Greece Trip, Part 1

Recently, some 108 teenagers and adults from the United States converged on the city of Thessaloniki, Greece as part an intensive International World Changers ministry project. Of those 108 World Changers—representing several churches in different states—Mount Hermon Baptist Church had the largest contingent by far, with 46 participants.

This was indeed a historic trip for our church. Although our youth ministry has a long and illustrious history of hands-on missions involvement, this certainly was our most far reaching effort in terms of distance and scope. Sending nearly 34 teens and 12 adults across the Atlantic for a week of ministry and outreach is no small undertaking. I want to applaud our church family for their faith, vision, obedience, prayerfulness, mission-mindedness and generosity, without which this trip would have been utterly impossible.

The trip also was historic because of the destination itself. Think about it, we were visiting a place written about in the Bible. And we were following in the footsteps of the first missionary to ever carry the Gospel to that part of the world. Some 20 centuries ago, the Apostle Paul came to the region of Macedonia, entered the city of Thessalonica, proclaimed to Jew and Gentile alike the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, and planted a church there. Acts, Chapter 17 records this story for us. (The New Testament also contains two letters that Paul later wrote to encourage and instruct the new church at Thessalonica.) It was exciting for our teens (as well as their pastor) to realize that we were literally continuing the work Paul had begun in Thessalonica some 2000 years earlier. For there’s still a great spiritual need in the city today just as there was in Paul’s day.

Modern-day Thessaloniki is the 2nd largest city in Greece. It’s a coastal city, located in the northern part of on the country, along the Aegean Sea. The city’s metropolitan area has an estimated population in the neighborhood of a million people. Thessaloniki (also was known as Salonica) was named after the sister of Alexander the Great. Founded in 315 BC, its history has been like a Greek tragedy, with disasters, warfare, and foreign domination part of its story. Consider the events the 20th century alone. In 1913, the king of Greece was assassinated on a trip to Thessaloniki. Most of the city was destroyed by fire in 1917, leaving thousands homeless. During World War II, the city fell to Nazi Germany. Under German occupation more than 90% of the city’s Jewish population was exterminated. Then, the city suffered severe damage from Allied bombing throughout the remainder of war. Although today Thessaloniki is a prosperous, modern city, its residents have definitely known heartache and suffering.

The predominant religion in Thessaloniki (as well as in all of Greece) is the Greek Orthodox Church, which split from Roman Catholicism nearly 1000 years ago (some 500 years before the Protestant Reformation). In fact, the Greek constitution recognizes the Greek Orthodox faith as the “established” religion of the country. Reportedly, some 98% of Greek citizens are baptized into the Greek Orthodox Church, though far fewer actually practice their faith. And most of them certainly do not understand the opportunity (and necessity) for a personal faith relationship with Jesus Christ. Evangelical Christians are very much a minority in Greece. Reportedly, only 30,000 Christians are classified as Protestants. That’s miniscule considering the nation’s total population is over 11 million.

So, there are some unique challenges to doing ministry in Greece. But our World Changers rose to the occasion and in one incredible week left a huge positive impact on the city—an impact that I trust will continue to be felt long after we’re gone.

What kinds of things did we do? Some of us worked out in the hot sun for much of the week doing beach clean up in the Pilea district of Thessaloniki. This garnered quite a bit of local media coverage. (A television camera crew came by to film us in action. A newspaper reporter interviewed many in our group. A major news article including photos of many of our teens appeared in the next day’s paper.) We also received public recognition from the mayor himself. (He brought us to his office at city hall for a special presentation, he came to the beach personally to observe our work, and near the end of the week he invited a number of our World Changers to a special dinner to show his appreciation!) All of this created a great deal of positive goodwill in the city and left the residents with a much more favorable impression of evangelical Christians (and Americans as well).

A lot of our ministry, however, was to the city’s minority groups, immigrants, refugees, and outcasts. Some of our work crews labored in intense heat in the local gypsy camps, doing construction work as a way of demonstrating the selfless love of Christ. Many team members also ministered to the gypsy children and their families. All of this created such a positive impact that the King of the Gypsies opened his arms to us and met with our leaders. A vital connection had been made to one of the hardest-to-reach people groups. Other World Changers ministered in the city parks and public square. Drama, face-painting, balloon shapes, survey work, personal one-on-one witnessing—all of these were a means of getting the Gospel out. One of our own young ladies led a 19-year-old German tourist to Christ! In the midst of all this activity, many of our Mount Hermon youth perhaps for the first time encountered people that were completely atheistic in their worldview.

