Author Archive
The “Jimmy Leg”
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Today’s guest post is by Laci Tompkins. Laci is the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Science and Arts in Chickasha. She serves on the BGCO state women’s leadership team and on the state human trafficking task force. You can contact Laci at ltompkins@usao.edu.
Do you or your spouse have the “jimmy leg?” You know, the restless leg that kicks randomly in the night with sporadic jerks? It’s somewhat interesting at first, but then as time goes by, it becomes a problem. There is no sleep, no rest, anxiety and so on. There are times in our lives when we too become restless. We become discontent and unsettled with anything from our house, our job, our marriage, our place in life, our church responsibilities and an assortment of other things. In all these areas, we need to learn how to model contentment, not restlessness.
Being content is easier said than done. That’s like asking a child who just had a candy bar and a soft drink to sit still on a bench in a toy store for thirty minutes! It’s not happening. It’s our nature to keep a demanding pace, set higher goals and strive for more. But in the midst of our restlessness, are we demonstrating our lack of dependence on God? Simply put, is God enough for you?
Sometimes I believe God allows difficult times and situations to humble us. It is during these times He reminds us He is everything. He is enough and more. In Luke 10:7-8 Jesus sends out seventy-two new disciples and He gives them instructions on how to conduct themselves. He tells them don’t move around from house to house, and eat and drink what their hosts gives them. In other words, model contentment and not restlessness. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” It also states, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” If you are going through a difficult time, be still, acknowledge God is all you need and unclench your fingers from your fists. Give up your dream for God’s dream, and your wants for His will. Pray His desires become your desires.
If you find you have the “spiritual jimmy leg”, then recognize it for what it is. The Bible says we are drawn away by our own lusts. Reel it back in and simmer down. Count your blessings and model contentment. And when you catch yourself behaving like the child hyped up on sugar, remind yourself, “I will not be that child.”
Heaven IS For Real
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It’s been almost a year ago that my family said goodbye to our Mimi. Mimi was my husband’s mom, Betty. She was a wonderful and sweet woman. We continue to miss her. Christmas was harder without her goofy stocking gifts. And while we tried to replicate her famous brisket and baked beans, we all knew they weren’t lovingly prepared by her hands.
One of the books I read shortly after her death was the phenomenally successful, “Heaven Is For Real.” The book has sold millions. Colton Burpo, the subject of the book, has been featured many times on national television. But in the midst of the acclaim, I’ve noticed how the Burpo family has been criticized for exaggerating Colton’s experience or fabricating his story for monetary reward. Can I share some things I learned from the book and about this family?
1. A book about heaven can be the beginning of a faith conversation with an unbeliever. I’ve seen lots of people reading the book in various places. Just ask the simple question, “What do you think”? I promise you’ll get a response. Follow up by asking about their own eternity. This book just might be an opportunity to share the gift of salvation.
2. Public scrutiny can be hard. Why would we be surprised when unbelievers scoff at the story? That’s to be expected. What’s more surprising, is when I hear Christians bashing it. In their attempt to be theologically sound, it just comes off as jealousy or piousness. Besides, who are we to question the experience of someone else? My grandfather had a similar experience, and it changed his life for the better. Sometimes it’s easier to rally around people in their failure than to celebrate their success.
3. Have you had a conversation with the Burpos? I actually have. Why? Because I was encouraged to invite Sonja to speak at our upcoming State Evangelism Conference. Can I share something with you? I invite a lot of speakers to our events. The more “famous” a speaker is, the less likely I actually speak to them. It’s kind of a funny business, so to speak. When I decided to invite Sonja, it actually took me a few weeks to track her down. There was no family website. No official speaking invite. No agent who takes the first 10 percent. I finally did some investigative work through Twitter, tracked her down through the publisher of the book, and left my number. A few days later, I was shopping at Target. It was Saturday morning and I didn’t recognize the number on my caller ID. When I answered, I could hear children in the background and what sounded like a typcial family weekend breakfast. I was shocked when the caller said, “Hi Kelly. This is Sonja Burpo. I’m sorry it’s taken me a few days to call you back.”
After I picked myself off the floor of aisle 7, I stumbled around and began my conversation. I mentioned that the book had encouraged me during the loss of my mother-in-law. I shared with her my invitation to speak at our conference. She seemed hesitant at first, but then she answered. “I’m really not a speaker. I just love children’s ministry and working with kids. I’m not sure why God is doing this in our life and we can’t quite figure out why people have been touched so greatly by Colton’s story.” After a few minutes of conversation, she agreed to come to Oklahoma. I mentioned that our audience would include a lot of ministry wives. She was humbled because she felt like that was a group of women she could relate to. They are like her. They understand.
