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

The final count is in! BCM/D Churches gave over 700 Buckets of Hope to victims of the Haiti earthquake. One bucket feeds a Haitian family for a week. That’s 700 families! Below is a little Thank You video we put together for our churches.

Thanks guys!

Inside Haiti Disaster Relief

Don’t forget to listen to last week’s Inside Haiti Disaster Relief podcast to find out how your church can begin prepping for a missions trip to Haiti.

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

Three hundred forty three messengers and 70 guests gathered for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware’s 174th annual meeting, Nov. 8-10 at the Sheraton, Towson. This year’s theme was “Connect…A conference celebrating the Great Commission.” Keynote speakers focused on connecting to God, to one another, to each other, to the community and to the world.

The yearly “family reunion” was shortened and revamped this year, focusing on truly “connecting” through break-out conference sessions, a workshop, special brunches and dinners and fellowship breakfasts and even a Baltimore mission tour where participants climbed to the roof of a Baltimore row home and prayed over the city. There was also a corresponding online devotional focusing on the “Connect” theme, with articles written by various BCM/D staff and church leaders.

Next year the convention will celebrate its 175th anniversary. Wow!

Photos from Connect 2009

More photos can be found online in the BCM/D photo archive, including photos from the Pastor’s Brunch, and the Baltimore Mission Tour.

BCM/D Featured Ministries

We also unveiled 11 new commercials each featuring one of our ministries. They are all featured below and can also be found on the BCM/D Video archive.

Get More Information

To hear more about the Annual Meeting, read the BaptistLIFE article

In an ever-changing environment today’s leaders must commit to excellence in our various leadership roles, sharpening their skills as leaders. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.”

“As Iron Sharpens Iron” (AISI), the BCM/D’s new leadership series, premiered in October. The Leadership Event with Mike Huckabee attracted 350 ministry and lay leaders from across Maryland and Delaware. The conference featured three keynote speakers, who spoke on the major principles of leadership, specifically ethics, integrity, and character.

Speakers included:
Mike Huckabee: Former Arkansas Governor and host of “Huckabee” on the Fox News Channel
Rod Hairston: Chaplain for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens
Andy Westmoreland: President of Samford University

We Had Questions, They Had Answers

During the question and answer period after each speaker’s presentation, attendees asked tough, real-life questions on leadership, and our keynoters gave honest, down-to-earth answers.

Between speakers, The Church at Severn Run praise team provided invigorating praise and worship. Gov. Mike Huckabee even joined in, rockin’ the bass during several worship songs.

Participants also received a pre-autographed copy of Gov. Mike Huckabee’s soon-to-be released book, “A Simple Christmas.” Huckabee personalized each book (or whatever else was on hand for him to sign) and posed for pictures with everyone who asked.

What Everyone is Saying…

So far the feedback has been phenomenal. Participants are emailing, Twittering, Facebooking, and calling us because they want to know about the next AISI event. Here’s some of the comments we’ve gotten so far…

First class all the way guys. Excellent conference!

I thought it was a great event and I enjoyed all the speakers. As a Women’s Missionary Union leader I found it helpful and uplifting. Keep them coming!

It was excellent!

You can even listen to what conference attendee Barbara Williams had to say: Listen now!

Photos from the Conference

Thank You!

Thank you for making this possible! Because you gave to the Cooperative Program, the BCM/D can provide high-quality conferences and events for our leaders at a fraction of the cost. Thank you!

What Did You Think?

Did you get to attend the Leadership Event with Mike Huckabee? We want to know what you thought! Leave us a note in the comments section!

Here at the BCM/D we believe prayer is pretty important (as if you didn’t already know). That’s why we were ecstatic when 200 people from different cultures and different linguistic backgrounds gathered to pray with us this September at our Asian Concert of Prayer. Surrounded by powerful praise, we prayed aloud in four different languages, including Korean, Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese.

The event was held on September 13th at Hanuri Korean Church in Silver Spring, MD. Twenty-five churches from across Maryland and Delaware were represented. Was your church one of them?

Thanks to Robert Kim, BCM/D Missionary for Asian Church Planting and Evangelism, and everyone who helped plan the event. It was stellar!

Tell Us About It

Were you there? We’d love to hear about it in your words. Leave us a comment below.

Photos from the Concert

Our BaptistLIFE Design Editor Shannon Baker gathered some amazing stills of the event. Check ‘em out below:

Last Monday, spectators gathered for a tour of the newly remodeled Shepherd’s Rest and to witness the BCM/D Executive Director, Dr. David Lee, and BCM/D President, Rev. Byron Day dedicate the facility in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

All About Shepherd’s Rest

Shepherd’s Rest is a peaceful vacation house available FREE to BCM/D ministers and their families. Each year, pastors may book two separate 3-night stays or one 6-night stay.

Located on the beautiful grounds of the BCM/D’s Skycroft Conference Center in Middletown, MD. Shepherd’s Rest has three bedrooms, two full baths, a washer/dryer, fully-outfitted kitchen, and (this is Dr. Lee’s favorite part) two flat screen TVs. There is a deck just off the kitchen with a breath-taking view from the mountain.

Guests of Shepherd’s Rest are welcome to enjoy the seasonal amenities of Skycroft including the outdoor pool and the Rec Center. Whenever the cafeteria is serving food, guests are welcome to eat meals free of charge (double-check with Skycroft staff to see if/when the kitchen will be open during your stay).

Remember, your contributions to the Cooperative Program make possible this ministry dedicated to strengthening our ministers and their families. Thank you!

Want to schedule your free stay at Shepherd’s Rest?

Call Skycroft at 800-536-6759.

Check out some pictures of Shepherd’s Rest

A few pictures are below, but an online virtual tour of the new facility will be available this November.