Sports ministry was also a key part of our week. Our guys and girls doing sports worked under the leadership of Pastor Ernie, the shepherd of Glad Tidings International Fellowship. A native Filipino and—before coming to Christ—a seaman, Pastor Ernie leads a flock that is a colorful mosaic of people, a true microcosm of the world. His English-speaking congregation, which looks a lot like what Heaven is going to look like, consists of Asians, Africans, Americans, Middle Easterners and others.

Each night, with Pastor Ernie serving as the referee, the boys played soccer in the park. The games were intensely competitive. America vs. Greece. America vs. Afghanistan. America vs. the world. Following the games, there would sometimes be a late night dialogue regarding matters of faith and religion. One night, our young men had a deep discussion with a group Afghani refugees regarding Christianity and Islam.

At the same time the guys were playing soccer, many of our girls were involved in volleyball. A few native Greeks participated, but for the most part the other girls were Albanian, Afghani and Russian. After the games, there would a time of fellowship and one of our girls would share a personal testimony of her faith in Christ.

The week was all about connecting with people, establishing relationships, building bridges of trust, and planting seeds, so that our brothers and sisters there can continue to cultivate those relationships and water those seeds. Our hope is that someday it will all result in a harvest. I plan to stay in touch with Pastor Ernie and get periodic reports on the follow up efforts.

All in all, it was a great week. We had some hurdles to overcome, but we easily did so with God’s help. A number of our youth had never flown before. Traveling across 7 time zones, flying all through the night across the Atlantic, spending 8 or 9 hours on a plane in one sitting, dealing with jetlag—that was quite an experience for one’s first flight. But everyone did well.

And then, there were the physical challenges. The temperatures for part of the week were in the triple digits as Greece experienced its worst heat wave in many years. Our daily schedule was very intense, and often grueling, with very little letup. Several teens dealt with health issues—allergies, respiratory infections, upset stomachs, dehydration, etc—but they were troopers and pressed on as best they could. And then of course, there was the traffic. Crossing the busy streets in Thessaloniki is truly taking your life into your own hands. I’ve been to a lot of different countries, and seen some crazy driving, but I’ve never seen such aggressiveness behind the wheel as I saw in Greece.

But, through it all, our team was resilient, God was glorified, and we all came back safe and sound (although weary). I wish you could have been there to see our youth in action. You would have been so proud of them. I certainly was.

Stay tuned. In my next blog, I'll tell you more about our Grecian experience.

Pastor Danny

Pete Gray: One-Armed Wonder

The other day, Dillon Powell—a true baseball fan—was telling me about a college baseball pitcher that could pitch with either hand. Pat Venditte is a first team All-Conference relief pitcher for Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. When left-handed hitters come up to bat, he throws to them with his left hand. When right-handed batters step up to the plate, he pitches to them with his right hand. I’ve heard of switch-hitters before, but never a switch-pitcher! Interestingly, the ambidextrous hurler throws 78 to 81 miles per hour with his left hand, and 88 to 91 MPH with his right. To call this remarkable is an understatement. He just came off a great junior year in which he recorded an 8-2 won-loss record, 4 saves, a 1.88 earned run average, 99 strikeouts in 95 2/3 innings, and a 32 2/3-inning scoreless streak! Wow! I hope he makes it to the professional level. It sure would be a treat to watch this guy pitch in the big leagues some day.

This story led me to tell Dillon about another unusual baseball player. A one-armed guy named Pete Gray. When I first mentioned Pete Gray to Dillon, he thought I was talking about Jim Abbott, another remarkable athlete. Jim Abbott was a major league pitcher from 1989 to 1998. He was born with no right hand, but with his left hand he became quite a pitcher. (He let his glove rest on his stub while he was pitching, and immediately transferred it to his hand after each pitch.) After an award-winning collegiate career at the University of Michigan, including winning an Olympic gold medal as a pitcher for Team USA in 1988, Abbott bypassed the minor leagues entirely and jumped directly to the majors, where he pitched for the Angels, the Yankees, the White Sox, and the Brewers. Among his 87 career wins as a major leaguer was the no-hitter he threw against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium in 1993. What a great success story!

