This update is designed to help churches that have embraced the Acts 1:8 Challenge be aware of resources from the North American Mission Board (NAMB). Use them as your church plans and implements its strategy to be involved in reaching North America for Christ. Previous editions of the Samaria Update are available here.

Featured Resource:                                                                                  

Find Your PLACE in Church Planting

You or your church may be thinking about what role you'll have in starting a new church. After all, there are many aspects to church planting, but what role fits you or your church best?

PLACE is a Bible-based self- discovery process designed to answer that question. The Church Planting Group of NAMB is rolling out PLACE as a way to assist pastors, church members, lay leaders and others realize their potential in church planting. 

"PLACE is an online assessment which takes an extensive look at the various attributes of an individual, providing insight into potential effectiveness in ministry through six assessment pieces," says John M. Bailey, project leader. "NAMB has created a partnership to provide the PLACE assessment process to church planters and field partners to assist them in the church planter enlistment process by providing this resource as a tool to identify potential church planters."

Individuals can access PLACE online and receive immediate results by visiting www.DiscoverChurchPlanting.net.

The PLACE acronym outlines a five-step process that guides participants in developing an individualized PLACE profile:

"P" is for Personality Discovery
"L" is for Learning Spiritual Gifts
"A" stands for Abilities Awareness
"C" is for Connecting Passion with Ministry. 
"E" deals with Experiences in Life.

PLACE is available for anyone at www.DiscoverChurchPlanting.net for a fee of $4.95. Southern Baptist colleges and seminaries may obtain free access codes for their students by registering for PLACE on the Field Partner Registration form. Church planters can obtain 25 free test codes, and state conventions and associations can purchase codes at a discount.

To take the PLACE online assessment, visit www.DiscoverChurchPlanting.net and click on the "Finding Your Place in Ministry" link.

Each Samaria Update highlights key Acts 1:8 Challenge Kingdom-growing responses to assist your church to fulfill its Acts 1:8 Challenge commitment. Today's featured responses are Prepare, Learn  and Go.

“Prepare” - Acts 1:8 Devotion Guide Now Available

An 18-day Acts 1:8 Challenge devotion guide is available free on the Acts 1:8 website here . Written by Mark Snowden, director of mission education at NAMB, "18 Days of Acts 1:8" is an excellent way to kick-off or prepare for your church's Acts 1:8 Challenge emphasis.

“Learn” - Resources for Mission Education

A number of organizational resources are available free online and include planbooks for RAs www.royalambassadors.org, Challengers www.challengerscentral.com and Baptist Men (BMEN) www.bmen.net . For information about starting a mission education organization in your church visit www.sbcmissioneducation.com, e-mail missionedu@namb.net or call 888-634-2462.

Also be sure to check out Backpack Missions www.namb.net/backpack, which are 24 object lessons that teach about the Great Commission and the Cooperative Program.

“Go” - Opportunites to Reach North America
 

Baltimore as Your Samaria - When Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry from Baltimore Harbor, he surely never dreamed as he penned the “Star Spangled Banner” that Baltimore would someday reflect the same melting pot character of the entire United States.

Visit www.EmbraceBaltimore.org for exciting mission trip opportunities for your church. Walk where Annie Armstrong walked and experience her heartbeat as you work with the kinds of ministries she started.

Help Rebuild New Orleans  through Operation Noah – A tidal wave of volunteers is needed to help rebuild New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Operation Noah Rebuild www.OperationNoah.net is a two-year service project in the New Orleans area that is using volunteer labor to rehabilitate more than 1,000 homes and 20 churches. It is a partnership project between NAMB, the Louisiana Baptist Convention and New Orleans-area associations and churches. E-mail Operation Noah Rebuild at  noah@namb.net or call 877-934-0808.

Families on Mission  www.namb.net/fom is apre-packaged, week-long family mission opportunity that allows mom, dad, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to model an on-mission lifestyle for their children and grandchildren. Parents have the unique privilege to be "hands on" as they guide their family through devotions, missions awareness, mission projects, worship, family small-group discussions, and interaction with resident missionaries and the community. Mission activities include acts of kindness and other evangelism events, light construction and painting, yard work, prayer walking, and others. E-mail rhead@namb.net or call 800-462-8657, ext. 6219 for more information .

The Grove www.namb.net/thegrove is a pre-packaged, week-long adult mission project that focuses on church planting principles and evangelism skills. It combines hands-on mission involvement and practical training sessions to give participants a thorough knowledge of church planting needs and methods in North America. Each day will have training in the morning, mobilization with local church planters in the afternoon, and a worship gathering in the evening. Mission projects include such activities as block parties, surveys, acts of kindness, prayer walking, and others. E-mail rhead@namb.net or call 800-462-8657, ext. 6219 for more information.

Be sure to check out the other Acts 1:8 Challenge commitments here  or to obtain more information about your church's Samaria response. For questions or comments about the Acts 1:8 Challenge e-mail tyarbrough@namb.net or call 800 4 ACTS 18 (800-422-8718).

Make Better Strategic 'Missional' Decisions;
Use the Center for Missional Research

NAMB's Center for Missional Research www.missionalresearch.info assists churches at no cost with original research, people group information, demographic reports, a missional network, church consultants and the latest news about North American culture, communities, churches and networks of churches. Check it out today!
 

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