Churches and Ministry

Let the Games begin! More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries have gathered in Milan, Italy, where they will spend the next two weeks competing for Olympic gold in sports like skiing, figure skating and ice hockey.  

Most groups in local churches don’t fall apart overnight. They slowly drift from life-giving to maintenance-driven. Leaders don’t usually quit because they don’t care anymore – they quit because the structure they are working inside can’t sustain long-term disciple-making.

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. – When temperatures drop to 32 degrees or below, exposure becomes life-threatening. Without proper layering and access to warmth for at least 20 minutes every two hours, hypothermia can kill.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers didn’t make it to the Super Bowl, but that doesn’t deter Highland Crest Baptist Church.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — More than 1,300 youth ministry leaders and ministry partners from multiple states gathered Jan. 29-31 in Chattanooga for Youth Ministry Conclave, united by a shared purpose: to be equipped, connected, and encouraged in the work of discipling the next generation.

My daughter, who loves to bake, told me how she makes her old-fashioned chocolate cake: “Flour, cocoa, butter, buttermilk, sugar, etc. Oh, and one-eighth teaspoon of salt.” Why use salt in sweet cake? Turns out, salt is necessary for the cake to taste how it should.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Scoffers of the Christian faith often reject the gospels as eyewitness testimony of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  

Moral failure among pastors has become tragically familiar. What is perhaps most revealing is not that it continues to happen – Scripture already assumes the ongoing presence of sin – but that we still seem surprised when it does. Each new story is treated as an unthinkable collapse rather than a sober reminder of how fragile our assumptions about spiritual health can be.

A sold-out crowd of more than 1,200 women gathered for the fifth annual Abide Women’s Conference at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Jan. 30-31 to explore the theme “Women of Worship.”

WINDER, Ga. — Over the course of seven services across three campuses, Bethlehem Church celebrated 33 baptisms between Jan. 15-18. Senior Pastor Jason Britt says the baptisms at Bethlehem Church campuses in Winder, Hoschton and Bishop are the result of intentional Gospel conversations, prayer and personal engagement.