Churches:

Argenta

Arthur

Atwood

Boody

Calvary

Emmanuel

Fellowship

Findlay

Forsyth

Galilee

Hammond

Heyworth

Lincoln

Lovington

Mt. Zion

Shiloh

Sullivan

Summit Avenue

Tabernacle

Tri-Valley

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 collaborating

together to build the King-

dom of God.

In This Issue:

Front Page-Tom’s Prayer

Pointers, 7 Key Reasons

Page 2-CBA Christmas

Party, BF & CBA

Scholarships, Sr. Adult

Thanksgiving Banquet

Page 3-Coming Events,

Two Healthy Church

Practices, Anniversaries

& Birthdays

Back page-News from the

Pews, Focus Funnies,

Pastor’s Gathering

Lunch

Central Baptist Association (217) 330-7593

Email: CBADecaturOffice@yahoo.com

Volume XIX No. 11

November 2016

1255 S. Lake Ridge Ave. Decatur, IL 62521

Website: www.cbadecatur.com Building God’s Kingdom -Together Eph. 2:19-22

What if, as believers, we begin each day singing this prayer:

Lead me to some soul today O teach me, Lord, just what to say;

Friends of mine are lost in sin,

And cannot find their way. Few there are who seem to care

And few there are who pray.

Melt my heart and fill my life Give me one soul today.

And continued our prayer-praising Jesus with: Every day with Jesus is sweeter than

the day before. Every day with Jesus, I love

You more and more; Jesus saves and keeps me, and He’s the One I’m living for: Every

day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.

Getting our day started right is important—keeping our prayers definite will take some help from the Lord Himself. To mean business when we pray is important. If we are praying for someone to be saved, we may need to prayerfully search the scriptures to help us find the will of God. You might look at Luke 15 and the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and the prodigal son. We may need to see Christ’s passion for sinners. If our heart really becomes affected with the concern Christ has for sinners, then it stands to reason that we can pray more definitely for their conversions.

From Thomas E. Miller

D.L. Moody says that when we pray, “We are to ask with a beggar’s humility, to seek with a servant’s carefulness, and to knock with the confidence of a friend.”

Bill Hybels says, “A ‘prayer warrior’ is a person who is convinced that God is omni-potent—that God has the power to do anything, to change anyone, and to intervene in any circumstance. A person who truly believes this refuses to doubt God.”

John R. Rice begins his book, Prayer—Asking and Receiving, by reminding us that “Our God is a God who hears and answers prayer! Prayer hearing is one of HIS attributes, a part of HIS nature. He inspired the psalmist to call Him, “Thou that hearest prayer” (Ps. 65:2). He selects that title for Himself and delights to be called the God who hears and the God who answers prayer. God’s mercy never changes. It’s a part of His character. God’s holiness and His righteousness never vary. He is always holy, always righteous. The characteristics and attributes of God are unchanging and everlasting. He says, “I am the Lord, I change not.” (Mal. 3:6) “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Heb. 12:8) God is in all generations the same God who delights to hear, and does hear, and answers prayer,” It is impossible to come to God or to please Him without believing that He is a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God.

Starting Our Day with Prayer

Why did you choose to come to your church? Thom Rainer asks the question hundreds of

times each year, especially to people who joined a church within the past year. In Pew Research’s most recent study, the respondents noted several key reasons for choosing a church. They were allowed to offer more than one reason. Here are the top seven responses:

1. Quality of sermons (83%). The primacy of the pulpit is the number one factor for those looking for a church home. These results are very similar to Thom’s research for his book, Surprising Insights

from the Unchurched, fifteen years ago. Unfortunately, the demands on many

pastors make it difficult for them to put the time they need in sermon preparation.

2. Feeling welcomed by leaders (79%).

It is so important for pastors and staff to take the lead in welcoming guest. No, they are not supposed to do all the welcoming, but their role has a huge impact.

3. Style of services (74%). People are still choosing churches by the styles of worship of the congregations. The numbers are overwhelming. Three out of four church seekers say worship style is a factor for the church they choose.

Continued on page 3

MENU: Cost: $6 each

Traditional

Thanksgiving

meal

Songspiriation with congregational singing and

specials from as many churches as want to participate.

Rev. Al Hodges, Shiloh MB Church, preaching.

Tuesday, November 15th, 2016 10 AM

At Emmanuel Baptist Church

Sign up by Nov 6th and

call the CBA office no later

than Nov. 8th with the

number of seniors coming.

Call (217) 330-7593

If you’d like to sing a solo, bring your choir, or instrumentalists, have a group who sings or plays, we’d love to hear them. Call Chris at (217) 330-7593 or email cbaoffice@comcast.net and tell me you’d like to participate in the Senior Adult Thanksgiving event.

