Bob Reccord sounds warning of Christian apathy, cultural drift
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--North American Mission Board President Robert E. Reccord called on trustees May 19 to join the prophet Ezekiel in the role of the “watchman” to proclaim a warning to fellow Christians of the consequences of apathy in submitting to the culture’s moral drift.
NAMB approves agreement with new Puerto Rico convention
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--The North American Mission Board has entered into the first cooperative agreement with the newly formed Convention of Southern Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico, beginning a historic new relationship with Southern Baptist partners on the Caribbean island.
Collegians at ‘Impact Zone’ to gain insights into service & leadership
CHICAGO (BP)--Pounding shingles on a roof in the hot sun might not meet conventional standards for leadership training, but that sort of hard work is integral to a unique experience for college students planned for suburban Chicago later this month.
Christians are called to be witnesses at work, authors say
 |
| New books Two new books address the subject of being on mission in the workplace. |
“Made To Count: Discovering What to Do with Your Life,” released in April by Thomas Nelson Publishers, was written by NAMB President Robert E. “Bob” Reccord and Randy Singer, NAMB’s chief counsel and special assistant.
Ga. governor underscores importance of obeying God
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--Imagine being named CEO of a $1.6 billion company. “You’ve got a hundred thousand employees, but they know your contract’s only for four years. And you’ve got a board of directors of 236 that meet for 40 days.”
Church gives $77,000-plus to Annie Armstrong offering on Easter
KATY, Texas (BP)--A Houston-area congregation that pledged its entire Easter morning offering to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions gave more than $77,000 in an effort “put its money where its mouth is,” the church’s pastor, Randy White, said.
Church to devote all Easter gifts to Annie Armstrong offering
 |
| Easter gifts “Our church is ready to step up to the plate,” Randy White tells staff members at the North American Mission Board, in relaying news that the church he pastors in Texas will give all Easter Sunday offerings to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. Photo by John Swain |
On Easter Sunday morning, First Baptist Church in Katy, Texas, will “give away” all receipts from its three services to the Annie Armstrong Offering, which funds Southern Baptist missions efforts across the United States and Canada.
“Our church is ready to step up to the plate in partnering with our Southern Baptist family in reaching the world for Christ,” said pastor Randy White, who addressed a chapel service at the North American Mission Board’s offices in Alpharetta, Ga., March 31.
Revivals to reinforce Crossover evangelism effort in Indy
 |
| Gearing up for Indy |
It’s a strategy local leaders believe will go far in helping new believers in Christ to be quickly assimilated into local congregations, while also taking advantage of the local presence of vocational evangelists and pastors from across the country to lead the revivals.
NAMB research gives detailed picture of volunteer missions
 |
| Baptist builders Volunteers from Brookwood Baptist Church in Mountain Brook, Ala., last year helped build an initial building for Redeemer Baptist Church in Aurora, Colo. Photo by Eric Lars Bakke |
Among other findings: Most projects are more than 500 miles from the sponsoring church, while interest is high among churches in sponsoring more opportunities suitable for the entire family.
The survey, which focused on projects outside the local church community that were in the United States and Canada, was commissioned to help NAMB and state conventions be more effective in facilitating and promoting volunteer missions, said Jim Burton, NAMB's director of volunteer mobilization.
N.Y. native starting church 2 blocks from Ground Zero
NEW YORK (BP)--It was Sunday morning in Lower Manhattan, and Southern Baptist pastor Gregg Farah decided to kick off the Sunday morning worship service by strapping on a pair of inline skates and attempting to jump over his worship leader.
It was a decidedly different approach to introducing a sermon about taking risks for God, but there’s a lot about this church that’s unusual. And the risks Farah and others involved in the church face are far greater than a spill on rollerblades.
 |
| This is the place Gregg Farah (center), pastor of Mosaic Manhattan, and Dylan Jackson (left) raise a banner in front of the school near Ground Zero where the new church holds worship services. Photo by Ken Touchton |
This is Mosaic Manhattan, meeting in a school auditorium just two blocks up Manhattan’s Westside Highway from Ground Zero. It’s an area where evangelical churches traditionally have been near the bottom of most priority lists, and new churches particularly are viewed with skepticism until they have passed the test of time.
“For a culture steeped in Catholicism or Judaism, starting a church is not going to make sense to a lot of people,” Farah said.
