MOUNT VERNON – On the south lawn of the historic Lawrence County Courthouse Nora Lewis, 84, closes her eyes to pray. Lewis, a member of First Baptist Church (FBC) here, never misses a “Prayer on the Square” meeting. It’s her standing appointment every Thursday at noon for the last eight and a half years. “Rain, shine, snow storm or heat, Nora has been a part of our prayer group since the beginning,” said Rabbi Eukel, who leads Kehila Nahar Zerach River Rising Congregation, a Messianic … [Read more...]
First Baptist Bolivar expands building, heart for ministry
BOLIVAR – Last month, the members of First Baptist Church, Bolivar, completed a $3 million project to improve their facilities. They held an open house on Jan. 14 and celebrated the potential for reaching their community made possible by these facilities improvements. The building project, which included improvements in the church’s children’s area, was part of the congregation’s “Beyond Us” strategy – a plan to reach out and bring transformation to their community and beyond. “We’ve … [Read more...]
Brookline pastor encourages the use of study tools
BROOKLINE – In this technology age, many online and downloadable Bible resources are available. Dan Swadley, pastor of FBC Brookline, near Springfield, had used various Bible software programs in sermon preparation. After comparing them, he chose WORDsearch, a LifeWay product. Swadley has an education technology degree and said education “has always been important to me.” “We rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the message, but there is a part of it that’s academic. I found WORDsearch is … [Read more...]
Franklin Association brings healing to Ghana
YENDI, Ghana – The mission team from Franklin Baptist Association doesn’t do anything halfway. They didn’t bring a handful of people on their recent trip to Ghana; they took 53. They didn’t set up a clinic to deal with minor illness and maladies; they set up a permanent intensive care unit at a local hospital. Joe Nogalski, pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in New Haven, has been going on the trips regularly since he was a student at Southern Seminary in 2001. It began with a partnership … [Read more...]
Southern Baptist circuit court judge values partnerships with faith-based organizations
MAYWOOD – Judge Rachel Bringer-Shepherd is not opposed to including faith-based programs in the options for those appearing in her court on felony probation. In fact, she encourages that participation. “We have a lot of partnerships with churches and faith-based organizations in the court system of probations,” The 10th Circuit Judge said. “We hope these help the people to be successful in their probation sentences. Part of the law days are bringing felony probations (to programs) while … [Read more...]
‘I Can Only Imagine:’ Mo. pastor’s son stars in anticipated Christian film
LEBANON – In 2008, John Michael Finley – a student at the prestigious performing arts school at Roosevelt University – came home to Lebanon after his spring semester only to hear bad news. His father told him that Roosevelt University was simply too expensive, and he’d need to finish his college education elsewhere. This news didn’t necessarily bode well for his aspirations as an actor, yet Finley took it in stride. But only a few weeks later, he and his family were shaken by tragedy. … [Read more...]
Flu outbreak prompts churches to take precautions
DALLAS, Ga. (BP) – Johnny Nix of Pickett’s Mill Baptist Church has asked volunteers to consider staying away. Like so many other churches, Nix and the Dallas, Ga., church he leads are locked in a battle with the flu. “We’ve instructed our volunteers and workers to postpone coming by for a couple of weeks if they or someone in their family has had it,” Nix told Georgia Baptists’ Christian Index newsjournal. “That may seem a little extreme, but we’re taking every precaution necessary.” And … [Read more...]
FBC Fenton to host Founder’s Conference
ST. LOUIS – The First Baptist Church of Fenton in St. Louis, Missouri will host the Founder's Midwest Conference on February 27-28. Founders Midwest is a regional conference that strives to encourage, educate, and edify Midwest Baptists from theological, historical, and practical perspectives. This year’s conference topic is the importance and necessity of both Law and Gospel. Keynote speakers include Tom Hicks, senior pastor of FBC Clinton, La., author, and director of Founders … [Read more...]
FBC Kearney mission team robbed in Haiti
JACQUET, Haiti – Thirteen missionaries from First Baptist Church, Kearney, their driver and a local pastor’s wife are safe and unharmed after they were robbed at gun point Jan. 21 during a mission trip. They were slated to return to the United States Jan. 23. The group was riding in a van to witness a Sunday morning baptism service about forty-five minutes away from the village where they had been ministering when three men on motorcycles passed them, came back and robbed them at … [Read more...]
Churches across the state benefit from Missouri Baptist Convention’s apologetics resources
JEFFERSON CITY – Churches and associations from across the state are benefiting from resources provided by the Missouri Baptist Apologetics Network – a group of church leaders committed to the defense of the Christian faith and called to equip believers to more effectively share their faith. In particular, Missouri Baptists have widely used apologetics tools by Rob Phillips, ministry support catalyst at the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC), who leads the MBC’s apologetics efforts. … [Read more...]
Japanese gang member finds Christ, ministry call
TROY – When he was 15 years old, Jonathan Hayashi had been arrested, tried, blacklisted, and put behind bars. He hated Christians, he hated his father, and he hated God. He never imagined how God was already working to bring him to faith and to send him, eventually, to minister in a Baptist church, more than 6,000 miles away in Missouri. In fact, God was at work long before this. Years earlier, when Hayashi’s mother studied English at a college in Japan, she met International Mission Board … [Read more...]
Mo. Baptists surpass Annie, MMO goals
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri Baptist giving through the Cooperative Program (CP) fell slightly short of its 2017 goals, but giving to the Missouri Missions and Annie Armstrong offerings surpassed goals during the same period, according to final statistics reported earlier this month by the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). “We are very encouraged by the generosity of Missouri Baptist churches,” said John Yeats, Executive Director of the Missouri Baptist Convention. “On the whole mission … [Read more...]
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