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
Uganda Mission Trip Journal – Allen and Kristine James
April 13, 2018 Today was the final day of the Tororo pastors conference. I have to be honest, I’m glad that’s over. Don’t get me wrong, this has been an incredible privilege, but I’m tired! Today was a day of worship like I have rarely seen in my life. I couldn’t understand most of what they were singing or praying, … Read More
Uganda Mission Trip Journal – Allen and Kristine James
April 12, 2018 Our second pastors conference began today. The host church is lead by Pastor Paul. A few days before we arrived pastor Paul had purchased all of the food for the conference. They are feeding all of the attendees 3 meals a day. The church was broken into and the food was stolen. As usual, God provides! Out … Read More
Uganda Mission Trip Journal – Allen and Kristine James
April 11, 2018 Today we continued the pastors training. Again, I taught 4 sessions with a Q&A at the end of the day. The topics for today’s sessions were specifically requested yesterday. We spent a lot of time teaching on the role of a pastor and the structure of the church. God really burdened me to bring teaching that emphasized … Read More
Uganda Mission Trip Journal – Allen and Kristine James
April 10, 2018 Today we began the first pastors conference. I didn’t really know what to expect. Boy was I surprised. The village we were hosting the event in was about 20 minutes away from Bugiri. The attendance was less than expected due to severe flooding in the region. The pastor of the church, Pastor Paul, where the event is … Read More