What I discovered in my short conversation with Sonja Burpo is that she is a woman who is not out to be famous. She was humble. She loves her family. Most importantly, she loves God and wants to share His love with others.
If you want to hear Sonja, she’ll be speaking during the Monday evening general session of the conference. On Tuesday, there will be a special women’s luncheon. She will be the keynote speaker. Tickets to the luncheon MUST be pre-purchased before January 24 and space is limited. For more information, visit the website here. Not only is heaven for real. But so is Sonja Burpo.
There’s No Retirement Here
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It will be several years before I can officially retire from working. But, a few days ago I was reminded that retirement from working does not mean retiring from ministry.
Last week I blogged about the precious little girls I met at the annual Lottie Moon Tea. On Friday, I met with a group of women from Baptist Village Communities to share the message of missions. Instead of me teaching them, I was the one who “got schooled!”
First, these women all live independently and are quite active. Their activities director told me, “They wear me out! I can’t find enough things for them to do!” One of the women was the Children’s Specialist for our convention until her retirement in 1998. Another was an education minister in our state for many years. Talk about organizers! I’ve known Joyce Shelby since I was in college, and she was a woman in ministry long before it was acceptable in many of our churches. She paved the way for women in full time ministry.
These women had the room completely decorated. They had placemats made with the Lottie Moon artwork. They had refreshments. They had an agenda. They had it going on – even down to their Christmas sweaters. One woman even came straight from her church where she had been a volunteer for their food pantry. (In the back of my mind, I kept telling myself that I was looking into the future. I can just see me running the women’s meetings at the retirement center and looking for the right centerpieces!)
As I stood before them to speak and share my heart for the world, I was overwhelmed with emotion. For those of you who know me, that’s not too difficult to believe. As I looked into their faces, I was reminded that this generation raised me. They taught me about Jesus. They sacrificed for me. They gave of their finances and time. Most importantly, they prayed for me. They encouraged me when I came to the convention. How could I not feel like I was standing in a room full of spiritual mothers?
Today I received a thank you note from their leader. Yes, people still actually write thank you notes that aren’t a Facebook message. Once again, I was reminded we should honor those who have gone before us.
As a leader, how have you honored those before you? How can you be an encouragement to them? I shudder at the thought of losing this generation of women. They are the backbone of many churches. The biggest honor we could bestow is to take up the mantle for missions by giving, praying, sending and going. We can honor them by deciding our retirement from work is only a step into a new phase of servanthood. Until we face eternity, let’s press on toward the mark of Christ Jesus. He’s not through with you.
Celebrating Lottie and Her Life
Posted by: | CommentsLottie Moon is a name I’ve heard since I was a little girl. Growing up in a Southern Baptist church, December was not only a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, but to celebrate the life of a woman who encouraged churches to pray and give to mission efforts. Today, many of our churches still focus on giving to international missions during the holiday season, but I wonder how many of our young people are familiar with Lottie’s story.
Last Saturday my daughter and I had the privilege of sharing missions with 100 Girls in Action at an annual Lottie Moon Christmas Tea. Gina McKean, the children’s minister at Portland Avenue has coordinated this event for several years and includes all of the churches from Capital Association. These little girls were precious and we had a blast! Gina is the type of woman who takes an idea and carries it out like none other. From the invitations to the food, to the mission project, to the craft, it was a morning that girls will remember for a long time. Here are some photos to give you a glimpse of how incredible it was.
Our tea included food just right for little girls–peanut butter and jelly, eggroll, oranges and yummy sweets.
Chopsticks were given to each girl as an ornament and prayer reminder.
The program was Asian inspired and all the decorations had cherry blossoms.
We even painted a cherry blossom tea cup.
Girls love taking their picture with our life-size cutout of Lottie Moon. She really was that small!
During one portion of the morning, Gina gave the girls a “quiz” on their Lottie Moon knowledge. Courtney is a senior in high school and I discovered I haven’t done a very good job of sharing the Lottie story with my own daughter! When I told her that Lottie died on Christmas Eve from starvation, she couldn’t believe it. No one had told her about the sacrifice Lottie made so that the Chinese people could hear the news of Jesus. This really struck home because Courtney and I spent a week in East Asia this year and our hearts were touched by students who had never heard the simple words of John 3:16. To put it simply, Lottie’s work continues today. Out of the 1.6 billion people living in East Asia, more than 98 percent do not know Christ as their Savior. Many of them work in factories where Christmas ornaments and lights are produced, but very few understand the story behind the decorations.
