be vital for at least two weeks. He said the feeding unit hopes to be cooking several thousand meals a day by Tuesday evening. The New York feeding unit can prepare up to 15,000 meals a day, but Flannery said he needs more feeding volunteer workers to reach that number. A Mississippi Baptist feeding team also is headed to New York.

Flooding is particularly bad in Vermont, where so many cities and towns are built along rivers, said Bruce James, state DR director for the Baptist Convention of New England. Flooding caused by Hurricane Irene in Vermont – also hit by heavy flooding earlier this year – is the worst since 1923, James said. Thousands of citizens are inaccessible because of washed-out roads and bridges, including century-old, irreplaceable covered bridges.

How does Hurricane Irene stack up with Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, which ravaged Louisiana, Texas and the Gulf Coast back in September 2008? In response to those two hurricanes, SBDR feeding units prepared more than 5 million meals for victims, responders and volunteers.

“The reality is that we could end up with same amount of damage spread from North Carolina to Canada,” Caison said. “There’s significant damage in North Carolina, Virginia, New England and New York. But where Ike and Gustav were very concentrated along the Gulf Coast, this is spread out over 1,500-1,800 miles.”

Eastern Canada wound up as Irene’s final stop of destruction, with wind gusts peaking at 30-50 mph in eastern Quebec, the St. Lawrence Valley, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Irene’s wind and rain were slated to end across Labrador on Tuesday.

“Canada also has disaster relief but their deployment is different from ours, in that Canada’s military is more heavily involved,” Caison said. “There will be a limited amount of work available for our volunteers in Canada.”

Endel Lee, NAMB’s national coordinator for disaster relief chaplaincy, said Southern Baptist chaplains will be concentrated in the higher population areas with the most hurricane damage, although every mud-out, chainsaw and feeding team will include an embedded chaplain. Lee said SBDR chaplains also will partner with chaplains representing the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

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It’s Sunday morning in Lumberton, too early for movies to show at the cinema complex on Roberts Avenue.

But wait.

Scores, hundreds of people are driving into the parking lot. Ushers direct the cars. Tents stand before the theater, and people are greeted warmly.

Under towering marquees blaring this week’s movies, one hears Christian music – loud, contemporary, rock-edged Christian music. The dress code leans to jeans and T-shirts. For a few hours on Sundays, this is Vertical Church.

BSC photo by Mike Creswell Vertical Church in Lumberton launched in February with the help of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. They meet at a movie theater in town and in homes around the area to explore the Bible. Visit photo gallery and video.

Lead Pastor Mike Pittman and the Vertical team bring in a trailer of equipment and set up their portable church.

Pittman’s preaching is strong and very much Bible-based. It is the church presenting Jesus to people who do not like church, Pittman says.

Vertical’s website (govertical.org) clearly lists their partnership with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSC), the Southern Baptist Convention and Robeson Baptist Association. But aside from the meeting place, there are other innovations. For example, after the service there’s a “Next” manned lobby table if someone wants prayer or to ask questions about the sermon.

While some may question such non-traditional methods, there’s no denying the gospel-centered excitement in the air and on the faces of Vertical’s members.

A few weeks after launching on Feb. 6 of this year, the church had baptized 80 new believers and was off and running. But this is only the most visible Sunday face of Vertical. The church began organizing six months earlier with home Bible studies and numerous outreach visits. Eight of these groups are going in surrounding communities and may one day become churches. Pittman and the Vertical team aim to start many churches, not just one. Starting lots of new churches, which will start more new churches: This may be Baptists’ best hope of reaching North Carolina’s estimated 5.6 million lost people.

In 2010 the Convention helped start 125 new churches across the state. If earlier trends hold, more than 80 percent of these will still be going after four years, a success rate far above the national average for church plants. For example, funded churches reported more than 2,800 professions of faith during 2010 as they pursued growth much more rapidly than most long-established churches do. But those same churches will continue to minister and reach out next year and the next and so on.

