JEFFERSON CITY – A bill in committee would force Missouri Baptist churches that offer daycares to become licensed or shut down that portion of their ministry. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeremy LaFaver, a Democrat from Jackson County, strikes current portions of Missouri law which exempt churches from those that must be licensed to offer day care. Removing those exemptions and forcing licensure would make children safer, LaFaver testified, noting that some church-based daycares have become … [Read more...]
First Branson pastor offers 2-minute resource
BRANSON - Neil Franks, pastor, First Baptist Church, Branson, is into “The 2.” That is his rank among Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) officers right now as he serves as first vice president. That is also his smartphone identity. Thanks to an innovative app creation, Franks is The 2-Minute Pastor. “We’re not trying to become important or big,” Franks said. “We just think there’s a niche out there. There’s a gap in the market of good, biblical content in short bursts.” As of March 1 … [Read more...]
ACLU withdraws objection to Franklin County prayer
UNION — After filing suit against the Franklin County Commission last summer for declaring that prayers offered before meetings instituted a government-forced religion, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has now withdrawn legal action to stop these invocations. “I think it is good they dropped the lawsuit,” said Jim Plymale, director of missions for the Franklin County Baptist Association. “Now there will be no further legal expenses or clouds over the County Commission in this … [Read more...]
Tax credit bill passes House
JEFFERSON CITY – Pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) and several other charitable entities will benefit from tax credits if a proposed bill continues to smoothly make its way through the legislative process. House Bill 87 (HB 87), sponsored by Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, won 149-2 approval Feb. 7 in the House of Representatives and was sent to the Senate. The bill would allow taxpayers to claim credits against their state income taxes for contributions they make to those … [Read more...]
A Christian perspective on beauty
As Christians talking about beauty, we must begin with the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to stop being conformed to this world. We are to have transformed minds, renewed by thinking on God and His ways. Only then will discernment reign, and only then will our lives be marked by beauty. First, let’s begin by stating the problem. Defining beauty is like nailing Jell-O to a wall. We have all heard the dictum, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and certainly there is truth in this. … [Read more...]
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