Pete Gray’s story is less well known in modern-day circles, but to me it's even more incredible. The Pennsylvania native played professional baseball back in the 1940s. But he wasn’t a pitcher. He was an outfielder, fielding and throwing the ball…and swinging a bat…with only one arm! At the age of 6, he lost his right arm in an accident. But through his strong will and sheer determination, he persevered and learned to excel at his favorite sport in spite of his severe handicap.

Pete Gray played several years as a semi-pro and minor leaguer before gaining noteriety in 1944 as a player for Memphis in the Southern Association. That year, he hit an amazing .333, stole a league-leading 68 bases, slugged 5 home runs (!), and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. That was good enough to earn him a call-up to the majors in 1945 with the American League’s St. Louis Browns. The baseball talent pool was significantly depleted during the war years, and Gray probably never would have gotten a shot at the majors otherwise. Indeed, some see his call up to the majors as merely a publicity stunt. But there’s no doubt from his minor league performance that he earned his way there. At the major league level, however, he could only manage a meager .218 batting average in 77 games played. (I’d be happy if I could have hit .218 in the majors with my two arms!) The following season, when all the soldiers returned home from the war, Gray was back in the minors. He never played in the big leagues again.

My late father-in-law, who worked for the old L & N (Louisville and Nashville) Railroad, and traveled throughout the South on a work crew in his younger years, told me about seeing Pete Gray play in person. He said it was quite amazing. In the outfield, Gray would catch a fly ball with his glove and, in one sweeping motion, flip the ball and glove across his chest, grabbing the ball in the air as it came out of the glove. Then he would fire the ball back into the infield. I would love to see a video of that!

Pete Gray obviously had to have a tremendous amount of determination and personal strength to accomplish what he did. The story of Pete Gray reminds us that we can accomplish great things against the odds, even when other people tell us it’s impossible. Furthermore, it reminds us that when life hands us a lemon, we need to give it back to God and let him make it into sweet lemonade.

Sometimes in life people tell us that we can’t do things. 25 years ago, when I told a respected and trusted friend that I felt God was calling me into the ministry, he responded by saying, “Honestly, Danny, I just don’t see it.” (You didn’t know me then, but I was incredibly shy and absolutely terrified of public speaking.) My friend’s words were discouraging, to say the least, but I didn’t let them deter me. I knew in my heart what God had called me to do. And I’m sure glad that God could see what my friend couldn’t see.

What abilities, gifts or personal resources are lying dormant in your life? What dreams have you put on hold because someone discouraged you? Was it a selfish dream or a God-inspired dream? Whatever you have…and whoever you are…give it to God. Even your handicaps, weaknesses and limitations…give them to God as well. Remember that the Apostle Paul said that when we are weak, God's power can make us strong. How so? Because in our weakness, we're much more likely to rely on God than on ourselves. Paul went on to say that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Not selfish things, of course, but the things that God has called us to do. For God always equips those whom He calls.

So, go ahead, give yourself fully to God, warts and all. And when you do, you just might be amazed at what He is able to accomplish in and through your life.

Pastor Danny

A Big Hit for Germany!

Among the missionaries spotlighted in this year’s Vacation Bible School materials are a husband & wife team serving in Germany—Steven & Susan Jett. Interestingly, Sandy & I have known the Jetts for many, many years. In fact, Susan & I go way back, having started first grade together in our hometown of Williamsburg, Kentucky. Susan & I were together through all 12 years of public school, both of us graduating in 1975 as part of a massive 48-student high school senior class. Steven, a few years older, was our youth minister at our home church—Main Street Baptist—back in the 1970s. He was a student at nearby Cumberland College when he came to serve part-time on our church staff. Later, he & Susan married & ultimately God led them overseas to Germany, where they've served for the past 17 years. Since 2002, they've lived in the city of Amberg in East Bavaria.

