PHOENIX – The exhibit hall of the Southern Baptist Convention was buzzing with activity as SBC related colleges, seminaries, entities and ancillary organizations vied for the attention of the convention messengers. The air conditioning was cranked down sufficiently to cool the conventioneers who braved 100 plus degree heat getting into the downtown convention hall. At the Hannibal-LaGrange University booth some Missourians visited with university staffers. Ray Carty offered HLGU “swag” … [Read more...]
Two Missourians preach at Pastors’ Conference
PHOENIX – Dave Miller, president of the 2017 SBC Pastors’ Conference, said "We went for simple this year." The conference was organized for the first time with a focus on enlisting preachers from smaller membership churches (less than 500 attenders). And the pastors were tasked to preach expository messages through the Book of Philippians. Miller was elected at last year's conference with a pledge to build a conference in this manner. He is the pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church … [Read more...]
Kirksville church shares love of Christ with Ronald McDonald House residents
KIRKSVILLE – Kavin Tingley and his parents, Charles and Tammy Porter, have stayed at Ronald McDonald Houses in several states as their family searched for a diagnosis and treatment for Kavin’s heart condition. They always felt welcomed and cared for at these homes, provided by funding from the McDonalds Corporation. Families with sick children are invited to stay in the homes during their hospital stays and medical appointments. The Porter/Tingley family stayed at Ronald McDonald Houses … [Read more...]
Kirksville church highlights Maundy Thursday worship
KIRKSVILLE — The Rehoboth Baptist Church provided an interesting and unique worship experience as they prepared for the Easter celebration. On Maundy Thursday, they commemorated the last night of Jesus before His crucifixion. The church set up their worship center in the shape of a cross to let worshippers go through four stations of a cross outline to experience some of the things Jesus and the disciples experienced that night. Associate Pastor for Family Ministry, Ben Austic, … [Read more...]
Feats of strength amaze Unionville teens
UNIONVILLE – Bubba Dowling stood in the high school gymnasium and people were amazed at his muscles as Pastor Jeff Harlan introduced him to the assembled crowd. His arms were the size of hams and his upper body strength shown to be tremendous--the result of about 20 years of competitive power weight lifting and constant training. Dowling and his associate, Ivan Frietas, were in the Putnam County High School to demonstrate strong man feats but their underlying purpose was to share their … [Read more...]
DOMs aim to focus churches on Great Commission
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri’s directors of missions are concerned for their member churches and hope to help them gain a better focus on the Great Commission. In a breakfast meeting during the Great Commission conference, DOM Fellowship president David Mifflin, of Fellowship Baptist Association, Warsaw, convened the group for announcements and fellowship time. Around the tables the DOMs reacted to the speakers they had been listening to the day prior. Mifflin said he thought the two biggest … [Read more...]
Reid to GCC: ‘Share Jesus without freaking out’
SPRINGFIELD – “What freaks you out the most?” asked Alvin Reid at the MBC Great Commission conference. Reid, professor of evangelism at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He then proceeded to show the audience a series of photos of snakes he has kept as pets, including some poisonous ones. “Some people think sharing Jesus with someone would freak them out” he said. But “Witnessing is an honor” he refuted. Reid continued to share insights from his forthcoming book “Sharing … [Read more...]
Musician Michael Card takes truth ‘from head to heart’
SPRINGFIELD – Michael Card was a featured concert artist during the Great Commission conference and conference organizer Matt Kearns hinted during the introduction that many below age 30 would not know him. But many who listened to contemporary Christian music in the 80’s and 90’s were searching their memory banks, using Google on their phones and recalling songs like “Love Crucified Arose, Emmanuel and El Shaddai” which were coming up on the discography of Card’s web presence. Memories … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists offer medical care in Southeast Mo.
JACKSON — Free rural medical care clinics will be available for Southeast Missouri residents thanks to the joint efforts of several Baptist associations in the area. A mobile medical clinic RV unit has been donated and a plan to staff it for rural health clinics has been organized. LifeCare Ministries is the name of the new organization which will provide the unit free to the 7 participating associations and their churches in the SEMO area. The 1996 model RV sat beside the Perry County … [Read more...]
Franks urges messengers to return to ‘real reality’
ST. CHARLES – Missouri Baptist Convention President Neil Franks spoke to the convention during the opening session of the MBC annual meeting, Oct. 24. He urged messengers to push back to “real reality.” Franks is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Branson. He took the platform with his smartphone in hand and wandered around with a gleeful facial expression exclaiming “Who would have thought there would be this many Pokemon at this convention!” PokemonGo is a video game with a smartphone … [Read more...]
Partnership missions lunch features missiologist J.D. Payne
ST. CHARLES – The luncheon speaker raised a key question: "Are we being wise stewards, considering the state of the world and the large group of resources we have?" The questioner reminded the lunch crowd that they were eating a fine meal, but that amount of food is more than many people in some parts of the world would have for several days. A sobering thought. The Partnership Missions luncheon is always one of the more popular convention related activities at the MBC annual meeting. … [Read more...]
‘Horse whisperer’ proclaims gospel during state fair
SEDALIA – Horse whisperer David Frazier doesn't really like the term "horse whisperer." "That's kind of Hollywood. I haven't even seen the movie," he said. He was referring to a 1998 film starring Robert Redford, who plays the role of a horse trainer with a remarkable gift for understanding horses and helps an injured teenager and her horse back to health following a tragic accident. "But we use the term here because people understand what it means, and it communicates to the … [Read more...]