MACON – The First Baptist Church here takes seriously Paul’s call in Romans 13:8 to leave no debt remaining, except the debt to love one another. During their 150th anniversary earlier this fall, the church paid off a 116-year-old debt to the North American Mission Board. After a fire burned down the church’s building in 1899, the North American Mission Board – then called the Home Mission Society – gave the church a loan of $3,017.25. After the church paid off $1,000, the mission board … [Read more...]
Adoption ‘a picture of the gospel,’ Jasper Rains says
ST. LOUIS – One thought filled Jasper Rains’ prayers during his daily, one-hour drive to and from work in early 2007 – the thought of a baby boy who had been abandoned by his birth mother at the hospital. The previous summer, after Jasper and his wife Kendra received Missouri state foster care licenses, the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home (MBCH) contacted them about this baby boy. “The Children’s Home told us … that this may be our child,” Jasper, who now serves as minister of … [Read more...]
FBC St. Charles gives Christmas gifts to kids worldwide
ST. CHARLES – FBC St. Charles is one of more than 4,000 Operation Christmas Child (OCC) drop-off locations across the US scheduled to be open Nov. 16-23. Recently, Janet Howard, St. Charles Area Team coordinator for OCC, shared with the Wednesday evening congregation about her recent trip to Zambia to distribute shoeboxes to the children. “I got involved with Operation Christmas Child because of mission trips to Honduras,” Howard said. “When I saw the great need, God impressed me that I … [Read more...]
‘I’ll die with a witness on my lips’
LINCOLN – Excruciating pain overwhelmed her motionless body with every breath she took. Nineteen-year-old Linzie Green knew that each time she took a breath, it might be her last. “Do you know Jesus?” she asked one of the emergency medical technicians who arrived on the scene of the accident. Later while strapped to a gurney, she asked the same thing to a paramedic in the helicopter, “Do you know Jesus? He saved me.” “I honestly thought I was dying so every time I woke up and realized I … [Read more...]
SBC’s Page talks missions with First O’Fallon
O’FALLON – Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Frank Page said in a recent missions conference that problems in SBC mission efforts is due to churches placing priorities on activity rather than close relationships with Christ. Page made the comment at First O’Fallon on October 24 in concluding remarks to the church’s annual missions conference. He cautioned that churches should not be so busy with religious activities that they leave … [Read more...]
Croteau testifies to Christ through Apologetics Network
Two strangers from a local church knocked on Ed Croteau’s door about 25 years ago. As a Catholic, he had always heard Jesus described as the Son of God, but for the first time, they explained that Jesus was God. Croteau and his wife Jo were overcome by the presence of God and gave their lives to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. “Since then, I cannot put the Bible down. I just love God’s Word,” said Croteau, who is a member of Abundant Life Church in Lee’s Summit. An engineer by … [Read more...]
Shelton preaches on gospel treasure
SPRINGFIELD – The Apostle Paul wrote his second letter to the church at Corinth amid an era of spiritual immaturity and an increasingly sinful culture. Robert Shelton preached to Missouri Baptists that they would do well to consider Paul’s words in the convention sermon Oct. 27 at the Missouri Baptist Convention’s annual meeting. The pastor of First Baptist Church, Plattsburg, Shelton preached from 2 Corinthians 4. “It was a time of religious pluralism, an age of decadent lifestyles and an … [Read more...]
Proposing a religious liberty bill for Missouri
As attacks on our religious liberty have intensified in recent months, Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Director John Yeats asked me to spearhead a statewide multi-faith initiative that would further secure religious liberty for Missourians. For the past three months I have had the privilege of being a part of a broad coalition of church leaders, legal scholars, State Capitol staffers, lawmakers, pro-family and religious liberty groups in crafting legislation that would respect and … [Read more...]
Springfield Minister Mark Mathes nominated for Dove Award
SPRINGFIELD – His song was edged out last week by “Hidden Heroes,” but Mark Mathes, music minister at Crossway Baptist Church, here, penned Dove Award-nominated song, “Sometimes it Takes a Mountain.” Performed by the Gaither Vocal Band, Mathes’s work was one of five nominees in the category for Southern Gospel Song of the Year. The 46th Annual Dove Awards were held in Nashville Oct. 13 and televised Oct. 18. Mathes found out the song was nominated this summer and travelled to Nashville … [Read more...]
Religious liberty challenge facing Missouri Baptists, faith groups
JEFFERSON CITY – It is coming to Missouri and if its citizens do not act soon, religious liberty for everyone will likely face an unprecedented threat. Last month the Oregon Department of Labor ordered Melissa and Aaron Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa bakery, to pay a $135,000 fine because they refused to bake a “wedding” cake for two lesbians. It is not because they hate homosexuals. In fact they have repeatedly stated and demonstrated their love for homosexuals. The state is … [Read more...]
1st Arnold’s Qualls named NAMB rep
ARNOLD – Kenny Qualls, pastor of First Baptist Church of Arnold, will serve as the North American Mission Board’s new ambassador to Southern Baptist pastors in Missouri. Through this new role, he’ll connect with Missouri pastors on behalf of NAMB president Kevin Ezell to encourage and pray with them. A key part of the role will also be to express gratitude to pastors for their churches’ continual partnership in missions and participation in the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong … [Read more...]
Pleasant Valley lays groundwork to multiply God’s work
LIBERTY – It was a Saturday morning, and some of the people from Pleasant Valley Baptist Church were a little scared. Knocking on the front doors of homes in the area was taking them out of their comfort zones. That morning they went outside the walls of their church to several neighborhoods in the Kansas City Northland region to attempt to engage residents in a front doorstep conversation about God’s activity in their lives. The initiative, called “Multiply-Groundwork” is intended to … [Read more...]
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