Week of July 17, 2006
Baltimore named Strategic Focus City
BALTIMORE, Md. (BP) – Though the signing and
celebrating of the covenant still needs to take place, it’s official:
Baltimore will become the North American Mission Board’s newest
Strategic Focus City. Darrel Davis, ministry assistant for Crossover
Triad 2006 for the Baptist Convention of North Carolina, said some
2,000 Crossover Triad volunteers played a part in the more than 800
salvation decisions made during the combined Crossover and ICE
initiatives, and that 26 new churches will be planted because of the
effort.
Baltimore Baptist Association pastors officially
have agreed to NAMB’s November 2005 invitation to form a partnership to
focus national resources in local church evangelism and church planting
efforts in the Baltimore area.
The actual launch of the Strategic Focus City strategy in Baltimore is scheduled for 2008 or 2009.
The first two Strategic Focus cities, Chicago and
Phoenix, implemented their strategic plans in 2000. They were followed
by Las Vegas and Boston in 2001, Seattle and Philadelphia in 2002,
Miami in 2003-2004 and New York City in 2003-2005. Cleveland, Ohio, the
newest city, currently is being implemented as a Strategic Focus City.
OBU athletic program ranked 4th nationally
SHAWNEE, Okla. (BP) – Oklahoma Baptist University
placed fourth in the 2005-06 United States Sports Academy Director’s
Cup race, which measures the success of overall athletic programs in
the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
OBU missed a third-place finish by 1.5 points,
finishing with 612.5 points in the system. Azusa Pacific won the NAIA
title with 836 points.
“Though we have finished in the top 10 before, this
was our best finish ever,” OBU athletic director Norris Russell said.
“It’s a great tribute to a fine group of coaches and student athletes.
I particularly like this measure of success because it takes into
account the overall programs, male and female, not just a few sports.”
The Bison were 18th after the fall standings, with a
fourth-place finish in men’s cross country and a ninth-place finish in
men’s soccer. OBU bulleted to fourth in the winter standings after the
men’s basketball team reached the semifinals; the women’s team reached
the quarterfinals; the women’s indoor track team finished third; and
the men’s indoor team finished sixth.
The spring saw the Lady Bison golf team finish
eighth, both outdoor track teams finish fourth, and the baseball team
qualify for the regional tournament.
GLORIETA, N.M. – More than 400 retired Baptist
leaders are expected to attend the 8th Retiree Ministries’ Retreat at
Glorieta Conference Center, Sept. 25-29, said Richard Faling, director
of Retiree Ministries for BGCT Institutional Ministries.
The retreat, which is sponsored by the Baptist
General Convention of Texas and Glorieta Conference Center, is for all
Southern Baptist ministry-related retirees. Services will be held in
the chapel, and meals will be served in the Glorieta Cafeteria.
Some of the special conferences include Health &
Nutrition, Social Security and Medicare, Estate Planning Helps, What’s
New with Guidestone (formerly Southern Baptist Annuity Board),
Volunteer Missions Involvement, Financial Update and Laughter and
Encouragement.
Room and meals are $376 per couple, $286 for a
single occupancy and $188 for a single double occupancy. Prices
include a full meal package.
Reservations should be made with the Glorieta reservations office 1-800-797-4222.
Churches are encouraged to provide scholarships to
enable retired pastors and retired church and associational staff to
attend.