Churches & Ministry

There are only two ways to do local church evangelism – come and see or go and tell. Every church has a “come and see” strategy as it gathers on Sunday morning, posts its service times and welcomes guests to come and hear the Gospel.

KINGMAN, Ariz. (BP) –In a week, Americans will celebrate the freedoms fought for and gained 250 years ago. Events will be marked by fireworks and cookouts, swimming, games, concerts and other assorted entertainment. It will all justify an occasion worthy of such celebration, honoring those who paid the price and made the sacrifices long before a celebration could take place.

God is always speaking. To hear His voice is not usually a mystical experience. It consists merely of a willingness to pay heed to the God who lays a claim on our lives.

CENTRE, Ala. (BP) – Jeff Chambers grew up at Noah Baptist Church, which sits on a hill just off County Road 16 about a half-mile east of John’s Crossroads. Fields border it on two sides. A concrete table that hosted many outdoor potlucks for homecomings and all-day singings stands in front of a pavilion. A small graveyard is out back on the other side, beyond the fellowship hall.

The leader of the Baptist Convention of Maryland-Delaware recently led a task force to help Southern Baptists find ways to care for people with disabilities. Tom Stolle believes that the many millions of people with disabilities are created in the image of God and must be included in the church.

Every pastor leads with a finite amount of trust. Theologians might call it credibility; leadership writers call it relational or political capital. Whatever the term, it functions the same way: it accumulates slowly through faithfulness and depletes quickly through avoidable mistakes.

It’s the end of the school year, and the student ministry is hosting a graduation party. The scene feels familiar, but the conversation doesn’t.

“Do it then.” Those three words from my wife changed the direction of my ministry.

Archaeologists have found that ancient cultures erected statues and monuments to memorialize significant people and events. These memorials helped future generations understand their identity. In the Bible, God often instructed His people to erect memorials.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – As Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, half of pastors say their churches will join in the festivities.