Why Horizons?

The face of ministry is constantly changing. How can your church keep up? The Horizons conference offers innovative ministry training that emphasizes growing and developing ministries for your church. Ministry leaders can meet, network, and build relationships with their peers from churches throughout the state, while attending workshops geared towards meeting your needs and answering your questions. Register for Horizons today on the BCM/D Horizons Registration page!

Today we go inside this exciting training event with a Pastor and a Sunday School Director to hear why they and their key leadership make a point of attending Horizons every year. You’ll also get a sneak peek at some of the new sessions being offered this year. Go ahead, click play.

Horizons Info

July 23-24 at Skycroft Conference Center, Middletown MD
Horizons Registration

Tax Day!

Let’s face it, taxes can be pretty confusing especially if you’re doing them for Ministers or their church. That’s why we offer the Ministers’ Tax Seminar every year. So you can get your questions answered!

We decided to go inside this year’s Ministers’ Tax Seminar with Tom Stolle, our Chief Financial Officer, and Shannon Beal, Branch Manager Assistant for Smith and Barney. Listen closely to find out why you should plan on attending the seminar next year.

Extras

• Financial and Legal page
• Helpful Links

How You Can Help

Maryland/Delaware Baptists gave over 700 Buckets of Hope to the Haiti relief effort.

Southern Baptists are known for their disaster relief response. Within days of the Haiti earthquake, Southern Baptists were on the scene. Today we go inside the SBC Haiti Disaster Relief effort with our Disaster Relief Missionary, Ellen Udovich. Find out how Southern Baptists are helping the victims of the Haiti earthquake, how you can pray for disaster relief coordinators in Haiti, and how your church can start preparing for a disaster relief missions trip to Haiti.

Buckets of Hope

We also want to take this moment to say “Thank You” to Maryland/Delaware baptists and your generous gifts to the Haiti Disaster Relief effort. Maryland/Delaware Baptists also gave over 700 Buckets of Hope. Praise God!

Disaster Relief Extras

• NAMB Disaster Relief Newsletter
• Baptist Global Response
• MD/DE Disaster Relief

Rounding Up Questions, Driving Home Answers

“Every church is different but every boy and girls still needs to know Jesus.”

Churches across Maryland and Delaware are gearing up for Vacation Bible School (VBS) this summer. That’s why we gathered our convention’s resident VBS experts. In today’s podcast, they’ll preview this year’s theme, Saddle Ridge Ranch: Round up Questions, Driving Home Answers. We’ll also discuss the annual VBS Expo sponsored by the BCM/D and upcoming opportunities for regional VBS training available to churches in our dual-state convention.

So go ahead, press play to learn about the exciting resources available to your church for VBS this summer!

Inside VBS Goodies

• VBS Safety & Security Handbook (Download .pdf)
• Photos from VBS 2010 Expo
• Regional VBS Training Schedule
• VBS website by Lifeway (the creators of Saddle Ridge Ranch)

VBS Expo Slideshow

Every year the BCM/D celebrates unity and diversity at its Language Music Celebration with music, worship, and of course, food. This year the event boasted more than 400 attendees representing 8 different language groups from churches across Maryland and Delaware.

Join me as we go inside the celebration with its director Rolando Castro, BCM/D Hispanic Church Planting, Evangelism and Language Ministries missionary. Learn about the celebration, hear what you missed and find out how you can get involved next year.

Remember, this celebration is made possible every year by gifts to the Cooperative Program from Maryland and Delaware Baptists.

BCM/D Goodies

• 2009 Language Music Celebration Photos
• 2008 Language Music Celebration Photos
• BCM/D Language Ministry Page
• Global Mission Church is the church where LMC was held

Join us as we go inside the BCM/D with two of its key leaders: Dr. David Lee, BCM/D Executive Director and Rev. Byron Day, newly-elected Convention President (Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Laurel, MD).

In this candid interview, Dr. Lee shares what the BCM/D is doing differently in 2009 to be a more effective resource for you and your church; Rev. Day suggests realistic ways you and your church can support/participate in BCM/D cooperative efforts; and together they challenge churches to consider the balance between serving the needs of the local church and cooperative missions.