Annual CBA

Christmas Party

Pastors, Staff, and Spouses (this includes secretaries)

Friday, December 16th, 2016 At Emmanuel, Decatur

6:30-8:30 PM We’ll have a nice meal,

sing some Christmas carols, and have lots of fun.

More information to come

in your invitation.

EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS

BAPTIST FOUNDATION OF ILLINOIS & CENTRAL BAPTIST ASSOC.

2017-2018 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

Although the application period for 2016/2017 academic year has closed, the BFI trustees are even now making presentation in the recipient churches, the new scholarship application for 2017/2018 year will open December 1st, 2016.

Scholarship funds are awarded in the following amounts:

Seminary Students—$175/credit hour (15 hours max) Bachelor/Master Degree—$2,000 Associate Degree—$1,000

Contact the BFI at scholarships@baptistfoundationil.org email address to submit your applications and find out who received the scholarships.

Central Baptist Association has $4,000 for College Scholarships to be awarded to CBA students attending college. ($1000 per applicant) NOTE: The money will be entrusted to the Baptist Foundation to determine who the recipients of scholarships are based on special criteria we will give them. The Baptist Foundation Scholarship form is for both scholarships and you may be approved for either or both.

Equip-videos for developing leaders More than 100 free videos are available at IBSA.E-

Quip.net. Some of the videos are: The Preaching

Ministry in the New Marriage Age-Jeff Iorg; How to

Connect Every Person in Your Church-Steve Gladen;

Vocal Warm-ups-Emily Martin; Developing Effective

Bible Teachers (Pts. 1 & 2); Planning a Dynamic

Meeting-Bill Donahue. Check one out!

Thursday, November 10th, 2016 5:30 PM-Dinner-Chili, cheese & crackers, veggies

6:15-8:15 PM-Meeting

Please RSVP to Chris at CBAoffice@comcast.net

or (217) 330-7593 if you’re coming for the meal

by Nov. 8th, so we have enough food.

4. Location (70%). I want to be careful not to say things these numbers don’t mean to say. But I would surmise that location is more important today than it was ten years ago. This reality would at least partly explain the dramatic increase of multi-site churches. Churches are going to the communities where the people are. It also prompts us to follow the trends of large regional churches. Will people more and more prefer a church in their own community rather than driving to the regional church?

5. Education for kids (56%). This number is incredibly high, especially since many families do not have kids at home. Obviously those who do have children at home consider this issue vitally important. “Education” likely refers to more than the teaching ministry to children; it probably encompasses the total scope for children’s ministry. I have said on more than one occasion the first staff member I would bring to the church after the pastor would be a children’s minister.

6. Having friends/family in the congregation (48%).

Relational connections are very important. We see this issue to be so important that we created a ministry (Invite Your One) to engender an attitude of inviting. Those same connections play a crucial role in the assimilation process in the church as well.

7. Availability of volunteering opportunities (42%). This factor was very encouraging to me. People no longer want just to sit and soak; they want to get involved. If guests know there are opportunities to get involved quickly in the church, they are more likely to choose that church. I have no doubt the Millennials are instrumental in this number being as high as it is.

From my perspective, these seven factors are not huge surprises; they are really affirmations of much of what we have been sharing with you. The real issue is not the intrigue of this research; it is what you and your church will do about it.

Article by Thom S. Rainer 2016

Seven Key Reasons..., continued from front page

Thankfulness or Gratitude is a Choice!

Choose it! Act on it! Share it!

And Not just on the last Thursday of November.

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of

God in Christ Jesus for you.” I Thess. 5:18

Birthdays

5-Ruth Ann Lusk (Sullivan)

11-Caden Merritt (Tab)

13-Nate Williams (Tabernacle)

16-Anna Johnson (Tab)

Wedding Ann.

7-Tracy & Renee Smith (Mt. Zion)

11-Darren & Sheri Morrow (Summit Ave.)

16-Glenn & Susan Baker (Hammond/Lovington)

22-Dennis & Marian Blankenship (Tabernacle)

Church Ann.

2005-Jim Leischner (Boody)

Church Relations Team Mtg. at CBA office

Monday, November 14th at 6 PM If you can’t make the meeting, please call or text

Will Ferguson at (217) 260-7141.

2. The church has incredibly strong emphasis on

groups. Chose the name that best fits your context: community groups, Sunday school, life groups, small groups, home groups, or others. Drop out rates are five times higher for those in worship only versus those who also are involved in a group. Groups if done right provide three incredible dynamics for members: they increase stickiness or assimilation; they provide community; and they are instruments of accountability.

At the risk of being redundant, let me be very clear. It is not the mere existence of groups or emphases on Bible daily reading that are the differentiating factors in healthy churches. Rather, it is the reality that church leaders are strategic about these two vital areas and determined to move all members to these two important habits.

