Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 26 2012 --------------------------------------- Immigrant-rich, multicultural London is ideal missions ground http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38344 Tobin Heath's passions are Christ & soccer http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38347 U.S. archer Wukie learns to trust God http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38346 Experts: Politicians can't legally block Chick-fil-A http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38353 Culture writer clings to sexual redemption http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38351 BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, July 29, 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38352 FIRST-PERSON: What's your church's FQ (Fellowship Quotient)? http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38349 FIRST-PERSON: The consequences of out-of-wedlock births http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38348 --------------------------------------- Immigrant-rich, multicultural London is ideal missions ground By Elaine Gaston Jul. 26 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38344 EDITOR'S NOTE: Baptist Press' London bureau, in tandem with Tim Ellsworth, editor of BP Sports and director of news and media relations at Union University, will be providing coverage of 2012 Olympics. Baptist Press will publish features about Christian athletes in the Olympics, recap results of their competition and cover Baptist initiatives to share the Gospel during the Summer Games and among Londoners' rich culture milieu. LONDON (BP) -- For more than 200 years, London has been a repository for some of the globe's most remarkable cultural treasures. [IMG=33115@right@250]In an hour's stroll through the British Museum, a visitor can view Greek statues from the Parthenon; colossal stone-winged lions from an Assyrian palace; the Rosetta Stone, the world's key to unlocking the language of the pharaohs; and a plethora of other incomparable, priceless treasures. Yet other treasure has found a home in London outside the secure walls of a world-class museum. That treasure is on the streets, in the neighborhoods, riding the buses and underground trains, heading to an Olympics venue, working in the restaurants or attending the schools. It's the people. There's Asuntha*, for instance. Her Sri Lankan husband brought her to London just after they were married. As is common in this sort of arranged marriage, she didn't know him well, and family difficulties followed. A few years and two daughters later, her husband left her, a bank repossessed her home, and she had to move into government housing. But Asuntha stayed in London, living in a small flat above a gym, to build a better life for her girls. Her girls attend British schools and speak flawless English. She knows that by staying in London, her girls will have a more promising start to life than they ever would have had back in their home country. Asuntha is one of an estimated 100,000 Sri Lankan-born U.K. residents, the majority of whom live in London. They bring with them not just their culture but also their religions, which include Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. In a 2007 article, New York Magazine likened modern-day London to the New York City of the early 1900s, its great age of immigration. For decades, different ethnic groups have found reasons to immigrate to London. Turkish Cypriots began to settle in the city's Camden area in the 1950s. Now in the Haringey area there's a concentration of about 30,000 to 40,000 Turkish speaking people -- and more than 200,000 in all of London. Pakistanis, because of historical and colonial links with Britain, have flowed into London in large numbers, especially in the 1960s. Now there are more than a million in the U.K. The largest number of Portuguese outside their native country live in Stockwell, numbering 27,000. Clothing factory work attracted Vietnamese refugees in Hackney in the early 1980s. Wars and conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and elsewhere have brought more refugees to London in the last decade. Most recently, workers from the European Union have flowed into Britain since it opened to member states in 2004. Originally the government predicted 13,000 EU workers would enter Britain annually; but instead, 329,000 arrived in the first 18 months of the policy, many from Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Latvia and the Czech Republic. The result? The city has become a "multilingual capital," according to the London-based National Centre for Languages. Schoolchildren in London speak more than 200 languages and more than 40 percent of all London school children speak a language other than English at home, the center estimates. In east London, the percentage of elementary school students that speak only English as a second language is as high as 78 percent, figures show. A spiritual dynamic of this ethnic tapestry is expressed in the diversity of religions finding their footing in London. Mosques are evident in many parts of the city as well as in outlying towns. Hindu and Sikh temples dot the cityscape where once only Christian churches stood. Instead of being a "melting pot," first coined for the assimilation of newcomers to the United States into a homogenous whole, London labels itself as "multicultural," a place in which different cultural identities are maintained, ideally within a unified society. It was this multicultural