O’FALLON – With worldly views on sexuality and gender invading contemporary church life among several denominations, First Baptist O’Fallon is hosting a conference October 14-15 to explain the Bible’s perspectives on the topics. During the conference—Creation v. Revolution: How God’s Revelation Confronts the Sexual Revolution—speakers from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) will discuss current cultural and sexual attitudes and how Christians should respond; what the … [Read more...]
Camp blends love of Jesus, horses to impact younger generation
SWEDEBORG – Will you need your own horse if you attend Horsemanship Bible Camp in 2023? “Nay,” say Joe and Kristi Cargill, operators of the camp and members of First Baptist Church, Swedeborg, in central Missouri. They’ll supply the horse for campers, ages 9-17, of any experience level. The unique summer youth camp combines a love of horses with a biblical focus. It operates every June on the Cargill’s farm south of Swedeborg. The 2022 event wrapped up with impressive results as over 100 … [Read more...]
Prophecy conference offers insights on future events
JEFFERSON CITY – An August conference in Jefferson City hopes to provide biblical understanding of end times events, according to Missouri Baptist church member Larry Crabtree, founder and president of Perilous Times Ministry, which is hosting the free event. He says those attending the one-day conference will gain an understanding of future events as well as a heightened need to share Christ with nonbelievers. “Those who attend the conference,” Crabtree says, “will leave with a … [Read more...]
Potosi Community Church reaches into community to share God’s love
POTOSI – For Keeli Singer, missions is homegrown and local. She’s a member of Potosi Community Church in southeast Missouri and a public school art teacher. When she heard a minister say that missions was every Christian’s responsibility, she came up with His Hands and Feet, a local compassion ministry for her community. The church is currently in a pastor search, so Keeli says a visiting preacher mentioned that “as members we need to not wait for someone else to do something. God wants us … [Read more...]
New VBS project teaches students about missions on their level
ST. LOUIS – Vacation Bible School has a new missions education opportunity this year through Pennies for Pupils, a project that aids a Kenyan school founded by Missouri Baptist layperson George “the Shoeman” Hutchings. The program connects children with children through participatory missions and teaches that no amount is too little in the hands of God, he says. Hutchings is the president of the Juanita School for Girls in Kenya. Pennies contributed by VBS students add up one by one to … [Read more...]
Vision ministries focus on evangelism
ARNOLD – Two Missouri vision ministries, working in partnership, are clearly focused on evangelism through improving sight in their eyeglass clinics in the U.S. and Central America. Steve Smith, director of Focus On Missions, founded the organization about 20 years ago. For a time, he worked with pastors and churches in Mexico on other projects. Ten years ago, Smith—a member at First Baptist Arnold—began focusing exclusively on eyeglass clinics in the United States when he noticed a need … [Read more...]
NAMB picks St. Louis as 17th SEND Relief City
ST. LOUIS – The North American Mission Board (NAMB) recently tapped St. Louis as its 17th Send Relief city, putting at the head a familiar face in the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association: Kale Uzzle. Uzzle directs the George Liele Center, the short-term missions division of the association. His role in planning and executing compassion-oriented ministry projects in the area lines up perfectly with Send Relief’s compassion ministry goals. “The Liele Center trains and deploys teams … [Read more...]
Ridge Church pursues ‘kingdom growth’ via multiple campuses in eastern Missouri
VILLA RIDGE – When The Ridge Church paid off its debt in 2016, Pastor Roger Johnson shared with members that he was uninterested in “adding more buildings” to the current campus. The congregation had already adopted smaller churches to help revitalize, and changed its name from First Baptist of Villa Ridge to emphasize the partnership. He wanted to continue revitalizing struggling churches. “I felt like God wanted us to think more in terms of kingdom growth,” Johnson says. “God began to … [Read more...]
CLC educates Christians on biblical view of gender, sex
JEFFERSON CITY – Among several conferences on different contemporary ethical issues the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Christian Life Commission (CLC) has presented, its gender and sexuality meeting generates the most interest, according to the group’s chairman, Timothy Faber. “It’s really struck a chord with our people, he says. “Many Christian people are struggling to understand the issues, as well as how to best to relate to friends and family who are caught up in this.” The CLC held … [Read more...]
Super Summer resumes in 2022 on two MBC university campuses
JEFFERSON CITY – After a modified schedule in 2021, preceded by cancellation in 2020 due to COVID, Super Summer week-long camps for middle and high school students resume this summer on two MBC university campuses. The first takes place at Hannibal LaGrange University, June 13-17. Southwest Baptist University hosts the second June 20-24. Bob Caldwell, an independent contractor for the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Making Disciples team, is facilitating the camps this year. He says through … [Read more...]
Recycled Bible study materials get second life
Two Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) churches have found new uses for their former Sunday School and other Bible study materials, while also supporting international mission activities. New Florence Baptist in eastern Missouri sends volunteers each year to Love Packages. “We’ve been going there for 8 years,” Pastor Brian Larkin says, “and I have never heard an adult or a youth say they would never go back there again. Even though the work can be physically demanding (our folks)…are … [Read more...]
Troy church has record attendance for Christmas drama
TROY – “Beautiful weather” was attributed for record attendance at Troy First Baptist’s outdoor Christmas presentation, Journey to Bethlehem, according to church member Diane Campbell. “We had 1,737 people come through this year,” says Campbell, co-director of the presentation. Journey to Bethlehem is an interactive presentation with visitors passing through various stage sets on their way to Bethlehem at Christ’s birth. Campbell said the church presents the gospel story as an outdoor … [Read more...]
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