OM
On Mission highlights the work of missionaries and on mission Christians throughout North America who are impacting their world for Christ.
PRESIDENT
Kevin Ezell
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Carol Pipes
MANAGING EDITOR
Joe Conway
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Adam Miller
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Sara Shelton
ONLINE EDITOR
Tobin Perry
DESIGN EDITOR
Steve Beaver
www.beaverdesigngroup.com
VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS
Mike Ebert
TECHNICAL SUPPORT/WEBSITE
James Dotson, Peter Ward
CONTRIBUTORS
Kathy Anderson, Gus Chan, Diana Chandler, Jeff Christopherson, Van Chaplin, Genesis Photo, Ted Jackson, Ed Litton, George QuaEnoo, Laura Sikes, Daniel Addai Smith, Ron Storer, Dale Stroud
ON MISSION TOGETHER FOR KINGDOM GROWTH
The North American Mission Board exists to work with churches, associations and state conventions in mobilizing Southern Baptists as a missional force to impact North America with the gospel of Jesus Christ through evangelism and church planting.
NAMB is a Southern Baptist Convention entity supported by the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.® The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® is a registered trademark of Woman’s Missionary Union.®
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: On Mission P.O. Box 3068, Langhorne, PA 19047-9855
Because of your valued support of the Cooperative Program, we are able to offer you a free copy of On Mission magazine. To subscribe call toll free 888-239-3990 or visit
onmission.com.
ADVERTISING
For advertising information, visit
onmission.com/mediakit or call 770-410-6394. Advertising in On Mission does not imply editorial endorsement.
©2012 On Mission
VOLUME 15, NUMBER 3
Features
10 NORTH AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS
By looking at the ratio of congregations to population we can guage spiritual need in North America.
28 EPIC LIFE CAN BE A CRAZY RIDE By Joe Conway
Meet missionaries Keith and Kristine Carpenter, who grew a community garden from a burned-down crack house with their Seattle church plant. Their plans are much bigger.
32 DOTS ON A MAP By Laura Sikes
Arcade, coffee shop, gym, café, community center – yes. And a church plant, too. Meet missionaries Brian and Jessie Moon, North Bethesda church planters and their house of fun.
36 TRANSFORMING TORONTO By Adam Miller
Reputations like “suicide alley” are earned in brutal reality. Reaching hard places with hope keeps missionary Scott Rourke pushing back the darkness.
40 FEAR AND TREMBLING By Tobin Perry
Nobody plants churches in Cleveland Heights. Someone forgot to tell missionary Zach Weihrauch, whose Gateway Heights church plant is thriving.
In every issue
3 EDITOR’S LETTER By Carol Pipes
Love your neighbor
5 PERSPECTIVES By Al Gilbert
Let’s LoveLoud, Southern Baptists
6 VITALS
What people are doing, seeing, believing
44 THE PULSE
Ideas, insights, inspiration for you and your church
48 FROM THE PRESIDENT By Kevin Ezell
Hope for the hopeless
On Mission grants permission for any original article to be photocopied (up to 100 copies) for educational or church use. Include the following credit: “Used by permission of On Mission, North American Mission Board, ©2012. For special requests email us at
onmission@namb.net or call 770-410-6394.
2 Summer 2012 •
onmission.com
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