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org
Summer 2012

A n ewsletter of th e K en tuc k y B aptis t F el lows h ip

Nada Summer Missions Update


By Paula Settle, CBF Field Personnel Affiliate From May to August, fourteen mission teams from Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Georgia served in Nada or Booneville . A special highlight of the summer was having three teens from Booneville go to Passport at Mercer University with Calvary Baptist Church in Lexington and two children from Nada attend Passport at Murray State University with Lexington Avenue Baptist Church in Danville. A special gift was given from Highland Baptist Church in Louisville for the ten graduating seniors from Powell County High School and Owsley County High School that have participated through the years in our various summer programs. Lexington Avenue Baptist Church in Danville sponsored our second annual graduation weekend event at Nada for our graduating seniors. And, for the second year, a graduating senior from the Nada Mission was one of the valedictorians at Powell County High School! Continued on inside cover

Burmese Refugee Ministry Update


By Steve Clark and Annette Ellard, CBF Global Missions Field Personnel This summer, as always seems to be the case, our lives and ministry have been full to overflowing as we experience the joys and struggles of life together with Karen and other refugees from Burma. Our summer started with great joy on June 3, when Hope Academy celebrated its first commencement. Four Karen young men, who had struggled in school but refused to quit, received diplomas in front of more than one hundred friends and family members. Speaking for the class, Tadi Di recounted his struggles throughout high school and the difference Hope Academy had made. Soon after school ended, we embarked on a summer of drivingto Texas for the CBF General Assembly and our field personnel team meeting; to North Carolina to chaperone at Passport for nearly 50 Karen and American youth from Crescent Hill Baptist Church; and to Virginia several times to assist some Karen families who are seeking to adopt the children of relatives there. This would not have been possible in our van that celebrated 300,000 miles last November. But it was no problem in our new-to-us 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan, gifted to our ministry by more than 80 refugee families on Easter Sunday. Their overwhelming generosity inspires us and keeps us going. Continued on page three

Nada Summer Missions Update contd from front cover


Every year we are getting better at getting our churches to truly connect with individuals in this region of Eastern Kentucky. This year FBC Clayton, North Carolina, did something very special for four teens from Booneville. They invited the teens to come and spend the week with them with the understanding that they would make a commitment to serve with the church all week. At the end of the week, they went ziplining and humveeing which they loved. Bybees Road Baptist Church in Troy, Virginia, took four ladies from Nada and Booneville out to eat in Winchester and then shopping - another way to have a special one-on-one time to share with these women. A young mother ate at her first restaurant! Major remodeling jobs were accomplished this summer in Booneville which included four new roofs, new ceilings, painting and major electrical work. The biggest project of the summer included five churches that converted a garage and breezeway into a laundry room and two additional bedrooms.

A weekend of fun and Bible study for the Nada Mission children and adults led by FBC Richmond, Ky.

Providence Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, continues to expose the Owlsey County High School teens to special activities as well as to challenge them about their future educational options. This year they toured the Lexington Airport and museum, the local CBS-TV station, and the Somerset waterpark. The GORGEous Gals participated in the first ever Nada Heritage Mtn. Festival in June, along with Central BC Bearden, Knoxville, Tn. who came to help. 2

Burmese Refugee Ministry Update contd from front cover


Our most exciting new initiative is matching young Karen mothers-to-be with an American grandma for assistance and encouragement. The grandmas accompany them to appointments, ask questions and clarify information with doctors, and offer advice just as they would for their own daughters or granddaughters. Because so many are here without their own mothers or grandmothers, the young Karen women are thrilled to have an American grandmother to be with them. The women create a powerful bond through this shared experience, as the cultural divide between them is narrowed as the birth draws near. Two grandmothers who have participated have been asked to help name their grandbabies!

Steve and Annette at Karen Worship at Agape Baptist Church in Fort Worth, TX.

