Monthly Archives: February 2015

Mission trip to Malawi and Women’s Leadership Conference, Johannesburg

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DSCN0746DSCN0791Kentucky WMU has been invited to send a WMU Team to Malawi to provide training for pastors’ wives. We will combine this with participating in the Baptist Women’s Leadership Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a wonderful opportunity for Kentucky women to bless women in Malawi and to fellowship with women from around the world. The trip dates for both portions is July 9-22, 2015. (It is also possible to participate in the Malawi portion only.)

This will be the second trip to Malawi for Kentucky WMU.  In 2012 a team of seven provided a week of classes for the wives of seminary students. This time, all pastors’ wives from Malawi are invited to participate.  (Read about our 2012 trip.)

DSCN0750DSCN0828Projected Trip Information  (Schedule, cost, etc. are subject to change)
Cost:  $5,000 (includes airfare, mission team insurance, in-country expenses for meals & lodging, Women’s Conference fee). It is possible that this trip will cost less, depending on final cost for airline tickets. Participant will be responsible for meals en route, souvenirs, and other personal expenses.
Option: Participate in only the Malawi portion of the trip. ($4,000 – or less depending on airfare)
Team size:  6-8

Schedule:
July 9 – Depart Louisville   (two-days of travel via Atlanta)
July 10 – Arrive Johannesburg; Overnight at Baptist Guest House
July 11 – Depart Johannesburg; Arrive Lilongwe, Malawi; Lodging at Baptist Guest House
July 12 – Attend church service; Orientation and preparation for teaching
July 13-17 – Teach classes at Malawi Baptist Seminary for pastor’s wives
July 18 – Depart Lilongwe; Arrive Johannesburg.  Baptist Women’s Leadership Conference begins PM.
July 19-20 – Baptist Women’s Leadership Conference*
July 21 – Conference concludes by noon.  Depart Johannesburg PM
July 22 – Arrive Louisville

DSCN0937Team members needed to classes such as:
Bible (OT/ NT – topics such as the Beatitudes, Proverbs 31, etc.)
Prayer & Worship / Spiritual life development
How to Be a Good Pastor’s Wife
Health issues including high blood pressure, dental hygiene, diabetes, ulcers, and cancer (especially cervical cancer which is the most prevalent cancer among women in Malawi).
Good health practices / first aid (especially for cuts and bites)
Maternal health issues
Care of children – how to keep them healthy (hygiene, nutrition, diarrhea, pneumonia, etc.)
Crafts – sewing a simple bag

AriseShineWORDS2
*2015 Baptist Women’s Leadership Conference
July 18-21, 2015 – Indaba Hotel & Conference Center, Fourways, Johannesburg, South Africa
Theme: “Arise, Shine” – “Arise, shine; for your light has come!” Isaiah 60:1
Information about the conference on line: http://www.bwawd.org/2015-leadership-conference
(Full trip fee includes this conference and registration.  Kentucky WMU will register our team.)

SAmapApplication and deposit of $1,000 due by March 15, 2015. Payment of $2,000 due by May 1, 2015. Balance of $2,000 due by June 15, 2015.  For an application form, contact Joy Bolton, Kentucky WMU, 502-489-3423 or 866-489-3423  or email:  [email protected]

Why the Heritage Fund Matters

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hf banner 12015 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Kentucky WMU Heritage Fund.  I am grateful for the foresight of WMU leaders to begin this endowment which was established for the purpose of developing, promoting, strengthening and sustaining the work of Kentucky WMU.  There is not an area of our work that the Heritage Fund does not touch.

The Heritage Fund matters to our work in missions education and involvement. It is one of several sources of funding that are vital to our on-going work. These include the Cooperative Program, Eliza Broadus Offering, and other endowment funds with distributions designated for Kentucky WMU. We are also blessed by the Second Century Fund of the National WMU Foundation which provides a distribution to each state WMU and by the Kentucky Touch Tomorrow Today endowment.

These various funding sources, plus event fees, make it possible for Kentucky WMU to offer first rate events and missions opportunities led by a wonderful staff and many volunteers. At a time when Cooperative Program (CP) funds coming to Kentucky WMU have declined, we have been able to maintain our staff and services in part because of the growth of endowment funds.

The decline in CP funds is a good thing in that in 2010 the Kentucky Baptist Convention made the significant decision to raise the portion of CP funds going beyond our state for Southern Baptist work, including international and North American missions. I was a member of the task force that made that recommendation and we gladly adjusted our budget to make more funds available for missions beyond Kentucky. The original plan was to reach the 50-50 split by 2018, but under the leadership of Dr. Paul Chitwood, Executive Director of the KBC, we reached this milestone effective with the 2013-14 budget year. A decline in CP giving since 2010, however, has made the budget adjustments even more challenging.  In 2009-10 Kentucky WMU received $496,395 in CP funds. For the 2015-16 budget year, we expect to receive $415,000.

Our work is also funded in part by the Eliza Broadus Offering. Kentucky WMU is the sponsor of the Eliza Broadus Offering and has the responsibility and privilege of setting the offering allocations. We do this cooperatively with Dr. Chitwood based on requests from KBC staff for missions mobilization, evangelism, church planting, collegiate ministry, language missions and much more. A portion is also used for our work in missions education for all ages which includes resources, training, events, camps, and much more. Even with the adjustments in CP funding, we have raised the level of Eliza Broadus Offering funding going for missions through the Kentucky Baptist Convention and the amount for associational and special ministry grants. In 2009-10, EBO funding for KBC missions ministries and grants was $840,000.  In 2015-16, it will be $990,000. Thank you for increased giving to the Eliza Broadus Offering making this report possible!

