More Winds of the Spirit:
Winds of the Spirit
Words from CBF-LA Coordinator Reid Doster
February 3, 2011
Women in Ministry
CBF Louisiana has recently
celebrated the ordination of two
females -- Shannon Rutherford and
Stephanie Vance – - to the Gospel Ministry. University Baptist
Church, Baton Rouge, and Emmanuel Baptist Church,
Alexandria, have examined both of these fine ladies in regard
to their Christian experience, giftedness, sense of calling and
views of Bible doctrine, and have determined that they meet the requirements to be set apart for the public ministry of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
For me personally this is the fulfillment of a dream, to encourage and bless young women who are committed to vocational Christian ministry. It stands in such marked contrast to those who are convinced that the Holy Spirit uses gender as a criterion by which He determines giftedness for ministry. This contrast is further reinforced by our Maggie Lee Henson Scholarship Fund, which will help support a female theology student in her final year at a CBF partner seminary and provide a church-planting internship at Church for the Highlands. Funds are still being raised for this scholarship, with the hope of securing a female church planting intern for the Fall of 2011.
Celebrating Grace
Bridgewater Church, Madisonville, has gifted Church
for the Highlands, Shreveport, with 80 copies of the new hymnal
titled Celebrating Grace. The goal, however, is for others
to pitch in and increase that to 125 new hymnals. If you
would like to contribute a new hymnal, each copy costs about
$15. Mail your check directly to Church for the Highlands,
520 Olive St., Shreveport, 71104, or you can give online here.
It’s a special way you can personally bless this new work, led
by Pastor John Henson.
“The Rubble House”
I know it’s hard to keep up with all God is doing
through CBF, so I want to remind you of something extraordinary that is making a real, positive difference in the
lives of homeless survivors of Haiti’s massive earthquake –
the worst natural disaster ever recorded in the Western
Hemisphere. In partnership with Conscience International, Fuller Center for Housing and
Baptist General Convention of
Texas, we are constructing safe,
attractive, permanent houses, using
Haitian labor, and built on land in
legal possession of the homeowner,
all for only $3,500. Just last week, Discovery TV of Canada
visited the CBF base-camp in Grand Goave, Haiti, and were so
impressed with the houses we are building that they featured
our work in their anniversary report. To see this awesome
report by video, click here. You can keep up with the Haiti
work at haitihousingnetwork.com. I will be returning to Haiti
next month with Daniel Vestal, Harry Rowland and others, to
assess our work and re-affirm our ties with the Baptist
Convention of Haiti.
Personal Reflections on The Fellowship
We should never apologize for relationship-building.
Not only do we need each other, but we need to be with each
other. The work of the heart makes us vulnerable, and can
deplete our energy and capacity. We do better when we
co-create. That’s why we call ourselves The Fellowship. We try
to concentrate on issues people really care about. Relaxed
conversation is at the primal core of all human endeavors. It’s
how things get decided.
To keep our CBF conversation fresh, we must change the conversation, and the way to do that is by changing who is in the conversation. It is healthy to hear new voices, see different perspectives and unpack others’ experiences. We should ask: “Who in our CBF fellowship is surprising us with their ideas, passion and vision?” New leaders can come from anywhere. We should also focus on what is working and what is possible, rather than waste time on people, issues or situations that drain life and energy. Let’s work with what is working. In that way, we really do not have to invent anything. It is probably already out there somewhere in our CBF Louisiana family.
Let’s ask: “Who is already doing it? How can we build upon that and refine it?” Instead of “cultivating young leaders,” let’s listen more to what they are trying to tell us. None of us are experts. In fact, the real “expert” is all of us working together. I’m concerned that if we get too serious in our quest for effectiveness and relevance, we might be tempted either to lower expectations, exaggerate successes, or overlook all the good being accomplished. This is God’s work– the Missio Dei – and He invites us in on it. We already possess what we need to accomplish His will through us.