TOBIN PERRY/North American Mission Board KANSAS CITY – On Easter Sunday the community surrounding Bales Avenue Community Church here came together to celebrate two resurrections. The first and most important was Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. The second – the church’s new beginning after decades of decline – visibly illustrated the first. “The neighborhood has changed and the world has changed, which represents sin all around us within the city,” said Jason Dawson, the pastor of … [Read more...]
Brandon Kiesling: From Jail to Preaching the Gospel
HOLTS SUMMIT – Nearly 10 years after standing before a judge on two felony and three misdemeanor charges, Missouri native Brandon Kiesling stood before an audience at Union Hill Baptist Church in March, proclaiming the gospel of God’s grace. Born in Latham and raised in California, Kiesling began as a high school student to drink alcohol, smoke marijuana and use methamphetamine. In August 2003, he was arrested for making meth, was soon bailed out of jail, and returned to drugs the next … [Read more...]
900 inmates attend ministry event in Vandalia
VANDALIA – Nearly 900 women from a prison here heard about the love of Christ one week before Easter during an event organized annually by volunteers from First Baptist Church, Vandalia. According to Tommy Barnhart, the chaplain at the Women’s Eastern Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center in Vandalia, the First Baptist Church’s “Agape Festival” is the largest ministry event that takes place in the prison each year. Barnhart, a member of Centennial Baptist Church, Mexico, is … [Read more...]
Freeway Ministries makes ‘missionaries’ of ex-cons
SPRINGFIELD – John Stroup sat in a prison cell when the gospel arrested his attention. Now, through a ministry he established with two other members of Crossway Baptist Church, Springfield, he strives to capture criminals for Christ. “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 found a Bible and began reading it. “I fell in love with God … [Read more...]
Missouri WMU celebrates during annual meeting
SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union (MWMU) celebrated 125 years of the National Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), 100 years of Girls in Action, and 90 years of MWMU during their Missions Celebration and annual meeting, April 4-5. Nearly 500 people from across the state attended the celebration, which was hosted by Second Baptist Church, Springfield. During the Missions Celebration, MWMU ladies connected with like-minded women to serve in mission projects, pray for … [Read more...]
Family prepares to take gospel back to Romania
HANNIBAL – Cristian Harlea graduates from Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU) in May and hopes, one day, to return to his homeland, Romania, as a missionary. His heart is already there. Born while Romania was under Soviet rule, Harlea was saved at the age of 14 and attended a Baptist church with his family. Two years after his conversion, he began to help in a children’s ministry at his church. Beginning when he turned 17, and during the six years that followed, Harlea ministered in two … [Read more...]
Crossway Baptist Church to Greene County: ‘We care.’
SPRINGFIELD – In what they’ve called a mission trip without airfare, 350 volunteers from Crossway Baptist Church here reached out to their neighbors, April 3-5, proclaiming the gospel while doing 28 service projects throughout Greene County. “Our churches do a really good job of serving the people who are here,” Paul Sheaffer, minister of discipleship and missions at Crossway Baptist Church, said. “But we just felt like there’s a whole different world of folks that are living here in our … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists share gospel through ERC hotline
JEFFERSON CITY – Ryan Stiffler, a member of Southridge Baptist Church here, has shared the gospel with an orthodox Jew in New York and a college student from Portugal – all from the comfort of his home. Stiffler serves as a facilitator in Missouri for the Evangelism Response Center (ERC), a nationwide ministry organized by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) that trains Southern Baptists to share the gospel and counsel with people on the telephone or through online chat. Every year, … [Read more...]
Local canvassing, revival prepare church for work along I-29 corridor
GRAY SUMMIT – Members from the First Baptist Church (FBC) here canvassed their community in preparation for their “Hopefest” revival services, March 22-23. The church distributed 500 bags to households in the town of nearly 3,000 during the weeks leading up to the revival services. The bags contained the Gospel of John, a tract, an invitation to the “Hopefest” revival services, a letter about the church’s preschool program, a church pen and business card, some hard candy, and various … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists invited to ‘Furnace’ in 2015
SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) 2015 state evangelism and discipleship conference will challenge church leaders to remain faithful to God and to His call despite hardship. Springfield’s Ridgecrest Baptist Church will host the conference, called “Furnace,” Feb. 5-6, 2015. Ridgecrest can hold up to 1,000 people. The conference theme is inspired by the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the book of Daniel – a story that International Mission Board (IMB) … [Read more...]
HIS task force plans a pair of ‘Heartland’ vision tours
Lee Warren/contributing writer Sioux Falls, S.D. – In its first meeting since paring down to one representative from each participating state convention, the Heartland Interstate Strategy (HIS) task force made two key decisions at a meeting on April 23 at Cross Pointe Baptist Church that will take the gospel message to the heartland. Task force members in attendance included Jeffrey Chavez, HIS coordinator, Garvon Golden of the Dakota Baptist Convention, Steve Melvin of the … [Read more...]
Motorcycle stunts draw crowds to hear gospel
DIXON – Nearly 700 people of all ages gathered to see members from the Springfield-based action sports ministry, “Real Encounter Outreach,” do motorcycle and bike stunts in the Dixon High School gymnasium, March 26. Members of “Real Encounter” also shared the gospel during the event, drawing more than 100 people to profess faith in Christ. “It was a huge success,” Rocky Carroll, associate pastor of First Baptist Church, (FBC) Dixon, said. “All in all there were 137 decisions made, of which … [Read more...]
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