I’m grateful for the work of Lottie, but I’m more grateful to Southern Baptist missionaries who continue to share the hope of eternal life. I’m grateful to Southern Baptists for giving to the Cooperative Program and to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. I’m grateful that as believers we can be His Heart, His Hands and His Voice. What will you give this year to support international missions?
For more information about Lottie’s life or this year’s offering, visit www.imb.org.
Finding Grace on the Lower East Side
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It’s November. A month where most of our thoughts turn towards Thanksgiving and the upcoming rush of Christmas mayhem. It’s easy to want to push the fast forward button on the calendar, especially when our office is preparing our final event. Why? While it’s one of our favorite events, it’s often overlooked. We can’t always publish the names or photos of our speakers because of where they serve. The event is on a Monday afternoon–not necessarily convenient for the masses. But if you miss this event, you will miss hearing from amazing Oklahomans who are living out Acts 1:8.
One of those is Taylor Field. A native of Enid, Field serves Southern Baptists as a North American Missionary in New York. He is the pastor of East Seventh Baptist Church-Graffiti in Lower Manhattan. Taylor will be the keynote speaker for this year’s Missions and Ministries Celebration.
I first heard Taylor at a conference at Ridgecrest. I had never heard of his ministry and wouldn’t have known about his Oklahoma roots had he not mentioned them. (there’s always a source of pride when featured missionaries are from your home state). What most impressed me was his passion to reach people who are often seen as outcasts. He and his wife have served in this area for almost 25 years, including being just blocks away from the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11.
Taylor onced described his neighborhood looking like Sesame Street. But the people are not named Elmo and Oscar. Rather, it is a block that includes homeless Tommy and Luis the pusher. Taylor described his call to this area to Leadership Journal, “The duty of delight has meant raising my two sons in an environment some people would flee if they had the money. This duty has meant confronting the dealers, embracing the users, feeding the homeless by the hundreds and growing to call a small church of the poverty stricken, who are often angry and sometimes violent, family–all in the name of Christ. ”
If you want to hear Taylor, I encourage you to attend this year’s Missions and Ministries Celebration on Monday, November 14 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the East Conference Center at First Baptist, Moore. There’s no cost to attend, but the encouragement you’ll get to live out your calling will be priceless.
Click on the following link and get a glimpse of how this church is impacting New York. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=lTLHGourGBo
Man Up: Women Are Not to Blame
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Last night my husband and I had a disagreement. It was not an argument. We just had two points of view and I still think I’m right. (don’t we always?)
We had just finished watching a promo copy of the movie “Mighty Macs” that is releasing in theaters this weekend. It was truly refreshing to watch a G-rated movie with a great story based on the true events of the 1971-72 Immaculata College girl’s basketball team. In short, it’s “Glory Road” and “Hoosiers” for girls. And if you have a daughter who loves sports, please take her to this film. She will love it.
After the movie finished, we started discussing the time period of when the movie was made. I was a young girl growing up in the midst of a female revolution. I made the comment that women truly have come a long way in the past 30 years. And I think it’s been a great thing. I grew up with a father who encouraged my dreams and gave me the confidence to know I could compete with the boys–whether it was in academics or in sports. Although my dad had two daughters and we had plenty of dolls to play with, we also had bows and arrows, a basketball goal and we learned how to make a pretty mean campfire. Title IX literally evened the playing field in many ways.
Although Vic is strongly supportive of giving women opportunities, we began a discussion about how girls have fared well and guys seem to be struggling. He blamed it on feminism and that women wanted to take over the world. Whoa. Wrong. While there are some women who may have an anti-guy agenda, most women I know would love to see guys step up, man up and be the leader God intended for them to be. But here’s where we are today:
1. The future of women and men pursuing missions and ministry . A couple of days ago, I had the privilege of being a guest speaker in two cross-cultural ministry classes at Oklahoma Baptist University and I attended another class on Bible storying. All of the classes were predominately female. This is a trend happening in several Christian universities. If what I saw in the college classroom doesn’t change, we will have a huge shortage of men willing to shepherd congregations and take the Gospel to the nations. When I asked the professor why more women were applying for mission positions, particularly the Journeyman program with the IMB, I was surprised. The main disqualifier for men? Pornography. While I know it’s a serious issue, it is destroying the future of young men who could be leaders on the mission field. This is a serious issue and the church must address it. Now.
