BOLIVAR, Mo. (SBU) – The 44th annual Festival of Christmas, presented by Southwest Baptist University and Community Outreach Ministries, will take place at 6 p.m., Sunday, December 8, in Pike Auditorium on SBU’s Bolivar campus. Bolivar area residents are invited to celebrate the Christmas season at this free holiday program, which brings together area churches of Bolivar for a spectacular Christmas celebration each year. "The Festival of Christmas is a highlight of the Advent season,” … [Read more...]
WEEK OF PRAYER: The Great Pursuit on Southeast Asian islands
EDITOR’S NOTE: This year’s Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 1-8. Each year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supplements Cooperative Program giving to support Southern Baptists international missionaries’ initiatives in sharing the Gospel. This year’s offering goal is $205 million. To find information and resources about the offering, go here. SOUTHEAST ASIA (IMB) – David York still gets tears in his eyes when … [Read more...]
Alabama church loses worship center, Sunday School space to fire
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story originally appeared in The Alabama Baptist. ABBEVILLE, Ala. (BP) – An overnight fire at First Baptist Church, Abbeville, Ala., consumed most of the church’s facilities, according to Pastor Ricky Sowell. Church members gathered there this Wednesday (Dec. 4) to share memories and “trust God with what’s next,” he said. “It’s almost a total loss,” Sowell said. The worship center and Sunday School spaces burned in the fire, the cause of which is undetermined so … [Read more...]
Delta, Macon churches revitalized through Resound’s ReFocus program
DELTA/MACON, Mo. – First Baptist Church (FBC) of Delta and Macon FBC encountered long-lasting revitalization through Resound Network’s ReFocus program. This program provides clarity on six imperative aspects of a church’s ministry: vision, mission, values, strategy, goals, and annual plans. While this can be done by forming a cohort that meets over a period of months, these two churches participated in the 3-day intensive workshop. ReFocus, according to Pastor Phil Bray of Macon FBC, … [Read more...]
100 Christians banned from villages in India if they don’t denounce faith
CHHATTISGARH, India (BP) – At least 40 members of New Bethesda Jesus Tribal Ministry in Michwar Village remain sheltered at the church two weeks after the village council banned them from the community unless they renounce their faith. The Christians are among 100 impacted by a joint resolution adopted Nov. 17 by eight village councils in the Sukma District of Chhattisgarh State. Christians who don’t denounce Jesus must leave the villages or their fields, belongings and property will be … [Read more...]
A plea for prioritizing the singing of familiar Christmas carols
by Justin Wainscott Over the last several years during the Advent and Christmas seasons, I have noticed that churches seem to be singing traditional Christmas carols less and less. I’m not sure what all the reasons may be, and I’m certainly not attempting to impugn the motives of those who choose the songs. But I do believe it’s unfortunate for us if we hear familiar carols more in the shopping mall than we do in the local church. Therefore, I want to issue a plea for us to prioritize … [Read more...]
MBCH testimonial: ‘I didn’t even like kids,’ but God had other plans
By Lisa Lowrance//Missouri Baptist Children's Home (MBCH) “I don’t even like kids!” These were the words I uttered for nearly 17 years. I have never wanted biological children. It was never important to me. In all honestly, I hate hospitals, needles and pain, so pregnancy was never going to be a good fit for me. Plus, I had big dreams for my career (none of which panned out, of course). I didn’t like kids. So, of course, I found myself working for the Children’s Division in 2004, an … [Read more...]
Less Than Half of Americans Attend Church at Christmas
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (Lifeway) – As Americans make their Christmas plans, slightly less than half say they usually attend a church service during the holiday season. A Lifeway Research study finds U.S. adults are split on whether they’ll be at church sometime this Christmas—47% say they typically attend church at Christmastime, while 48% say they do not, and 5% aren’t sure. “The very name ‘Christmas’ originates in the church’s celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth. In the mid-14th century, the … [Read more...]
WEEK OF PRAYER: The Great Pursuit in Brazil
EDITOR’S NOTE: This year’s Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 1-8. Each year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supplements Cooperative Program giving to support Southern Baptists international missionaries’ initiatives in sharing the Gospel. This year’s offering goal is $205 million. To find information and resources about the offering, go here. Danilo Miranda moved hurriedly through the Rio de Janeiro airport. … [Read more...]
Quilting ministry helps hurting women, children
WARRENSBURG – A quilt is generally made from fabric pieces that are sewn together. Perhaps there is no better fitting illustration of broken lives being put together, as happens with clients of the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, foster children and unwed mothers. “Pat’s Saturday Sew Day” is the Grover Park Baptist quilt ministry, and in less than two years, it has given away 277 quilts, and counting. In about 2015, a monthly sewing club was started for those who wanted to learn … [Read more...]
IMB missionary overcomes fear to share gospel on Senegalese islands
SENEGAL – Twenty-five Senegalese islanders crowded into a classroom. Sitting in front of a film projector, their eyes were glued to the screen. As they watched the JESUS film, International Mission Board missionaries Moses and Beth saw clear emotion on the faces of the islanders. After the film, 15 people came forward during a response time. They’d heard the clear presentation of the gospel. They wanted to know more. They wanted to know this Jesus — the One who’d suffered and died for … [Read more...]
Eight diagnostic questions for soul searching
In pastoral counseling, I have learned that people can be very complex. As I learned to navigate through such matters, I would often say, “Questions prick the conscience, statements harden the heart.” That has served me well as I walk alongside people in their struggle with sin! “The purpose of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out” (Prov 20:5). Scripture indicates that we can draw out the deep, heart-level issue by soul searching. Charles Spurgeon … [Read more...]
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