The reason the Jetts were highlighted in this year’s VBS materials is because of how effectively they've used sports as a means to reach people for Christ. (In case you're unaware, this year’s edition of VBS—“Game Day Central”—has a decidedly sports-oriented theme.) Steven does not consider himself an athlete per se, but several years ago he and his son were playing a traditional father-son game of catch, tossing a baseball back and forth to each other. Their little game soon garnered the attention of a number of inquisitive young Germans, for whom baseball was an oddity. Steven began to teach those other youngsters the basics of baseball. At that moment, a baseball ministry was born. And, over the years, the Jetts have seen it absolutely explode—in Germany, of all places! (Who would have thunk it!?!) I am sure that Steven and Susan never dreamed that baseball would be the methodology God would choose as the centerpiece of their outreach to the German people. But, following the example of the Apostle Paul—“I must become all things to all men so that by all means I might save some”—they quickly jumped onto what God was doing & walked through the door He had opened. (This is a great reminder of the importance of being flexible with our plans, and ready & willing to adapt to what we see God doing around us. After all, God’s plans are always best!)

Over the years, the Jetts have formed a number of leagues and teams. They’ve coached and worked with many young baseball and softball players, teaching them the fundamentals of a sport that previously had been foreign to them. They’ve also hosted several baseball clinics, bringing over athletes from the States to assist in the work. As a result of all this, Steven & Susan have seen numerous persons—children, youth & adults—come to personal saving faith in Jesus Christ. And Steven has had the privilege of baptizing many young people that he has coached on the baseball diamond.

Because of my personal connection to the Jetts, we decided that their baseball ministry should be the focus of our daily mission offerings during VBS week. The response from our children & teens was absolutely amazing, far exceeding my expectations. Unbelievably, the offerings kept getting bigger & bigger, day after day. Ultimately, by week's end, more than $1,000 had been collected! Wow! As far as we know, that’s an all-time record for our church! And think of all the baseball equipment—balls, bats, gloves, etc.—that will purchase for our friends in Germany!

Steven & Susan Jett are doing a great work. Along with their baseball ministry, they do a number of other things to reach people for Christ. For example, they put on a big living nativity each year in December in the town square of Amberg. The city graciously has opened their arms to them, permitting them to do this annual community outreach for the past few Christmases.

The Jetts have also been involved in widespread scripture distribution, as well as the planting of new churches through the establishment of numerous home-church cell groups. They also work closely with existing Baptist churches in Bavaria, helping them to catch a vision for church planting as well as for effective, seeker-friendly worship, and other evangelistic strategies.

I am so proud of all that God is doing through the Jett family. And I’m also proud of our Vacation Bible School students for catching a vision for God’s work in Germany. Through our monetary gifts, we have been able to tangibly join God in His activity in Amberg. I hope that someday you will have the opportunity to meet the Jetts. Perhaps we can have them come & share with our church when they’re in the States on furlough. Also, maybe someday we’ll be able to send a mission team of our own there to work with them & help them directly with either their baseball ministry or their Christmas outreach or some other needful effort.

In the meantime, be working on your German ("Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"), and whenever you're watching a baseball game—either in person or on the tube—remember to pause & breathe a little prayer for God's team in Amberg.

Pastor Danny

Taters...Good and Bad

I love potatoes. Potatoes are absolutely one of my favorite foods in the whole wide world. I like them baked, mashed, smashed, whipped, fried, boiled, roasted, scalloped or au gratin. I like French fries, home fries, curly fries, seasoned fries, and waffle fries. I like hash browns and tater tots. I like potato pancakes, potato salad, potato chips, potato skins and potato soup. I like potatoes with butter, with gravy and with ketchup. I like white potatoes and sweet potatoes. If you were to prepare me a meal that had nothing but four or five different variations of potatoes—no meat, no bread, no other veggies—I would absolutely love it. In my mind, that would be a well-balanced meal. Forget about overdosing on carbs. Potatoes in any form (except instant potatoes!) bring me peace, happiness, and fulfillment.

