Sylvan Knobloch, director of Church Staff Development Ministries, works with pastors throughout the state and knows the struggles they face. He offers a few thoughts and ideas for church members. "I think churches encourage their pastors to feel like they need to respond to every crisis. Churches need to allow the deacons to deal and meet with people in the church experiencing crises that do not require pastoral attention."

He recommends congregants think about the size of their church. If it has between 100-150 members and only has one staff member - the pastor - members need to consider better utilizing their lay ministers or hiring additional staff. Knobloch says, "One man cannot adequately meet the demands of that church. Therefore a church needs to consider developing its lay ministers. The way to do that is through deacon ministry. Deacon ministry can enhance and develop them to meet the needs of the church by working with the pastor."

According to Knobloch, "The pastor could then better manage his time, which would allow him to pay more attention to his family, sermon preparation and spiritual walk with God. That would have a direct impact on the congregation because he would be more effective. Another direct impact would be making the deacons more effective."

"Better utilizing deacon ministry can help churches of any size," he says.

He encourages pastors to ask for time off or a sabbatical to refresh and renew themselves.

He recommends church members help their pastor attend a pastor retreat center and also suggests pastors take their families on a reasonably priced vacation.

Knobloch said, "IBSA provides counseling if pastors feel burned out or are having stress in their families. We’ll try to work out something with them or the insurance company to get the help they need. We want to be proactive with our pastors."

He also recommends that church members read the book, "Your Pastor is an Endangered Species" by H.B. London, Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman, to church members. The book contains "A Pastor’s Bill of Rights," which is designed to enhance the relationship between pastors and their congregations.

He shared a "horror story" one pastor experienced when his rights were not understood.

"The pastor was living in a parsonage when a large group of people from his congregation showed up at his door unexpectedly early one Saturday morning. They were there to do an inspection of ‘their’ house to see how well he was keeping up ‘their’ property."

Knobloch shared some common courtesies church members should give to their pastor.

"Give your pastor the opportunity to have time to develop friendships, and to dream about the future of the church and continue to respect his privacy. Protect his time."

He also advises church members to annually review their pastor’s pay package. "Our pastors in Illinois are paid about $5,000 less per year than pastors in other state conventions," he said. "It’s really not appropriate that we ask our pastors to make a sacrifice that is not being equally matched by church members."

He further explained, "We want our pastors to take a cut in pay to balance the budget when church members are not willing to give 1-2 percent more to make up the shortfall. I see it as a partnership. It is inappropriate to allow pastors to make up church budget deficits with their own salaries."

Knobloch offers booklets that include a guide for praying for your pastor, ideas about how to honor your pastor during the month and information about pastor retreat centers. To download copies go to www.ibsa.org. To order by phone, call Debbie Muller at (217) 786-2600, ext. 126.

The Cooperative Program surpassed $200 million in gifts for national causes for the first time in the Southern Baptist Convention’s history during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, according to an Oct. 3 announcement by Morris H. Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee.

And in the Gulf Coast states struck by Hurricane Katrina, Southern Baptists showed resiliency and resolve in maintaining support for Cooperative Program causes.

Chapman described the $200-million record as "a remarkable reminder that so many are giving faithfully, Sunday after Sunday, through the Cooperative Program. These multiple-upon-multiple sacrificial contributions make it possible to achieve so much more together in cooperative missions, ministries and theology than we could ever accomplish without each other.

"Moreover, this level of giving through the CP as a manifestation of Southern Baptist cooperation is an extraordinary testimony at a time when some mainline denominations have experienced reduced contributions resulting in cuts to their national programs," Chapman said. "Yet, so much more needs to be done, and I pray that Southern Baptists around the nation will press even harder to support our unified efforts through the Cooperative Program to reach the lost, minister to the hurting and provide biblical leadership to our country and the world."

Through their $200 million in gifts, Southern Baptists have supported 10,000-plus missionaries carrying the Gospel to remote regions overseas, to America’s inner cities and an array of localities in between.

Cooperative Program gifts opened doors for seminary training for a new generation of missionaries and pastors and other workers called to various facets of fulltime outreach. CP gifts also supported Southern Baptists’ witness amid the nation’s battle over family values and religious liberty. State Baptist conventions, meanwhile, also utilized Cooperative Program gifts from the churches in carrying out the broad scope of their evangelism and discipleship initiatives.

In reaching the $200-million threshold, SBC President Frank Page stated, "To say that this [milestone] causes a great deal of excitement is a tremendous understatement."

There is much to be gleaned from this juncture in SBC life, said Page, pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., listing three questions: "What does it mean? What does it teach? What is God saying to us through this?