aspect of London that brought International Mission Board missionary Patrick Sims* to the city in 2002. "London is an amazing place to get to relate to people from all over the world," said Sims, IMB strategy leader for London. He and his wife Sarah* lead a team of missionaries reaching out to the city. Members on the London team often speak the languages and understand the home cultures of these more recent London residents, both newcomers and second- and third-generation immigrants. "Today in most major cities around the world, you will find many cultures," Sims said. "I think it's just magnified in London, a city whose indigenous are the minority in their own capital. I think maybe the unique element here is the massive amounts of each of the groups that are here." Rachel Carter*, an IMB missionary in London, got to know Asuntha, the Sri Lankan mother of two girls, through a preschool group Carter's son attended. It was there that she noticed two South Asian women, one wearing an Islamic headscarf, standing apart from the English moms. "I would try to stand next to Asuntha and I would talk about the weather or whatever I could think of," Carter said. As their friendship deepened, Asuntha shared her difficult times with Carter. "She said I was the only one she could talk to," Carter said. "Building relationships with Muslims and Indians is so much easier here than even with some British women. It is an incredible opportunity for Christians to befriend people (from so many places). It's so noticeable when you're just a genuine, humble, kind, caring person." --30-- *Names changed. Elaine Gaston, a Woman's Missionary Union writer, lived in London with her family in the mid-1990s. To download a copy of the WMU International Mission Study on London in which this article appears, visit [URL=http://www.newsfromeurasia.com/?p=629]www.newsfromeurasia.com/?p=629[/URL]. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Tobin Heath's passions are Christ & soccer By Tim Ellsworth Jul. 26 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38347 EDITOR'S NOTE: Tim Ellsworth, editor of BP Sports and director of news and media relations at Union University, is in London to cover the 2012 Olympics in tandem with Baptist Press' London bureau. Baptist Press will publish features about Christian athletes in the Olympics, recap results of their competition and cover Baptist initiatives to share the Gospel during the Summer Games and among Londoners' rich culture milieu. LONDON (BP) -- Tobin Heath's love affair with the sport of soccer began early in life -- when she started playing at age 4 at the local YMCA. [IMG=33118@right@250]"I had an incredible sense of joy in the game," she said. "I didn't want to do anything else." Her passion for soccer continued to develop throughout her youth, as did her skills. She became one of the top soccer players in the country, and this week she will make her second Olympics appearance as a member of the U.S. women's team. Soccer isn't the only passion that began in Heath's youth. Her relationship with Christ also started early in her life and has deepened through the years. "I was brought up in the church, and from an early age I was lucky enough to be shown great examples of Christ's love through my parents and my family," Heath said. Though she had a strong foundation in a Christian family, leaving her New Jersey home for college proved to be a turning point in her life. She realized that her faith didn't stay at home, but that she had to embrace it for herself. She did that during her freshman year at the University of North Carolina, when she said she really found her identity in Christ. She immersed herself in Scripture and began a closer walk with the Lord that has continued and that others have noticed. Stephanie Cox, a teammate of Heath's on the 2011 World Cup team, said Heath has a laid back personality that reminds her of a surfer. "She talks kind of slow sometimes and is very relaxed," Cox said. "But then you start to get her talking in front of people or in our Bible study, and she gets on a roll. She's passionate. It's really captivating." Heath said the women's Olympic team has every expectation of winning a gold medal in London. On a personal level, she said she simply wants to enjoy the journey and do what she can to allow her teammates to be successful. "You don't really know what your role is going to be at the Olympics until you actually get there," Heath said. "There are so many special moments and stories and challenges that go along with the tournament itself. I'm excited for the journey and for what we're going to face along the way." She said her Christian faith has allowed her to derive great enjoyment in playing her sport because she knows that God has entrusted her with a gift. "I realize that I couldn't have gotten where I am without Him, and He continues to be my everything every day," Heath said. She wants to use that gift to bring glory to the Lord, whether that means playing the best that she can on the field or loving, encouraging and ministering to her teammates along the way. "Just as important as winning a game is winning lives for His Kingdom," Heath said. --30-- Tim Ellsworth is editor of BPSports ([URL=http://www.bpsports.net]www.bpsports.net[/URL]) and director of news and media relations at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- U.S. archer Wukie learns to trust God By Tim Ellsworth Jul. 26 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38346 LONDON (BP) -- Jacob Wukie had little