Strangely, my wife for some reason does not share my deep passion for potatoes. With a logic I cannot comprehend, she thinks that potatoes are something you merely tolerate, certainly not something you celebrate. She cannot appreciate or even comprehend my deeply held conviction that potatoes are one of God’s greatest creations—an essential staple of life. (With such divergent world-views on this crucial matter, it’s really amazing that our marriage has prospered all these years!)

Last summer, Sandy and I went to Northern Ireland on vacation. During our three weeks “across the pond”, we ate at several restaurants and got invited to eat in a number of homes. And what was one of the food items present at almost every Irish meal? Potatoes! Potatoes galore! Potatoes, potatoes everywhere! Potatoes, potatoes and more potatoes! Potatoes with a side of potatoes! I honestly thought I had died and gone to Heaven! (Surely there will be potatoes in Heaven!) Sandy, oddly enough, did not share my enthusiasm for that particular aspect of our trip. For, you see, she—unbelievably—can go weeks without eating potatoes! So, although she loved our trip to the Emerald Isle, she had way more than her fill of spuds while we were there.

Personally, I felt such a deep kinship with the people of Northern Ireland. My Scotch-Irish heritage truly emerged on that trip. And, without a doubt, it was the Irish love for potatoes that put the icing on the cake for me. “These are my people!” I declared at one point, as I sat at a dinner table spearing a potato with my fork. (I suppose that had I lived in Ireland back in the 19th Century during the time of the Great Potato Famine, I would have died. I couldn’t imagine having no potatoes to eat!) Throughout that whole cross-cultural experience, I was reminded that I come from a long line of potato eaters. In fact, back in the mountains of Appalachia I even had a great uncle whose nickname—no kidding—was “Spud” Davis! So I come by my potato passion honestly.

Now as you can see from this long discourse, I absolutely love taters…in any way, shape or form. I simply cannot get enough of them…with one notable exception—the Tater family. “The Tater family?” you ask, “Who on earth is the Tater family?” The Taters are a group of people that turn up in almost every church. But they’re really not the kind of folks you want to have as church members. Let me introduce them to you.

First of all, there’s Uncle Dick Tater. He’s the family patriarch. Dick Tater likes to run the show. He always wants to be in charge. With him, it’s his way or the highway. If it's not his idea, he's going to be against it. He’s intolerant & controlling, always insisting on his own preferences at the expense of everyone else. Without a doubt, if Dick Tater ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. In his mind, it’s all about him.

Then, there’s Aunt Hessie Tater. She's the maestro of missed opportunities. Hessie Tater always puts off doing what she knows she ought to be doing. She’s a pro at procrastination. In her way of thinking, tomorrow is always a better day to serve the Lord. Yet, sadly, tomorrow never comes. And, while life around her continually passes her by, Hessie Tater never gets around to doing those things she repeatedly says she’s going to do. As a result, the blessings she could have known elude her completely.

Another key member of the Tater clan is Cousin Emma Tater. She’s the actress in the family. Without a doubt, Emma should win an Emmy. She always does a convincing job of acting spiritual in front of her church friends. She knows the right words to say, the right image to project, and the right appearance to create. Emma Tater can surely talk a good game, but there’s no real depth or authenticity to her. Her Christianity is little more than an outfit of clothes she puts on and takes off every Sunday.

Also in the family is ol’ “Spec” Tater. Spec is a pew sitter par excellence. He never gets involved in the church’s ministry or mission. He never seeks to build relationships or get vitally connected with others in the Body. To him, church is merely something you attend—it’s not part of who you are, and you’re certainly not part of it…at least not in the Biblical sense. “Spec” Tater always likes that comfortable spot on the back row where he can watch at a safe distance. He’s not going to commit himself to anything. The only Christian service he believes in is “serve us.”

Last but not least, there’s the spoiled darling of the family, little Angie Tater. Angie Tater likes to stir things up. It seems she can always find something negative to say about somebody. And she’s a real pro at making mountains out of molehills. Angie Tater is good at undermining confidence in church leaders, creating confusion, and sowing seeds of discord among the members. She keeps everybody distracted from the church's main mission and she drains energy that could be better used elsewhere. Watch out for fiesty little Angie!