"First of all, it means that Southern Baptists care about ministry, care about educating young men and women, but most of all care about missions," Page said. "It means that we truly believe that we can do more together than we can do separately."

Second, Page continued, "It teaches us that the Cooperative Program is an object of worth, one of value, which continues to need focus, emphasis and appreciation."

Third, Page cited Luke 12:48 - "Much will be required of everyone who has been given much" (HCS) - in noting, "This level of stewardship on the part of God’s people calls us to be serious in how this money is spent. It requires all [SBC] entities to recognize that the hand of God’s blessing is great, therefore the responsibility is equally great. We want to maximize this gift from God for maximum efficiency and impact."

Jim Futral, executive director of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, reported that Cooperative Program giving in the state was 10.35 percent ahead of budget at the end of September, despite the immensity of Hurricane Katrina’s impact.

"For years now, Mississippi has led the nation in per capita giving to benevolent and charitable causes ... [even though] our state also has the lowest per capita income in the nation," Futral observed. "It seems as though we struggle with trying to know how to make money but are blessed with the grace of giving money. If faced with a choice between the two, I would rather be among folks with a gracious heart."

Describing the Cooperative Program as "a channel of hope, strength and opportunity to continue doing Kingdom work," Futral noted, "It is because of the Cooperative Program that we have been able to respond immediately and continually to the needs of our churches and individuals across the coast, and at the same time continue to support Southern Baptist missions around the world with no reductions at all."

Around the country, numerous state conventions posted healthy increases in Cooperative Program giving. A 9.51 percent increase in West Virginia, for example, has followed various initiatives to broaden awareness of the SBC channel of missions support.

The Cooperative Program became a part of the West Virginia convention’s new pastor orientation, and the state Woman’s Missionary Union trained new workers in ways to teach cooperative missions support. Staff members have made the Cooperative Program a regular element in their speaking engagements and their correspondence. And the Cooperative Program will be the prime focus of this fall’s annual meeting of West Virginia Baptists.

"There is a great spirit moving in our convention at the present time," Executive Director Terry Harper said. "Not only is CP giving up, but baptisms are up as well, and I think they go hand in hand to some extent. When good things are happening, people get excited about it and they want to support it."

John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, which received increased giving from churches through the SBC Cooperative Program by 10.5 percent during the 2005-06 fiscal year, said, "We are grateful unto God the giving of Florida Baptist churches through the Cooperative Program has continued at a record-setting pace through 2006. No doubt Florida Baptists have been blessed of God and we are grateful for their faithfulness to support the Cooperative Program - the lifeblood of our worldwide missions commitment - which enables us to go into all the world, all the time at the same time."

And, at the place where the Cooperative Program starts - the local church - Eric Redmond, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Temple Hills, Md., said of the $200-million record, "I am overjoyed to see that Southern Baptist churches are taking seriously Christ’s call to proclaim His name to the ends of the earth."

In 2006, Hillcrest contributed 21 percent of undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program.

"I am excited to see that men and women will be trained at our schools for His service; I am excited to see that missionaries will be launched near and far to proclaim His name; and I am excited to see that we will continue to have a voice in public policy before our opinion leaders and policy makers.

"I am thankful," Redmond said, "that we are able to partner in this venture in just a small way."

Help your church see the difference they are making through the Cooperative Program. Free resources are available through most state convention offices or for a nominal charge through the national office. To contact the national CP office, call 800-722-9407 or log on to www.sbc.net/cp.

This will be the first annual meeting for Nate Adams as IBSA executive director. Adams will lead the Wednesday night worship service, which will be followed by a reception for Adams and his family. Longtime IBSA Senior Associate Executive Director Bill Weedman will also be honored for his years of service at the reception. Weedman officially retires in early November.

The meeting will also feature Memorial Moments for three Illinois Baptist leaders who passed away in the previous year: former IBSA executive director Maurice Swinford; former IBSA evangelism director and IBSA president Jimmy Baldwin; and former Illinois Baptist columnist Tom Adams.

The meeting’s Bible study leader is Dr. David Dockery. Dockery is president of Union University in Jackson, Tenn. He is also the author or editor of twenty-five books including "The Holman Bible Handbook," "Biblical Interpretation Then and Now," "Theologians of the Baptist Tradition" and "Shaping a Christian Worldview." In addition, he has contributed to nearly thirty others including "The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels," "The Dictionary of Paul and His Letters," "The Holman Bible Dictionary," "The Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology" and "Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart." In 2002, Dockery was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr. Patrick (Pat) Pajak, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur, will deliver the annual sermon. When he became pastor of Tabernacle Baptist in 1991, Tabernacle’s average Sunday morning attendance was 165. Now, it has an average Sunday morning attendance of 850. Tabernacle has 1,285 members and an annual budget of 1.7 million dollars.