reason to feel confident heading into this year's Olympic archery trials. [IMG=33119@right@250]Stomach problems had plagued him for weeks, significantly cutting into his training plans. In his preparation for the trials, Wukie had hoped to shoot 350-400 arrows a day. One week, he only shot 500 arrows total. "I just had to learn to be OK with not being able to give it all I had and trust that the Lord would be glorified through that," Wukie said. Despite the lack of training, Wukie kept advancing through the trials. On the last day of the third and final round, his closest competitor faltered, and Wukie made the Olympic team by the slimmest of margins. When he steps onto the field to compete in London, Wukie certainly wants to win. But more than that, he says he wants to represent Christ well on one of the world's biggest athletic platforms. "For me, my worth is in the fact that I am saved. I'm a Christian. I'm in Christ," Wukie said. "That's where my worth comes from. My goal is to glorify God and to do His will. "Right now, I'm shooting archery," he continued. "I believe that wherever we are, we're supposed to do everything to the best of our ability. So I'm working as hard as I can in training in archery to be the best that I'm able to be." Wukie has learned to trust God with the results of his archery competitions, whatever the outcome may be. The 2012 Olympic trials marked a stark contrast to the trials four years earlier, when Wukie had spent countless hours preparing for the competition, only to find himself overmatched and unready for that level of competition. That helplessness caused a great amount of anxiety and frustration. "Even though I intellectually believed that God was in control and had a good plan for my life, and that all things work together for good for those who are Christians, I kind of proved to myself that I didn't actually believe it, because I was so worried about all of these things that had gone wrong," he said. Wukie placed 17th when only the top 16 archers advanced, effectively ending his chances at making the 2008 Olympic team in Beijing. Prior to those trials, Wukie had prayed that God would change his heart and teach him to trust in His leading and His plans. "After a couple of months I realized that the Lord had changed my heart, that I was excited about whatever the future was, even though I didn't know what it was," he recalled. A week later, the national coach informed him that another archer had pulled out of the competition and that Wukie was back in the top 16. He continued with the Olympic trials, ultimately finishing fourth and serving as an alternate to the 2008 Olympic team. "Just through everything that the Lord had brought me through at that point, I knew that I was where He wanted me to be," Wukie said. "I wasn't on the team and didn't end up competing in Beijing, but He had taught me to trust Him." That lesson was an invaluable one for Wukie, and one he will carry with him into the 2012 Olympics, where he is a full-fledged member of the U.S. team. "Whether I win or don't, whether I win the gold medal or go out my first match, my prayer is going to be that God will be glorified in my performance and in how others see me," Wukie said. "I'll pray that others around me will be able to see the Lord through me and my actions and my performance." --30-- Tim Ellsworth is editor of BPSports ([URL=http://www.bpsports.net]www.bpsports.net[/URL]) and director of news and media relations at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Experts: Politicians can't legally block Chick-fil-A By Michael Foust Jul. 26 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38353 Updated Thursday, July 26, 11:01 p.m. Eastern CHICAGO (BP) -- Attempts by Chicago and Boston politicians to block the opening of Chick-fil-A restaurants because of the company president's views on marriage would be unconstitutional and also set a dangerous precedent for other businesses, say several attorneys. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel each have been quoted as saying they want to prevent Chick-fil-As from opening in their cities, with Menino declaring in a letter to Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy, "There is no place for discrimination on Boston's Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it." The Freedom Trail is a path through the city's streets highlighting historic buildings. Emanuel voiced agreement with a Chicago alderman who also opposes a new Chick-fil-A, saying of the company, "They disrespect our fellow neighbors and residents." Menino and Emanuel backed off their statements Thursday (July 26) -- with each saying they realize they constitutionally cannot block a restaurant from opening -- but the Chicago alderman has not. Cathy, in two interviews in recent weeks -- including one [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38271]re-posted[/URL] on Baptist Press -- has said he believes in the biblical definition of marriage. The company issued a statement saying it treats every customer with "honor, dignity and respect" and that, "going forward," it is going to stay out of the gay marriage debate. David Cortman, an attorney with the legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), said a restaurant cannot be blocked from opening because of the restaurant's or the owner's beliefs. "It absolutely is not constitutional," Cortman told Baptist Press. "And I think the irony here is that they are claiming this is an issue of freedom and civil rights, but they're actually the