2016 FREE WILL BAPTIST NATIONAL CONVENTION ... Association of Free Will Baptists has met. ... pleting BBA and MBA degree
THE NAFWB NEWS 2 0 1 6 F R E E W I L L B A P T I S T N AT I O N A L C O N V E N T I O N SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2016 | KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI | WWW.NAFWB.ORG
Spilling the Beans on KCMO Welcome to Kansas City. This historic “Fountain City” is home to 200+ beautiful fountains, some over 300 years old. Between convention events, visit the Kansas City Zoo (kansascityzoo.org), or enjoy a variety of fascinating museums, ranging from the Harry S. Truman Museum (trumanlibrary.org) to the Arabia Steam Boat Museum (1856.com). Thrill-seekers may want to try zip-lining or drop 200 feet at 75 miles per hour on the Mamba coaster at nearby Worlds of Fun’s largest coasters (worldsoffun.com). Others will take time to reflect at the National WWI Museum at Liberty Memorial (theworldwar.org), which houses the largest collection of WWI artifacts in the United States, or marvel at the talent displayed at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (nelson-atkins.org).
MOVE To help you reach your destinations, streetcars are rolling in Kansas City for the first time in more than 50 years. Ride for free along a two-mile route through the heart of downtown. The cars travel along Main Street from River Market to Union Station Crown Center. The route also includes a loop around City Market, making 16 stops along the way. You will find stops directly in front of the convention center and all major attractions. The state-of-the-art system features electric, fixedrail vehicles that run on tracks in existing street lanes. The cars are perfect for short hops to popular destinations. They are the most frequent transit service in the metro area, running every 10 minutes during peak weekdays with runs of 12 to 18 minutes during off-peak hours. For more information, visit KCstreetcar.org.
Streetcar Schedule Sunday – 7:00 am – 10:00 pm Monday to Thursday: 6:00 am – 12:00 am If you prefer to drive and need parking, Kansas City has approximately 40,000 parking spaces in the downtown area alone. Find a city parking map at VisitKC.com.
EAT You can’t visit Kansas City without taking time for barbecue. Famous for wet (basted in sauce) barbecue, The city is a serious contender for the best American barbecue. And it’s not hard to find, with more than 100 BBQ restaurants in the greater metropolitan area. (That’s more barbecue per capita than any other major city in America.) You will find 18 barbecue restaurants within a five-minute drive of downtown (including several within a short walk of the convention center). Just Google BBQ KCMO and loosen your belt a notch. While at it, search for burnt ends, smoke rings, and yard bird. All will come in handy when placing your order. If barbecue isn’t your thing, you will find a number of food options throughout the downtown area, especially in the Power and Light District, which boasts 20+ restaurants in a nine-block area. To “eat where the locals eat,” make the short mile and a half walk/drive to the City Market for unique bakeries, eateries, and food stands. Visit CityMarket.org for a complete list of vendors. Need a quick meal for a youth group or family? Find a handy list of downtown fast food on the next page. (Continued, page 2)
Celebrating 80 By Convention Manager Ryan Lewis
Welcome to the 2016 National Convention. This year’s meeting in Kansas City marks the 80th time the National Association of Free Will Baptists has met. The convention has changed quite a bit since the first meeting in November 1935 at Cofer’s Chapel Church, when 33 delegates and 27 ministers representing six state conventions and 14 district associations met and put aside previous differences to lay an organizational foundation that would stand for decades to come. Eighty years later, as the convention hosts 750 delegates representing churches from 39 states and three countries, a spirit of unity has never been more critical. We face a time when Christianity is becoming more and more unpopular, and we need one another now more than ever. This week, attendees are encouraged to take part in worship, business sessions, outreach events, seminars, and various other activities. However, it is important to remember that our greatest opportunity to make an impact will likely not happen within the walls of the main hall, or in the confines of our meeting. Over the next few days, you will encounter countless
Kansas City residents working hard to make the convention run smoothly. The only opinion some of them will form about Free Will Baptists (and maybe Christians) will be based on their interaction with us. May this be a week that Free Will Baptists leave their mark on Kansas City and build on 80 years of serving God, loving His people, and advancing His kingdom. Photo: The first Missouri convention—1944 in Flat Rock, MO