“What is the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, anyway?” Once you get past that question, I’m convinced you’ll want to be involved prayerfully, financially, and purposefully.

iBCM/D Goodies

• Balance is a Good Word (Dr. Lee’s BaptistLIFE article, includes audio)
• To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before (Rev. Day’s BaptistLIFE article)
• 2008 Annual Meeting Site
• BCM/D Photos (Check out what’s going on at the BCM/D)

Events to Keep on Your Radar

• Uncharted: Youth Evangelism Conference (March 27-29)
• Managing Change: Love it or Lead it (April 7)
• Treasure: Ministers’ Wives Retreat (April 17-18)

Ignore the noise in the background, the air conditioner kicked on for the first few minutes…

Whether you’re new to VBS or a seasoned veteran, find out what resources the BCM/D Vacation Bible School team has available to your church and your VBS ministry.

Go Inside with the VBS Team

Discover the great training and networking opportunities available to VBS leaders and volunteers across Maryland/Delaware in 2009. Learn about this year’s VBS theme curriculum Boomerang Express and get great ideas for your church’s VBS this summer. Get a sneak peek at what’s in store at this year’s VBS Expo on February 28th.

Interviewees include June Holland, Children’s Ministry Missionary for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware; Mike Waterson of The Church at Covenant Park; and Susan Kitchen of the The Church at Severn Run.

iBCM/D Goodies

• 2009 VBS Training Dates for BCM/D
• Boomerang Express Website
• Lifeway VBS Website

Events to Keep on Your Radar

• YEC Uncharted Conference
• Ministers’ Wives Retreat

Listen Now!

Make a Difference

Challenge students to make a difference, we did and we’re doing it again. Last year, over 1200 students from across the state joined together to make a difference in Baltimore at Uncharted 2008.

Maina Mwaura, BCM/D Missionary for Student Ministry takes us inside Uncharted, the missions and evangelism experience for Maryland/Delaware students. Get the lowdown on last year’s conference, and find out what Maina’s got in store for Uncharted 2009, March 27-29. We challenge you to show up and make a difference.

Sidenote: This is first time I’ve had a guest ask to sing and for cake. Don’t worry, I didn’t let Maina sing.

Uncharted Goodies

• Uncharted Website
• Uncharted 2009 Facebook Group
• Uncharted 2009 Blog
• Photos from Uncharted 2008
• Video from Uncharted 2008
• BCM/D Student Ministry Page

iBCM/D Goodies

• Download your free 2009 BCM/D Calendar here
• BCM/D website

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpluDNjACAw

Looking for ways to make your Children’s Ministry or Weekday Education program policies more secure? Want a solid outline for your church’s children’s safety procedures?

Then join us as we talk with June Holland, BCM/D Children’s Ministry Missionary and the creator and developer of the new BCM/D Safety and Security Manual: Safe Environments for Children in Churches. Learn about the author, and find out how the manual can help you and your church protect your children, your workers, and your volunteers.

Children’s Ministry Goodies

• Download the Safety and Security Manual now (free)
• BCM/D Children’s Ministry page

iBCM/D Goodies

• BCM/D Annual Meeting Site

The Gift?

Don’t feel like you have the gift of spiritual evangelism? You’re not alone. Apparently 90% of Christians feel the same way. So how do we engage in evangelism? And what is evangelism anyway?

The Seminar

Join us as we go inside the concept of Doable Evangelism and discuss last weekend’s Doable Evangelism Seminar sponsored by the BCM/D.

Thom Thornton, the BCM/D missionary for evangelism and Misty Pearson, a seminar attendee join us for an in-depth look at the conference, the “lost” interview, and cool ways to make evangelism “doable” for the 90% of us to whom evangelism doesn’t come quite so easily.

Doable Evangelism Goodies

• Off the Map
• Watch the Lost Interviews

iBCM/D Goodies

• Annual Meeting Site
• BCM/D Site
  
• BCM/D Evangelism Site

Watch the Off the Map Commercial