ST GEORGE, Utah – First Southern Baptist Church of Washington, Utah was invited to participate in a Community Musical Celebration on December 12 in St. George.
FSBC Pastor John Shirey led in the opening prayer. Wendy Rubio sang ”Christmas Hallelujah” with a video presentation of the message of Christ’s coming. Janice Adams played a piano solo of a Christmas medley of “The First Noel” and “Silent Night.” Several people from the congregation attended in support of those participating.
The musical celebration was a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas with the Southern Utah community. Many doors for future ministry were opened through this engagement. We pray for future fruit through this ministry.
Article submitted for publication by Janice Adams of FSBC Washington, UT and edited for clarification. Image credit: First Southern Baptist Church of Washington Zoom Screenshot.
If you have news and information about events happening at your church, feel free to submit those to office@uisbc.org and we will consider sharing with others via future updates of UI Connections.
IDAHO FALLS, ID – The members of Falls Baptist Church voted to hire a contractor for the renovation work on the church building on the south side of Idaho Falls in October of 2020. Although the Covid-19 pandemic had taken a toll on our attendance during that season, the church felt it was the perfect act of faith to renovate the building in the hope to be able to accommodate more people once life began to return to normal. The actual work began in December of 2020 with the majority of the construction completed in April of 2021. The renovation allowed us to expand our seating capacity from around 70 to 120. We were also able to build an infant room for nursing mothers and a new baptistry. We were so blessed to be able to utilize the skills of Nathan Harden, a Baptist Builders missionary who did the tile work in the new baptistry and built steps and handrail for a new door that was installed so that we could pass our final inspection with the county. We performed a dedication ceremony on the baptismal on August 15 where the church family gathered around and dedicated it to the Lord’s glory and purpose. On October, Sierra Heffron was the first believer to enter the waters of baptism in our new baptistry. It was a very exciting day for the faithful saints who call Falls Baptist their home.
Story by Jared Clark, Pastor Falls Baptist Church Idaho Falls, Idaho
What the Sanctuary at Falls Baptist looked like before construction began
Republished from TVSBA Newsletter: The Focus (November-December 2021)
MERIDIAN, ID- Some think being a part of the SBC is like selecting a political party of which to be a part. The thinking being, if they change course I will leave them.
While that may be fine for politics, for Kingdom purposes, we have a much higher standard.
This writer has never been under the misguided notion that Southern Baptists are perfect. And, boy we aren’t. I am Southern Baptist because of calling. Just as I have been called to the ministry, I am called to be a Southern Baptist. The basis of that call is the evangelistic and missions priorities of the SBC. These are in accord with the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. These priorities have not changed.
When Israel came to the edge of the promised land, they chose heresy and cowardice over the revealed will of God. Joshua, Caleb, etc. didn’t leave because of this chosen heresy. They went with them through four decades of wilderness journey preparing the new generations for entering the promised land with a new heart that God would give them the promised land as He had promised.
Years ago I was in Virginia when a young leader spoke with me about their idea of forming another Virginia State Convention. I spoke to him of Israel’s failure to take the promised land. He said that I had a strong allegory. I informed him it wasn’t an allegory, rather, a strong application.
My reasons for being a Southern Baptist have not changed. The priorities which are the basis of my call to be a Southern Baptist have not changed. Will I reject God’s call on my life and ministry be-cause of the errors of some vocal detractors of the main call? May it never be. With Ronnie Floyd resigning as President of the SBC Executive Committee, some will say he has left Southern Baptists. He has not. He left the Executive Committee.
Keep your eye on the goal. The evangelistic and missional priorities have not changed. Until they do, God has called me to be a Southern Baptist. My job now, again, is preparing new generations for a new promised land victory in faithful obedience. Be sure you don’t jump ship in rejection of God’s promised land call and command. Wilderness journeys are not fun. However, they are certain because many among us will bail out on the promised land assignment because of someone else’s heresy. Therefore, prepare your heart and ministry to prepare the coming generations for promised land victories. And, keep living His call personally and corporately.
