RAYTOWN – Followers of Jesus are true partners in the Lord, John Yeats, Missouri Baptist Convention executive director, said during his address to messengers at the MBC annual meeting at Connection Point Church here, Oct. 23. “Missouri Baptists, we’re better together,” said Yeats. “That’s the gist of synergy: people can accomplish more together than separately.” Yeats noted that the apostle Paul, in his writings, uses the Greek word synergos – the root word for synergy – several times … [Read more...]
Grieving, praying for Sutherland Springs
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas – Missouri and Southern Baptist leaders expressed broken hearts and prayerful pleas as they reacted to the news of a Nov. 5 shooting that killed 26 and injured 20 at First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs, Texas. “Our words fail to express the sorrow we feel for this church family and their pastor,” said John Yeats, executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention. “Their depth of grief is unimaginable. Such slaughter compels us to keep our focus on the … [Read more...]
Missourians trust Scripture to transform
JEFFERSON CITY – John Stroup sat in a prison cell when the gospel arrested his attention. Now, through Freeway Ministries, which he and two other members of Crossway Baptist Church, Springfield, established, he strives to capture criminals for Christ and plug them into the local church. “I was raised in a drug-addict, drug-dealer environment,” Stroup said. “Everybody I knew is pretty much dead or doing life in prison.” In 2008, Stroup himself was serving time behind bars, when he … [Read more...]
Nailed it! Luther triggered Reformation 500 years ago
WITTENBERG, Germany – Five hundred years ago this month, Martin Luther, a German monk and university professor, turned the world upside down as he began to proclaim a gospel of “costly grace.” On Oct. 31, 1517, Luther posted 95 theses for public debate on the Castle Church door in the small university town of Wittenberg, Germany. In his pungent theses, he criticized abuses of church power – especially the pope’s attempt to raise funds for renovating St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by … [Read more...]
50 years at one church: Lebanon pastor reflects on God’s faithfulness
LEBANON – As a young pastor, Donald Wood expected that after 30 years in the ministry, he’d have enough sermons to last him a lifetime. But now that he’s celebrating his 50th year at New Hope Baptist Church near Lebanon, he realizes that he’ll never get to the bottom of God’s Word. “Still today,” Wood said, “I’ll read something, and I think, ‘How come it took 50 years to figure that out?’” Celebrating 135 years this month, New Hope Baptist currently runs about 20 people each Sunday … [Read more...]
Seven action items to affirm your minister
Each year and especially the second Sunday of October, a time is set aside to acknowledge the important and valuable work of ministers of the gospel who serve as leaders of local churches. It is a time to simply express gratitude for the people God has called to our churches to help us grow in faith, help us fulfill our purpose in life and help us through the struggles of life. Of all the things a church can do to express gratitude, one thing that is on top of the list is RESPECT. Granted, … [Read more...]
Honor, provide for your pastor
I have pastored churches in Missouri, Kentucky, New York, and Florida over the last 21years of my life. There is no greater privilege than being called to the great responsibility of shepherding the beloved people of God as an instrument in the hands of the Great Shepherd of our souls. Pastoring can be hard, but the joys of work far outweigh the heartaches. There is nothing I would rather do with my life than caring for God’s people so that they grow up into Christ. Colossians 1:28 says, … [Read more...]
‘Bring Your Bible to School’ Oct. 5, FOTF urges
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BP) -- An event encouraging students to take their Bibles to school Thursday (Oct. 5) is increasingly pertinent as the nation deals with natural disasters and man-made atrocities, event founder Candi Cushman told Baptist Press. Cushman, a Focus on the Family (FOTF) education advocate, founded the national "Bring Your Bible to School Day" in 2014 to advocate and preserve students' rights to share their faith at school. But the comfort the Bible offers is … [Read more...]
A religion of the Book: The King James Bible
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the 20th column in a year-long series leading up to the 500th anniversary of the 16th-century Reformation on Oct. 31, 2017. When Queen Elizabeth I died childless after 45 years in power, the dynasty of the Tudor family descended from Henry VIII also ended. Now, the English monarchy went to the Stuart family and, specifically, to the Scottish King James VI—now crowned also as King James I of England. During his reign in Scotland, King James became familiar with … [Read more...]
The hymnal
There has never been a stronger argument for the disuse of something in worship in a very long time as the hymnal in the 21st century church. We have projection, chord sheets, SongSelect™, ProPresenter™, and much, much more. Why even bother with a hymnal, especially a denominational hymnal? The denominational hymnal began with Hymns Ancient and Modern back in 1861 in England from a board of Anglicans known as “The Proprietors.” It was presented as such to codify the doctrine and teaching … [Read more...]
Juston Gates: The pastor as preacher, administrator
FORSYTH – When Juston Gates of First Baptist Church, Forsyth, first surrendered to the ministry, he imagined that most of his time would involve preaching, prayer and other “neat, spiritual stuff,” but 18 years in ministry have taught him otherwise. In fact, he came to find out that many of his days were filled with administrative tasks: making financial decisions, overseeing the work of committees, leading meetings and equipping the church’s ministry staff. “We (pastors) make so many … [Read more...]
Vic Borden: The pastor as counselor and guide
KANSAS CITY – Vic Borden, the pastor of Red Bridge Baptist Church here, focuses on his ministry strengths. For him, that means walking alongside his congregation as shepherd and counselor, weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice. “I’m just an OK administrator, theologian and preacher, but I am in my zone when I am tending the flock,” Borden said. I have that heart for God’s people, and I think they would tell you that. I feed them and I watch out for them and … [Read more...]
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