Church planters point out that starting churches is a long-life ministry. A crusade will last a short time. But a new church can last for hundreds of years.

Financial support for the Convention’s church planting ministry comes from the BSC’s two main funding sources: about two-thirds from the Cooperative Program and the rest from the North Carolina Missions Offering.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This item is part of a package of stories highlighting planting multiplication church ministries across the state. The Biblical Recorder is focusing on the Seven Pillars for Christian Ministry adopted by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. For more stories on church planting or to find out about the entire package, please visit here.)

Drive down NC 150 south of Winston-Salem and you’ll come to the Arcadia/Welcome area, a growing area of new housing developments, strip shopping centers and fast-food restaurants. Some new residents are moving in from northern states; others are just moving south from Forsyth County into Davidson County.

BSC photo by Mike Creswell Joey Yokeley, lead pastor at The River Church, leads two morning services on Sundays to accommodate its 200-plus members and visitors. Visit photo gallery and video.

You would probably not look twice at the neat, traditional church building where The River Church (riverchurchlive.com) meets in Lexington.

But it’s an interesting story. Another Baptist church had constructed the building, but the congregation had declined to a few members and was looking at closing down. They could not maintain the building.

Church planter/lead pastor Joey Yokeley was looking for a place his new church could meet, so The River Church took over the building. “They basically turned the entire facility over to us for free,” he said. Some original members stayed on; others left for other churches.

Yokeley spent 11 years as youth pastor before finally giving in to a long-time call from God to start a new church. Two years ago he finally started.

He and a core group met in a coffee shop and a school before the church building became available. Justin Luckett and Donny Baldridge serve as pastors.  

Already the church has two Sunday morning services, both contemporary, to accommodate the 200-plus members and visitors. Growth has been slow but steady. Members bring in prospects, but the church also has had good response from Facebook and Twitter.

Members do outreach in the community, from passing out free coffee at intersections to holding cookout parties in neighborhoods.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This item is part of a package of stories highlighting planting multiplication church ministries across the state. The Biblical Recorder is focusing on the Seven Pillars for Christian Ministry adopted by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. For more stories on church planting or to find out about the entire package, please visit here.)

Ever wondered what it’s like to plant a church in a mostly Russian neighborhood in New York? Or how about in French-speaking Quebec?

Now Southern Baptist pastors have a chance to see church planting up close and personal. The North American Mission Board (NAMB) is hosting “Catch the Vision” tours in four cities this fall as part of its Send North America church planting strategy.

Pastors, mission leaders and church members will have the opportunity to meet “boots-on-the-ground” church planters and hear their vision for reaching a particular people group in their part of the world.

“Catch the Vision tours are intended to be quick cultural immersions in a specific city where we need established churches to partner with church planters to start new churches,” said Shane Critser, NAMB’s church mobilization team leader. “We want people to experience the city and hear directly from church planters.”

Jacques Avakian is a North American Mission Board church planter catalyst in Montreal, one of four cities where a “Catch the Vision” tour will provide Southern Baptist church leaders a glimpse into some of the least-reached cities and people groups in North America. See video.

NAMB’S Send North America strategy aims to mobilize churches and church planters for evangelistic church planting in the five regions of North America – Canada, Northeast, West, Midwest and South. In addition, NAMB will concentrate on those regions’ largest population centers. With 83 percent of the population now living in metropolitan areas, the major cities in the United States and Canada are vital mission fields for Kingdom growth and influence.

Tom Richter, a church planter in Queens, N.Y., says no passport is needed to see the world. Just a metro card. The New York City metro area encompasses 22 million people from 100-plus nations. Only 3 percent of the population in Manhattan identify themselves as evangelical, according to a study by the Values Research Institute. On Oct. 18-19, church leaders will have the opportunity to soak up the sights, sounds and smells of the diverse mission field in Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs.