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Fast Food + Chipotle Mexican Grill, 1370 Walnut St + Burger King (The Whopper Bar), 1350 Walnut St + Subway, 327 E 11th St + Quizno’s Subs, 1020 Broadway St + KFC, 1124 Oak St / 1111 Main Street, Suite 155 + Popeye’s Chicken, 320 N McGee St + Jimmy John’s, 2345 Grand Ave / 1103 Grand Blvd
SPILLING THE BEANS One of the most frequently asked convention questions is: “Where do we find good coffee?” You’ve come to the right city. While not known for coffee, KCMO boasts a healthy number of tea and coffee shops. For a truly unique experience, visit Teadrops, specializing in bubble tea, a Taiwanese drink made with tea shaken with fruit or milk and chewy tapioca balls. For those who wrinkled their noses at the word tapioca, Teadrops serves a full range of coffee favorites, along with loose leaf teas from around the world. Kaldi’s Coffee, started in St. Louis in 1994, is a rapidlyexpanding chain, with additional stores in Kansas City, Columbia (MO), and most recently, in Atlanta Georgia. They specialize in “origin” coffees, single-source blends from around the globe. That’s two shops to get you started on your Kansas City coffee quest, perhaps the first of many. Try these: + Quay Coffee (Coffee and Soda), 412 Delaware St + The Filling Station (Juices Too), 2980 McGee TWY + Oddly Correct (Tour the Roaster), 3940 Main St + Starbuck’s, 1301 Wyandotte / 100 Main St
PRAYING FOR REVIVAL
Meet the Speaker Ben Evans (Sunday School) is president of trading for the Metal Exchange Corporation in St. Louis. He attended Welch College from 1990 to 1993 before completing BBA and MBA degrees from Middle Tennessee State University. Ben is a deacon at Calvary Fellowship FWB Church, where he also serves as adult Bible study teacher. He and his wife Melissa have three children: Anna, Connor, and Lily. Wayne Miracle pastors New Life Fellowship FWB Church in Statesboro, Georgia. He graduated from Welch College in 1990 with a BA in Pastoral Theology and Biblical Studies. He has served as moderator of the South Georgia Association since 1994, moderator of the Georgia State Association since 2011, and member of the NAFWB Executive Committee since 2012. He and Debbie have been married since 1978. Cory Thompson is pastor of First FWB Church in Poteau, Oklahoma. He earned a BA in Theology from Randall University and a MDiv in Biblical Languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Cory is assistant moderator of the Poteau River Valley District. He served on the Missouri CE Board from 20102014, while also serving as clerk of the Greater Kansas City District. He and his wife Brandy have four children—Caroline, Campbell, Carsyn, and Claire.
Check-ins for a Cause With funding help from the FWB Foundation, the convention will use Facebook check-ins to provide Bibles for Kazakhstan. Attendees can check in to “National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc” on Facebook anytime during the convention July 17-20. For every five check-ins, one Bible will be printed in the Kazakh language, thanks to International Missions.
All convention attendees are encouraged to attend a Revival Prayer Rally, Tuesday, July 19, 10:00 a.m., in the Colonial Ballroom of the Kansas City Marriott. Convention Prayer Chairman Ken Simpson and Executive Secretary Keith Burden will lead this time of praise and prayer during the meeting. “We want revial,” Burden noted, “but we can’t experience revival without God’s help. It is crucial for us to pray deliberately, specifically, and fervently for our families, our churches, our pastors, and our nation. While we are here to do business, this might be the most important thig we do at this year’s meeting. I hope everyone will take part in this time of prayer.”
To use the Facebook check in feature, open Facebook on your device, click “Check In” at the top right, then type “National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc.” in the search bar. When it pops up, click it, then select “Post” in the upper right hand corner of the screen. There is no limit to the number of check-ins per individual.
News, Updates & Announcements General Board to Meet
Music Rehearsals
The General Board will meet Monday, July 18, at 8:00 a.m. in the Count Basie Ballroom of the Kansas City Marriott.
The Convention Orchestra and Praise Team will meet on the main stage each day at 4:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. Sunday).
Registration and Exhibits The Exhibit Hall will open Monday, July 18, at 3:00 p.m. in KCCC 2103. Registration is open daily 8:00 a.m.– 7:00 p.m., KCC 2200 Lobby. Lost and Found Find a pair of glasses? Cell Phone? Wallet? Bible? Please return misplaced items to the registration area so owners can claim their property.
Convention Choir rehearsals will be held daily on the main convention stage at 5:30 p.m, with the exception of Wednesday, when the choir will meet at 5:15 p.m. The worship leader, praise team, band, and orchestra will meet for rehearsal following each evening service. Download the convention app! Just search for NAFWB to get the latest schedule information, articles, and more delivered to your device!
