Seminary team celebrates salvations from Cameroon trip
CAMEROON, Africa (BP)--Jesus taught His followers to store up treasures in heaven, and modern-day missionaries reap heavenly rewards for their work among indigenous people groups around the world. But professors and students from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary got some unusual earthly rewards on a recent, short-term, seminary mission trip to Cameroon, Africa: Their first Sunday in the West African country garnered not only 26 professions of faith, but also several live chickens and even a goat.
Youth survey to reveal crucial information for ministry
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Registration opened Feb. 1 for the SBC Youth Ministry Survey, designed to be a comprehensive guide for Southern Baptist churches across the nation to garner crucial, fresh information about teens, their families and youth ministry.
Mission Colleyville, in 5th year, continues to find response
Evangelist Jay Lowder (left) leads in prayer during Mission Colleyville while Mike Gonzales of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention translates into Spanish. Photo by Kari Crowe |
And it continued to show a heart of compassion.
For the fifth year in a row, hundreds of First Baptist members and volunteers from several local churches canvassed the area weeks in advance with 13,000-plus mail-outs and 8,000 handouts inviting people to attend the annual event, receive a free box of groceries from Feed the Children, get a voucher for children’s Christmas toys and, most importantly, hear about the saving love of Jesus Christ.
Amber Delgado of Balch Springs, Texas, is baptized during Mission Colleyville, an annual community ministry of First Baptist Church in Colleyville, Texas. Photo by Kari Crowe |
“The first year, we had about 1,000 people attend and 100 decisions for Christ,” Ron Cogburn, a Mission Colleyville team leader, said. “Each year the number has grown. Last year we had about 4,700 in attendance and 200 decisions.”
Michael Ray, First Baptist’s senior pastor, said more than 5,300 people registered this year and 75 made decisions.
“We will provide toys for 4,150 children when the toy store opens on Dec. 13 and runs for four days and we will continue to present the Gospel each night of the toy store,” Ray said.
Billy Kim to SWBTS students: Stay compassionate for the lost
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Korean students led chapel at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Billy Kim, former pastor of a large South Korean church, delivered the morning’s sermon.
Parent-teen renewal nurtured on Ross’ Turning Hearts Tour
BRYAN, Texas (BP)--Sixteen-year-old Chris Lanier was not exactly thrilled with the idea of spending the weekend with his parents, Glenn and Kathy. He was expecting “just another one of those conferences” when he agreed to attend the Turning Hearts Tour at Central Baptist Church in Bryan, Texas.
102-year-old returns to seminary as chapel speaker
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--“There aren’t too many 102s around,” Eugene Florence said with a grin at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Step into God’s story, Giglio urges record crowd at Ministry Lab
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Louie Giglio encouraged an audience of 1,200-plus youth ministers, parents of youth and youth group leaders to step out of their life stories and into God’s story.
Church lamented as ‘asleep’ in an era likened to the Dark Ages
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Today’s church is in a crisis, evangelist Bailey Smith said at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, citing the plateau or decline of 70 percent of Southern Baptist churches and the fact that a disturbingly high number of ministers leave the ministry.
Lutzer: Preaching is far more than responding to a want ad
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--A call to preach is more than a general call to all believers, Erwin Lutzer, pastor of The Moody Church, told a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary chapel audience.
Southwestern marks milestone in women’s studies program
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s three-year-old women’s studies program reached a key milestone with the certification of 25 women Nov. 4.