ones who would be violating the civil rights of Chick-fil-A not to allow them to open up their business simply because of their views." But the issue concerns more than just Chick-fil-A, Cortman said, and impacts any business or organization in America whose owners hold views different from that of the government. Boston and Chicago would be practicing viewpoint discrimination -- a violation of the Constitution's Free Speech clause, Cortman said. "It does create both a dangerous and an illegal precedent," Cortman. "The government shouldn't be in the business of threatening or punishing people for their thoughts or ideas -- whether they are individuals or businesses themselves. And, there's certainly a double standard. You did not hear a politician threatening to deny permits to companies like Home Depot or Starbucks or Target over those companies' aggressive promotion of the homosexual agenda." Mat Staver, president of the legal group Liberty Counsel, said he, too, believes the attempts would be unconstitutional. "No city can ban Chick-fil-A because the [company] president has his own view regarding marriage -- a view that is held by much of the American public," Staver told Fox News. "To discriminate against Mr. Cathy because of his biblical view and then to extrapolate that to Chick-fil-A is illegal. It would be unconstitutional and certainly any city trying to do so would not win that battle." Eugene Volokh, a law professor at UCLA, wrote on his blog, "Denying a private business permits because of such speech by its owner is a blatant First Amendment violation." The Chicago alderman who initially spoke up against Chick-fil-A, Joe Moreno, told local media he might simply block a proposed new Chick-fil-A in his ward because of traffic concerns. Moreno, though, previously said he opposed a new Chick-fil-A because it was "intolerant" and because he disagreed with Cathy. On Thursday (July 26) Moreno told WBEZ radio he wants an explicit guarantee from the potential local owners of the restaurant that they won't donate to political causes. But that, too, apparently would be unconstitutional. Cortman, the ADF attorney, said Moreno won't legally be able to use a legitimate reason -- traffic concerns -- as cover for his previous comments. "His true motivations already have been made public, so I think any attempt to backtrack to create what normally would be a legitimate reason wouldn't work in this situation," Cortman said. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) -- which supports gay marriage -- also said the politicians' attempts would be unconstitutional. "If they’re serious about that, and they’re willing to put that in writing and they’re willing to adopt that, I think those are the grounds where we can move forward," Moreno said. The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Boston Globe editorial boards -- normally not sources of traditional beliefs -- have defended Chick-fil-A's right to open restaurants. "Which part of the First Amendment does Menino not understand?" a Globe editorial read July 25. "A business owner’s political or religious beliefs should not be a test for the worthiness of his or her application for a business license." The Chicago Tribune editorial board wrote, "We're sure there are plenty of businesses in town run by people whose views are offensive to some. It's not up to the mayor or the alderman to decide which opinions are appropriate." Meanwhile, support for Chick-fil-A continues to grow. Sign-ups for "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day," launched by Mike Huckabee, surged past 250,000 Thursday (July 26). The event will take place Wednesday, Aug. 1. (More information is available at [URL=http://www.ISupportChickFilA.com]www.ISupportChickFilA.com[/URL].) Billy Graham also spoke up for the company Thursday. "I want to express my support for my good friends Truett Cathy and his son Dan Cathy, and for their strong stand for the Christian faith," Graham said in a statement. "I've known their family for many years and have watched them grow Chick-fil-A into one of the best businesses in America while never compromising their values. Chick-fil-A serves each of its customers with excellence, and treats everyone like a neighbor. It's easy to see why Chick-fil-A has become so popular across America. "Each generation faces different issues and challenges, but our standard must always be measured by God's word. I appreciate the Cathy family's public support for God's definition of marriage." Graham added, "I also appreciate Governor Mike Huckabee's leadership and for encouraging Americans to support Chick-fil-A on August 1. As the son of a dairy farmer who milked many a cow, I plan to 'Eat Mor Chikin' and show my support by visiting Chick-fil-A next Wednesday." Huckabee has said Chick-fil-A deserves support. "Let's affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick-Fil-A on Wednesday, August 1," he wrote on Facebook. "Too often, those on the left make corporate statements to show support for same sex marriage, abortion, or profanity, but if Christians affirm traditional values, we're considered homophobic, fundamentalists, hate-mongers, and intolerant. This effort is not being launched by the Chick Fil-A company and no one from the company or family is involved in proposing or promoting it." "There's no need for anyone to be angry or engage in a verbal battle," Huckabee added. "Simply affirm appreciation for a company run by Christian principles by showing up on Wednesday, August 1 or by