“Church leaders will get a bird’s-eye view of what we see God doing in New York City,” said Steve Allen, NAMB’s lead catalyst for the NYC Tri-State Church Planting Team. “Then we’ll hit the road and do a rolling bus tour through the city visiting its diverse neighborhoods.”

Participants will hear church planters describe the challenges and joys of serving in the nation’s largest city, with Allen noting, “We want to give churches the opportunity to hear the different ways we envision partner churches getting involved with church plants in the city.”

For churches that already have registered for Send North America, the Catch the Vision tours are a natural next step to discovering the best location for partnering in evangelistic church planting. Meanwhile, for churches that already have chosen a city in which to serve, the vision tours will offer an opportunity to meet the church planters they will be working with and see firsthand their mission field.

Churches that haven’t yet registered for Send North America also are encouraged to participate in one or more vision tours to learn more about NAMB’s church planting strategy and hear directly from church planters how vitally important partner churches are to the success of their ministries. The Catch the Vision tours in Montreal Oct. 17-19 will provide church leaders a glimpse into the least-reached city and people group in North America – a profoundly secular city despite deep Catholic roots. French Quebecois of Montreal and throughout the province of Quebec are less than 1 percent evangelical.

“Visiting the city will give them a sense of how our religious history laid the ground for our current secular reality,” said Jacques Avakian, church planter catalyst for Montreal. “We’ll also provide a good understanding of the province – its history, where we were, where we are, where we’re hoping to go.

“In addition to learning about Quebec’s culture and history, we’ll also let leaders meet church planters who are seeing God open doors left and right,” Avakian said. “We ask that they prayerfully consider even before coming here to prepare their hearts for what God’s going to show them.”

In addition to New York City and Montreal, dates have been set this fall for Vancouver, Sept. 12-14 and Oct. 17-19 and Toronto, Sept. 5-7 and Oct. 17-19.

To register for a Catch the Vision tour, visit namb.net/send-cities and call or email the contact person for one or more of the cities. For further information, contact the North American Mission Board’s church mobilization team at mobilizeme@namb.net or (770) 410-6388.   Each Catch the Vision Tour is unique in cost and presentation. The approximate cost of the tour itself will revolve around transportation and meals while at each city.

In addition, each individual will be responsible for their own transportation, lodging and meals outside of the vision tour. Pricing information is available at namb.net/send-cities. The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina office of Great Commission partnerships has partnerships with Toronto and New York, two sites for the vision events, as well as Boston and Moldova. Contact Mike Sowers at msowers@ncbaptist.org or (800) 395-5102, ext. 5654.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Pipes is a writer for the North American Mission Board. This item is part of a package of stories highlighting planting multiplication church ministries across the state. The Biblical Recorder is focusing on the Seven Pillars for Christian Ministry adopted by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. For more stories on church planting or to find out about the entire package, please visit here.)

North Carolina Baptist Men (NCBM) staff and volunteers were already mapping out a plan of action less than 24 hours after Hurricane Irene came ashore North Carolina’s coast. The Category 1 storm pounded the state’s coast with rain and wind most of the day Saturday, leaving thousands of North Carolinians still without power.

Some parts of the state fared better than expected, such as Oak Island, where the N.C. Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell sits. No damage was reported there.

Richard Brunson, NCBM executive director-treasurer, said the hardest hit areas in the state appear to be near Pamlico Sound, Carteret County and the Outer Banks. Trained NCBM assessors have been on the ground since Sunday night and early today surveying the damage and helping identify the greatest needs.

“In any disaster, we try to find out where we are needed most, and we have to base that on good information. We rely on our assessors to help us make these decisions,” Brunson said. “Then, we find hubs where we can serve out of. Places where volunteers can eat and sleep, and then go out into surrounding communities to work.”

As of Sunday afternoon, NCBM had identified three “hubs,” with the possibility of adding more. Brunson said sometimes the hardest hit areas lack good communication, so adding more feeding and recovery sites is certainly a possibility.

