Different Views on Graduation

In just a couple of days, my daughter Abigail will walk across a stage and receive her well-earned high school diploma. As we approach this milestone, I have noticed that there are many perspectives on this event.

I barely remember being a senior in high school; although, there are certainly plenty of bright spots throughout high school that float through my mind from time to time. As I try to see graduation through the eyes of my daughter and her classmates, I vaguely remember the sense of accomplishment and the weight of what this day means. Their hope and fear for the future is all mingled together. For many there is an inflated sense of how much they really know and how old they really are. After all, they are the oldest they have ever been and they know more than they have ever known. That will last until about August when college starts. But what my daughter seems to be experiencing is an increasing awareness that although life is about to change dramatically, it is still going to be great.

On the other hand, as parents we see this whole thing in a different light. Marni is approaching Abigail's graduation with all the emotion that comes with sending her only daughter off to live in the big city. She is already missing her. And although she is extremely grateful for all Abigail has accomplished, deep down she kind of wishes her little girl would stay little and still need her mommy a little more.

I am not sure if all dads face graduation like me, but I tend to look at it as more of a door opening than one closing. I have high hopes for my little girl who is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. I want to celebrate with her and relish in the joy she is finding in this process. And although I sometimes wonder how she will handle her new challenges or what direction her life will take, I know that we are only a phone call away. I also know that our Lord goes before her and already has a plan.

In some ways, Marni and I are really just two sides to the same coin. If I dwell too much on the fact that my little girl is all grown up and doesn't need me quite as much as she used to, then I might just lose it. Marni also trusts the Lord to protect Abigail no matter where He leads her. In fact, her faith in God's plan is probably one of the greatest things she has passed on to Abigail. That's why we can send her off to the great unknown knowing that it is only unknown to us. He has always known what her future holds.

So my prayer for Abigail and all those graduating this season is this:

May you always follow the steps of our faithful Father as He leads you toward Himself. May you find your worth in the fact that Jesus paid the highest price for your soul. May you be sensitive to the voice of the Spirit as He teaches and comforts you. And may you find joy and grace in every experiences of life. Amen.

May 2016 CBA Newletter

Recently I had a wonderful conversation with my daughter, Abigail, who will be graduating from high school this month. We talked a lot about achievements and honors and how incredibly proud I am of everything she has accomplished. We talked about how things come to an end and how new beginnings can be challenging and exciting. After our conversation, I reflected on how thankful I am that God entrusted Marni and me to equip our children for whatever He has planned for them. I am sure we don’t always get it right, but maybe they can learn from our mistakes, as well.

Many of you as pastors are also entrusted with equipping the saints for the work of ministry. During our ENCOUNTER Prep meeting in April, we reflected on how well we are doing in this area. My hope is that you are all joyfully completing the task of equipping those in your care. There are times when challenges arise. When that happens, know that you are not alone.

We are now only four months away from ENCOUNTER. If you have not already begun to promote this area wide harvest revival in your church, please do so. Encourage all of your church members to set aside July 30th as the Most Important Day of ENCOUNTER. On that day, we will all meet at FBC Barnesville to hear from Jon Reed about how each of us can engage the lost effectively. This is not just for church leaders or pastors. This is a day for every church member who wants to see people they know get saved. There will also be a time on that same day for training those who will be helping during the decision time. More details will be available soon.

It is also time for our ministry teams to begin planning for ENCOUNTER. We still need churches to take on the responsibilities of the following teams: Children’s Care, Follow-Up, and Publicity. If your church would like to fill one of these roles, please contact me as soon as possible.

Even as we look toward the future, let us not forget what is going on right around the corner. The Bible Reading Marathon and National Day of Prayer will be the first week of this month. The Quarterly Lunch Fellowship will be the second week. Baccalaureates for our graduates will be coming up after that. And then we are all busy with Vacation Bible Schools, mission trips, and summer activities. May the Lord bless your efforts as you seek to reach people with the life-changing message of Jesus and His gift of salvation.

