Message from Matt

Is there a time in your life that you tend to think back on as the "glory days," like if you could go back and live during some period of your life, those would be the days or the years? There is a Bruce Springsteen song called "Glory Days" wherein he reminisces about the days when he was a kid playing baseball, the glory days. People who look at American history sometimes think the 1950's when the TV show "Happy Days" takes place were the "glory days."

What about in church life? I hear about the "glory days" when I go into some of our churches that have just a handful of people, but back in the glory days it was packed. Oftentimes there's a looking back at the past with a longing to return to those days. In our convention there's an emphasis on re-vitalizing, re-planting, re-doing, etc. Sometimes the focus of these efforts is on trying to re-live the past--it worked then should work now.

Why do we tend toward this? Maybe because it's predictable, comfortable, and easy, And what was working then should be working now, shouldn't it? But what if it isn't working anymore and we keep doing the same thing? Isn't that how someone defined insanity--doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?
 
What does God's Word have to say to us about this pattern?

Eccl 7:10 " Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise."
 
Isa 43:16-19 " This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
 
I've been thinking maybe we need to start dropping the "re-" part and begin focusing on the future and what God has in store for the days ahead. We remember the past and what God has done--that gives us confidence looking ahead--but we don't focus on trying to repeat it. Maybe God has something new and completely different in store for us and our churches.
 
Luke 5:37-39 "No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”
 
Philippians 3:13-14 "One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
 
I Cor 9:22-23 " I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel."
 
We live in a culture that's rapidly changing, where there's less and less of the basic Gospel message. It's going to require us to change our approach, not try to re-live the glory days if those ways will no longer reach people. Let God guide you and your church to think outside the box. We must adapt to our context, changing our methods but of course not our message.
 
I've been reading a short book by Matt Smethurst called Before You Share Your Faith. It's full of golden quotes on this topic...
"The Good News of the Bible is applicable to every culture and time period because the bad news is relevant to every sinner."
"We don't need to dress up the Good News of the Gospel to make it cool. We need to break it down in order to make it clear."
 
May God help our churches to live and communicate the timeless truth of the Gospel clearly and effectively to the ever-changing world around us!

Matt Spann
CSBA Mission Strategist

This summer we'll be devoting a couple of weeks to praying ON-SITE at all of our CSBA churches. This will be an opportunity to support  and to pray specifically not only for your church's ministries but that of other churches in our association. Schedule to be announced as we get closer in.

OPPORTUNITIES AT BAPTIST VILLAGE OF ENID Can you believe we actually have a Baptist Village in Enid now?! And our own Matt Miles (pastor Liberty Southern BC) is Chaplain at BVC-Enid. A couple of weeks ago BVC hosted our Leadership Lunch and we had a chance to learn of ways our churches could connect with the ministries at BVC (see above list). As you read through the list, prayerfully consider what you and your church could do to partner with BVC in ministry. Then contact Matt to work out the details! His contact number is (405)612-0863.

LAWN MOWER AND WEED EATER NEEDED Unfortunately someone broke into the tool shed behind our CSBA Building and stole the lawn mower and weed eater that were kept there for yard maintenance at Elisha House. Please let our Management Team Leader Steve Spade or Matt Spann know if you have either of these items to donate or sell for a reasonable price. Steve's number is (580)548-4556 and Matt's is (580)540-0532.

COULD YOUR CHURCH USE A METAL STORAGE SHED? If so, let Steve Spade or Matt know. We're no longer going to use this shed behind the CSBA Building for storing lawn equipment! Steve's number is (580)548-4556 and Matt's is (580)540-0532.

Miriam Sutton and family as they grieve the loss of Kirk Sutton, who served as a bivocational pastor and interim pastor for many years in Central and Northern Oklahoma, including most recently FBC Marshall. Wade Burleson (former pastor at Emmanuel Enid) and family as they grieve the loss of Wade's father Paul Burleson. Paul served as pastor at several churches in Oklahoma and Texas and was a well-known conference speaker. Dale Hamm as he plants Cross Baptist Church in Drummond: Cross BC will hold their first Sunday morning services on May 26. Associational Children’s Camp at Falls Creek, May 26-June 1: Many of our churches will be sending older elementary children to ACC. Pray those who are not yet believers will put their faith in Christ and those already believers would be strengthened in their faith. Click here for the complete 2024 ACC Prayer Guide. Vision Trip to Providence, RI, July 15-18: Ask the Lord to give wisdom to those who go on this trip to evaluate the possibility of us partnering with them in evangelism and college student ministry. Churches currently without a pastor: FBC Marshall, FBC Medford, and Your Family Church, that the Lord would provide the right man for the job and give wisdom to those providing leadership during the transition period.

May 14 (Tues), 11:45 am to 1 pm: “Handling Conflict” Leadership Lunch at CSBA Building May 26-29: ACC Session 1 May 29-June 1: ACC Session 2 June 8 (Sat), 8 am: CSBA Building Work Day Week of June 10: Praying Across CSBA Week of July 8: Praying Across CSBA July 15-18: Vision Trip to Providence, RI August 25 (Sun), 6 pm: Pastor/Elder/Deacon Gathering at Emmanuel Enid September 10 (Tues), 6:30 pm: Kaw St Men's Fish Fry at Kaw St Chapel in Perry mid-September: Ecuador Mission Trip October 5 (Sat): CSBA Women's Conference at FBC Enid October 27 (Sun), 4-7 pm: CSBA Annual Celebration Gathering at Open Door Church, Enid November 9 (Sat): LET’S GO Sending Conference in Enid December 5 (Thurs): CSBA Christmas Banquet