Johanna Moore to become editor for Arizona Baptists
By Elizabeth Young/Arizona Baptists
PHOENIX – As Johanna Moore prepares to become director of communications and editor of Connect magazine for the Arizona Mission Network of Southern Baptists on June 1, she looks back and sees God’s guiding hand.
“Stepping into this position really feels like stepping into something God set up a long time ago that I never could have anticipated,” she said.
From making magazines and newspapers with friends as a child to working at a real city newspaper after college to serving as communications coordinator at an Arizona Southern Baptist church, Moore sees how God used her interests and abilities to lead her to this position with Arizona Southern Baptists.
“From early in my career, I knew God had called me to share stories of how He is at work in people’s lives, and so this feels like the natural next chapter to that,” she said.
Moore graduated from the W.A. Franke Honors College at the University of Arizona, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and history.
While a student, she began writing as a freelancer for Arizona Southern Baptists’ Portraits magazine, precursor of Connect. Her Christian Challenge director at the U of A, Julie Newsted, connected her to Portraits editor Elizabeth Young, who will retire as editor and AZMN director of communications June 30.
“For 13 years, writing under her maiden name, Johanna Willett, Johanna has had a consistent presence in Portraits and now Connect,” Young said. “She has amazed me, turning in assignments ahead of the deadline — a rarity for writers — and handling complicated stories with ease.
“I’m looking forward to serving alongside her for the month of June and then turning everything over into her capable hands. I can see how God has prepared her to take this step, and I will be her biggest cheerleader as she takes AZMN communications to the next level.”
Moore will be a “great fit” for the AZMN team, said Monty Patton, AZMN executive director.
“While she has huge shoes to fill following Elizabeth, we are confident that Johanna will be able to move us forward communicating the work of our churches to connect with God, Mission and Each Other,” he said. “I have known Johanna for multiple years and have seen her grow in her leadership and in her competency. We are excited to have her serving as our director of communications.”
Todd Chipman releases ‘10 Questions About the Bible’
By Jonathan Lumley/MBTS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary celebrated the release of “10 Questions About the Bible: 30 Devotions for Kids, Teens, and Families,” a new devotional resource by Todd Chipman, associate professor of biblical studies and dean of graduate studies at Midwestern Seminary. Published by Crossway, this release is part of the “10 Questions” series, which is designed to help young readers engage foundational Christian truths.
“One of the primary responsibilities of Christian parents is to disciple their children to know, interpret, and apply God’s word,” said President Jason Allen. “Dr. Chipman brings decades of skill and experience teaching the Bible to bear on these key questions, and I am confident this work will help you and your family. He is a gifted pastor-theologian who is a trustworthy voice for readers desiring to walk through life with the wisdom of God’s unchanging, inerrant, and sufficient word. I am grateful to Dr. Chipman for laboring to produce another great resource that will certainly bless many churches and families.”
Written for readers ages 8-14, 10 Questions About the Bible introduces students to essential questions about Scripture through 30 short devotions organized around 10 key topics like how we got the Bible, its main point, how we should read it, its relationship to other religions, and more.
Chipman stated his motivation for writing the book arose from a concern for how future generations will understand Scripture and engage in the life of the church.
“What kids think about the Bible today will bear fruit in the church and in the world in the decades to come,” Chipman said. “Parents, pastors, and children’s ministry workers have a great stewardship. As we train young minds in what they should expect from God’s Word, we give them a foundation for learning from Him in every season of life and the hope of forever worshipping the God who will reveal Himself to His people for all eternity.”
In writing for pre-teens, Chipman sought to help them recognize both the accessibility and depth of Scripture. “Pre-teens can read, and I help them see the Bible as a great work of literature. God inspired writers to compose poetry, sermons, historical records, and letters so that we could relate to God in every life situation,” Chipman said.
He went on to note that while the Bible is a big book that can be complex, its message can be summarized simply: “God has revealed His plan to save His people from their sins through Christ’s death, resurrection, and the power of His Spirit.”
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