Article by Thom S. Rainer 2016

Churches and church members are too busy. Where should we put our greatest emphases? After looking

at tens of thousands of churches over the past several years, I would be negligent if I did not note these two common practices in the healthiest of churches. These two practices showed up again and again.

1. The church strongly encourages its members to

read the Bible daily. When Christians read their Bibles every day, they are more likely to evangelize, minister to the community, pray, give to the church, and be a unifying force in the congregation. The healthy churches do not simply say members should read their Bibles. They are highly intentional and strategic about helping the members toward that end. It is not a one-and-done emphasis. It is part of the DNA of the church, and the emphasis and encouragement is redundant and persistent.

November 2016 1st & 2nd-IBSA Pastors’ Conf. at Broadview Baptist, Chicago 2nd & 3rd-IBSA’s Annual Meeting at Broadview Bapt.

6th-Daylight Savings Time Ends & Disaster Relief Appreciation Day

8th-Election Day 10th-(5:30) Leadership Team Mtg. at CBA office/Emmanuel

11th-VETERAN’S DAY

14th at 6 PM-Church Relations Team Mtg. at CBA office 15th at 10 AM-Sr. Adult Thanksgiving Banquet @ Emmanuel 17th-(11:30-12:30) Pastor’s Gathering Lunch at Emmanuel FH

24th-HAPPY THANKSGIVING-Office Closed

December 2016 4th-11th-Week of Prayer for Lottie Moon Christmas Offering 24th-Christmas Eve

Sunday, 25th-MERRY CHRISTMAS

NOTE: CBA Office open December 27th-29th and Jan. 3rd-5th

PLEASE MAKE NOTE: The CBA OFFICE PHONE

NUMBER is now a landline Call: (217) 330-7593

(The other numbers won’t work)

FOCUS

FUNNIES

Happy

Thanksgiving,

Everyone!

The Next Pastor’s Gathering Lunch

will be November 17th—11:30-12:30 Lunch will be provided—let Chris know if

you are coming—by Wed., Nov. 16th.

Daylight Savings Time Ends

November 6th, 2016 DON’T FORGET: Set your clocks back on Saturday night.

Emmanuel-filled 110 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child at Julie Andrew’s 50th Birthday party Sept. 24th. On October 31st we held our Annual Trunk & Treat on the parking

lot. The Crusin’ Roosters Car Show was there with some of their cars trunks full of candy to hand out. We had hotdogs to roast over a fire and lots of snacks to eat and trunks of

candy, of course, to hand out to the kids. Forsyth-is just finishing up “30 Days of Prayer for Family, Friends and Our

Nation” (Oct. 7-Nov. 5) with a “War on Darkness-The Battle for Souls,” a 12-hour victory through prayer vigil on Sat., Nov. 5th from 6 AM-6 PM. Family & Friend Day is November 6th at 10:30 AM Worship Service and Dr. Pat Pajak is the guest speaker. Pastor Andrew’s message will seek to answer the question, “Why Is Life So Hard?” An Operation Christmas Child Shoebox packing party

will be Nov. 6th at 5:30 PM. “Miracles from Heaven” movie will be shown in the Worship Center on Sun., Nov. 13th at 5:30 PM. The movie is based on the true story of the Beam

family. There is FREE Admission, FREE popcorn, and prizes. Our Thanks-giving Dinner will be Nov. 20th at 5:30 PM at The Connecting Point (FH). Galilee-is hitting the ground running with our new Pastor. We're in the process of getting a new Church sign. We're also restarting our Children’s Church and we had 5 kids on our first Sunday! We also are in the process of going door-to-door inviting people to know Christ and to our Church. Our Pastor recently released a new book "Common Misunderstandings

about God, Jesus and The Bible,” available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle. Mt. Zion-To minister to our commu-nity we have decided to give families another option for worship, and October 29th at 5 pm we launched our Saturday Evening Celebration. The Saturday night service will follow the same format as our Sunday services—same music, same message—with a more casual approach

and childcare for children ages 0-3 will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there. Tabernacle-had a group just return from a mission trip to China.

TBC enjoyed 5 days with the Strength Team doing their amazing feats that coincided with our Trunk or Treat, Oct. 30th; over 2,000 total attended on the night of the 30th.

UPWARD Basketball is coming! Registration is still open, register online at tbc.church/upward, or forms are available in the church office.

We are hosting Celebrate Recovery for those who battle addictions. Celebrate Recovery is free to the public, offers transportation, a meal & childcare; they launch on Nov. 13 in the evening. Contact Karyn Williams at 325-3326 for details.

MARK THE DATE! "A Charlie Brown Christmas” this FREE performance returns to TBC live on stage! Dec. 9-11, 7 pm nightly, with

a 2 pm matinee on the 10th.