August (Augie) Boto, general counsel and vice president for Convention policy of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention will also speak. Boto’s responsibilities include legal matters, the convention website and bylaw compliance by and among the SBC entities. His office also undertakes special assignments as delegated by the Executive Committee’s president like the "Forged by Faith" film series.

K.C. and Gail Crino, International Mission Board missionaries from Illinois will give the IMB report. The Crino’s are currently assigned to a church-planting movement reaching out to the lower class in Mexico City, Mexico.

The exhibit hall will be open for both the IBSA Pastor’s Conference and Annual Meeting. A LifeWay Bookstore will also be available.

"I hope as many of our churches as possible will send messengers and others to this special annual gathering," Adams commented. "It will be an exciting time both for celebrating the past year and for casting vision for our future together as Illinois Baptists. And I pray it will have a positive and lasting impact on the community of Springfield as well, as people see our love for the Lord, and for one another."

Call (888) 259-8696 to make overnight reservations at the Crowne Plaza, located at 3000 South Dirksen Parkway. Reservations at the adjacent Holiday Inn Express may be made by calling (217) 529-7771. When making reservations ask for the IBSA block of rooms. Rooms in the block are available Nov. 6-9. If you miss the Oct. 15 reservation deadline contact Larry Toller at (217) 786-2600, ext. 106.

To order messenger cards for the annual meeting contact Sandy Barnard, executive administrative assistant, at (217) 786-2600, ext. 107 or e-mail sandybarnard@ibsa.org.

The 2006 IBSA Annual Meeting schedule appears on this page.

Pastors’ Conference

The IBSA Pastors’ Conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza on Nov. 7-8. The meeting’s theme is "Walk Worthy of the Lord," which is taken from Colossians 1:8-9. The meeting starts at 3 p.m. on Tuesday and ends at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Program personalities include Nate Adams, IBSA executive director; Andre Dobson, pastor, Calvary Baptist, Alton, IL; Gary Frost, DOM New York Metropolitan Baptist Association; John Marshall, pastor, Second Baptist, Springfield, MO; Doug Munton, pastor, First Baptist, O’Fallon, IL; Jonathon Peters, pastor, First Baptist, Columbia, IL; Alvin Reid, professor, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; Doug Seaver, music evangelist, Huntsville, AL; and Hayes Wicker, pastor, First Baptist, Naples, FL.

For more information contact Doug Munton at (618) 632-6223.

Ministers’ Wives Fellowship

The IBSA Ministers’ Wives Fellowship will meet in conjunction with the IBSA Pastors’ Conference. The fellowship will begin at 8:45 a.m. on Nov. 8 at the Baptist Building located at 3085 Stevenson Drive (down the street from the Crowne Plaza). A luncheon will follow. Free childcare will be provided. All children needing childcare must be pre-registered by Oct. 25.

Pre-register for the fellowship by sending a check for $10 to Joanne Ford, 612 Mulberry, Greenfield, IL 62044. The registration deadline is Oct. 25. For more information call Joanne Ford at (217) 368-2547, Carolyn Hall at (618) 736-2997 or Jeanne Hamson at (618) 736-2573.

So that summer we assembled our youth group and their friends in lots of different places: theme parks, retreat centers, bowling alleys, miniature golf courses and summer camps. On Sunday mornings we assembled at church. On Sunday nights we assembled in host homes after church. And on Wednesday nights the most devoted students would assemble for discipleship training. One holiday weekend I remember suggesting that we cancel Sunday night youth group because many families would be traveling. The students’ immediate outcry and their parents’ satisfied smiles made me realize that God had blessed us with that special biblical concept called fellowship. It made us want to be together. We were learning that special things can happen when the people of God faithfully assemble.

This fall I’ve seen that same, wonderful fellowship dynamic over and over again, not only in individual churches but also in the annual meetings of local associations all over Illinois. It’s so encouraging to see the people of God assembling together to worship and fellowship and cooperate in fulfilling the Great Commission. We affirm and celebrate biblical doctrine. We report progress in ministry and missions. And we eat really, really well. Such is the nature of Baptist assemblies.