participating online -- tweeting your support or sending a message on Facebook." --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Culture writer clings to sexual redemption By Diana Chandler Jul. 26 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38351 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Culture writer Jonathan Merritt says he remains committed to "the Bible's unambiguous standards for sexuality" after revealing that he was sexually molested as a child and once engaged as an adult in inappropriate contact with another man. "I don't identify as 'gay' because I believe there can be a difference between what one experiences and the life that God offers," Merritt said in an interview posted Thursday (July 26) on the blog of Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research. "I'm a cracked vessel held together only by God's power. And I'm more sure each day that only Christ can make broken people whole." Merritt, a Baptist who has authored two books and written articles for a range of publications, made the comments after a blogger claimed he had evidence Merritt was gay, following Merritt's defense of Chick-fil-A against a potential boycott by gay activists enraged by the company president's defense of traditional marriage. In the Stetzer interview, Merritt said he was sexually abused at a very young age by an older male neighbor and, at age 13, accepted Jesus. He said he has sought to serve God through brokenness. In 2009, Merritt wrote an article encouraging Christians to love the sexually broken, and a blogger, whom Merritt did not identify, contacted him in response. "We corresponded several times by email and text for a couple of weeks, some of them inappropriate. When I was traveling through a city near him, we met for dinner because we'd corresponded so recently. As we were saying goodbye, we had physical contact that went beyond the bounds of friendship," Merritt told Stetzer. "I was overcome with guilt, knowing I had put myself in an unwise situation. We never saw each other again and we ceased contact after a period of time." Merritt, son of prominent Southern Baptist pastor James Merritt and a teacher at his father's church, Atlanta's Cross Pointe Church, said the church remains supportive. James Merritt is a former Southern Baptist Convention president. "I met with our church leaders who have been incredibly supportive. They know I'm committed to living the life God demands for those who follow him," Merritt told Stetzer. "And they know that as I follow Jesus, I'm committed to pursuing His best for me, which includes the Bible's unambiguous standards for sexuality." Bob Stith, former Southern Baptist national strategist for gender issues, said he appreciates the way Merritt has handled the issue. "Merritt followed the appropriate steps in his journey to deal with this failure and to properly address the incidents in his past. He has put himself in the hands of his church leadership and that should be enough to satisfy those on either side of this debate," Stith told Baptist Press. "We all should be praying for Jonathan." Stith added, "I have not always been totally comfortable with some of Jonathan's writings and comments, but Ed Stetzer makes it clear that [Merritt's] views on the main issues concerning the church and homosexuality are solid." Merritt said the childhood experience has been difficult to overcome. "The experience was followed with a tidal wave of shame and guilt so great that I never told anyone for many years. In the years following this event, I mostly stuffed the experience away and didn't deal with it," he said. "On rare occasion, oppressive thoughts would enter my mind and bring on periods of depression and questioning. I wondered why this had happened to me and what, if anything, it meant. "I decided to follow Jesus at 13 and quickly realized that this event and the confusion that followed was not my fault," he said. "God had allowed an experience of brokenness into my life even if I didn't fully understand it. Rather than run from God, I decided to walk with him in this. And, I believe that helped shape my worldview that sin can be overcome. It's through that lens that I write. And, it's through that brokenness that I try to live." The full text of the interview is posted on Stetzer's blog at [URL=edstetzer.com/2012/07/jonathan-merritt-shares-his-st.html]edstetzer.com/2012/07/jonathan-merritt-shares-his-st.html[/URL]. --30—- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, July 29, 2012 By Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Jul. 26 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38352 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curriculum and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies for Life curriculum. Bible Passages: Romans 9:14-17; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5; Ephesians 1:13-14 Discussion Questions: -- What does Scripture say about our heavenly bodies? -- How can we maintain a balance between practicing good health habits and obsessing about our bodies and the aging process? Food for Thought: We read in 2 Corinthians that our earthly house (our body) will be destroyed (when we die) and that we will have an eternal house (a new body) in heaven. What a glorious thought! Though we strive for health in this life, we will still pass from this life into eternal life with our Savior at which time we'll take on our new bodies. Knowing this about our eternity, how do we age well in our current bodies? Should we let ourselves go and