In 2020, churches of the Illinois Baptist State Association reported a drastic decline in Vacation Bible School enrollment. Churches saw 73% fewer people participate in VBS due to pandemic-related shutdowns. While some churches pivoted to offer VBS in small modules, in driveways, or online, many were forced to postpone the 2020 version of a beloved, […]
Mission teams hit the road after COVID hiatus
Ken Schultz hadn’t performed in nearly a year when he dusted off his suspenders for a mission trip to Africa. The pastor of Crosswinds Church in Plainfield and long-time entertainer recently traveled to Kenya with a mission team to share the gospel with schoolkids. Schultz wowed the crowd with juggling feats and sleight of hand […]
Opening Day: Camps celebrate long-awaited return
The themes of IBSA’s 2021 summer camps forecast a joyous return to the places many adult leaders credit with deepening their faith. Bounce. Rebound. Comeback. If 2020 was a year without camp, this summer is shaping up to be a relaunch of treasured ministries, and memories. Lynnette Wilson is a big believer in summer camps. […]
News Stories
Evangelicals blamed for vaccine fear, but pastors, leaders promote shots
Some in the media are warning the COVID-19 pandemic may last longer than necessary due to members of the evangelical community refusing a vaccine due to spiritual convictions or uncertainty regarding vaccine safety. An article headlined “How white evangelicals’ vaccine refusal could prolong the pandemic” appeared in the April 5 issue of the New York […]
Lake Sallateeska, Streator managers ready to welcome visitors
IBSA’s new camp managers moved to Illinois when many COVID-19 restrictions were still in place, limiting to a very small number the people they met in their first months at Lake Sallateeska and Streator. But they’ve used the last few months to prepare for a camp comeback this summer. At Lake Sallateeska, Manager Brock Vandever […]
All-time low membership: What does it mean?
A recent Gallup poll showing that church membership among U.S. adults has dropped below 50% for the first time in 80 years has religious leaders scratching their heads. They’re not so much wondering why, but how do we get them back? A summary showing who actually left may help. Gallup says that declines are smaller […]
IBSA Board adopts new statements, budget
The Board of Directors of the Illinois Baptist State Association approved new mission and values statements for the organization during a virtual meeting March 30. The newly adopted statements resulted from a multi-year vision process that gives new direction and language to IBSA’s goals and strategies. The mission, values, strategies, and measures are parts of […]
Encouraging Words
Personal resurrection
Matthew 28 takes us to the first Sunday morning after the crucifixion. Two days prior, the disciples and friends of Jesus had witnessed his brutal execution and saw his body placed in the tomb. Many of them had restructured their lives in order to follow Jesus. They had found pride in being a part of […]
Serving the crucified Christ
Filled with hate, ignorant of truth, lacking in faith, and void of righteousness, the Jews had plotted to kill Jesus. Rome took ownership of their plot and made a statement of their authority in the act of crucifixion. In the course of less than 24 hours, Jesus was arrested, accused, lied about, cursed, and beaten. […]
Leaders
Illinois Leadership Summit goes online
Challenges presented by the pandemic are proving to be growth opportunities for IBSA conferences and leadership events. Because of limitations on attendance in a single location, the 2021 Illinois Leadership Summit will be available online for the first time. Future Focus: Leading Your Church Beyond COVID-19 will be the theme of the event on Jan. […]