The Montana Southern Baptist Convention continues to grow its ability to serve our churches. Things are coming together in really great ways. Darren Hales, our Church Strengthening Director, has been crisscrossing the state and bringing some superb ministry training events to our churches. Recently, just for example, he has helped to put together and promote training for effective small group … Read More
Are You Ready for the Summer?
What a relief it is not to wear a mask anymore. I still carry one around in my pocket just in case, but I haven’t had to put it on in a while. I feel free! And, it’s not just me. People everywhere I go have gotten rid of their masks. They’re ready to get out and get around, too. … Read More
Is Your Church Welcoming?
Church is getting back to normal around here. It’s great to see. Many pastors are reporting near record attendance, and many are commenting on how many new people they’re seeing. Many of these new people are not new to church. Some of them have another church in town, but their church is still not open. Others are using the opportunity … Read More
Let’s Do Some Good
When Denise and I lived in Maryland, our church collected clothes from the members and invited the needy in our community to come pick up what they needed free of charge. The response was overwhelming. Within a couple of hours most of the clothes had found new owners. Those who came were deeply moved by our church’s commitment to help … Read More
Let’s Get Equipped
Within a couple weeks of MPACT 2020, Montana went into lockdown because COVID had finally swept into our state. Since then, our churches have been holding on. Some have found new ways to share the old gospel message and to minister to people. I’m impressed by how well our churches have done in this past year of masks and social … Read More
All the Workers You Need
Our Missouri Partnership kicks off officially on January 1. From the wonderful reception we have already received, I believe we can expect a very dynamic relationship with Missouri Baptists. When Lee Merck and Steve Fowler attended the annual Missouri Convention meeting a couple months ago, they were wonderfully welcomed. There was all kinds of interest in the work of our … Read More
God’s Divine Detours
Things aren’t as bad as you might be thinking they are. As we move into the cold, dark, winter months, it could be easy to allow the unusual challenges and set-backs of this COVID-riddled year to drive us to despair. Let me encourage you to look beyond the things Satan wants you to see and fix your eyes firmly on … Read More
Changes for Refresh 2020
Refresh is right around the corner. We’re meeting for one day only this year, on Thursday, October 1, from 1 pm to 8:30 pm, at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Billings. I hope you’re making plans to join us. Unfortunately, some things will be different this year. Most importantly, we aren’t going to be offering childcare. We deeply regret this, but … Read More
Make Small Groups a Part of Your New Normal
So, when will church get back to normal? That’s the question we’re all asking. I’m thinking that what we’ll be calling “normal” at some point in the future is something different from what used to be. “Normal” is what we’re busy creating right now. There’s a good chance that church will never be quite the same as it was before … Read More
So, How Are You Doing?
So, how are you doing? It’s very possible that you’re all over the place emotionally and spiritually right now. That’s understandable. Does it help to know that you’re not alone? Practically every church and every leader of every church is feeling like things are extremely precarious. After all, about every 3 weeks since March, we’ve all had to adjust to … Read More