not worry about health, nutrition or exercise simply because at some point we'll no longer need our earthly houses or should we follow a strict, regimented course of diet and exercise to be in the best physical condition possible until the Lord takes us home? With regular exercise, good nutrition, good sleep, a healthy mental behavior, good social behavior, conscientious health habits and a relationship with the Lord, we all should be able to live well into our golden years. James Hubert "Eubie" Blake, a composer known for tunes such as "Memories of You" and "I'm Just Wild About Harry, smoked for 85 years until his death at age 96. He claimed, however, to be 100 years old, and just before he died, five days after his birthday, he told close friends, "If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself." Isn't that how all of us should live? Having lost most of his hearing a number of years ago, an elderly man went to the doctor to be fitted with hearing aids which promised to restore his hearing. A month later, he returned to the doctor for a checkup on his progress. The doctor told him that his hearing is perfect and asked if his family is pleased. The man said, "Oh, I haven't told them about the hearing aids yet. I just sit around and listen to them talk. I've changed my will three times!" Bible Studies for Life is a life-stage family of resources that addresses key issues in the lives of adults and students. Consisting of seven curriculum lines developed for various life and generational stages plus two others designed for deeper study, all of the resources focus on the same Bible passage for each week. Information about the seven curriculum lines and more information can be found on the Internet at LifeWay.com/BibleStudiesforLife. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at [URL=http://www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool]www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool[/URL]. --30-- Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: What's your church's FQ (Fellowship Quotient)? By Joe McKeever Jul. 26 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38349 NEW ORLEANS, La. (BP) -- When a church of 120 members set out to assimilate 3,000 converts (from a one-day revival!) into the life of their family, they ranked "fellowship" among the top priorities in accomplishing the task. "Koinonia" is a Greek word which, while almost always translated "fellowship" in our Bible, refers to sharing life, a partnership. My own personal definition is "hanging out." The FQ of a church -- the fellowship quotient -- speaks to how well the members love the Lord and one another and show hospitality to new believers. Following are 10 aspects and insights about the FQ of your church. They are worth carving in stone, or better, engraving on the hearts of your leadership and membership. 1) Fellowship is the heartbeat of the congregation. Fifteen minutes after the benediction in a church where I had been the guest preacher, I said to the pastor, "Listen! It's the sound of fellowship." His members were greeting one another, hugging, laughing, chatting, and talking. If anyone had left, I couldn't tell it. Just as the doctor places a stethoscope up to the chest and listens to the heartbeat, the pulse of the congregation is the sound you hear when church has ended. Pay close attention, friend. This is the life-beat of your people. 2) Fellowship may or may not be what draws people to your church, but it's why they stay. Recently, when a minister was forced to resign his position because of some personal habits that would require therapy, his family chose to remain in the church. A friend told me, "They love this church. This is family." Prospective members may give you a long list of what they're looking for in their next church -- strong Bible teaching, a great music or missions program, an emphasis on youth or children. While they want these things, nothing is more attractive to them than a congregation with a thriving family life -- people loving the Lord, each other, and newcomers. They will join that church and remain there even if few other aspects meet their requirements. 3) Fellowship is made up of three parts: a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord, a love for fellow believers as friends, and hospitality shown to newcomers. 4) However, the newcomer will notice these three in reverse order: first, hospitality (how they are welcomed), then joy within the family, and finally, that the people are committed to the Lord Jesus. 5) People on the outside are craving this fellowship. God said of Adam, "It is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). That's true of you and me, too. You've seen enough nature programs to know that when the lion is looking for lunch, it does not take on the whole herd but heads for the stragglers. The loner that has left the herd -- it's too young to keep up, too old, too sickly, or too headstrong -- is targeted for the next meal. "Your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). We need each other. God made us this way. 6) A wise church works to build a stronger fellowship among its people. Fellowship comes in planned and unplanned versions. The planned variety happens in Sunday School classes, committees, Bible studies, work projects, and at church dinners. Unplanned fellowship takes place casually and naturally before and after classes, studies, and worship services. Informal, unplanned fellowship occurs when members play golf together or go out for pizza after church. 