By Rick Duncan I had an “aha” moment as I stood in a prayer circle in May 2018 at Severn Run Church in Baltimore with Phil Gifford, Josh Bradley, and J.D. Mangrum. Phil and Josh were helping lead; J.D was going to be trained. He had arrived two hours early, while we were setting up. Since “training begins when the … Read More
I’m Back from Dallas, Texas
Well, the annual meeting of Southern Baptists has ended. I found things to celebrate and things to contemplate from those days with so many of my Southern Baptist brothers and sisters. Much of my pondering derives from the election of Dr. J. D. Greear as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. I believe Dr. Greear’s election marks the beginning of … Read More
On the Road Again
It’s an amazing time to travel in Montana. While the deluge of rain from on high has caused some flooding, it’s also kept the state covered in a blanket of green as far as the eye can see. It’s truly an amazing sight. But what’s even more amazing is the work God is doing around Montana. Take a look at … Read More
Proverbs 31 Inspires Women’s Shelter Ministry
The River Church in Hamilton is being called by God to impact the Bitterroot Valley in a powerful way. They plan to open a women’s shelter on their southern campus. “We desire to create a program based on intensive discipleship and life skill development. We believe strongly that the only thing that can transform the lives of women in need … Read More
A Heart for Places Often Overlooked
KJ and Sharon Ellington were high school sweethearts. Growing up in Stem, NC, they were married in August of 2001. KJ attended Fruitland Baptist Bible College, where he discovered a burden on his heart for churches that struggle to keep pastors. Introduced to Montana in 2005, while on a church mission trip to Manhattan, MT to help with one of … Read More
Study shows troubling picture of teens, mental health
NASHVILLE (BP) — Mental health struggles and thoughts of suicide may be more common than church leaders realize — even among some of the youngest members of a congregation. Around 1 in 3 high school students (31.5 percent) say they’ve experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey recently released by the Centers for … Read More
Crossover Dallas, Harvest America proclaim hope of gospel
DALLAS—“I’m not here to talk to you about religion,” said pastor Greg Laurie. “I’m here to talk to you about a relationship with God that you can experience. Christ can fill that big hole that is in your heart right now. We all need Him. We all need a Savior. There’s so much stuff to distract us and emptiness to … Read More
Uganda Mission Trip Journal – Allen and Kristine James
April 16 & 17, 2018 We flew through the night to Amsterdam. We have a pretty long layover before we depart for Minneapolis. The flight to Amsterdam was very uncomfortable. I am not built for economy seats! I didn’t get any sleep. Our next flight is 10 hours just like the first flight. So, I went to the service desk … Read More
Uganda Mission Trip Journal – Allen and Kristine James
April 15, 2018 We finished setting the trusses today. The workers seemed to grasp the process a little better today. We were able to get all of them set and started the per-lines for the metal roofing. It was a long hard day, but it was good. Saying goodbye to some of the people tonight was harder than I expected. … Read More
Uganda Mission Trip Journal – Allen and Kristine James
April 14 & 15, 2018 Today is about travel. We will leave our hotel early and travel to Kampala and then on to Nakalanda. This morning we worshiped with the church located on the compound. The worship takes place in one of the classrooms at the school. The pastor, Paul, has a sweet spirit about him. He is so humble. … Read More