‘Big Day’ to focus on personal evangelism
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--Southern Baptist churches have an opportunity to set aside one "Big Day" this fall to focus on the importance of every individual being prepared to share their faith.
NAMB honors top ‘Annie’ giving churches
ORLANDO, Fla. (BP)–Some 400 representatives of churches that gave most sacrificially to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions in 2009 heard directly in mid-June from missionaries about how those monies are being used. The churches were honored at a luncheon hosted by the North American Mission Board during the annual meeting of […]
Evangelists add Fish, Ham to Hall of Faith
ORLANDO, Fla. (BP)--Southern Baptist evangelism professor Roy Fish and legendary revivalist Mordecai Ham were inducted into the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists' Hall of Faith June 12 during the organization's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
Denver church mobilizes to help city ‘Find it Here’
DENVER (BP)--The task at hand for members of Riverside Baptist Church: slip small plastic bags containing a couple of brochures on doorknobs or gateposts in assigned neighborhoods near their church. The opportunity to share Christ so simply is one of the key reasons the Denver church joined thousands of others nationwide in distributing millions of the bags as part of the "God's Plan for Sharing: Across North America" effort developed by the North American Mission Board in conjunction with state convention partners. "It's a wonderful opportunity for ministry," said Devon Gibson, one of 16 members of Riverside's Koinonia "impact group" which distributed 750 of the packets in 45 minutes. "It's all about getting out of the actual church and getting into the neighborhood of the inner city," Gibson said. "That's what God has called us to do. We come [to church] to get equipped, but our ministry is outside." Riverside distributed more than 12,000 of the packets in neighborhoods surrounding its campus as well as in Castle Rock to the south where it sponsors a church plant. Each of the packets contained the main "Find it Here" brochure and information about the church -- including a brochure about an upcoming rock-climbing event for youth. The packet distribution, which followed prayerwalking in the same neighborhoods in previous weeks, was just one element of a comprehensive implementation of the campaign at Riverside. Pastor Jim Shaddix said larger churches such as Riverside often don't participate in denominational initiatives because of their ability to develop and implement their own contextualized campaigns. But this campaign -- known locally as Across Colorado -- was different.
Social networking adds to GPS momentum
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--The prayerwalks and door-to-door visits that define the GPS: Across North America evangelism campaign make it an intensely local effort in one sense. But online social networking makes it feel more than ever like Southern Baptists are all in it together.
NAMB staff focuses on prayer
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)–North American Mission Board staff drew apart for prayer, worship and teaching from retired LifeWay Christian Resources President Jimmy Draper during NAMB’s semiannual Spiritual Focus Day Jan. 7. The event also served as a prelude to the Jan. 31 day of prayer, fasting and repentance for the Southern Baptist Convention, which will involve […]
Child baptisms rise via missions education
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--Southern Baptist churches that have Royal Ambassadors (RAs) and Girls in Action (GAs) have a significantly higher child baptism rate than churches that do not, according to an analysis ...
Couple that reaches out to truckers honored by NAMB
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--Ted Keller had just finished singing a stirring solo at a community New Year’s Eve service in 1986 when he realized he was doing it for all the wrong reasons. His entire career in church music had been largely for his own glory, he said, rather than God’s.
Touching Lives, Changing the World
When the World Changers crew in Jackson, Mississippi, arrived on Monday morning at their worksite to start roofing a home, their materials had not yet arrived. But with World Changers, the unexpected doesn't always mean that God isn't working. Rather than just sitting and waiting, the teens went to a nearby YMCA and discovered multiple […]
Church-based ‘Acts 1:8 Challenge’ to expand global outreach
That concept -– known as “The Acts 1:8 Challenge” – sets forth a framework for a unified denominational missions strategy based in the local church.