I enjoy taters…but not the Tater family. As you can see, these half-baked guys are rather hard to swallow. And they also can cause severe spiritual indigestion. So, let’s hope that the Tater family always stays far, far away from us, because this is one family that our church (or any church) can certainly do without.

Now, on to more serious things. Can you pass the potatoes please?

Pastor Danny

Transformers...More than Meets the Eye!

Yes, they’re back! Transformers, those innovative little toy gadgets that were a 1980s pop phenomenon, have again leaped to the forefront of American popular culture. Just when you thought they'd been discarded on the junk heap of life, they’re back again for an encore performance and they’re bigger than ever.

This week is the release date for the new Transformers movie—a high-tech, live action flick with lots of computer graphics. I still remember when the original Transformers movie came out. It was back in the mid-1980s. We were living in Danville at the time. And I remember Sandy and me taking our small Transformer-crazed son to a local theater to see it. As Sandy and I sat there holding our ears, a theater full of kids screamed and cheered non-stop for an hour and a half as the fast-paced animated action adventure unfolded before our eyes.

In case you’re not acquainted with Transformers, they’re toys that can transform from cars or trucks or planes or pieces of heavy equipment into a race of fearsome mechanical robot warriors.

When the new Transformer movie premieres this week, I guarantee that there will be as many if not more twentysomethings in the audience as there are teens and children. Because this film is pure nostalgia for those young adults that grew up back in the 1980s, a real throwback to their childhood days.

How big were Transformers to that generation? Let me put it this way. My son helps write bills that are passed by the U. S. Congress and made into the law of the land. But he still plays with Transformers. (Not really, but his wife just bought him an large, intricate one for his 26th birthday.) And since he and she are both off work on Independence Day, they’re going to the midnight show on the evening of July 3rd to see the film’s big premiere.

By the way, back in the 1980s, Jordan was one of the first kids in the United States to ever see or touch a Transformer. When I was a student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Jordan was still a preschooler, I took him to the on-campus seminary doctor one day. We were sitting in the waiting room and wound up seated next to Mrs. Lolley, the then-seminary president’s wife. She and Dr. Lolley had just returned to the States from a trip to Japan. She reached in her purse and said, “Look, Jordan, at what I have.” It was a Transformer. It was the hottest new toy in Japan, but it hadn’t even been heard of in the USA at that time. Once she demonstrated it for him, Jordan was hooked. And when Transformer mania hit the States a few months later, he was a bona fide Transformer fanatic.

Incidentally, the Transformer television commercials back in those days had a memorable little jingle that went like this: “Transformers…more than meets the eye!” Jordan didn’t quite get all the words right, however, so he sang it this way: “Transformers…more than eats the eye!" Although it sounded rather barbaric…and almost cannibalistic…Sandy and I always got a kick out of that.

OK, what do Transformers have to do with anything? Well, in the Bible it tells us “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) In other words, God has called all of us to be Transformers!

Christianity is all about transformation. It’s not about conformity, which is basically an alignment of external behavior and outward appearance in order to fit in and be accepted by those around us. It’s about being made new in Christ, from the inside out, a spiritual transformation that impacts the whole person. This is something we experience positionally when we initially come to Christ. (This is what the new birth is all about.) But it’s also something we experience practically as we continue to grow in Christ. (This is what our daily Christian walk is all about.) This truth is further reiterated in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “And we… are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Thus, transformation into Christlikeness is our purpose, our destiny, and our goal.

Then, as we continually undergo this personal transformation through the Holy Spirit, we in turn are to be Transformers in the world around us. Remember that Jesus called us to be salt and light. Salt is a preservative…preserving things that are good. But also bringing new flavor to things that need change. Light, as well, has a transforming quality. It dispels the darkness and shows the way. It brings illumination and direction. It adds warmth and understanding.

So, with this in mind, let me encourage you to truly be a Transformer to the glory of God! Don’t follow the crowd, but always seek to follow the example of Christ. And then don’t keep Christ to yourself, but through your life always seek to point others to him. After all, that’s a whole lot more desirable (and palatable) than eating an eye!

By the way, with all this 1980s nostalgia now in vogue, let's just hope that the Smurfs don't make a comeback next. Because, honestly, I'd be really hard pressed to come up with a spiritual parallel for them.

Pastor Danny