The audio files from the BTC 2010 conference are now available for free download! To listen to Pastors Don Donell and Raymond Perron preach on the subject of “The Church & Missions,” follow the links below.

Session 1: Conference Introduction by Don Donell & Raymond Perron

Session 2: “The Mission Is God’s” (Don Donell)

Session 3: “Let’s Get Out of Our Hideout” (Raymond Perron)

Session 4: “Becoming a Radicalized Disciple”  (Don Donell)

Session 5: “Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Culture” (Raymond Perron)

Session 6: Questions & Answers with Don Donell, John Giarrizzo, & Raymond Perron

(By David Giarrizzo)


After months of preparation, BTC 2010 is upon us. This weekend, August 6-9, 110 people from 25 different churches in 14 different states will descend upon Prescott, Arizona, for what should be a blessed weekend of time in God’s Word and fellowship with God’s people.

Please keep the following requests in your prayers:

• That God would be glorified in every part of our weekend together.
• That those who are travelling long distances to and from the conference will travel safely and without difficulties.
• That God would give Pastors Don Donell and Raymond Perron power from on high as they preach the Word.
• That God would encourage the young adults who attend the conference through the messages and fellowship.
• That God would encourage the brethren in the churches back home through the Christians who return to continue in their service to the Lord.
• That God might raise up the next pastor, missionary, or church planter through this year’s conference.  

We are continually amazed at what God has and is doing through this annual conference. Please pray for BTC 2010.

For more information, visit www.buildingtomorrowschurch.com.

(By David Giarrizzo)

Lately I have been working on preparations for two back-to-back weekend conferences and have had little time to think about blogging. So for this week, I’m going to pull a Tim Challies and share some miscellaneous links.

Please be in prayer for these two conferences hosted by my home church, Grace Covenant. This coming weekend, July 30-August 1, many from our church family will be heading to the cool(er) Oak Creek Canyon just outside of Sedona for our annual Family Camp. Pastor Robert Cole will be preaching God’s Word to us.  The following weekend, August 6-9, over 100 Reformed Baptist young adults from across the country will be assembling in Prescott, Arizona, for the third-annual Building Tomorrow’s Church conference. Please be in prayer for Pastors Raymond Perron and Don Donell as they focus our thoughts on what the Bible says about missions.

The Local Church and Evangelism – Speaking about gospel missions, I appreciate that the brothers over at Reformed Baptist Fellowship posted this wonderful article by Erroll Hulse. The topic is a timely one, especially for those of us who will be attending BTC’10.

Jason Helopoulos on Good Reasons for Moving On – Over at Kevin DeYoung’s Gospel Coalition blog, Heloploupos shares some helpful thoughts for both church members and elders on the topic of “Good,” “Possible,” and “Insufficient” reasons for leaving a church and moving on.

Andy Naselli on Confrontation – DeYoung also had Andy Naselli guest post for him recently. Naselli uses a hypothetical example of two men, “Mr. Confronter” and “Mr. Blogger,” and illustrates with biblical principles how to receive criticism from a brother.

28 years ago today Keith Green died. – Although he went to be with the Lord about a year before I was born, I grew up listening to singing along with Keith Green cassette tapes. As the author of this article states, “Keith certainly didn’t get everything right. He didn’t have great things to say about Reformed theology, although some of his song lyrics show that he was more reformed than he may have realized (see “You Put This Love in My Heart”).” I think Green’s life and his ministry through music serve as another important reminder to us that God uses various men with various theological views in various ways to bless the Church for His glory and praise.

And finally, in case you haven’t heard, the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith & the 1695 Baptist Catechism (Leather-Bound Hardcover Edition) is now available. Get yours today from Solid Ground Christian Books!

And finally, just one year ago this month, 6 men (who have come to be known as the “Ardent Cries Guys”) got their act together and started this blog. Happy One Year, brothers!

(By David Giarrizzo)

Growing up in a church where the Gospel was preached every week from the pulpit and in a home where biblical evangelism was just a part of life, I have understood from an early age the importance of gospel missions as it relates to the local body of believers. Tales of missions and missionaries were commonplace stories at bedtime or at the breakfast table in the Giarrizzo home. I remember fellowshipping with David Straub in our home on various occasions, listening to his stories of the spread of the Gospel to faraway lands, and being amazed by this man who would eat an entire apple—everything but the stem. (Rumor has it that ARBCA’s current coordinator also eats whole apples, core and all!) I remember attending RBMS missions banquets at Cornerstone Bible Church, even singing a duet with my brother at one of these conferences. As children, my brother and I knew who our missionaries were because we were taught to pray for them often.