Jerry Martin An old Southern Baptist by God’s call and my choice of obedience to His call. Jerry recently retired as our Sharing Christ Missionary for UISBC yet still coordinates our Prayer Network. You can contact him at: geezer.martin@gmail.com
UTAH-IDAHO- Utah-Idaho’s Disaster Relief teams traveled to Pennsylvania in early September to help in Hurricane Ida recovery.
Ten days previously they had been in Idaho to help in a microburst windstorm, and before that, in Colorado to help after a forest fire.
“We love to serve and we did get to do a lot of it right at the end of summer,” said Russel Hohmann, member of Redemption Church of Ogden, Utah, and director for the last six years of Utah-Idaho’s Disaster Relief ministry.
“Everybody involved wants to serve the Lord,” Hohmann continued. “It gives us a purpose and a pathway to meet people who need help and tell them why we’re there:
“Our goal is to go out and tell people about Jesus Christ,” the Disaster Relief director said. “Cleaning up burnt-up or flooded houses is just a way to talk to people and show Jesus’ love to them.”
The six-person DR team from Utah-Idaho anticipated going to Louisiana after Hurricane Ida hit August 29, but “it seemed like all the big states were going there and Pennsylvania needed help,” the director said. “We decided to go there instead.”
Hohmann and his wife Clara served as the Incident Management Team in Horsham Township, ten miles north of downtown Philadelphia. They processed 89 requests for help from area residents, and helped with chainsaw and mudout ministries to free homes from the effects of flooding and an EF3 tornado, with winds up to 130 mph, which damaged more than 500 homes in the rural area.
The other four members of the UISBC DR team were involved in assessing property damage “to see if we can help,” chainsaw and heavy-duty equipment ministries to tackle fallen trees. In six days of heavy-duty ministry they cleared five homes from fallen trees and met with 25 property owners to assess homes.
A windstorm “microburst” September 1 near Buhl, Idaho, flattened trees “like a tornado [would],” Hohmann said. Ten houses were affected. In four days, the seven person UISBC DR team with the help of local church members cut down several trees and cleared the debris for one family’s home.
The East Troublesome Fire near the tight-knit mountain community of Grand Lake, Colorado, last October mushroomed in about 36 hours from a “troublesome” 19,000 acres to a massive 170,000 – and eventually 194,000 acres – forced the evacuation of more than 35,000 people, and destroyed 466 homes.
“For many in the Grand Lake area seven months later, the struggle continues to try to reshape lives that went up in a flash,” according to a June 24, 2021, article posted to the denverchannel.com website.
An eight person UISBC DR team ministered there for two weeks in August.
“We separated metal and ash and put it in 40-yard roll-off dumpsters,” Hohmann said. “We worked on the remains of ten homes.”
The DR director, retired as a logistics manager after more than 40 years at Boeing, travels with the Disaster Relief volunteers and “church camps,” Hohmann said, meaning they sleep in nearby churches.
“Without the partnership of local churches this ministry would be severely hampered,” Hohmann said.
About 150 people in Utah-Idaho are trained DR volunteers. About 50 are active, “and everyone is older today than they were yesterday,” Hohmann said. “We’re looking for active retirees and younger people. Request your pastor to request an information meeting with Disaster Relief.
“I thought Disaster Relief would be an easy ministry when I got into it,” the director continued. “I figured, ‘Utah doesn’t have any disasters.’ The next year, 2005, there were the floods in St. George. That’s when I really got hooked on helping people through Disaster Relief. When you get to do what God has directed you to do, you are filled with His joy.”
To those who might wonder about the ministry involved in Disaster Relief, Hohmann said, “I tell ‘em, ‘You won’t know ‘til you go out and do it, so come and join us.’ God can use everyone who has a desire to be active in the Disaster Relief Ministry.”
