When you think about Missourians, what comes to mind? Sports fans? Hunters and fishermen? Patriotic Americans? How about these: Unemployed neighbors? Immigrants? Families going hungry? Veterans with stress disorders? Parolees? Poor readers? Who are the real people living just beyond your church doors? As an evangelism/discipleship strategist, I frequently get calls and emails from pastors who want to know: “What can I do to help our church members be active witnesses for … [Read more...]
Social networking offers potential to share faith
David Jeremiah/Special to The Pathway EL CAJON, Calif. – Much of what gets shared on some social networking sites can be less than profound. With the wheat comes the chaff in any new endeavor. As Christians, our goal is to recognize the potential for good that social networking technology presents – new opportunities for serious communication about spiritually important matters. The most important, of course, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Think what a difference 2,000 years has made! … [Read more...]
Moore: Gospel includes engaging culture
WASHINGTON (BP) – Public engagement of cultural issues in a “Christ-shaped manner” is crucial for pastors and other Christians, ethicist Russell D. Moore said after hosting Southern Baptist leaders at a briefing in the U.S. Capitol. Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), joined congressional leaders and members of both legislative chambers in speaking to briefing participants June 12 in the Capitol building. The ERLC sponsored the event … [Read more...]
Students share Christ in Brazil amid World Cup frenzy
Alan Brant/Baptist Press RIO DE JANEIRO (BP) – There were no flashbulbs or television cameras, only teammates – mostly children half his size and barefoot – who celebrated and mobbed Dane Van Ryckeghem after he assisted in a goal during the game. The frenzy of World Cup soccer had nothing on the jubilant Brazilian neighborhood kids playing with visitors from the United States on a soggy field on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Van Ryckeghem, a student at the University of Alabama in … [Read more...]
Ridgecrest Baptist team builds the kingdom
OZARK – The Kingdom Builders mission team from Ridgecrest Baptist Church (RBC) in Springfield erected the frame for a new 1600 square-foot training facility at School to the Nations here during the first week of June. Established and directed by Ridgecrest Baptist members Randy and Maureen Copeland, School to the Nations equips and mobilizes believers to proclaim the gospel around the world. Currently, School to the Nations sends groups to work among 13 unreached – as well as … [Read more...]
Page: CP advancing, not retreating
ERIN ROACH/Baptist Press BALTIMORE (BP) – Southern Baptists are advancing, not retreating, as they rally to give more through the Cooperative Program to fuel the Great Commission task, Executive Committee President Frank Page told messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Baltimore June 10. “We thank God that two years ago the Cooperative Program stopped its declination at 5.41 percent and last year rose for the first time in two decades to 5.50 percent,” Page … [Read more...]
Bankruptcy of the prosperity gospel
Leaders of the word-faith movement, also known as the prosperity gospel, say they place a high value on Scripture. Unfortunately, their unique interpretation of God’s Word leads to unbiblical conclusions about God’s design for the Christian life. A case in point: 3 John 2, which reads: “Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” As prosperity preachers like Kenneth Copeland and Joel Osteen would have you believe, this … [Read more...]
Pastor won’t quit day job
ROGERSVILLE – Pastor Winston Burton of the First Baptist Church (FBC) here won’t quit his day job. In fact, this nearly 300-member congregation has chosen to employ only bivocational and part-time staff members – a decision that, according to Burton, has its advantages for ministry. “Lots of doors have been opened as a result of my being bivocational,” Burton said, sharing how his work in the school system helped him to build relationships within the community. “I’ve had people come to … [Read more...]
Grandma uses texting to spread God’s Word
SUSAN MIRES/contributing writer LEAWOOD, Kan. – Monty Sheridan is a texting grandma – and she is determined to use her power for good. “There’s nothing I like better than to talk to someone about Jesus,” said Sheridan. One of her most significant undertakings began with a request from her grandson Brett Hilton. In the fall of 2010 when he was a student at Northwest Missouri State University, Hilton sent her a text message: “Hey, Nana, can you do something for me?” He asked if she would … [Read more...]
Hobby Lobby personalities to headline Worldview Conference
HANNIBAL – The Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) 2015 Worldview Conference will feature two speakers with ties to Hobby Lobby and its victory at the United States Supreme Court. Michael McAfee, director of faith initiatives for Hobby Lobby, and Joshua Hawley, an attorney on the legal team that defended Hobby Lobby and a University of Missouri law professor, will address faith, business and religious liberty during the conference at Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU) here, April 2. “We … [Read more...]
What is ‘finding answers’?
Maybe I don’t need to tell anyone this, but there are a lot of reasons I’ll never be on Jeopardy. One big one is that I can very reasonably imagine Alex Trebek saying something like, “Please remember to phrase all your ignorance in the form of a question.” Um, I’ll take “No Way I’ll Ever Get Any of These Right” for 200 please, Alex. What if the question that’s the answer, isn’t my answer? What if my question is just really a question? Because I don’t know the answer to the question – or … [Read more...]
Five time-tested discipleship models
Editor’s Note: The following material was first introduced several years ago in a Discipleship Training Resource entitled, “Becoming a Disciple-making Church” by Steve J. Williams. It has been updated and is used by permission. This is the final of three articles. This week we will look at five models for disciple-making: Just over a generation ago most churches did disciple-making the same way. They did it in ongoing, age-graded groups that studied dated quarterlies and met on Sunday … [Read more...]
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