Next month we will do it again, this time on a statewide level. We’ve chosen a place (Springfield) and a time (November 8-9). And as a voluntary association of Baptist churches from all over the state of Illinois we will again assemble and invite God to do something special among us. We will be honored to welcome Union University’s President Dr. David Dockery as our Bible Study leader. There will be reports from many of our national SBC entities. And I’ve been asked to share a message and vision for the future of IBSA during a special Wednesday night worship service. Afterwards a special reception will give us an opportunity to meet - and eat - more informally. Personally I would love it if every IBSA church could be represented. Can you or someone from your church make it a priority to come and join this special assembly?

During those early days as a youth minister, I learned a chorus that has stuck with me over the years:

As we gather may your Spirit move within us

As we gather may we

glorify Your Name

Knowing well that as our hearts begin to worship

We’ll be blessed because we came

We’ll be blessed because we came

That is my prayer for this year’s annual meeting in Springfield. I believe that if we gather, and if God’s Spirit will move, and if we give Him heartfelt worship - that we’ll truly be blessed because we came.

The body of Christ is made up of many wonderful parts. Still it’s clear - some assembly is required. I hope to see you next month.

The training center now floats on the Amazon River and will be taken to different points along the river to assist in ministry efforts. In addition to using the center for training, the Harner’s plan to use it for new church starts and Bible studies.

This was a repeat trip for some of the team members including Jim Butler, a member of Ashmore Baptist and Shirley Harner’s brother, "This was my third trip and every one of them have been special in their own way. The opportunity to work with the local church is a great blessing. … I especially enjoy hearing the Brazilian Christians singing the songs that are familiar to us but in their native language; it is really beautiful and blesses my soul."

Butler added, "There is the verse in Acts 1:8 where Jesus told his disciples that they (we) would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria and the uttermost part of the world. To me the Amazon jungle is the ‘uttermost part of the world.’ I really love the fellowship with Brazilian Christians and knowing that we are all ‘one’ in Christ Jesus."

For others on the team, like Monty Walters also a member of Ashmore Baptist, it was their first trip to Brazil. Walters shared, "What comes to my mind about our trip is that we have so much and are blessed in the States and I so often take it for granted. Fred said because they have so little, they are truly grateful for what they receive. My experience in Brazil has made me more grateful for what the Lord has blessed me with."

Lucy Johnson, the team’s only member from Martinsville First, described the weeklong trip as "a heart changing experience." Said Johnson, "The most difficult thing for me was not understanding their language, yet God’s Spirit overcame that barrier. The pastor and people of Anama that we came in contact with were a sweet spirited people. I believe God blessed them through us and will continue to use our having been there to encourage those who already know our Jesus, and give others a hunger to know Him. I believe without a doubt that God put our team together and we can claim Ephesians 3:20, ‘With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.’"

Team members also led Vacation Bible School classes while in Brazil.

As I walked into the lobby of the restaurant, I was intrigued by a strange-looking machine that resembled a type of scale.

I certainly was in no mood to step on a scale. My wife and I had just come from a jeweler’s, where I had gotten my third wedding ring in 40 years. No, I haven’t been married three times, but I have had two previous rings cut off my finger. That’s what happens when your ring size goes from 10 to 14 over the decades. The only other alternative is gangrene, because of curtailed blood circulation to the third finger of the left hand.

On closer observation, I observed that the weird machine was not a scale. It was a "health-o-meter" that would give a reading of your physical condition. Yep, that’s what I said. Just put a quarter in the coin drop and stick your finger in the slot. Then in 30 seconds you would have the results.

"Wow," I thought, "this is fantastic! Why take an afternoon off and give a hundred bucks to a physician when you get the same thing in less than a minute for less than the price of a newspaper?"

Cautiously, I surveyed the area to make sure no one was looking. Then, hesitantly, I plunked in a quarter, raised my sweaty palm and placed my finger in the designated slot. I was careful to lean over the dial to hide the flashing digital readout. After all, what if I get a lousy report?

The directions said if the numbers were 95-100 you were in superior physical condition. If they were 85-95 you were in excellent shape. If they were 70-85 you were "acceptable." Anything below that - well, you were in a pretty sad circumstance.

Finally, the flashing numbers settled. Hooray, I was "acceptable"! Barely, I suppose, but hey, what’s the difference? I passed, even if not with flying colors. I was ecstatic as I relayed the good news to my wife, "I’m acceptable." She smiled, benignly. Admittedly, I was disappointed she wasn’t more excited.

As we ate our lunch, I confess I had some second thoughts. Just how reliable is a machine where you pay a quarter and stick your finger in a slot? Why, I could easily be better - or worse - than the blinking red digits.

