“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; ….does not seek its own, is not provoked,” I Corinthians 13:4,5 One need only listen to the news for a short time to find many examples of power struggles in Washington, D.C. Not only do we see them in Washington, we also see them in churches, schools, places of employment, and, yes, even our homes! What causes power struggles? What is the result of those struggles and what can we do to prevent them? Power struggles occur when we … [Read more...]
MBCH, Sports Crusaders partner for missions
JEFFERSON CITY – Through a series of God’s workings, three organizations are partnering for a mission trip in Ukraine in July. The three include the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, Sports Crusaders, and New Hope Ukraine. “It had to be God’s perfect plan. It’s almost miraculous,” said MBCH President Russell Martin about the joint effort. Martin said Sports Crusaders is marking 25 years bible-based, evangelistic athletic camps for children and youth. Sports Crusaders held a camp at … [Read more...]
In step – two, three, four – with Jesus
I’m not one to dance like nobody’s watching. Mostly because I don’t want to watch it either. But I do sing loud. And big. Sometimes with motions. So while I might not necessarily dance like no one is watching, I have been known to sing like I’m vacuuming. A couple of months ago, I did accidentally bust a few new moves, but it was because a bug flew into my hair. That was some sweet choreography. Embarrassing, sure. I didn’t even know I had those moves. A couple of my kids saw it, as a … [Read more...]
Church on the brink of death finds new life
ST. LOUIS – A body on the brink of death is possibly healed with a transplant and Jim Breeden, Director of Missions (DOM) of St. Louis Metro Baptist Association, used this analogy to explain the church replanting of Bayless Baptist Church, 8512 Morganford Rd, St Louis. “A church looking to replant has to acknowledge that they can not go forward,” he said, “without doing something different. They must do things totally different spiritually or in method.” Breeden explained that the St. … [Read more...]
Churches on Solid Ground as Economy Rebounds
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Church collection plates were a little bit fuller last fall, according to Nashville-based LifeWay Research. About 40 percent of Protestant pastors say their churches received more offerings in 2017 than in 2016. Three-quarters say their church met or exceeded budget. And only about a third say the economy gave their church trouble. Those are among the findings of a new report from LifeWay Research, based on a survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors. LifeWay … [Read more...]
The shape of theological disaster
Some of us lived through the “conservative resurgence” in the Southern Baptist Convention. Some of you were too young, and have only heard your pastor talk about it from time-to-time. If you ever wondered why we needed to fight the fight over biblical authority (it was a 20-year battle) ... here it is. ... Today we’ll see the shape of theological disaster. One point is clear throughout church history theological disaster almost never strikes out of the blue. Trouble seems to build and … [Read more...]
Can a church be reborn?
ARNOLD – Is it possible for a church to be born again? According to Pastor Stuart Dace, this is exactly what happened to Starling Road Baptist Church in Arnold. After a four-year process of struggle, prayer, and hard work, the church replanted with a fresh vision for sharing the Gospel and reaching its community. Starling Road Baptist Church has seen many ebbs and flows over its 50-year history. At times the church was full of life and vitality, with many families filling the pews. Other … [Read more...]
Crossroads association hosts D-NOW
HALLSVILLE - In two previous years, The Crossroads Baptist Association has seen many youth from local churches attend D-Now. However, perhaps more so than before, the youth represent a wider area of the state. Jason Kramer, Associate/Youth Pastor of Carpenter Street Baptist in Moberly and D-Now coordinator said over 200 students and another 65-70 adults participated in the Feb 17-18 event at Hallsville Baptist. “D-Now (Discipleship Now) is a weekend of intensive preaching, worship, and … [Read more...]
Tawhid and the Trinity
This is the first in a series of articles contrasting Allah and Yahweh. Muslims and Christians agree there is one God but disagree as to His name, nature, and attributes. The god of Islam is Allah, meaning “the god” in Arabic. In the days of Islam’s founder, Muhammad, this meant that of all the tribal gods worshiped on the Arabian Peninsula, Allah was the only true deity. Key to the Islamic concept of God is the doctrine of tawhid, or absolute oneness. It’s more than strict monotheism. … [Read more...]
Southern Baptist cowboy church rounds up the unreached in rural Missouri
CARTHAGE – Missouri Baptist church planter Steve Stafford has a rule for his congregation: Never steal members from other churches. “We call that cattle rustling,” Stafford, the founding pastor of Risen Ranch Cowboy Church here said. In Jesus’ parable, a shepherd left his 99 sheep to seek one stray. It’s an image that cowboys, experienced in seeking stray cattle, might appreciate. And Stafford, like other cowboy church planters around the state, is working to round up the unreached people … [Read more...]
GCC breakouts highlight hope, faith in action
ST. CHARLES – In addition to the main speakers at the Great Commission Conference Feb. 22-24, attendees heard from a wide variety of breakout session leaders further breaking down the event’s theme of being ambassadors of hope for transformation. Bill Victor, regional collegiate ministry coordinator for the Missouri Baptist Convention, led a session on the intersection of faith and politics, a topic not often considered a way for Christians to bring about hope and transformation. While … [Read more...]
NAMB trustees introduce ‘Send Puerto Rico’
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – The North American Mission Board is adding Puerto Rico to its list of special areas that will receive increased attention and resources for church planting, Send Relief ministries and partnership opportunities with Southern Baptist churches that want to minister on the island. NAMB president Kevin Ezell shared the plans with NAMB trustees, Feb. 6. The emphasis comes as Puerto Rico continues to slowly recover from the staggering toll Hurricane Maria took on the island … [Read more...]
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