The next training opportunities are slated for chainsaw and Serve Safe on November 5-6, 2021 in Burley, Idaho. “Online training is not offered at this time, however I encourage you to ask your pastor to schedule an in-person information session or initial Disaster Relief training,” the director said.
UTAH-IDAHO – September was a busy month for Baptism preparation teams across Utah and Idaho, but you won’t hear anyone complaining about the extra efforts. In the weeks around National Baptism Sunday (September 12), churches and new church plants across the two states had multiple services where several new believers celebrated this special event.
Hope Valley Church in West Jordan celebrated their launch as a new plant with three baptisms
Over 40 other baptisms were reported from Church Plants along the Wasatch Front
What about your church? Did you have a big baptism event at your church that you want to share with others reading this post? Comment below with your recent baptism story and we will celebrate with you.
You can also post pictures or videos of your Baptism events to our Facebook page.
NASHVILLE (BP) – For Michael Bowen, Baptism Sunday was about a celebration of those publicly proclaiming their faith in Christ. The baptisms hit close to home because they were the culmination of three years of dialogue and building relationships.
“My neighbors live two doors down from me and I have been trying to get them in church for three years,” said Bowen, pastor of East Lumberton Baptist Church in Lumberton, N.C. “Their son is my son’s best friend. Right before VBS, I invited the two children and told the parents that if they will come to church one time, I won’t bother them again if they don’t like it.
“They took me up on the challenge and came that Sunday and loved it. The whole family came to VBS every night because we have a class for adults as well. All four got saved in VBS and got baptized last night.”
That story joined others around the country as Southern Baptists took part in Baptism Sunday. On that day, not only are churches encouraged to perform and celebrate baptisms, but also to provide the opportunity for others wanting to make a decision for Christ and be baptized.
East Lumberton Baptist joined others in the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina that got involved through its Fill the Tank emphasis, with 673 eventually registering to do so.
“It’s been exciting and encouraging to see so many churches across our state come together to celebrate new life in Christ through baptism,” said Todd Unzicker, executive director-treasurer for North Carolina Baptists. “We’ve heard so many powerful testimonies of how God moved, and reports are still coming in. I pray that what happened yesterday would compel us all to be more intentional about sharing the good news, making disciples and sending the saved.”
In the Sunshine State, Tommy Green, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, noted the stories shared of lives changed by the Gospel and the anticipation of more to come.
“It is exciting to hear reports and see the pictures on social media of Florida Baptist churches participating in baptisms this past Sunday,” he said. “I am thankful for the evangelistic witness of our churches for Christ. I rejoice that every week that baptismal waters are stirred in Florida Baptist churches.”
Others shared baptism stories at their churches.
“I love baptism Sunday. I had the great joy and privilege of baptizing 3 ladies today,” Jonathan Hayashi, pastor of Northern Hills Baptist Church in Holt, Mo., posted on Facebook. “The highlight of my day was where I got to baptize Cindy Smith who is 72 years old. She is my hero. We are so thankful for every baptism that took place this morning!”
Central Baptist Church in Livingstone, Texas, was the site of the baptism of “Charlie,” a story shared by Pastor Sonny Hathaway. For more than 30 years Charlie has worked for a family in the church and recently accepted Christ as Lord. A retired Hispanic pastor at Central has spent weeks discipling Charlie.
“Every new believer has faithful praying, witnessing and discipling behind them. God is good,” Hathaway said.
And although yesterday emphasized baptism among Southern Baptists, it by no means is constrained to a day on the calendar. For East Lumberton, it was the continuation of a movement that began last year.
“In the middle of COVID we baptized 150 people in the past 12 months,” Bowen said. “We had a tent revival that lasted five weeks with 313 saved and 113 baptized under the tent. COVID hasn’t slowed our church down one bit.”
About the Author: Scott Barkley Scott Barkley is national correspondent for Baptist Press.
