By Karen Willoughby Alaska celebrates 75th annual meeting ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaska Baptists’ 75th annual meeting marked the first time the convention provided an interactive online as well as in-person gathering. The 119 messengers from 50 of Alaska’s 120 congregations were able to vote electronically as well as to interact with those at the in-person meeting. The distance messengers were said to … Read More
Missionaries in Sub-Saharan Africa see progress in ’55 in 5′ initiative
By Caroline Anderson, writer for the IMB While more Christians live in Sub-Saharan Africa than in any area of the world, 27,000 people in the region die every day without knowing Christ. Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the fastest-growing populations in the world and one of the highest rates of child mortality. Many people groups in Sub-Saharan Africa have no … Read More
Legal Guidance for Election Season
Church leaders often wonder about the legal parameters to engaging with governing officials – and the community – on issues of public and moral importance. This is of particular concern during election season. Your decision to speak is a matter of conscience, conviction, and an understanding of the legal considerations surrounding civic engagement by churches. As a church leader, you … 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
God’s Hand at Work!
Over the last 6 months, Pastor Jeff Phillips and First Baptist Church in Thompson Falls have been immersed in building a new auditorium. So, how does a church of 75 build a new facility during a pandemic that will hold up to 300 people? It is with great faith, steadfast devotion, and a lot of perseverance. For those who have … Read More
Good Problems to Have?!?
Often times, we look at problems as obstacles to overcome or indications that something has gone awry. Problems can make us uneasy and can drain us. They can even initiate those fight or flight reactions. Is there such a thing as a good problem? I was recently in the Southside neighborhood of Billings visiting Jeremy Bourne, our re-planter with Bethel … Read More
Samaritan’s Purse: Sending the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth
Shoebox Gifts Become a Turning Point For An Unreached Area of Mexico La Laguna village in remote Mexico, home to the Nahuatl people, was once unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No one in the mountain community had ever heard the Name of Jesus. No one had ever been told that God loves them. No one had a Bible. … Read More
Shane Pruitt: Don’t Forget About Your One!
So much has changed around us since this year began. And with so many different shifts and transitions, it could be easy to get into our own silos and forget about our greater calling as Christians to give Jesus and the gospel to those who are lost. National Next Get Evangelism Director, Shane Pruitt provides a timely and encouraging reminder … Read More
Pandemic prompts churches to consider permanent changes
By Tess Schoonhoven, posted September 4, 2020 in Churches and Ministry, COVID-19 HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – Every church has adjusted some aspects of ministry since the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic. But even as the effects of COVID-19 continue to press into the modern landscape of the evangelical church, some congregations are already turning from the question of how to shift from the current … 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