At Indiana’s East Central Association women’s retreat this weekend, I get to lead a breakout session about “How to Plan a Mission Trip.”  I love giving fun little tips, and I’m looking forward to the class.

However, for basic planning, there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel! I found these fabulous instruction guides, already prepared and ready for you to go. There is even a downloadable book about planning a mission trip. 

You’re going to love these: (more…)

Click here to read article from the Florida Baptist about upcoming conference. I’m looking forward to helping with this.

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We made a quick trip to Atlanta Monday for a very special celebration.

Southern Baptists’ North American Mission Board commissioned our new President, Dr. Geoff Hammond.The reception was gorgeous. The ceremony was touching and inspiring. What exciting days!

In this photo, his wife, Debbie, is singing in the praise team (right).

 That was well worth the trip! But there were two surprises…

We got to see Mike Woods commissioned as a NAMB chaplain. Mike works in Anderson Indiana as a nursing home chaplain, and also serves as a youth minister at Baptist Church there.

AND we were surprised to see a friend from our former church, First Baptist in Humble TX, who was commissioned. Heather and Austin Vann are planting a church in Oswego New York (www.theoutpouringchurch.com). I taught Heather in 5th grade Sunday School!  And Austin played intramural football with our son, Justin, at Dallas Baptist University.  Isn’t this Christian family amazingly small? 

(Steve, Heather, Austin)

Isn’t God good to call out such wonderful leaders in Atlanta and Indiana and New York?

What a great day of encouragment.

Isn’t God’s timing great? 

On our way home from England, we stopped in Atlanta for a couple of days for meetings with the North American Mission Board and state executive diretors.

NAMB’s new president’s wife, Debbie Hammond, took the wives out for a lovely luncheon at Stone Mountain. She is a true delight, and we all enjoyed the time with her.

Then we strolled around the antebellum plantation grounds. Just as we got to the furthest point from the entrance, a “gulley-washer” of a rainstorm came, trapping us in the plantation home.

So as we sat under the covered porch, overlooking the gardens and grounds, we spent the afternoon together chatting and sharing and praying.

What a treasured time!  God knew these busy women needed some down-time together. Isn’t He so good?

Pray for Debbie and Dr. Geoff Hammond as he leads our home missions program for the Southern Baptist Convention. What an enormous, eternity-impacting responsibility! 

  (Picture: Debbie Hammond, Shirley Lewis, me, Mary Turner, Peggy Beggs, Kay Mackey, Sherry Lee)