I think I was in fifth grade when I went as a missionary for Career Day; I basically dressed like my dad on Sunday mornings and carried my Bible around all day. But there was a time in my life when I seriously wondered if God would someday call me to be a missionary to a foreign land, be it Australia or Hollywood. Since then, however, God has taught me more than I deserve to know about His Word, the Gospel of His Son, and His means of saving His elect throughout the world.

Ironically enough, even though I have never lived more than 13 miles from the house I grew up in, God has shown me still that I really am called to be a missionary.

In about two weeks from now, at this year’s Building Tomorrow’s Church conference for Reformed Baptist young adults, the emphasis will be on missions and how it relates to the local church, ultimately to each one of us individually. Although I grew up understanding the definition and importance of mission work, I had trouble really grasping my part in the work of missions. And I have a feeling I’m not the only one to experience this. At BTC’10, attendees will here from two men qualified to teach others about the biblical reasons for missions and the practical application the subject has on the lives of everyday church members. Pastors Raymond Perron and Don Donell will be bringing two messages each to help conference attendees synthesize the biblical doctrine of evangelism with personal practice. (To view the session titles, click here: BTC 2010 Messages)

Please pray that the Lord of the harvest might be pleased to instill in the lives of those who attend BTC 2010 a sincere and lasting desire to see Christ’s kingdom grow; a yearning so strong that maybe even one person from this conference will be used of God to bring a sinner to repentance and faith.

May the words of this song ever be a prayer in our hearts, our homes, and our churches:

Let Your Kingdom Come

Your glorious cause, O God, engages our hearts
May Jesus Christ be known wherever we are
We ask not for ourselves, but for Your renown
The cross has saved us so we pray
Your kingdom come

Let Your kingdom come
Let Your will be done
So that everyone might know Your Name
Let Your song be heard everywhere on earth
Till Your sovereign work on earth is done
Let Your kingdom come

Give us Your strength, O God, and courage to speak
Perform Your wondrous deeds through those who are weak
Lord use us as You want, whatever the test
By grace we’ll preach Your gospel
Till our dying breath

-Bob Kauflin

© 2006 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

(By David Giarrizzo)

Recently our pastor reminded our congregation about the importance of keeping Christ first in every area of our lives, even our travel plans. He preached from 2 Thessalonians 1:4 where we read Paul’s words to the Christians in Thessalonica: “Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.” Here we are given a glimpse of the kind of network of churches among which Paul was travelling and communicating. Here we are reminded of a biblical argument for associationalism.  Likewise, we read the following in our 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith:

As each church, and all the members of it, are bound to pray continually for the good and prosperity of all the churches of Christ, in all places, and upon all occasions to further every one within the bounds of their places and callings, in the exercise of their gifts and graces, so the churches, when planted by the providence of God, so as they may enjoy opportunity and advantage for it, ought to hold communion among themselves, for their peace, increase of love, and mutual edification. (XXVI, 14)

We should seek to stay informed and connected with our brothers and sisters in other churches across the state, across the country, or around the globe. We should communicate with them when possible and pray for them often. Through our Association of churches, this is made possible and we are encouraged to stay connected for Gospel efforts and our edification.

Finally, from the text in 2 Thessalonians 1:4 my dad applied some sound advice for us to ponder and apply: When we know we will be out of town and away from our home churches on a Lord’s Day, we should plan in advance to visit a Reformed Baptist church in the area of where we will be staying. If a sister ARBCA church cannot be found nearby, we should do the research ahead of time to find the best Bible-teaching, Gospel-preaching church. This usually means doing some work: look the church up online; read their statement of faith or core beliefs; call the church office and ask for the pastor; listen to some sermons online. In other words, take the assembling of saints seriously. Or as my dad would say, “When you take a vacation, don’t take a vacation from God.” (Listen to the entire message here. The above mentioned part is approximately 27 minutes in.)

Please check out any of the following links to aid you in revolving your future travels around the Lord and His Day:

ARBCA Church Directory

Johnny Farese’s Directory of Reformed Baptist Churches

9 Marks Church Search

Also, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out the Building Tomorrow’s Church conference for Reformed Baptist young adults in Arizona later this summer!

(By: Eddie Goodwin)

I would greatly appreciate your prayers for a Ladies’ Summer Book Study that my wife, Donna, is facilitating beginning Monday June 7th.  The study is not Cornerstone specific and many of our ladies are inviting both converted and unconverted friends.  My family is also distributing a neighborhood invitation letter throughout our entire subdivision.


Thanks in advance for coming alongside us as co-laborers in the gospel!