NCBM will set up a feeding/recovery unit at First Baptist Church in New Bern; Memorial Baptist Church in Williamston; and Manteo Baptist Church. NCBM will set up its State Recovery Unit at The Memorial Baptist Church in Greenville. Those sites will be ready for feeding by­­ Monday morning.

Volunteers serving with the recovery units will be helping with anything from mudouts to chainsaw work and removing trees and debris from homes.

Interested volunteers should visit baptistsonmission.org. NCBM will contact them as soon as they are able to assess where they can be of most help.

“It is too early at this point to know how long the feeding units will be needed,” Brunson said. “We expect at least a week. How soon people are able to get power back to their homes will play a large part in determining that. However, we expect the recovery process to be much longer.”

Disaster relief teams from nearby states are ready to come and help if necessary.

Brunson expects to feed about 5,000 meals per day at each of these sites. He said NCBM is also looking at doing satellite feeding in Buxton, part of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. That relief effort may, depending on road damage and accessibility, involve using helicopters to bring in food. This plan, if needed, will be coordinated with Emergency Management and other NCBM partners.

NCBM has also provided two sleeper units to the Air Wing Guard stationed in Kinston. They are doing aerial evaluations of the damage and helping assess the needs.

“Thank you for your prayers,” Brunson said. “Although this storm had the potential to affect more people in more parts of our state, we still have many people who need help and who need volunteers to quickly respond. Please continue praying that we will be able to meet physical needs, and that as we do so, we can share the love of Christ."

Brunson also expressed appreciation to all North Carolina Baptists who make NCBM disaster relief ministry possible. "The faithful giving of North Carolina Baptists to the North Carolina Missions Offering keeps this ministry going. We are thankful not only for your willingness to go and serve during disasters such as Irene, but for your sacrificial giving that makes it possible for us to respond in times of disaster."

To donate to NCBM Hurricane Irene relief efforts, visit baptistsonmission.org.

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Explore Church’s “Bake at the Lake” brought together church members Aug. 7 at Jordan Lake to share a meal and participate in a baptism service.

The church, which is about to celebrate its ninth anniversary, was launched as a partnership between Apex Baptist Church, Little River Baptist Association and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSC). “I think it’s been a good success story on the importance of strategic partnerships,” said Clay Burgess, Explore’s lead pastor.

But the Fuquay-Varina church wasn’t the only participating church at Jordan Lake. Apex Baptist rented the spot that day for special services for it and its planted churches, including Explore.

Apex Baptist has also helped with Apex’s Hispanic church, which meets at its facilities, and The Creek Church in Cary.

Contributed photo Baptism services, like this one at Jordan Lake, demonstrate the need for church planting. Statistically new churches baptize more people than established congregations. Clay Burgess, right, lead pastor of Explore Church, was just one of several pastors who baptized believers Aug. 7. Apex Baptist Church, one of Explore Church's partners, rented the spot at the lake for its members and its church plants, including The Creek Church in Cary and Apex's Hispanic congregation. View photos.

“It was kind of a neat time with the churches working together,” said Burgess.

Burgess considers Apex’s Senior Pastor Phil Qualls his spiritual mentor. Qualls, who has led Apex for almost 28 years, says there’s a sense of excitement involved in church planting.

“I think it’s New Testament,” Qualls said. “When you look at the Book of Acts you see what the church was all about: going from house to house planting house churches which developed large congregations.”

Apex made a decision before Qualls came to stay in downtown Apex, leaving the church with limited space.

“We knew we only had so much land to build on,” Qualls said. “We felt like the only way we could move forward was to send people out.”

Explore Church
Explore Church is currently meeting in an old tobacco warehouse. Generally, Burgess has to scrounge to find a place to baptize someone. They sometimes borrow baptisteries at other churches, like Fuquay and Kennebec Baptist churches. Some of the youth wait for the special lake service.

“I think the main takeaway (is) it’s very hard to be set up for success” as a church, Burgess said. Partnering with others helps with finances and encouragement.