7) The greatest enemy of fellowship in God's people is the human heart. We are all sinners. We tend to be self-centered, independent loners. Even the hearts of believers can grow cold quickly, turn inward naturally, become narcissistic, and delight in cutting itself off those we love best. One of the ugliest things you will ever see is a church membership deciding to spend their resources on themselves, to direct all their ministries inwardly, and to turn their attention from the lost of the world to themselves. It's a slow, subtle process, one for which we must always be alert. 8) A dying church will begin to die here first. I see it in some of the churches where I'm the guest preacher. The service ends and everyone heads for the parking lot. No one stays to visit, no one greets the newcomer, no one affirms the leadership. The church is dying right before your eyes. 9) Leadership must value fellowship highly and protect it; otherwise it will be supplanted by a thousand lesser things. An interim pastor once told me, "I don't attend that monthly men's breakfast. All they do is meet and eat." I said, "I used to think that. But then I noticed that these guys pay for the meal, they cook it themselves, and clean up afterwards. But most importantly, this is the one time in the whole month for some of them to share a meal with a brother in Christ. It's a wonderful ministry." (What I did not say was the breakfast was the best in town!) 10) God loves it when His people love each other, when they get together for encouragement, when they "hang out." Recently, my wife and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary by flying in our children and grandchildren from around the country for a long weekend of activities. At one point, when everyone was on the back patio, I was struck by the sounds of these 15 people. They were laughing, talking, loving, playing, rejoicing in one another. It was music to Grandpa's ears. The Father in Heaven loves for His people to get the fellowship thing right. --30-- Joe McKeever is a Baptist Press cartoonist and columnist, a former longtime pastor and former director of missions for the New Orleans Baptist Association. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: The consequences of out-of-wedlock births By Penna Dexter Jul. 26 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38348 DALLAS (BP) -- Recently, Tony Perkins, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council had a 20-minute one-on-one meeting with presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Mr. Perkins says the conversation centered on their shared concern for the direction of the country and shared values. It came up that both men had read an extensive story on the importance of marriage published three days earlier in The New York Times. The article, by Jason deParle, is entitled, "Two Classes, Divided by 'I Do'." It tells the story of two women who work in a daycare center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One of them -- Chris -- is the other one's — Jessica's -- boss. But they're friends. They both work long days. They have kids in the same age group. They both had modest Midwestern upbringings. They even got tattoos together. Even though Chris doesn't make all that much more than Jessica, their situations are vastly different. Chris lives in a three-bedroom house in a nice subdivision. Her kids are in sports, scouting and summer camps. The family takes an annual Disney cruise. Her husband, Kevin, works a shift that gets him home in time to take their boys to afternoon swim practice. Plus, he helps manage the Boy Scout troop. Jessica's family life is much different. Two of her three kids come to work with her in the early morning before she can take them to school. They live in a struggling district. Each kid gets one sports season per year and the family is on food stamps. The gap between these two women's situations stems from a growing educational and marriage divide. Increasingly, the two divides coincide. Both Jessica and Chris grew up in traditional homes. Both went off to college. But Jessica got pregnant her freshman year, lost her basketball scholarship and dropped out. She never married her children's father. He finally left six years ago. There was another man in the house for a while. He left, too. Meanwhile, Chris and Kevin did things in standard order: High school, college, job, marriage, then children. In his piece, Jason DeParle writes that, "Across middle America, single motherhood has moved from an anomaly to a norm with head-turning speed," extending into what he refers to as "the lower reaches of the middle class." In 1990, 10 percent of births to white women with some post-secondary schooling, but not a college degree, occurred outside of marriage. Now it's 30 percent. Forty-one percent of all births in the U.S. happen outside of marriage, up from 17 percent 30 years ago. All the studies show that, without the stable presence of a father in the home, kids are poorer, have more problems in school and in their academic performance and face a worse economic future. They're also more likely to become teenage parents and extend the cycle. It would be great if both presidential candidates would read this story and be motivated by its lessons. --30-- Penna Dexter is a conservative activist and frequent panelist on the "Point of View" syndicated radio program. Her weekly commentaries air on the Bott and Moody radio networks. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: bpress@sbc.net