The last few weeks of summer have focused on assisting our new and returning college students through orientation, registration and financial aid headaches to the first day of school. With seven students starting college (including two Hope Academy graduates) and eight returning, this is so exciting. They truly are the future, and helping smooth their transition and providing encouragement along the way helps them see this time as more exciting than scary. We are planning to launch a grandmas and grandpas program for our college students, also, to provide periodic encouragement. Anyone interested can email us for more details:

Steve bringing greetings from Louisville Karen to the Karen congregation at Agape Baptist Church in Fort Worth. 3

steve.annette @yahoo.com

Passport Camps Celebrate 20 Years of Youth and Kids Camps


Living Faith Youth
Using the ideas of Dietrich Bonhoeffer as the theme for Life Together, more than 2000 children and 4000 youth attended camps celebrating Christian community this summer. Numerous KBF churches attended Passport sites including Murray, KY; Danville, VA; Wingate, NC; Crossville, TN; Macon, GA; St. Louis, MO; and Nairobi, Kenya. Thanks to those KBF churches who sent us group photos from FBC Middlesboro Kids Passport.

Midway Kids

FBC Corbin Kids

Broadway Baptist Kids

Melbourne Heights Youth Ridgewood Kids Ridgewood Youth

Highland Youth

Calvary Youth

Lexington Avenue Youth 4

Crescent Hill Kids

KBF Launches Missions Asset Map Resource


With the launch of the KBF Missions Asset Map, the shared narrative between KBF congregations is able to be told more succinctly. Though our resources are limited, the miracle of partnerships among KBF churches and with KBF partner organizations enables us as a fellowship of Kentucky Baptists to reach beyond what we might accomplish as individuals. The asset map highlights this cooperative impact of the KBF community as we seek to conform ourselves to the image of Christ. The goal is for this map to grow exponentially as information is shared online through the KBF website, through social media, and in dialogue within and between congregations.

Missions Intern Reection


By Jarrod Lopez Where does the time go? This week marks my twelfth as the Missions Intern - the official end date of the KBFs summer internship. However, my time performing duties as assigned by Josh and John has been so agreeable that we came to the mutual decision that I should stick around a little longer. I am pleased to announce that I will be staying on into the fall as I continue to contemplate my post-seminary life. As we transition into the fall here in the office, I cannot help but reflect on the richness of our summer. Two major projects have dominated my time: Extreme Build and the KBF Asset Map. I have written about Extreme Build before, but looking back on it I am struck anew by the faithfulness of those who gave their time, money, and energy to build a home for the Browns. If it is true that we will be known by our works (and it is), then the cumulative effect of seven

Extreme Builds is a shining beacon of Gods grace in McCreary County. However, another of the after-effects of Extreme Build has been coming to terms with the extreme poverty that exists in our commonwealth. McCreary County is one of nine Kentucky counties with a poverty rate over 31%, which ranks among the highest in our nation. The median household income of McCreary County is $24,691. In terms of dollars and cents, the seven homes the KBF has built represent a drop in the bucket of Kentucky poverty - albeit a drop with quite a splash. Reflecting on this sober reality left me a bit dejected. Luckily, I began working in earnest on the KBF Asset Map at around this time. Rather than starting from needs, one begins asset mapping by first discovering what gifts and strengths are present in the community. This was Blairs job last summer; my job has been to take this information and put it into a presentable format. In the process, I have realized that the collective reach of KBF congregations extends far beyond what our limited resources might suggest. Though a particular KBF event or congregational ministry represents only a drop in the bucket, these drops combined form a mighty river of love that can erode even the mightiest of obstacles (like poverty). I am excited that the KBF will be able to make this resource available soon, so that you might also see what I have seen this summer.

