ST. LOUIS – A network is defined as an association providing mutual assistance and helpful information based on a common interest. Jesus is the common interest for Missouri Baptist Church Planter Yoshi Ubukata, pastor of Japanese International Harvest Church which meets at The Rock Church, and the Japanese Christian Fellowship Network (JCFN). “We work with the Japanese Christian Fellowship Network,” Yoshi said. “The network helps us here and in Japan with Christians returning home. The … [Read more...]
FBC Laddonia aims to be church without walls
LADDONIA – To paraphrase an adage, First Baptist Church here has found the mission field, and it is among them. On July 15-17, some 15 church members plus another five from Texas County Baptist Association had service projects in Laddonia and nearby Martinsburg. Pastor Chris Atkinson said Community Action was contacted for people needing help. That weekend, the group in two teams painted one house and partially re-roofed another home. That Saturday night the movie Woodlawn was shown in … [Read more...]
Financial struggle segues to church planting
AUSTIN, Texas (BP) – High Pointe Baptist Church was struggling financially when Juan Sanchez arrived as pastor just over 10 years ago. Sanchez and High Pointe members decided that if God allowed the church to grow “we would no longer build auditorium space, but instead we would plant churches.” The Austin church committed to reaching beyond its walls to ensure they were not keeping all the money for themselves and were modeling by faith sacrificial giving, Sanchez told the Southern … [Read more...]
Much ventured, gained by Ariz. church planter
KINGMAN, Ariz. (BP) – The idea of starting over is ominous: driving off, developing new friends and breaking the barriers of the unknown, all with risk. Meet Tommy Thomas, North American Mission Board church planting catalyst in northern Arizona. He has turned starting over into an art form. Thomas repeatedly risks everything: reputation, safety, finances and the future. In remote rural life, there’s another risk – a stint in irrelevance if he fails. In a nation where urban ministry … [Read more...]
Hannibal-area ministry leads addicts to gospel freedom
Perhaps the deeper the depths of sin, the better the appreciation for redemption through Jesus. James Bridges, pastor Living Way Christian Fellowship in Hannibal, has a heart for those in various addictions, especially drugs and alcohol. He knows first hand what it is like to be delivered. “I’m an ex-addict. I’ve been clean 13 years. I’ve been in prison five times for a total of 10 years,” Bridges said. “I was saved and delivered in 2003. God put a burden on my heart to reach out to … [Read more...]
Someone declared war on religious liberty
Within the last month events set the international stage for significant crushing of religious liberty. One event was reported July 13 in the Wall Street Journal. Vladimir Putin rattled chains against religious liberty with a new anti-terrorism law that goes into effect at the end of the month. The law prohibits the sharing of the gospel anywhere but at government-sanctioned religious sites. The target was primarily the Mormons that spooked some members of the Politburo to overreact to … [Read more...]
Mo. youth make an impact through Global Encounter
ST. LOUIS – Before their week with Global Encounter Ministries, Brett Blair spent months in prayer for revival to come to his student ministry. “We didn’t know exactly what we had been praying for but we could identify underlying spiritual warfare,” said Blair, associate pastor of students and families at Faith Baptist Church in Festus. “We felt like there were some strongholds in their lives holding them back from turning our student ministry from not just a string of fun events, but … [Read more...]
Hot app Pokémon Go delivers evangelistic opportunities
SCOTT BARKLEY & TOBIN PERRY/Baptist Press DULUTH, Ga. (BP) – Kevin Smith and others noticed visitors in the parking lot of the Georgia Baptist Missions and Ministry Center. While none made it to the front door, it wasn’t for lack of hospitality from Georgia Baptist Mission Board staff. The visitors may have arrived for Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle or some other resident of the Pokémon universe. The Pokémon Go mobile game, released earlier this month, has introduced the tiny … [Read more...]
God hears our prayers: A 3-month old’s testimony of healing
LEWISTOWN – Malachi Kuenzle already has a testimony, but the three-month old doesn’t know it. His family, however, has proclaimed God’s glory in their son’s news. Chris and Heather Kuenzle, Lewistown, were anxious for Malachi to join two-year old daughter Chloe. A different type of anxiety surfaced when 20 weeks into the pregnancy, Malachi was diagnosed with a kidney issue. “A hospital in Columbia said tests showed a cyst or something and one of his kidneys was bigger than the other,” … [Read more...]
‘Fight the good fight’
SPRINGFIELD – The Catalyst church here competes for the souls of men and women not only in Southwest Missouri, but also throughout the nation—and with transformed lives that show the worth of their labor. During the past four-and-a-half years, this Missouri Baptist Convention church plant has led 186 people to profess faith in Christ. And they continue to fight for people’s salvation in a unique way: through competitive sports. While other churches often compete with people’s scheduled … [Read more...]
Burfordville Baptist Church dives into VBS
BURFORDVILLE – The Burfordville Baptist Church is seeing evidence of the Spirit of God. In the last two months, they have seen eleven adults and children come to know Jesus. “We have a small church of faithful folks,” Bryon Kindle, pastor, said. “They volunteer to help me, so I can preach. I’m faithful to preach the Word of God and that is the power.” Kindle said VBS paid a significant role in the decisions made for Christ. “Ms. Ashley brought her children to VBS,” he said, “and … [Read more...]
MBC church plants in Iowa threatened by civil rights law
DES MOINES, Iowa – An Iowa law could threaten Missouri Baptist work in the state through the Heartland Interstate Strategy (HIS), an initiative to multiply churches along the I-29 corridor from Kansas City, through the western edge of Iowa, and up to the Canadian city of Winnipeg. If the Iowa Civil Rights Commission’s interpretation of state civil rights laws is upheld, the state could force churches to open restrooms to people of the opposite sex and prohibit preachers from proclaiming … [Read more...]
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