PHOENIX (BP) – North American Mission Board president Kevin Ezell told the entity’s trustees that in order to see the kind of turnaround in baptisms that Southern Baptists desire, it will take millions of Southern Baptists having tens of millions of gospel conversations. Without decreasing NAMB’s emphasis on church planting through its Send Network or compassion ministry through Send Relief, Ezell said NAMB will “put every ounce of energy we possibly can to help our convention see the … [Read more...]
Kirksville church shares love of Christ with Ronald McDonald House residents
KIRKSVILLE – Kavin Tingley and his parents, Charles and Tammy Porter, have stayed at Ronald McDonald Houses in several states as their family searched for a diagnosis and treatment for Kavin’s heart condition. They always felt welcomed and cared for at these homes, provided by funding from the McDonalds Corporation. Families with sick children are invited to stay in the homes during their hospital stays and medical appointments. The Porter/Tingley family stayed at Ronald McDonald Houses … [Read more...]
‘Share Jesus without freaking out’
Reid, Alvin L. Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2017. 144 pages. $16.99. Most people who attend church at least once a month believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, but few actually do. A recent survey from Lifeway found that almost half of churchgoers have never shared their faith or invited someone to church, and 61 percent have not done so in the last six months. In a question asking respondents to rank attributes of growing … [Read more...]
Lottie Moon offering nears $153 million
RICHMOND, Va. – Southern Baptists responded to the challenge to play their part in helping the Gospel resound to all nations through their gifts to the 2016 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, which neared the $155 million goal when the books closed on the annual offering. Southern Baptists gave $153 million through the 2016-17 campaign to support International Mission Board field personnel. Every dollar given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) supports … [Read more...]
Hillcrest Baptist Church, Lebanon, sees divine appointments in Africa
WEST AFRICA – During the past six years, the members of Hillcrest Baptist Church, Lebanon, have seen God move among the people of West Africa along the arid fringes of the Sahara Desert. Pastor David Brown said he has been amazed by the “divine appointments” that God has placed in the path of mission teams from the church as they’ve engaged a people group here. “God puts people before you, and maybe they’ll tell you that God has spoken to them in a dream,” Brown said, “and they’ve … [Read more...]
Baptists make disciples, multiply churches, develop leaders in Italy
VENETO, Italy – There’s a church on every block in northeastern Italy. At least, there are church buildings on every block. Most of them now stand empty or have been converted into museums, pizza joints or banks. Kevin Finch, a member of First Baptist Church, De Soto, said he noticed these relics from Italy’s Christian past during two mission trips he took with the church during the past six months. He also noticed Italy’s spiritual darkness. Despite the nation’s history, very few people … [Read more...]
DR’s witness pops up during late night flood duty
It was somewhere between 2 and 5 a.m., April 30. It was cold, wet, and windy as I watched the waters of the Osage River creep ever closer. When the Cole County Sheriff activated his posse (a ready-to-go group of trained civilian volunteers… no, we don’t chase after cattle rustlers, but my fingers are crossed) for flood duty, I changed into my uniform and immediately confirmed my availability. I thought I might spend the afternoon rescuing stranded citizens trapped in their flooded homes. … [Read more...]
Texas Prison’s ‘field ministers’ see wide-ranging gospel impact
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (BP) – “I’ve been in prison before,” Michael Rios humbly reflects. “I came in when I was very young. I had the right ideas, I had the right intents: get out, get married, have a life.” Dressed in a white prison uniform, Rios speaks slowly but directly, his tattooed hands slowly gesturing to accentuate his words. He has been in prison longer than some of his fellow inmates have even been alive. Though Rios had the “right intents,” bad choices kept him locked up, and he is … [Read more...]
Stier: Believers must ‘dare to share’
SPRINGFIELD – There is no room for timidity when it comes to sharing the good news of Jesus. That was the message of Greg Stier, the founder of Dare 2 Share evangelism resources, during the Great Commission Conference at Ridgecrest Baptist Church here Feb. 25. Stier and his entire extended family are Christians today because someone shared the gospel with one of his uncles, quite literally on a dare. “I don’t come from a typical, religious, hymn-singing, pew-sitting family,” he said. “I … [Read more...]
Compassion: ministry’s missing link
SPRINGFIELD – Ed Stetzer believes a main reason more people are not witnessing to the lost is a lack of compassion. Stetzer, executive director for the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton College, indicated many people have a saving faith in Jesus Christ, and many believe those without faith should be reached, but lack their own conviction in carrying out personal evangelism. Stetzer shared Matthew 9:35-38 where Jesus told the disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest for the … [Read more...]
‘Transformation Talks’: Apply gospel to all of life
SPRINGFIELD – A set of brief “Transformation Talks” at the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Great Commission Conference here, Feb. 24, prompted Missouri Baptists to consider how they might take gospel-transformation into their communities. Josh Branham, pastor of Fairview Baptist Church, Joplin, said that the “Transformation Talks” reminded him about the importance of developing a godly, deep compassion for those who don’t know Christ. And this compassion should drive Christians to take the … [Read more...]
Reid to GCC: ‘Share Jesus without freaking out’
SPRINGFIELD – “What freaks you out the most?” asked Alvin Reid at the MBC Great Commission conference. Reid, professor of evangelism at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He then proceeded to show the audience a series of photos of snakes he has kept as pets, including some poisonous ones. “Some people think sharing Jesus with someone would freak them out” he said. But “Witnessing is an honor” he refuted. Reid continued to share insights from his forthcoming book “Sharing … [Read more...]
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