Kentucky WMU has been able to absorb the decline in the Cooperative Program and increase EBO distributions in part because of the Heritage Fund and other endowments and investments. Kentucky WMU is blessed to have these resources and we seek to be faithful stewards in using them for Kingdom work.  We have also been able to help several smaller state WMU’s as well as assist with some international projects. While we are careful in the use of our resources, we do not hoard them when they are needed. This year we plan to purchase needed equipment for Kentucky Changers and build our own storage facility for this ministry. Kentucky Changers takes a significant amount of equipment and good stewardship requires that we take care of it between summer seasons.

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Heritage Fund, you are invited to give $25 in honor of someone who has impacted your life for missions.  We invite you to give 25 in honor of the past 25 to fund the next 25! There will be a special Give 25 emphasis at Annual Meeting. But you don’t have to wait.  Online giving is available for giving anytime to support the ministries of Kentucky WMU.

RAMCON = Boys, Missions Learning, Mission Action and Fun

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ramcon panelRoyal Ambassadors love to challenge each other in various competitions, listen to missionaries tell about their work, and lend a helping hand to people in need.  RAMCON 2015 will give boys the opportunity to do all three of these fun and exciting things on the same day.

The Kentucky state Royal Ambassador Missions Congress (RAMCON) will be held Saturday, March 21, at Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Central City.  The event will feature Royal Racers, a Rain Gutter Regatta, two great missionary speakers, and a mission project.

RAs know all about building a Royal Racers car and competing for the honor of taking home a medal.  Many of them, however, have never participated in a Rain Gutter Regatta.  RAMCON will give them that opportunity this year.  With the cost of the sailboat kit included in the registration fee, every boy in attendance will receive a wooden boat kit that he will decorate and assemble before racing it down the water-filled rain gutter.  Medals will be awarded to the top finishers in both the Lad and Crusader divisions.

When they are not racing their cars and boats, Royal Ambassadors will gather in the church sanctuary to learn about the work and experiences of Aaron Harvie, a church planting strategist with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board, and Robbie Gray, a Southern Seminary student and member of the Acts 1:8 Experience team that worked at Mission Adventure Camp and in South Africa last summer.

For the mission project, Royal Ambassadors will be asked to bring new socks and underwear for adolescent boys.  These items will be collected and delivered to the Muhlenberg County Baptist Association to be distributed to needy boys through the Crisis Closet ministry.

RAMCON 2015 is for Royal Ambassadors, other mission-minded boys, and their leaders.  The registration fee is $15 and includes the program fee, lunch and a sailboat kit.  Registration for leaders is $10 and includes the program fee and lunch.  The entry fee for Royal Racers is $5, which will be collected on the day of RAMCON when the car is weighed and checked in.

To learn more about RAMCON 2015, go to kywmu.org/ramcon.  Online registration is available at the website.  A form can also be printed out for mail-in registration.  Early bird registration ends March 13.

For additional information, contact:
Jon Auten, RA/Challenger Consultant, Kentucky WMU, PO Box 436569, Louisville, KY  40253-6567
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.kywmu.org/ramcon

Take It to the Streets with Creative Arts

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CMF frontUsing creative arts to share the gospel will be the focus of Creative Ministries Festival 2.0 – Taking It to the Streets, March 6-7, 2015 at Living Hope Baptist Church, Bowling Green, Kentucky.  The event will include classes in creative arts, a missions fair, and block parties where participants will use their skills to present the gospel. General sessions will feature guest artist Jeff Smith, director of Salt and Light Ministries, Richmond, VA.

Creative Ministries Festival 2.0 is a two-day experience that will equip students and adults to share the gospel in creative ways. The 2.0 version refers to new features and a missions emphasis that has been added to the traditional elements of this popular event which recently came under the sponsorship of Kentucky WMU.  Five workshop times will be offered to teach techniques and routines in areas such as puppets, balloons, interpretive movement, sign, “God Rods,” skits, juggling, face painting, magic, lip synch, clowning, and human video.

The event theme “Taking It to the Streets” emphasizes the importance of using creative arts to tell others about Jesus. During a missions fair on Friday evening, students will meet missionaries and ministry leaders who want to have creative ministry teams come serve in their location. Every participant will attend a workshop on sharing the gospel and will be encouraged to use creative arts in missions.

“Taking It to the Streets” will become a reality on Saturday when students use their creative arts skills in four simultaneous block parties in the Bowling Green area.  Sites have been selected to help a new church plant as well as outreach in needy communities. Every group will be assigned to participate in a block party and groups may sign up in advance to perform routines that they have prepared in advance.

Guest artist Jeff Smith uses drama, music and storytelling in his unique brand of ministry. He offers basic instruction on a variety of creative arts, but his niche is creative movement and human video where he is known as “The Rodfather.”

Creative arts workshop leaders include: Dawn Baker, Tim Bertram, Felicia Bland, David Buckner, Lori Durbin, Katherine Gilbert, George Halitzka, Ashley Hicks, Karen Holbrook, David and Susan Huffman, Terry and Sharon Kelly, Peggy Leach, Beth Swadley, and Matt Tullos. Conferences for adult leaders on planning mission trips, block parties, on-going missions involvement for students, and other topics will also be offered.

The registration fee per person is $20. Registration information and other event details are found at www.kywmu.org/cmf. For more information contact Peggy Murphy at 502-489-3457.