2. Girl’s ministry and women’s ministry is flourishing. Women have been strongly encouraging women to dig into God’s word for quite some time. They soak in the teachings of Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer. Women actually do the homework. And guess what? They like it! I see very few men willing to spend time studying God’s word in the same manner. In fact, go to the LifeWay Christian Resources website and compare women’s Bible studies and girl’s ministry products to what’s geared specifically towards men. There’s a huge imbalance. I’m not faulting LifeWay. They have to produce what sells. And guess what? Products geared specifically towards men have not sold well.
3. The future of families. I know several young single women who are waiting for a Godly man to come into their life. Their standards are high. They do not want to compromise. While they may have goals for themselves, many of them are longing to have a husband who will challenge them and lead them. I know single moms who would do anything to have a Godly father in the home.
I know this sounds pretty discouraging. There are glimmers of hope. I applaud the movie “Courageous” and the effforts to encourage accountability and Biblical fatherhood. Our men’s ministry at the BGCO (headed by Keith Burkhart) does a fantastic job of gathering men each year at their men’s retreat and encouraging men throughout the year. My husband spends hours each week completing his Bible Study for Bible Study Fellowship. (yes, there are men who do homework)
Yes, women have made great strides and I’m proud of the opportunities and accomplishments. But men, please don’t blame us for your failures. It’s time to man up and take responsibility. We need you. The church needs you. Most importantly, a lost world is waiting on you.
Thank You Steve Jobs
Posted by: | CommentsMany of us went to bed last night knowing that Apple founder Steve Jobs had passed away. You might have learned of his death on the device he invented. I’m typing this post on my fourth Apple computer. I have an iPhone and an iPad. Today I’m thankful for Jobs’ genius.
1) Apple changed the way I worked. My first job was a typesetter in college. The machine I worked on took up an entire room. I worked in the public relations department at Oklahoma Baptist University where I studied journalism. I would painfully take the typed pages of the writers and input them into an enormous machine that would spew out the copy into nice strips of glossy white paper. They would be waxed, cut and placed on boards before they could be printed. Five years later, I saw my first MacIntosh computer at a conference. I marveled at the way someone could actually input copy, manipulate type and place it directly on a page that could be sent to a printer. I coaxed my boss to make the investment, learned the process, and became an instant fan. Thank you Steve Jobs for completely changing the print business for the better and for making work easier.
2) Apple actually gave me a platform for work. I left my job after giving birth to our first child. Within six months, a graphic designer friend called me and asked if I would be willing to take on some free lance work. I told him I didn’t have a personal Mac. He said, “buy one” and start a business. My little layout business, called K2 Communications, provided extra income for our family for more than 9 years while I stayed home with young children.
3) My Apple computers have allowed me to design things I could never have imagined. Whether it’s a video for my children, a pocket size book with photos or a handout for a seminar, my MacBook has allowed me to be creative far beyond my imagination or my ability. Why? Because they are simple, easy to use and just plain fun. Thank you Steve Jobs for making technology good looking and fun. (my computer has also saved me storage space because now I don’t print pictures, I don’t buy actual CDs and now I don’t buy printed books. I can carry it all on my computer, my phone and my iPad.)
4) Thank you for being a company who stood beside me when my MacBook actually failed. Yep, that’s right. The MacBook that I’m typing this post on crashed a couple of years ago. I have to tell you that my stomach actually felt sick. When I took it to the Apple Store, I was told the computer had failed and I had lost all my data. They tried desperately to recover the loss of my data, and although it was unsuccessful, they fixed the computer at no charge. I learned a valuable lesson in that experience. Apple backs its products and I need to back up my hard drive!
So, today, I’m grateful for Steve Jobs. I’m grateful for his creative and innovative mind that has honestly changed the way we communicate. I do not know if Jobs’ accepted Christ as his personal Savior. I have been told he was a Zen Buddhist. He wasn’t philanthropic. He even took money from Steve Wozniak on the sale of a game. I would like to think that in his final days, someone shared the Gospel with him. It’s a sober reminder to all believers that no matter how much influence you have on earth, your eternal destiny is the most important decision you can make. You and I may not leave a legacy of technological advances, but we can leave a legacy of making Kingdom advances.
Sudan Sitting In My House
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It’s hard to remember exactly when I met Dinafor, but I know it was sometime during my son’s senior year of high school. Being on the soccer team of a large high school, it wasn’t uncommon for Conner to bring home friends who were from different parts of the world. Soccer truly is an international sport and our family has enjoyed the way these students have enriched our lives.
