Evangelist sees small size as opportunity, not liability
OLUSTEE, Fla. (BP)–Good things come in small packages, jokes 3-foot, 10-inch tall James A. Croft. The evangelist says he doesn’t mind pointing out his height — or lack of it — because it has provided him with more opportunities in life than liabilities. Croft performed a comedy act at the Grand Ole Opry and was […]
Most members of this congregation are in drug/alcohol rehabilitation
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (BP)–Addie L. “Buddy” Owens remembers the day he stopped drinking. It was Oct. 28, 1982, the week before the annual Florida-Georgia football game. The road back to sobriety was tough, especially at first when the staunch Bulldogs fan from Brunswick, Ga., had to learn how to enjoy the game without depending on […]
Oldest daughter recounts influence of parents Billy & Ruth Graham
TAMPA, Fla. (BP)–As the firstborn child of Billy Graham, Virginia “Gigi” Graham Tchividjian admits that coping with the public’s expectations for the daughter of a world-renowned evangelist can be overwhelming at times. Tchividjian said she has learned not to wear herself out trying to live up to everyone’s expectations, which sometimes can be unrealistic or […]
Woodworking retiree recruits others to make 3-inch crosses
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)–Winning a door prize at a Jacksonville Woodworking Club meeting usually means claiming a $5 bill. But on one occasion, members had a choice of the money or a small wooden cross tied on a string. Woodrow Connors, a member of North Jacksonville Baptist Church in the Florida city who started the club […]
Subtle expansion of gambling reported in Fla. lottery machines
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)–The fact that Florida has voted down full casino gambling three times doesn’t mean that gambling opportunities in the state aren’t expanding, said Bill Bunkley, a legislative consultant for the Florida Baptist Convention. The Florida legislature is expanding gambling at some level on an annual basis, Bunkley said. During the 1998 session, legislators […]
Family not alone in facing crisis with Lyme disease
TAMPA, Fla. (BP)--A walk in the countryside sounded inviting to Susan Parrish and her three children, suffering from a touch of cabin fever after a long winter in 1992. They relished the feel of tall grass against their legs as they searched for asparagus that grew wild in the hills of Waukesha, Wis.
He hopes these billboards can nudge people to Christ
OCALA, Fla. (BP)–When looking for innovative ways to reach people with the gospel, Joe Kuzma encourages churches to think big — 14 x 48 feet to be exact. That’s the size of two billboards Kuzma has placed in Ocala, Fla., to proclaim the name of Jesus. Kuzma’s goal is to inspire churches and individuals across […]
Teen girls from 7 countries give NAC international flavor
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–What they do matters in the world, Acteens learned at the National Acteens Convention July 1-4 in Louisville, Ky. Putting that principle into action, the teens gave more than $22,000 to fund ministries for youth in Bosnia, a country with which Woman’s Missionary Union has formed a partnership. The offering was given after […]
430 Acteens commissioned for projects in U.S., abroad
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–The commissioning service for 430 Acteens volunteers during the National Acteens Convention on July 3 provided a moving picture of what missions is all about - sharing the light of Christ with a lost world. The 430 volunteers will serve in 22 states and two countries this summer as part of the Acteens […]
Church members place needs in God’s hands
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)–Lisa Crocker was searching for answers. She wanted to know why God hadn’t healed her broken marriage. And she didn’t understand why she had to contend with chronic pain and fatigue brought on by Hepatitis C.Thinking God must not be listening to her pleas, since there had not been any change in her […]
