Articulos en Español by Lisa Cannon Green

DALLAS (BP) -- LifeWay Christian Resources has begun giving away Bibles to help churches share the Word of God, LifeWay President and CEO Thom S. Rainer told messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Dallas. "One of the best investments we have ever made has no immediate financial return but an incredible eternal return," Rainer said during his report on Wednesday (June 13). "We are handing out the Word of God, through churches, and we are seeing numbers upon numbers of people believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Only God could do that."

NASHVILLE (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Convention expanded by more than 270 churches in 2017. More people showed up for weekly worship services, and congregations gave more generously in a strengthening economy. However, reported baptisms and membership declined as fewer churches participated in the SBC's Annual Church Profile (ACP). Longstanding patterns continued to dominate the ACP, which is compiled by LifeWay Christian Resources in cooperation with Baptist state conventions.

SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (BP) -- Bill Hybels, the pastor who grew Willow Creek Community Church into one of the nation's most influential megachurches, stepped down Tuesday (April 10) amid accusations of a pattern of sexual misconduct. Hybels, who has denied all of the accusations, called some of them "misleading" and others "entirely false." However, in a meeting live-streamed at willowcreek.tv, he told the church: "I too often placed myself in situations that I would have been far wiser to avoid."

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Known as "America's pastor," evangelist Billy Graham also had personal relationships with leaders around the world -- in the Vatican, in Buckingham Palace, and in nations stretching from Argentina to Yugoslavia. Starting Monday (March 19), two new collections about his ministry, including notebooks documenting Graham's personal relationship with each U.S. president from Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama, will be opened to the public. Maintained by the Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton College in Illinois, the collections ...

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Future shoppers will find fundamental changes when they visit LifeWay Christian Stores, trustees were told at their semiannual meeting Feb. 5-6. LifeWay leaders shared a vision of stores where people will gather not only to buy biblical solutions for life but also to connect, learn and grow. "The opportunities to do more are just amazing," LifeWay President and CEO Thom S. Rainer told trustees. "In God's power we seek to transform lives and serve churches."

NASHVILLE (BP) -- LifeWay Christian Resources dedicated its new corporate headquarters Monday (Nov. 27) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a prayer of thanksgiving and a pledge to remain faithful to God's Word. President and CEO Thom S. Rainer recounted the changes taking place at LifeWay, from new physical spaces to new digital technologies. "You could say we have reinvented ourselves," Rainer told the crowd of employees and guests. "But we remain faithful to Him who has called us.

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP) -- By mid-November, LifeWay Christian Resources will move into a new corporate headquarters. New technology is rolling out for retail stores and LifeWay.com. And the Southern Baptist entity continues to expand globally. These were among the highlights of Thom S. Rainer's report to LifeWay trustees during their board meeting Aug. 28-29 at Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville, N.C. LifeWay is leading change to meet the needs of churches in a rapidly changing culture, the organization's president and CEO told trustees.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (BP) -- Dawn Rush was horrified when her teenage daughter, Ashley, started drawing in her Bible. "She was writing all over the Word of God!" said Rush, who attends New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. "She kept asking me to paint in her Bible. That gave me panic attacks." But treating Scripture as a canvas wasn't a sign of disrespect, Rush discovered. Instead, it helped Ashley connect with God as she overcame severe depression.

So what? That's the question Rob Tims says he tries to answer right away when he leads a small group. Tims, a manager in groups ministry, and his colleagues at LifeWay Christian Resources led 18 drop-in training sessions to give practical skills and ideas to church leaders.

The newly released Christian Standard Bible gives Southern Baptists an unparalleled opportunity to uphold the fidelity of God's Word, reported Thom S. Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, to messengers June 14 (Wednesday) at the 2017 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Phoenix.