Stories from the CP Mission Field

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The reach of the Cooperative Program never ceases to amaze me. Recently, members of the Kentucky Baptist Convention staff shared stories about how CP made an eternal difference to people in need of a Savior.

“Jim,” a resident of Paducah, watched a team of student volunteers doing roof work on his neighbor’s house during the hottest part of summer. He was amazed that these Kentucky Changers would undertake such hard work at no charge to his neighbor. Jim’s amazement grew when he learned that the students paid for the privilege to serve, and to spend their nights sleeping on the floor of a local church.

The day after he met those Kentucky Changers, Jim returned to his neighbor’s house. He sat in on the prayer and devotion time after lunch, and talked with students and their adults leaders, and heard the gospel message. Jim accepted Christ as his Savior.

The Kentucky Baptist Convention’s Transition and Conflict Management Ministry helps encourage, equip and resource ministers and church leaders in their personal and spiritual lives, and in developing better leadership skills. As they become better leaders, their churches are better equipped to fulfill the Great Commission.

Every year, KBC provides retreats for pastors, ministers and their spouses who are leaving places of service under difficult circumstances, or perhaps are serving in an extremely stress-filled environment.

The entire cost of the Ministers in Transition Conferences is funded through the Cooperative Program.

Here are a few comments from pastors and ministers who have participated in a MIT Conference:

“Thank you for giving us a safe place to process and just be us. Truly, we felt the love.”

“Healthy churches will give birth to new churches,” one pastor wrote. (The KBC Transition and Conflict Management Ministry staff) “is a vital part of the efforts to assist churches (in transitioning) from a maintenance to a missional mindset. The process must begin with the leaders of these churches.”

Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers met “Mr. and Mrs. Johnson” of West Liberty earlier this year. The couple is in their 80s and for years have been resistant to the gospel message. They were unlikely to invite anyone from the local church into their living room on visitation night.

When tornadoes plowed across Kentucky March 2, disaster relief volunteers were in West Liberty, and other affected communities, meeting needs less than 12 hours after the storms.

The Johnsons received meals prepared from the kitchen unit. The chainsaw and recovery teams cleaned debris from their property.

After meeting the Johnsons’ physical and material needs, two disaster relief chaplains stopped by the home and were welcomed. The couple listened to the gospel and responded. Mr. Johnson accepted Christ as his Savior. Mrs. Johnson, who had made a decision many years ago, rededicated her life to Christ.

These are not just stories; they are testimonies to the power of God’s people working together to share Christ with the world. Thank you, Kentucky Baptists for your support through the Cooperative Program.

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