A steering committee made up of people from Apex and Fuquay Baptist churches, Little River Baptist Association and the BSC helps Explore sort through various issues, “to help us make sure we were doing things the right way,” Burgess said. “If it wasn’t for these groups I’m not sure we would have made it.”

Explore started in Burgess’ living room; within three months, they were attracting 27 people, including children. This year at Easter the church attracted 263 people. Burgess said a local businessman has also been helpful in locating facilities for the church to use. Before coming to Explore Church, Burgess was a pastor at Ayersville Baptist Church for 20 months. He graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest with a master of divinity degree.

BR photo by Dianna L. Cagle Apex Baptist Church members get some relief from a fan while they prepare burgers and hot dogs for the church’s fellowship time at the lake after a special baptism service. Apex shared the day with three of its church plants. See photo gallery.

“When I started as a church planter it wasn’t the fad that it is now,” Burgess said. Launched just a year after 9/11, it was a time of uncertainty.

Apex Baptist Church en Espanol
Alex Cosio, pastor of Apex Baptist Church en Espanol, is from Mexico City, Mexico. While pursuing a master of divinity degree at Southeastern, Cosio planted three churches in South Carolina. After he graduated he returned to his hometown to lead a church.

He’s been the Hispanic church’s pastor for nine years. The church averages 70 on Sundays – 20 children, 10 youth, and 40-plus adults.

Sundays not only include a worship service but a Bible study in Spanish. The children are integrated into the main church’s classes on Sunday as well as Wednesdays when the Hispanic church has another Bible study and prayer meeting.

This month, Cosio is starting home groups in hopes of reaching more people where they live.

“We don’t see ourselves as a separate church,” Cosio said. “I think that has been a great blessing for the whole church.”

Cosio leads a mission trip to Mexico each year. The group, depending on size, does evangelism, Vacation Bible Schools, youth rallies, sports camps, etc.   Each year the church also takes part in the baptism service. Cosio baptized three youth at Jordan Lake this year. The churches also have an annual joint service. The next one is set in November.

Even though Cosio stays busy with his church, he is continuing his education at Southeastern. He is working on a doctor of education degree and teaching at Campbell University’s Hispanic theology program.

Planting atmosphere
The first plant Apex got involved with was within the Hispanic community. Back then the church had a number of people attending who were bilingual. After a planning committee did some research, they discovered the tremendous growth rate in the area. The members began to pray and look at resources.

A former staff member gave Qualls Cosio’s name. The goal was to plant a church on the current campus.

“We had sensed the reason for failure in church plants was either land or resources,” Qualls said.

After beginning the Hispanic church, they providing some financial support for a Holly Springs church plant. The primary sponsor was First Baptist Church in Cary.

Explore came next. And then a former staff member and Southeastern graduate who had planted a church in New Hampshire felt the need to come home because of issues with his family. Apex is helping financially with the River of Life Church. They have land in Brunswick County and will be working with the BSC to possibly get a building up within a couple of years. Because of its location, another church in South Carolina is helping sponsor them.

The Creek Church was started by sending 25 families from Apex Baptist Church. Matt Rice, Apex’s former evangelism minister, is The Creek’s lead pastor, as well as Qualls son-in-law. Four churches were involved in the Jordan Lake services. The Creek and Explore held their own services while Apex Baptist and its Hispanic church shared time.

“Any local church can plant a church,” Qualls said. To involve the North American Mission Board, the church has to go through the local association. This provides a system of checks and balances. Church planters go through boot camp and take personality tests.

To find out more about church planting, contact your local association, the Baptist State Convention (ncbaptists.org) or the North American Mission Board (namb.net).

 

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This item is part of a package of stories highlighting planting multiplication church ministries across the state. The Biblical Recorder is focusing on the Seven Pillars for Christian Ministry adopted by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. For more stories on church planting or to find out about the entire package, please visit here.)