In His Name,

Steve Laughman

April CBA News Article

On the front page of our recently updated website, you will find the words “The Power of Partnership.” I chose those words, because I believe that we are stronger together than we could ever be on our own. That is true for us as individuals and as individual churches. Each body of believers exists to glorify God in their own area of influence, to equip believers in their own congregation, and to reach the lost in their own community. However, as a whole, the Church is one body with “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father”(Eph. 4:5-6). As Southern Baptists, one way that we demonstrate this truth is by cooperatively supporting missions through Centennial Association, the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, the North American Mission Board, and the International Mission Board.

At the end of this month, we have the opportunity to celebrate these partnerships at the Bridges Conference. On April 30th, pastors and church leaders will join with State Missionaries and representatives from NAMB and IMB to enjoy a meal together at First Baptist Thomaston and hear about the work that God is doing through our missions sending agencies. Dr. J. Robert White, Executive Director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board will be our keynote speaker. I am thankful that so many of our churches have already planned to be a part of this. Then on the next day, most of our churches will have a State Missionary in their worship services to share a message from God’s Word and a testimony of how God is using their ministry to reduce lostness in Georgia. I want to remind each church that they are doing this as part of their ministry, so your church should not plan to give an honorarium.

For those of you who joined us for the Spring Meeting last month, you heard all about the upcoming ENCOUNTER Harvest Revival. I believe God is preparing our area for a harvest by encouraging us to become laborers in the field. Larry Wynn challenged us to cast the seed of the Gospel anticipating a harvest of souls. Thank you for your response to the call to revival. I want to also thank New Hope for being such a gracious host church.

One last note on the topic of missions: Early this month, we will once again host the Baptist Mobile Health Ministry’s Dental Clinic. There is still a need for volunteers to help with registration and sharing the Gospel with those who come. If you are willing to be a part of this outreach effort, please contact our office soon so that we can be ready for those who come for dental care. If you are unable to help, please keep the weekend of April 7-9 in your prayers as we seek to reach souls through meeting physical needs.

In His Name,

Steve Laughman

Thank you for a GREAT Spring Meeting

Aren't Associational business meetings supposed to be boring?

Hopefully, the Centennial Baptist Association will never be accused of that. Last night was once again a testimony to what God is doing in and through our churches and the association as a whole. During our business meeting, we voted to accept Concord Baptist Church as a new member church. I praise the Lord that we have this new opportunity to work alongside another great church.

We also heard from a number of our ministry leaders about the work that is being done. Continue to check out the upcoming events on this website for more information on each of these. Remember that the slate of new officers, ministry leaders, and committee members goes into effect on October 1, 2016. If you are already serving in those roles, you still have a few months to go.

New Hope was a great host church. They provided a wonderful meal, as well as welcoming us into their place with open arms. Thank you to Interim Pastor Jim Waller and the rest of the folks from New Hope.

You responded in a big way to the request to help out the Georgia Baptist Children's Home. I know that the resources you provided will serve to help those in need. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Children's Home, as God continues to use them to meet the needs of hurting children and families.

The evening was made even better as we worshiped our Lord and heard from Larry Wynn, Vice-President of Church Revitalization and Evangelism at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. Ryan Showalter and the folks from FBC Thomaston did a beautiful job leading us to the throne of God through song. Larry challenged each of us to do our part to bring people into the Kingdom of God. We were reminded once again that evangelism is not complicated. "We do not have a harvest problem. We have a labor problem."

If you attended the meeting, you heard a lot about ENCOUNTER, the Area-Wide Revival scheduled for September 12-15, 2016 at the Rock Ranch. Let me challenge you and encourage you with the following:

• We collected nearly $1100 last night for ENCOUNTER.

• Several churches have accepted the responsibility of heading Ministry Teams, but there are still many more where we need your help.

• Jon Reed's video encouraging you to participate in the Most Important Day of ENCOUNTER, July 30 is available to you on the DVD that was handed out with your minutes.

