SPRINGFIELD – Pastor Eddie Bumpers of Crossway Baptist Church challenged Missouri Baptists at the “Sowing in Tears” conference to do “whatever it takes” to reach the lost. Preaching from Matt. 9:1-8, Bumpers recounted how four faithful friends dug a hole in someone’s roof to get their lame friend to Jesus for the restoration he needed. Bumpers shared four characteristics that believers should imitate as they reach the lost. First, like these four friends, believers should love the … [Read more...]
Abortions down in Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY – Recent statistics show an apparent decrease in state abortions, but leaders from Missouri Right to Life (MRL) caution citizens against celebrating too soon. In 2011, according to the latest statistics from the Missouri Department of Health, the number of abortions in Missouri reached 9,234. While this number is still too high for pro-life advocates, it is less than half of the 21,671 abortions reported in 1980. By recent comparison, there were 9,796 reported abortions in … [Read more...]
Canton woman has year-round nativity set
CANTON – Roberta Willis is never far from a reminder of God sending his son to be the Savior of the world. Willis, a member of First Baptist, Canton, not only collects nativity scenes, but displays most of her 57 sets in her home year round. “I can’t see putting them away. What’s the use of having them out for one month of the year? Why hide them?” she said. The crèches and crèche pieces of paper mache, plastic, wood, glass, and ceramic line bookcases, cabinet tops and a converted … [Read more...]
‘Light Up Missouri,’ test program making God’s Word shine through
Dan Steinbeck/contributing writer MOBERLY – Members at The Gathering Biker Church here recently distributed Bibles as a part of a Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) test program, sharing the light of God’s Word not only with bikers at an annual rally in the Lake of the Ozarks, but also with patients at a treatment center in Oregon. Earlier this year, The Gathering Biker Church took part in test-piloting “Light Up Missouri,” an MBC initiative designed to transform communities with God’s … [Read more...]
Gospel singer Randle shares heart at HLGU banquet
Hannibal – Gospel singer Lynda Randle appreciates the mission of Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU), having benefitted from Christian schools herself. However, Randle, the keynote speaker/singer at the 72nd annual HLGU Booster Banquet Nov. 22 learned some hard life lessons before finding Christian schools. She shared a video of her life-story book called The Cab Driver’s Daughter. It tells how her parents divorced, and her mother and older brother moved from Washington, D.C., where … [Read more...]
Southern Missouri pastor, wife take gospel to inmates
RAYMONDVILLE – A pastor and wife are seeing a revival of sorts behind bars. Frank White, and his wife Pat have done ministry just over two years at the Texas County jail. He has pastored First Baptist, Raymondville, for nine years. Attendance has grown from six to more than 40 people, in this town of 163. But kingdom growth is also happening in jail. More than 150 inmates have come to faith in Jesus the last two years, and 17 others rededicated their lives. In the 1970s he … [Read more...]
Pastor serves as an assistant to Lt. Governor
PERRY – On Sundays, he is in the pulpit at First Baptist, Perry. During the rest of the week he handles phone calls for Missouri’s second highest elected official. Willis Jones is the interim pastor at First Baptist Church, Perry, and is also director of constituent services for Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau. Jones has been involved in political campaigns for 18 years, and in January was named to the government position. “When people call our office, I try to calm them … [Read more...]
Dhati Lewis practices the discipleship often preached
KANSAS CITY – Jesus told His followers to make disciples, and Dhati Lewis lives this out in unique ways. Lewis, founding pastor of Blueprint Church in Atlanta, Ga., was a featured speaker at the CORE Conference during the Missouri Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, Oct. 29. Lewis shared a humorous but poignant illustration of talk versus action. “It came to pass that a group of people existed who called themselves fishermen,” Lewis said. “There were many fish around and many streams … [Read more...]
Coleman: Prayer key for spiritual revival
KANSAS CITY – The adage is familiar: prayer leads to revival. This was the gist of a talk by author and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary professor Robert Coleman during the CORE conference at the Missouri Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, Oct. 29. “Revival puts it all in perspective,” said Coleman, author of The Master Plan of Evangelism and The Master Plan of Discipleship. “Authentic revival is the springboard of what you see in the book of Acts.” “Jesus told the disciples … [Read more...]
Pastor’s conference lifts up Christ Jesus
KANSAS CITY – Fullness in life and ministry come only through knowing Christ, two Southern Baptist seminary professors said when asked why ministers should sacrifice a full day for a conference on “seeing and savoring the Son of God.” “We can’t minister if we’re not full of God,” said Thomas Schreiner, professor of New Testament interpretation and associate dean of Scripture and interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. “The greatest good in life … [Read more...]
Twice Adopted tells of God’s Love at Branson, on tour
ST. LOUIS – Adopting 10 children into a family might seem daunting, but it works for Randy and Linda Koenig who live in a St. Louis suburb. Their children, adopted between 1990 and 2002, now range in age from 16 to 23. They sing as “Twice Adopted” at the historic Owens Theatre, Branson’s first theatre, which the Koenigs manage. The name indicates inclusion in a physical family as well as a spiritual family, as all the children have surrendered their lives to Jesus. After 11 childless … [Read more...]
Pastor, family make return to Congo for mission work
KINSHASA, Congo – It is a dark, occult-like world, but a Missouri pastor and his family took the message of Jesus’ love to the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo during a recent mission trip. First Baptist, LaBelle, Pastor James Renot and family took a two-week trip in June to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, a place where they served as International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries from 2005-07. Now, few missionaries are there, with even IMB pulling out. “The obstacles … [Read more...]