Well, my old friend, Doug Hutcheson, is about to take that inevitable leap into retirement. I met Doug in about 1994 at Family Camp on the Boulder. He was part of a crop of new, young pastors that seemed to descend as a herd onto the MTSBC scene. I suppose I was part of that herd. Doug and I seemed … Read More
A Dream Fulfilled
The Payton family has always had a lot going on. Not only is Greg busy pastoring a church and participating in other ministry engagements, his wife, Patty, works full time and leads the children’s ministry at The Rock Church in Laurel. Having three boys active in music and football, things never seemed to slow down. As satisfied as they were … Read More
Caring for Our City
In 1980, I became a pastor full time. Over the years, there have been things I really liked to do and then there was one thing that I really didn’t like. That one thing that I made myself do was to visit people in the hospital. My wife, Sylvia, has been a great help in this area, because often she … Read More
God Uses the Unexpected
Bob Keele and his wife, Dahlia, met and married right after he graduated from Hysham High School in 1988. They immediately started a journey of discovering that you can leave God’s calling in the background, but He will never truly take it away! Bob knew from an early age that God was calling him into some sort of ministry, but … Read More
Western wildfires have Baptists poised for action
SEELEY LAKE, Mont. (BP) — With wildfires in the western United States having consumed a cumulative area larger than the state of Maryland, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief units are preparing for ministry. Nine western states — California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming — have experienced fires this year that have consumed more than 8 million total … Read More
Join us at Refresh
It’s hard to believe that summer is nearly over. Denise and I have now marked three of Montana’s four seasons. They’ve been interesting seasons. We’re told, though I have to admit we’re withholding judgment, that this past winter and summer have been two of the most extreme on record. Maybe so. We’ll wait till next year to see if that’s … Read More
Resources to Help Engage with Church Planting
Do you have a desire to get involved with a church plant, but now sure where to go to get more information? Are you looking for tools that will help disciple leaders in your church and prepare them for ministry possibly, even to start a church in a new community? Here are some resources that will be of great value … Read More
Bringing Back Boredom
“We used to hang out at the local ice-cream shop or cruise the main drag.” “Where do students hang out these days?” That was the question asked to me by a MT pastor recently as we discussed youth ministry. After swapping stories about where we hung out in our teen years, I offered to show this pastor where students hang … Read More
Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way
An advertising slogan that I came to love growing up was used by Dodge and simply claimed, “Lead, Follow, or Get out of the Way.” I recently challenged the congregation of Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church with this slogan and the response has been amazing. We decided to increase our mission support to 25% of our tithes and offerings, answer … Read More
God Works Mightily in Peru
Earl Shetler has been the pastor at Chief Cornerstone Baptist Church in Box Elder, Montana, for almost six years. In that time, the church attendance has grown steadily, and is now averaging around 20. This is quite an accomplishment, considering the size of this small Eastern Montana town located on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. While attending Refresh Montana in … Read More