Din was just a freshman the year Conner graduated, but we’ve continued the relationship because he started coming to our church and is the same age as our daughter. We knew his family was from Africa, and more specifically, the Sudan. I’ve asked the typical questions about his large family and their eating habits of goat and rice. (because goat isn’t something that’s easily available at the local grocery store!) We had heard that his family escaped the atrocities of Sudan by winning a lottery and given the chance to have a life in the U.S. In short, our family and our church family, loves this young man.
But the reality of Sudan sat in my living room last Sunday night. After hosting our senior small group, Din stayed around after most of the students had left and I saw him talking intently with my husband, Vic. I could tell by the conversation that Din was carrying a huge burden. He’s not a big talker, so I knew something was heavy on his heart.
After he left, Vic began to explain Din’s concern about his family who are still in Sudan. There had been recent threats on their lives and they were living in danger. While most of our high school senior students are obsessed with graduation and college plans, Dinafor’s main concern was for the welfare of his homeland and his family. Vic prayed and encouraged him. It was moment I doubt my husband will forget.
I started thinking about the number of students in our high schools and colleges who are from other countries. When was the last time you had an international student in your home? Did you know most students who come to the United States as an exchange student or as a college student have never been invited to share a meal with an American family? In the past six months, we’ve had students from China, Africa and Mexico.
What responsibility do Christians have with these students? I couldn’t help but hear Din’s heart for Sudan. He truly believes God will send him back to his homeland to make a difference. He wants to play soccer for their national team. He would be a hero in his country! And we have the opportunity to pour God’s word into his life and into his heart. God could use Din to bring about spiritual change in a war-torn country. That’s just mind-boggling when I look at him sitting in my living room and interacting with other teenagers.
Sometimes missions means going to Sudan. But, for me, missions was Sudan sitting in my living room.
Beyond Sunday Morning
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Some of the greatest servants in the local church are many times the people who get very little recognition. Many times it’s the men and women who prepare each week to teach your children about God’s love and His plan for their life.
I know how grateful I am for those who are called to minister to children. Both of my children had wonderful men and women of God who challenged them to learn scripture, to serve others and even develop wonderful musical skills. (well, at least Courtney–she’s the singer in our family)
Our office is joining the Children’s Office this weekend to offer a unique afternoon of training children’s workers who go “Beyond Sunday Morning.” There is no cost to attend this training event that will be held Sunday, September 11 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Portland Avenue Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.
Breakouts will include specific training in the areas of: I’m a Christian Now, TeamKid, Bible Drill, Mission Friends, Girls in Action, Royal Ambassadors, Children in Action and Children’s Music.
We hope your children’s workers are able to attend, but please make sure they register in the next couple of days at www.bgco.org.
Mission Monday: Chaplaincy (Even if it’s Tuesday)
Posted by: | CommentsSMO 2011 Chaplaincy-Vimeo HD from BGCO on Vimeo.
I had been at the BGCO for less than a couple of months when Paul Bettis, BGCO Chaplaincy Specialist, came to my office and gave me the opportunity to go on a “field trip”. I didn’t know much about Paul at the time, but I would quickly learn my idea of chaplaincy was pretty limited to what I knew about hospital chaplains.
My field trip destination was the Oklahoma County jail. This was not my idea of a fun field trip. I had never parked in the jail parking lot, much less walked the halls of a jail. Paul introduced me to Argyl Dick, a veteran chaplain who had many volunteers who sat face-to-face with those who had been incarcerated. It wasn’t until later in the year that I discovered Oklahoma has more women per capita in our prisons and jails than any other state in our country. I remember him making a comment, “You never know Kelly. God might just call you to be a prison chaplain.”
While I haven’t sensed a calling to commit a weekly time at the jail, I have learned a great deal about the various kinds of chaplains in our state. They are on our oil fields, our military bases, at biker rallies and in the midst of disaster relief. They are volunteers who have a heart to see people as the way God sees them–individuals He has created with a plan and a purpose.
I’m extremely grateful for the ministry of chaplains and with your support of the Oklahoma State Missions Offering, chaplaincy ministry is able to minister to a greater number of people who need to hear the Gospel.
And P.S.–about two years after my jail visit, I found myself entering the jail again for a chaplaincy visit. But this time it was a lot more personal. A high school friend had just been convicted of murder in a DUI case and was waiting her sentence. While it had been close to 30 years since we had seen each other, I was able to hold her hand, cry with her and pray for God to comfort her in the midst of a tragedy she wished had never happened. Without that first visit, I might not have considered going to see her. I’m glad I did. Because I was the one who received the blessing.
I am the Women's Missions and Ministries Specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Our purpose is to encourage women to embrace and echo God's heart for the world.