A Plea from
By Jarrod Lopez, Summer Intern Here am I. Send me. This phrase from Isaiah echoes the sentiment of many young people who endeavor to serve God and others through summer missions. Organizations like CBFs Student.Go and Passport send college and seminary students to destinations ranging from youth camps on college campuses to inner city neighborhoods and African villages. These summer missionaries - brimming with idealism and enthusiasm depart their schools on annual journeys to change the world by bringing Gods justice to the oppressed and peace to the victimized. This is the part of the story we know and love in our Baptist churches: responsive decisions that produce faithful actions and powerful testimonies. However, we often neglect the endings of these summer stories. What happens when faithful students come down from their respective mountaintops and back to the mundane world of campus life? How do they process their successes and failures and move forward? CBF had these questions in mind when they created their annual SELAHvie retreat. Now in its third year, this four-day event in August offers participants a chance to pause for reflection and renewal before returning to life as normal in the fall. Through worship, workshops, and group discussions participants are given one final, intentional opportunity to listen for Gods voice as they share life and reflect on their summers together. I was fortunate to be able to attend this years SELAHvie as part of my KBF summer internship. In addition to meeting many amazing student ministers - several from Kentucky - I left feeling supported. Empathetic CBF staff members asked us about our summers and really listened to our answers. They did not patronize us for our exuberance; nor did they tune out negative commentary in search of a testimony that could be used for marketing purposes. They respected our stories for what they were, not what they hoped they might be. I challenge each of you to take a cue from the CBF and do the same as you encounter student ministers this fall. We humbly ask that in your ministries to us you treat us not just as a future generation in need of guidance, but as a significant part of Gods present ministry to the world through Christs church.

calendar
September 10-12: CBF Together For Hope Council Meeting, Lake Providence, LA September 26-29: Christian Community Development Association Conference, Minneapolis, MN October 5-14: Fellowship Without Borders, KBF/EEAM Partnership Trip, Morocco October 18-19: KBF Current (Young Baptist Leaders) Retreat with Rachel Held Evans, Georgetown Baptist Church October 25-26: Kentucky Council of Churches Assembly 2012, Morehead January 2-5: Academy of Preachers Festival of Preaching, Atlanta, GA 10-11: Georgetown College Pastors Conference January 25-26: Wakeful Parenting, FBC Frankfort February 25-27: CBF ChurchWorks! Conference, Ft. Worth, TX March 2: Coordinating Council Meeting, Midway Baptist Church April 26-27: KBF Spring Gathering, Third Baptist, Owensboro June 9-15: Extreme Build 8, McCreary County June 8-14: PassportMissions2, Broadway Baptist, Louisville June 16-21: PassportMissions2, Broadway Baptist, Louisville June 27-29: CBF General Assembly, Greensboro, NC August 16-17: KBF Coordinating Council Meeting, Louisville

Were building our community!


Please send us your email address: info@kybf.org
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225 S Hurstbourne Pkwy. Suite 205 Louisville, KY 40222 Phone: 502-426-1931 Fax: 502-426-1612

www.kybf.org
KBF Coordinator John Lepper - jlepper@kybf.org

KBF Associate Coordinator for Missions Josh Speight - josh@kybf.org KBF Administrative Assistant Valarie Shoulta - valarie@kybf.org

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Extreme Build 2012 Update


By Josh Speight, Associate Coordinator for Missions On July 30, Jarrod Lopez and I visited with the Brown family home in McCreary County. The family had made their house into a home as we found pictures on their walls, toys for the grandkids in their yard, and heard the sound of a dishwasher and a washing machine as we sat and talked with Maryanne during our visit. Although Butch was out at a doctors appointment, we learned his health - though not improved - has stabilized a bit with a cleaner, air-conditioned home. Jarrod and I were grateful to be received into the Brown family home and look forward to watching them grow their family over the years to come.

Sam Brown looks at photos from Extreme Build with his kids, enjoying their new home.

Maryanne Brown is overwhelmed by pictures and memories of KBF volunteers who helped to build her home.

The Browns home in McCreary County represents the seventh Extreme Build house constructed by KBF. Save the date: EXTREME BUILD 8! June 9-15, 2013, McCreary County, KY

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