• You also have the artwork for the business cards that were passed out. If you want a banner like the one hanging in the sanctuary last night, use that artwork. Contact me if you have questions about that.

• If your church would like more business cards to invite folks, come by the CBA office. We still have plenty.

• As Larry reminded us, we need to begin identifying, investing in, and inviting specific people who we believe need Jesus in their lives. You can start doing this now, long before September.

Thank you for all you do for Christ's Kingdom and His church! It is an honor to serve with you.

Week of Prayer

This is the Week of Prayer for North American Missions. Churches start promoting the Annie Armstrong offering this week, as well. I don't need to spend a lot of time convincing you that our nation is in need of prayer. We must remember, however, that our greatest need is not economic or political. It is not about who gets the nominations for President or what's going on with your favorite sports team or celebrity. This nation is in need of the move of God.

Marni and I were blessed to serve as church planters with NAMB right out of seminary. I can tell you from experience that the journey of a North American missionary is difficult and challenging. People think that living in America means the task is easier than if God had sent us to another country. In some ways this is true. We already spoke the language and our children got to see their grandparents often. However, serving in the US comes with its own set of problems. People are not always receptive to the Gospel when they have easy access to it. The cost of living in the US is high, which as it turns out was one of our biggest struggles. I am thankful for the time we spent on the mission field here in the US, because it helps me know how to pray for those who are still serving through NAMB.

Thank you for praying for missionaries, whether they are on the other side of the world or serving right here in North America. Keep supporting them with your love and your gifts through CP and the Annie Armstrong offering. Remember that their struggle is real and unique to their setting.

March CBA News Article

A Word from Your Missionary:

Years ago I was part of an area-wide revival that we called “Soul Harvest.” It was a beautiful experience as churches of various denominations and racial backgrounds joined together for worship and the proclamation of God’s Word. I was appointed to organize the counseling area, which was a large hallway next to the school gym where we were meeting. On the night Larry Wynn preached, I believe it was a Tuesday, God made His presence known and 62 people made decisions to follow Christ. Our hallway was packed full. There were counselors talking with two or three people at once. Bibles and materials were being passed out faster than we could get them out of the boxes. It was so much fun!

We are blessed to have Larry Wynn scheduled to preach at our CBA Spring Meeting and One Day Revival at New Hope, Thomaston, on Tuesday, March 15th. The business meeting will start at 5:00, followed by a meal at 6:00 and then the Revival service at 7:00. Encourage your entire church family to attend this service. We always have a great time of worship when we get together, but I believe this one is going to be even better. You do not want to miss it.

God is moving among our churches. I hear over and over about people coming to Christ and baptismal pools being filled. Our communities need to see God at work in our churches. I am encouraged by what I see. Church members are going outside the church walls to engage the lost. There is a sense of urgency to share the Gospel. As pastors and church leaders, many of you have the privilege to equip the saints to do this work. Jon Reed made the statement recently that he believes every Christian has a desire to win someone to Christ. They just need the tools and the encouragement. Together, we can make Jesus known throughout Pike, Upson, Monroe and Lamar counties. May our passion for Christ make others hungry for Him, as well.

Pray for our students this month as we have our annual discipleship weekend, EQUIP, at Silvertown on March 4 & 5. If you haven’t yet registered your group, it is not too late. I hope to see you there.

In His Name,

Steve Laughman

February CBA News Article

This article appears in the monthly newsletter of the Centennial Baptist Association.

A Word from Your Missionary:

I was reminded recently of the importance of rest. On many occasions our Lord Jesus insisted that the apostles take the time to remove themselves from the hectic work of ministry in order to just spend time with Him. So often, we think of what we do on Sunday at church as the pinnacle of ministry. Although for a pastor, the preaching ministry should be a priority, arguably the priority, we forget that at its heart, Sunday is meant to be a day to recharge and renew our focus so that we can be effective ministers outside the walls of the church the rest of the week. Too often, our church members also get caught up in the idea that the church and Sunday are the focus of ministry. Don’t misunderstand me here. Ministry happens and should happen on Sunday at church. Each of us uses our gifts to sing, teach, proclaim, serve, encourage, mentor, and a host of other action words that denote ministry. And we do that on Sunday. At church.

But, what if we reminded each other that we do all that, not as an end, but as a means to be rested and refreshed to face whatever ministry God puts in our path the rest of the week? We can learn from Jesus, who not only took time to be alone with the Father, but also demanded His closest followers to corporately take a break to just spend time with Him. Sunday shouldn’t be a day that drains you. I pray that you are able to worship this week, undistracted by your ministry responsibilities. My prayer is that God gives you rest for the work He has prepared for you.

Thank you for your continued support of what God is doing here in the Centennial Association. Our first ENCOUNTER Prep for Pastors and Church Leaders was well attended, and I believe God will use each of the monthly training sessions to prepare us for the harvest revival scheduled for September 12-15. The Youth Team has been hard at work planning EQUIP, and it is shaping up to be the best one yet. I hope your students are making plans to attend. Most of our churches have already requested a State Missionary for the upcoming Bridges Conference, and I know you will enjoy hearing from them. If you have not made that request, it is not too late. Buck Burch and I will be making those final assignments over the next couple of weeks.

I want to thank all of the people who played a role in our first ever Children’s Ministry Workshop. At the time of this writing, we are still a couple of days away from the event. I have been blessed by those who have helped put this together as well as by our guest presenters. This is just one more way that our churches are working together to encourage and help one another. What joy that brings to my heart and I know the Lord is pleased, as well.

In His Name,

Steve Laughman

January CBA News Article

A Word from Your Missionary:

We serve a God who makes all things new. He has made new creations of each one of us who believes on His name. His mercies are new every morning. One day He will bring about a new heaven and new earth. I am thankful that although we rejoice in the triumphs of the past, we are able to look forward to new adventures awaiting us.

As we prepare to live out the theme of revival this year, let us prepare ourselves for whatever God has in store. January begins months of ENCOUNTER Prep Training for Pastors and Church Leaders. If you are asking yourself if this is for you, then the answer is “Yes.” Each training session will be held on the Monday of our regular monthly Ministers Meetings. A schedule of topics, trainers, and locations is available on our website. Our first session is with Evangelist Jon Reed entitled “Preparing for Harvest.” Rev. Reed is our scheduled speaker for ENCOUNTER in September. He wants to share with each of you how God will use the preparation time to bring an abundant harvest of souls. I hope you will make plans to join us.

This month is also a time of equipping for anyone working with children in your church. The Children’s Ministry Workshop will be a time for your workers to learn from each other and those who specialize in discipling children. The resource fair will provide a look at what is available to you. The breakout sessions will inform and equip your workers with tools for ministry. The time of worship will encourage you in your pursuit to bring the little ones to Jesus. Even if your church has few or no children, we encourage you to come learn what you can do to reach children and families in your community.

Pastors, I hope you have already put the Bridges to Missions weekend on your church calendar. On Saturday, April 30th, we want you and some of your key leaders to share a meal with us and our State Missionaries, including Executive Director Dr. J. Robert White. Then on Sunday, May 1st, our missionaries are available to preach or just share a moment in your church. To RSVP for the dinner and to schedule a speaker, and even request someone specific, contact the CBA office. I know this will be a time of encouragement for you, your leaders, and your church.

2016 will be an exciting year. I haven’t even mentioned EQUIP, the Dental Health Clinic, One Day Revival, or the work we are doing with Copper Basin Crisis Center. God is blessing our associationof churches. Thank you for all that you are doing in your own area of influence. Thank you for supporting what God has called us to do in our area through Centennial. May God bring many souls into the Kingdom as we seek to make Him known!

In His Name,

Steve Laughman