I really like Silver Dollar City. It is a regional amusement park just outside of Branson. For many years, it was my privilege to serve a great church in the area, and thus, I found myself at the park quite often.  As you know, the word “amusement” is based on the word “muse” or to think. Often times an “a” in front of a word reverses its meaning. So, an amusement park is a place where you go “not to think.” As a pastor, sometimes we need to go to places where we don’t think—just to visit, … [Read more...]

Uncertainty – “Epistemic situations involving imperfect or unknown information. It applies to predictions of future events, to physical measurements that are already made, or to the unknown.” In other words, uncertainty is not knowing what will happen or not being sure what you think you do is really so. It sounds a whole lot like 2020, doesn’t it? I always thought there was going to be toilet paper at Wal-Mart, for instance. (One meme I saw had a grandpa telling his grandchildren that … [Read more...]

I have had lots of dreams.  I bet you have too.  A few of them have come true, like marrying that beautiful girl I saw from a distance on my first day of college; or pastoring a great church and seeing the Lord bless it. Some dreams, well I have matured past, like that “Unanswered Prayers” song. Others have crashed and burned despite my best efforts. But, this past Saturday, one of my long lost dreams, one I had abandoned a long, long time ago, came true. At least kind of. On September 26, … [Read more...]

It was hot. Now not any hotter than normal for late July in Missouri.  It was only 97 degrees, well within expected ranges.  But it felt unusually hot because as we drove across Missouri the vehicle in which I was driving no longer “conditioned” air.  You see the day before, I harvested my first deer.  I was on vacation in Colorado, and while I had planned on fly fishing (caught six my first time out, not bad I thought) I had not planned on going deer hunting.  A 2017 Toyota Highlander is … [Read more...]

There has been much written about heroes lately, as well as there should be.  Doctors, nurses, first responders, and all of those who run “toward” what the rest of us are running “from” must surely be commended and celebrated.  They deserve every accolade imaginable, along with those who protect our country through military service around the world. I invite you to reconsider the actual appearance of a hero.  I tend to think of the young, strong, and energetic.  While true, there is … [Read more...]

I remember my first triathlon. Ok, it was my only triathlon. I wasn’t competing in it; I was a volunteer. I was leading a group of single adults from Council Road Baptist Church in Bethany, Oklahoma in an effort to support the Lake Placid Baptist Church in New York as it provided volunteer coordination for the “Ironman Triathlon”. The church ministered by providing volunteers for the many sporting events in its small town,made famous when it hosted the Winter Olympics in 1980--when we still … [Read more...]

EDITOR’S NOTE: Missouri Baptist Foundation (MBF) President Neil Franks is offering daily updates for MBF clients on the MBF Facebook and Twitter feeds. JEFFERSON CITY – As our global community navigates the personal and business implications of COVID-19, the Missouri Baptist Foundation (MBF) wishes to help Missouri Baptist churches.  We want to serve your church’s needs while you are caring for the ministry needs of your congregation. Knowing that with the restrictions on sizable … [Read more...]

EDITOR'S NOTE: Missouri Baptist Foundation (MBF) President Neil Franks is offering daily updates for MBF clients on the MBF Facebook and Twitter feeds. As our global community navigates the personal and business implications of COVID-19, the Missouri Baptist Foundation (MBF) wishes to help Missouri Baptist churches.  We want to serve your church’s needs while you are caring for the ministry needs of your congregation. Knowing that with the restrictions on sizable gatherings you will … [Read more...]

I just completed my very first interim pastorate. Well, I guess all of my pastorates have been interim, since I am no longer serving at any one of those churches. Come to think of it… I suppose all pastors are interim if you factor in enough time, and all church members too, including deacons. But, I think you know what I mean. I had the privilege of serving a local congregation during the “in between” time the church had a “permanent” pastor. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and I can … [Read more...]

It has been said that country music is just “three chords and the truth.” Now I am not sure who “they” are, but I wholeheartedly agree. In all the opening lines of country music, David Ball’s 1994 song must sit at the top of the list for truth. The song begins, “Yes, I admit… (with the prototypical nasal tonality I might add) I’ve got a thinkin’ problem.” Mr. Ball hits upon the gravest of all problems, a thinkin’ problem. I was forced to review this problem recently while preparing a … [Read more...]

(See related stories here and here) So you might be wondering…Why would Straightway Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of the Missouri Baptist Foundation, purchase a distressed campground called Windermere Baptist Conference Center? It is a reasonable question, and one in which our staff and trustees wrestled for some time. I would like to take this opportunity to attempt an explanation. In case you have not already heard, the real estate and real property of Windermere Baptist Conference … [Read more...]