Things to Know (March)
Did you know that…
…around 900 SBC churches close every year (that’s over 17 every Sunday)?
…77% of these churches are in cities with over 100,000 people (so, it’s not just a rural thing)?
Mark Hallock writes, “These statistics, among others, are very sobering. What we see is that not only are we in need of new, healthy churches in North America, but we are in desperate need of replanting declining and dying churches” (Replant Roadmap, 25).
Bryan Price and I recently attended a training in Atlanta that was all about how to help struggling churches be re-vitalized or re-planted. We have returned with a renewed heart to see health among the churches of Chicagoland. If your church is at risk, don’t wait until it’s too late! Reach out and we’d be glad to talk. There is hope!
Here is someone to know about – Annie Armstrong.
Annie Armstrong was born in Baltimore in 1850, one of five children. Her father died when she was two and she was raised by her devout mother. During the tumultuous years of the Civil War, she came to experience personal peace with God through the preaching of the gospel at her home church. She soon became involved in the cause of foreign missions, but when she was 30, Annie heard a presentation about the work among Native Americans who had been forced into poverty on reservations. She began to raise money for home mission efforts that met both physical and spiritual needs in America’s rural and urban areas. Annie was constantly writing letters to pastors and leaders, hoping to gain their support. In one year alone, she wrote more than 18,000 letters. As a single woman without her own kids, she was able to serve other children tireless and to travel all over America raising awareness and money for missionary causes, intentionally taking no salary for herself. Her work eventually grew into the Southern Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union. She died in 1938, but ever since 1934 the annual Easter offering has been named after her. 100% of gifts given at this time of the year go to the work of the North American Mission Board. Learn more here.
You can see all past ‘Someones to Know’ here.
Here are some events to know about –
Weekly Prayer Calls every Wednesday from 9:00 to 9:30 AM. Just click here to join anytime.
Monthly Discussions on the first Wednesday of the month from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.
On 4/3 we will have Brit Redfield sharing her testimony and helping us think about how to reach the LGBTQ+ community.
Upcoming Pastors’ Lunches for fellowship:
The Chicagoland Multiply Hub is next Thursday (3/21) at All People’s Fellowship in Carol Stream. Breakout topics will include: reaching our kids and grandkids, recruiting and retaining volunteers, keeping guests, leading from a place of honesty, and a special track for women ministry leaders. There’s a morning and an evening option! More details and sign-up is here.
There will be a free VBS Training event at Broadview Missionary Baptist Church on 4/6. Register here.
D-Now youth camp at Streator is 4/12-13. Check it out here.
Want to Meet the President (Bart Barber)? Come to Springfield on 4/16. Register here.
The next Women’s Hangout is next Monday night (4/30) at the Send Relief Ministry Center. RSVP here.
Remember the Serve Tour last summer? Consider ‘paying it forward’ in Flint, MI, 8/9-10. More info here.
Save the date for:
Minister’s Wives and Widows Luncheon at the Garfield Park Conservatory on 9/28.
ACEC at Hillcrest on 10/18-19.
Chicagoland Baptists Annual Meeting at Ashburn on 11/12.
Here is something else to know about –
Our Cooperative Program giving supports six seminaries so that you can train future pastors and leaders for significantly reduced prices or get further training yourself. They each offer undergraduate and graduate programs, residential and online.
But what if sending someone away isn’t doable? Or what if e-learning isn’t best for you? There is the possibility of having a Seminary Extension site set-up locally, where students can learn together with a live professor and get credit without leaving their church home. Would you be interested in something like this here in Chicago? Please fill out this quick survey to help us gage interest!!
For the Sake of the Name,
Nathan Carter
Chicagoland Baptists
Executive Director/AMS
1356 N. Rockwell Street, Chicago, IL 60622
nathancarter@chicagolandbaptists.org
312.493.3726
You can apply to officially affiliate with Chicagoland Baptists here.
You can donate to Chicagoland Baptists here.
You can see past editions of ‘Things to Know’ here.
You can sign up for our weekly ‘A Quick Word’ here.
The mission of Chicagoland Baptists is to facilitate relationships among the Baptist churches of this Great City so that they can more effectively fulfill the Great Commission and live out the Great Commandment.
Here are our state and national partners for resourcing the church and reaching the lost: