Spiritual and physical health make stronger disciples.

Installing the gym floor in 1967

 

The Baptist Temple gym was completed in 1967 as a way to provide physical fitness opportunities for our community. BT has a long and storied history of sports activity. Our oldest trophy is dated 1936 for a softball championship. Since then, there have been numerous championships in multiple sports.

The gym has been used for a variety of activities including basketball, volleyball, badminton, martial arts and more. However, as the membership of BT aged, gym usage declined. By the start of the 21^st century it was rarely used.

When the church resolved to increase its community involvement, things began to change. A new charter school used the gym daily during the school year and our summer day camp used it when school was out. In the evenings, we had karate. On the weekends a variety of recreational activities.

As word got out, youth basketball teams started using the gym for practice in the evenings and, occasionally, for tournaments. Additionally, mission groups that stay on our campus overnight use our locker room showers.

Today, the gym is used day and night, seven days a week all year long. Along with the youth basketball clubs, four adult recreation groups use it as well.

San Antonio has a higher than average number of diabetics and its related problems. Fighting childhood obesity, a nation-wide problem, is key to preventing “lifestyle” diseases, including diabetes. Organized recreational activity is not only improves physical health but, also, provides a healthy after school environment. In fact, studies consistently show a connection between activity and better school performance.

As to be expected, the years have taken their toll, so we are launching a fund raising campaign to renovate the gym. The highest priority is repairing and re-striping the gym floor. Beyond that, we, also, need to repair the surrounding tile, remodel the restrooms and update the showers. As funds allow, we will also renovate the back staircase.

The fundraising effort began with a special Mother’s Day offering and will include a variety of events and grant applications. We want to partner with as many people as possible who want to invest in the physical and spiritual health of our community.

You can contribute online here or send a contribution to Baptist Temple, 901 E Drexel, San Antonio, TX 78210.

A New Era in Youth Ministry at Baptist Temple

Baptist Temple has a long and storied history of ministry to young people. We have church members in their 70's who were part of Baptist Church's youth ministry.

In its heyday, our youth outreach efforts would pack the church on both Breckenridge and Highland High School days. Enrollment reached its high point when D. Ray Taylor was youth minister (1971-77). Peak enrollment reached 344 in 1974; Kay Richardson (who chairs the youth committee) and Melissa Baxter were youth during this era.

“I remember every Sunday evening we had training union and youth group which, I think, included choir. The parents would take turns fixing dinner for the youth on Sunday nights and we would meet in the youth lounge for dinner and Bible study. I remember the Bible studies that we did, especially the book of Ecclesiastes,” said Melissa.

Times have changed. Although we have fewer people of all ages at our worship service, our ministry to youth remains strong. We have 400 kids on the Baptist Temple Campus every day attending our charter school and early learning center. Nine youth basketball teams use our gym for practice and occasional games. These are vital with the limited resources of our community.

The Southside of San Antonio ranks as a very low opportunity area for children (according to DiversityDataKids.org.) This takes into account proximity to employment, public assistance rate, poverty rate, foreclosures, proximity to healthcare, proximity to fresh food markets and high school graduation rate. To counter this reality, government, business, church and non-profit groups are working to provide resources that will break the generational poverty that has trapped our youth. Baptist Temple's role is to help the children in our community access these resources to stay in school, stay at home and stay in church.

Our early learning center provides quality, Christ-centered care for the children of working families in our community; providing a strong foundation for success in school. Jubilee Highland Park provides a high quality education within a culture of excellence. The youth basketball leagues promote health, teamwork and other soft skills that lead to success in school and beyond.

It is possible for children from the Southside to succeed against the odds. Coby and John grew up attending Baptist Temple. Both graduated high school (Highlands and McCollum, respectively) and both received full scholarships to local colleges (Incarnate Word and Our Lady of the Lake, respectively). We want more success stories like these.

In times like these, Baptist Temple is providing essential ministries showing God's love to the next generation. Leading the to the abundant life Jesus promised.

The thief does not come 

except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.

I have come that they may have life,

and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10

Don't call them seniors

Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) don't like being called seniors and they're are used to getting things their way. This identity was given to them by marketing firms after noticing that the high birthrates and exploding economy following WWII created a generation whose presence had an impact on everything. They were responsible for daycare centers, professional youth ministry, singles ministry, megachurches and, now, older adult ministry.

They are healthier, more active, better educated and more financially secure than any previous generation. As a result they want to do something of value with the second half of their lives. You will find them volunteering with disaster response teams, nursing homes, food pantries and more. A church that wants to attract Boomers must be active during the week.

They have needs as well. Some have aging parents. Some are raising grandchildren. Many are trying to maintain contact with families that live in different parts of the country. Too many are coping with the broken marriages, addictions and financial struggles of their adult children.

Baby Boomers are creative and innovative and want God-sized tasks. They are willing and capable of running their own ministries; many have run businesses. They like options and trying new things.

Their busy lifestyles demand that events start and end on time. Boomers find it difficult to make long-term commitments because they like to travel to family events and for fun. They prefer to serve on a rotation basis that allows flexibility.

Another way Boomers are changing churches is the emergence of inter-generational ministry. They grew up in age-segregated society (school, work, retirement community, nursing home.) Now they enjoy doing things with their grandchildren and people of any age.

Many Boomers are unchurched and, although they are not looking for church, they may be looking for new friends. Weekday and evening activities may create new entry for Boomers and an opportunity to explore faith in Jesus Christ in this season of life.

Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

Even when I am old and gray,

do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Psalm 71:17-18 (NIV)

A week in the life of the Baptist Temple Campus

The #BTCampus is a busy place all week. The week begins on Sunday morning at 9 AM with prayer but by this time the custodian has already unlocked doors, turned on lights and prepared the church for for worship. A hostess has made coffee and set up the hospitality table.

There is Bible study for all ages from 9:30 – 10:30, followed by four worship services, at 11, in American Sign Language (Family Deaf Church), Spanish (Iglesia Bautista Betel) and two in English (Baptist Temple Church and Sunny Slope BaptistChurch). At 1 PM CBC, Highland Park meets for worship and Free by theTruth at 2 PM.

Mondays start early as parents begin to drop their little ones at the BT Early Learning Center at 6 AM. By the time our resident charter school starts (Jubilee Highland Park), we have 400 kids on campus. There is ceramics in Fritz Hall, Zumba in the chapel, and basketball (every night) in the gym. Girl Scouts meet in the evening. Our doors close at 9 PM.

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays our thrift-store and client-choice food food pantry are open from 9 am to 1 pm. Tuesday evening we host Bible Study Fellowship for women (English, Spanish and ASL). A free community meal is served on Wednesday evenings followed by Bible study and worship for all ages. Zumba repeats on Thursday evenings. San Antonio Against Slavery, also meets on Thursday.

Saturday is our quiet day. Only the gym is active in the morning but there are periodic events such as the Fall festival, food distribution, back to school bash and work days. 

An urban church can be the center of community life, ministering to both the physical and spiritual needs of its members and neighbors. Studies by Partners for Sacred Places discovered that more than 80% of the people served by a thriving church are not church members.

If your church closed its doors, would the community miss it?

Bus Ministry is Still an Effective Church Growth Tool

In the 1970's bus ministry was used by churches across the nation to reach children for Jesus. The largest Sunday school in America, FBC Hammond, Indiana, had a bus ministry that had 1,000 workers using 230 buses to bring as many as 10,000 people to church every Sunday.

Baptist Temple's bus ministry was launched with the purchase of a 1970 blue Chevrolet van to pick up Sunday school students from East Terrace and Victoria Courts. In 1971 a used Dodge school bus was added to the fleet followed by a used Chevrolet school bus in 1972. This soul-winning ministry resulted in a record 151 baptisms in 1972. The previous high mark was 121 in 1933. A record number of new members was also set in 1972.

The first drivers were Jimmy Walker, Ed Flynn, David Evans and Arland Ames. Walker drove for 35 years and participated in many aspects of the ministry including evangelistic visitation, phone calls, follow-up and training.

Steve Grinnell became part of the bus ministry in the 1980s. During those years two buses picked up student as far south as Military Dr., north to MLK, east to WW White and west to Roosevelt. Grinnell remembers a big operation involving phone calls and visitation.

Ernest Dominguez was one of the children who rode the van to Baptist Temple Sunday School. As he got older he strayed away from church but, when God began to speak to his heart, he returned to the place where he first heard the gospel. Dominguez was baptized on Easter Sunday 2013.

Bus ministry is still used as an evangelistic tool by many churches today. In 2001, FBC Hammond still had a fleet of over 200 buses in operation.

Outreach to children is a vital ministry for a soul-wining church. Most Christians become followers of Christ as children. Furthermore, the fastest way to reach families is by ministering to children.

Check out this resource: The Bus Ministry Manual

Then the master told his servant,

"Go out to the roads and country lanes

and compel them to come in,

so that my house will be full."

Luke 14:23 (NIV)

Kindness evangelism

We are celebrating 40 days of Xtreme Love at Baptist Temple. We started on Feb 14 with a sermon series focused on Mark 12:30-31 and a lunch served by our youth that also served as a fund raiser for youth summer ministries. Later that week we collected and sorted clothing for our thrift shop.

On the second Sunday we provided cards with love assignments to do an act of kindness for a church member (including homebound), relative, friend or neighbor. Most were free but some could cost up to $10. The cards were color-coded according to cost. Tasks ranged from a phone call to taking someone out to lunch. The goal is to accomplish your task during the Lenten season.

That evening we had training on Kindness Evangelism. This involves showing God’s love in a practical way through some small act of kindness or service. These include giving out bottled water, flowers on mother’s day or free gift wrapping at the mall during the Christmas shopping season with NO STRINGS ATTACHED.

A small act accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit can change a person’s heart. It breaks down barriers because it offers grace without pressure. Remember, NO STRINGS ATTACHED!

“…Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42)

More on Kindness Evangelism

Does a church have to be big?

The median size of an American church size is 75. Nearly 60% of all American churches are less than 100. On the other end of the scale, only six percent of churches have over 500 in average attendance.

My own experience has been that you can have a healthy, effective church of between 50 and 100 people. Small churches can have an impact on its community. The church I was baptized in was smaller than 50. It had a big influence on my life and our neighborhood.

The church had a sizable building but had gone through a rapid decline when the interstate was built right across the street. The neighborhood transitioned from white, middle-class to impoverished and racially diverse. There was no sense of community as crime rose. Although the membership of Highland Park Baptist Church soon reflected the Neighborhood’s new demographics, it remained small.

No longer able to sustain traditional programs nor pay a full-time pastor, Highland Park partnered with suburban churches who wanted to work with the poor. One church helped with VBS each summer and another started an ESL/GED program.

Highland Park also hosted a Haitian mission that eventually took over the building but, in its final years, the struggling church saw three men surrender to ministry, started a new church, became the first pulpit for two ministry students and continued to be salt and light in its corner of Miami.

There are many churches out there like this. They are strategically located in areas of great need. They have no debt but few resources with which to minister to the community. These churches often pool resources to create a more effective ministry. They do youth ministry, backyard Bible clubs and other events together; some even share a pastor.

Other churches partner with better-resourced churches from more affluent areas that want to serve in needy areas. The less-resourced church offers a building and contacts in the community while the more affluent church brings material and human resources.

Partnerships among churches build up the workers and the Kingdom. It also demonstrates Christian community at its best. A church does not have to be big to be effective. By pooling resources a group of smaller churches can do the things the larger churches can do.

Here We Come a'Caroling

The tradition of Christmas caroling began as early as the 15th century when wandering minstrels performed songs in exchange for donations to be given to the needy. In fact, many of the carols we sing today were written during that time. Christmas carols are usually cheerful and proclaim the news of Christ birth.

Christmas is such a wonderful time for sharing the Good News. At what other time of the year can you stroll through your neighborhood, stop in front of the house of a complete stranger, sing a song about Jesus Christ, and get a smile in return.

Christmas caroling can be a part of a churches outreach strategy when combined with other events. While out caroling a church can hand out attractive invitations to other church events such as a Christmas Eve service. A particular neighborhood can be targeted for an annual evangelism campaign that would include invitations to Easter, block parties, backyard Bible clubs and other events.

Caroling also provides an opportunity to involve people who are newer to the church in a fun outreach event. Don’t forget to have Christmas cookies and other holiday snacks ready for afterwards. Some of the church’s seniors and others who may be averse to walking in winter weather might enjoy setting up the party.

The set up is simple. Make up a song sheet of carols. Keep it to one page (printed on both sides) and only one verse for each carol. Fun holiday songs such as “Jingle Bells” and “Winter Wonderland” are nice but rely heavily on songs that celebrate the birth of Christ. Avoid Santa songs, he gets enough publicity.

When you stop to sing, make sure the group stands together like a choir. Have a designated song leader and sing the songs in the order they are on the sheet. This will help things flow smoothly. Sing two songs at each stop, more if you draw a crowd. Sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” as you stroll away.

Brief your carolers so they can know what to expect and begin with prayer. Debriefing is a good idea, too. Let the folks share the contacts they made in the community.

Music touches everyone, and a song celebrating the birth of Jesus combined with the power of the Holy Spirit, may have an eternal impact on someone's life. Can you imagine the impact if every church went caroling at Christmas?

Transforming Communities

I recently visited a mission site near Helena, Arkansas, in one of the poorest communities of the US. This area was selected for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Together for Hope effort to reach out to the areas where the need is the greatest.

Using a combination of government, local and CBF resources, CBF missionaries Ben & Leonora Newell have developed programs to improve the life of the children in the community.

One major effort was renovating the community center gym, which was gutted by a fire. The reconstruction cost was more than the community could afford. The Newell’s secured a $70,000.00 grant and completely restored the facility using church mission teams.

Using the gym as a base of operations the Newell’s have after school programs and other activities that are staffed by volunteers from churches in the community. A summer-long recreation program is staffed by visiting mission teams from churches across America. Other ministries include a mobile library (donated by an Alabama church) and community gardens.

Their current big project is the construction of New Light Missionary Baptist in the heart of this impoverished community. Mission teams from CBF churches around the country are participating in this effort to build this beacon of hope in the midst of faith-numbing poverty.
Helena, Arkansas, stands as an example of what can be accomplished if we “attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.” The Newell’s ministry started small. They got the local churches organized, worked with local government agencies, and asked for help from other churches and community agencies.

This type of community transformation can be accomplished in any area. First, look for needs. Take a field trip though your neighborhood, paying particular attention to the poorer sections. Ask the local school principals. Meet with community based organizations. Interview the people in your church.

Second, as you are looking for needs, take note of human and material resources God is making available. There might be buildings or rooms you can use, abandoned fields for community gardens, people interested in working, etc.

Third, decide what you want to do first. There are more needs than resources, so go for the low hanging fruit first. By picking an easy task where there is agreement as to the need and sufficient resources, you will gain credibility for the next task. All big ministries start small.

Fourth, develop partnerships with churches, community based organizations, local government agencies, businesses and others who want to work together to creates a better future for your community.

Finally, remember that the greatest need in your community is Jesus. Meeting physical and emotional needs are important. It was a big part of Jesus ministry. We cannot neglect the spiritual needs of the people we serve.

Feed someone a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach someone to fish and you feed him for life. Lead someone to Jesus and they will never thirst again.