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State Missionary Rick Lance is executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

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A gift that gives and gives...
Friday, August 13, 2010
As Christians we have opportunities to have an even greater impact for the kingdom of God. Our giving, our stewardship touches people, not just in one country, but throughout the whole world. We can give in such a way that "though dead, we still speak."

Do you believe in "teachable moments"?
Saturday, July 24, 2010
During my ministry, I have been stopped in my tracks by the amazing realization of how the Lord was getting my attention and teaching me something very important.


February 2010

Praying Over Feet

Submitted: Monday, February 15, 2010; 7:42 p.m.
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Most Baptists do not believe that foot washing is an ordinance. Yet it is a biblical concept. The vivid description of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples is one of the best depictions of servanthood anyone can imagine. The scene must have shocked Peter and the other disciples, but this did not stop Jesus from taking a towel and washing the feet of these ordinary men who had become His followers.

Recently, Bobby Welch, former president of the SBC, led a brief devotional for a meeting of executive directors from state conventions all over North America. This veteran pastoral/missions leader read the words of Scripture, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news." Then he challenged us to group together in twos and pray over each other's feet.

My prayer partner was Bob White, executive director of our neighbor state convention in Georgia. I kneeled down and placed my hands over his feet (shoes) and asked the Lord to use the influence of Bob White to continue to "bring the good news" to people. When I concluded, Bob then kneeled down and prayed a similar prayer over my feet.

Afterward, Bob and I spontaneously hugged each other in an act of Christian love. Few times in my life has such a simple act meant so much to me. I was moved to tears, and I glanced around the room and I saw so many Christian leaders kneeling down and praying for each other. I wish I had taken a picture of the scene. Well, in one way I did take a picture. It was a mental one, tucked away in the archives of meaningful moments in my ministry.

We may not believe that foot washing is an ordinance, but we do believe in praying for each other. When you pray over the feet of Christian leaders, you are making a commitment to pray for these brothers more than just at that particular moment. For years to come, Bob White will be uppermost in my prayers. I am praying that his feet will become even more beautiful in "bringing the good news" to others.

Thank you, Bobby Welch, for helping me, and I am sure many others, to learn to pray in this profoundly simple way for my brothers in the ministry. This moment is etched in my memory for the rest of my life. I now have an even more special bonding with my friend, Bob White. May his ministry be blessed as his "beautiful feet" are used to serve the Lord.

VBS a GPS Strategy

Submitted: Friday, February 5, 2010; 9:34 a.m.
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God's Plan for Sharing is a decade-long strategic emphasis on the part of Southern Baptists. Across Alabama is the first phase of this crucial effort of reaching people for Christ. Across Alabama points to a celebration of harvest on Easter Sunday. I look forward to participating in one of these Easter celebrations at Heritage Baptist Church in Montgomery.

Beyond Easter, there is another tremendous opportunity to reach people in a time-tested and practically proven way. It is Vacation Bible School. Alabama Baptists lead the SBC in VBS outreach efforts. More than 10,000 leaders were trained for VBS ministry assignments last year in our state. Approximately 250,000 people were enrolled in VBS. Literally thousands of decisions for Christ were made during the hundreds of VBS experiences in Alabama Baptist churches.

Personally my own conversion experience was related to a Vacation Bible School when ,as a young child, I heard the Gospel message and responded publicly the following Sunday. For this reason and many others, I am an advocate for VBS. I wish every church would somehow participate in hosting a VBS. Smaller churches can unite their efforts and share leadership and combine their energies to reach people during VBS.

VBS can be a missions experience too. Churches can commission leaders to go across the state and assist other churches in effectively providing a healthy VBS experience. VBS is an "Acts 1:8, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth"-kind of strategy which is the very essence of GPS, God's Plan for Sharing!

The reason I am emphasizing VBS now is obvious. It needs to be an intentional act of training for VBS leaders. VBS is one way to share Christ in this Decade to make a Difference before us. May this be our best VBS year ever for Alabama Baptists and all Southern Baptists.

(For important information about VBS, please contact State Missionary James Blakeney at 1-800-264-1225, ext. 286, or jblakeney@alsbom.org.)