Literacy workers told, ‘Tell His Story’

Oct. 4, 2007

LEESBURG (FBC)—Literacy teachers and tutors across the state were called to look “in the ordinary places of our lives” during the annual State Literacy Missions Conference Sept. 13-15 at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center.

Amidst a cluttered stage of dirty laundry, scattered newspaper and domestic chaos, Cathy Lentz, state literacy coordinator, challenged the 120 participants to share their stories and Christ’s story in their everyday lives. The emphasis for this year’s conference was “We have a Story to Tell, His Story to Tell.”

Jack Day, a certified story teller, set the tone by kicking off the event with captivating stories from the Bible and shared techniques on how they can be incorporated into the literacy mission’s ministry.

The participants, who serve Florida Baptist churches as teachers of English as a second language, adult reading and writing, and tutors of children and youth, heard speakers and conference leaders from around the southeast as a part of the continued training for literacy missions.

“We returned to Naples, excited and ready to begin our classes,” said Lorita Pardue, director of the ESL ministry of First Baptist Church, Naples. “ Lake Yale is indeed a special place and the conference is fun, practical, encouraging and a real blessing. God is so good and we are so grateful to be part of this ministry.”

Former Floridian Gayle Leininger, retired national literacy missionary, gave Florida’s nearly 50-year-history of literacy missions and paid a special tribute to the late Lillian Isaacs. Isaacs, a North American missionary and pioneer in literacy missions, died March 2 in Tallahassee.

In her memory, the newly named Lillian Isaac “Ladle” award was unveiled and given to Kim Carr of Jacksonville. Each year a worthy nominee is recognized and honored with the treasured award.

This year’s recipient was presented with an engraved soup ladle, symbolic of the spirit in which Isaacs had served for so many years. “Miss Lillian” as she was so fondly remembered often shared stories of making soup for her many unexpected guests through the years.

“I cooked it and God flavored it.” Issacs would say, laughing as she recalled the stories.

The symbolic gift of the ladle was used because of its definition and purpose, said Lentz. “A ladle is a long handled spoon used for serving liquids. We all know Miss Lillian was serving up more than just soup. She was serving up the Living Water.”

Carr, a member of Mandarin Baptist Church, began befriending Chinese students at her daughter’s bus stop several years ago. She started teaching ESL in her home and sharing Christ with her new friends. Believing God has called her to be a missionary to internationals in her own city, Carr now serves as director of the International Learning Center in Jacksonville.

During the closing worship service each participant was given a different colored piece of paper and instructed to write their gift or talent down as their offering to God. Then each person came forward to place it into a large soup pot. The soup pot represented the “sweet and delicious smelling aroma of an ordinary life placed before God as an offering,” explained Lentz A soup ladle was given to all 120 participants as a reminder that “we as believers in Christ are all servers of the living water.”

She cited statistics that 20,000 foreign born refugees and immigrants are moving to Florida annually, 4.5 million foreign born persons live in Florida and 22 languages are spoken each Sunday in Florida Baptist congregations.

“The goal of literacy missions is to meet a need, build a relationship to intentionally share the love and truth of Jesus,” said Lentz, noting that during the past year, 90 professions of faith were recorded through Florida Baptist’s literacy missions.

“Most of these individuals are people who are not found in a typical English speaking church service but are impacted and changed by God’s love shown through their teachers and volunteer workers of the literacy missions ministry.”