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

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God always has the last word!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
The storms have come in our lives in an unimaginably destructive way. In the future, more storms, literal and figurative, will intrude their mighty presence upon us, but we stand on the solid Rock of Christ! God has the last word, and that word is hope.

A Time to Remember
Friday, March 15, 2012
Those of us who witnessed the scenes of destruction in the early hours after the incidents were moved to tears and almost speechless as we viewed the indescribable debris and rubble caused by these tornadoes. Those memories are deeply etched in our minds.

A Call for Christian Stewardship during Scary Times
Friday, February 10, 2012
You have most likely heard and perhaps quoted those figures. Twenty percent of the people give 80 percent of the budget, and the other 80 percent give the remaining 20 percent.

June 2010

A Sincere and Respectful Call for A Great Commandment Renewal

The Orlando meeting of Southern Baptists is now history, and it made history in numerous ways. Affirming the task force report was of course the most noteworthy action taken by convention messengers. Months before the convention, there was a huge buildup of momentum toward receiving this report with vigorous debate but in the end a resounding approval. Although I have never tried to be a predictor of events, this vote was pretty close to what I anticipated.

When I talked to several of the task force members, they of course seemed joyfully relieved with the acceptance of the report by the messengers at the SBC. They also could not say exactly how this vision for change would be implemented in the future. They viewed their task as casting the vision and then the various boards have now been given the rather daunting challenge of implementation of the recommendations.

As we approach this period of implementation, I am calling on all involved to pray for A Great Commandment Renewal in Southern Baptist life. "Love one another" is what Jesus said to His disciples of old. I left the convention hall Wednesday night convinced that our Lord is challenging us to live by the Great Commandment as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission. Without love and respect for each other as partners, we can lose focus on the mission of the Great Commission. To be truthful: It’s vital that Christ-exemplified love be personified in each of us in the days to come, else we will spend more time accusing each other of not being “Great Commission enough” to be realistically effective.

In that spirit, I pledge to pray for our new SBC president, Bryant Wright. I’ve never met him personally, but I look forward to doing so in the near future. Additionally, I am truly remembering Frank Page in prayer as he assumes the helm of leadership at the SBC Executive Committee. Furthermore, I will be in continual prayer for the search teams at IMB and NAMB. Now more than ever, we need godly leaders of vision and discernment -- men who have a sense of what partnership in Baptist life really means.

I am going to renew my efforts to speak "the truth in love," which was Paul's application of the Great Commandment in personal relationships. As I have said earlier, I will do my best not to let disagreements define our relationships. I am praying that The Great Commandment Renewal will begin in me!

VBS Is a Blessing!

VBS is a blessing! You have read before how much I appreciate the ministry of outreach realized every year through Vacation Bible School. It is arguably the single most important evangelistic and discipleship experience available to churches during the course of a given year.

Think about it. How many times a year do you have this many people involved in a Christ-centered effort of reaching people and teaching them? That in itself is a major undertaking with enormous potential for life-changing experiences, not only for children but for adults too.

As a pastor, I always felt that VBS was to be a major commitment on my part. I wanted to be in town, involved and engaged in the efforts of impacting the lives of children, youth and adults. It was not a chore for me, but rather it was a joy!

My wife has been engaged with VBS at our church. I watched her prepare for the experience pouring hours of time into the preparation for leadership. I have enjoyed hearing her describe how her class, about 18 in number, has responded to the western theme and the Christ-centered teaching.

Other reports are coming to me about the exciting results being realized in local churches all across the state. This is a blessing to hear, because VBS is a blessing. I thank God for it and praise Him for the labor of love given by so many in Alabama Baptist life, so that others might know the love of Jesus Christ. That is an eternal blessing!