Sort of gave me some second thoughts about some other "readouts" in life and ministry. Do you think it’s possible we could be using the wrong criteria?

Focusing on immediately present scandals (for the public seems ready to forgive things that happened years ago), I see at least three ways that the politicians’ fortunes play out:

They resigned in disgrace.

This is the route Florida’s Representative Foley chose when reports of lurid text messages to male pages surfaced. Louisiana Representative Bob Livingston also resigned when, in 1998, his multiple, heterosexual adulteries were uncovered. In these cases, we simply do not know how things would have played out in their districts. Perhaps they resigned because they knew they were goners should they run again. Maybe they were overcome with a sense of personal unworthiness or they saw their hopes of party leadership disintegrating. They might have been thinking of continuing damage to their families should the media scrutiny continue. It was probably a combination of factors.

They persist, futilely, in disgrace. Illinois provides two examples of Congressmen who tried to hang on. In 1983, Dan Crane offered a tearful apology for his affair with a 17-year-old female page, and continued to serve. However, voters turned him out of office the next year.

After being indicted for having sex with a 16-year-old female campaign worker, Mel Reynolds ran successfully for re-election in 1994. However, his denials evaporated in 1995, when he was convicted for sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography. And then, while in prison, he was convicted of bank fraud and lying to the SEC investigators. After serving years in prison and having his bank fraud sentence commuted by President Clinton, Reynolds ran for re-election in 2004 - and was defeated.

They flourished in disgrace.

Alas, Massachusetts is another story. In 1983, Congress censured Representative Gerry Studds for an ongoing affair with a 17-year-old male page, but Studds did not apologize. In fact, he defiantly turned his back on the chair when the motion passed. Nevertheless, he was re-elected five more times before retiring in 1997.

In 1990, the House reprimanded Congressman Barney Frank for hiring and then co-habiting with a male prostitute who set up a prostitution business in Frank’s apartment. Nevertheless, through unbroken re-election, Frank serves to this day.

How can a district become comfortable with a sexual sinner? Perhaps they think that homosexuality, promiscuous sex with young employees or prostitution is no big deal. Perhaps many of them have also been promiscuous or adulterous and so they would be condemning themselves if they drew firm lines. Perhaps they even pride themselves on re-electing scoundrels, thereby showing they are more "progressive" or "redemptive" than the rest of us. Perhaps they suspect they too would fall given a Congressman’s opportunities for sin. Perhaps they think that sexual immorality has little or nothing to do with one’s performance as a legislator. Or perhaps it is simply a matter of political advantage; they know the current official will deliver the goods, whether as part of a partisan voting block in DC or in terms of goodies for their district. None of these reasons is morally impressive.

Yes, God has done great and merciful things with us sinners, including the adulterous murderer, David. And yes, the blood of Christ cleanses all who turn to him in repentance. But if "righteousness exalts a nation and sin is a reproach to any people," then the electorate must insist upon standards of sexual decency for its officials. To fail to do so is to bring dishonor not only on the guilty legislator, but also upon the constituency that sustains him.

In the list of perhapses, I failed to mention a big one: Perhaps the churches in the district have failed to be biblically prophetic and failed to exercise church discipline over matters of sexual immorality; perhaps they have withered spiritually as they have become increasingly indistinguishable from the sub-Christian culture around them. It’s worth a look.

Mark Coppenger is pastor of Evanston Baptist Church. Send comments to: m.coppenger@ comcast.net.

I am amazed at God’s handiwork, the world, and all of its wonders. I am amazed as I see Niagara Falls, the Great Lakes, the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest. I am amazed as I see the clouds, the flowers, the trees and the butterflies.

I am amazed as I think of mankind and of God’s great love for each one of us. I am amazed at the Cross, at Christ’s death and His resurrection. I am amazed at the reality of eternal life and at the joy that I feel knowing that one day I will see the Master face-to-face.

I am amazed that God would allow me the opportunity to serve Him throughout the great state of Illinois. I am amazed that He would call me to work with the great people that make up the great churches that work together as the Illinois Baptist State Association.

I am amazed as I see nearly 1,100 Southern Baptist churches working together to reach out to over 8 million lost people in this great state. I am amazed at the love that flows out of these great people.

I am amazed at the great team that God is putting together to lead out in this great shoulder-to-shoulder joint effort with our churches. I am amazed that God has called spiritual giants like Van Kicklighter and Marty King to our team. I am amazed and thankful that God has allowed me to return to my first love of missions.

Yes, I am still amazed at the great God that we serve and how He has chosen to do a great work through a great people known as Illinois Baptists. Is this a great state or what?