PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — Bob Fernandez thought he'd go dancing and see the world when he joined the U.S. Navy as a 17-year-old high school student in August 1941.

ATLANTA — Each year, groups of Georgia Baptists are invited to join Mike Griffin, the public affairs representative for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, for tours of the state Capitol building to pray for government leaders and enjoy the festive holiday decorations. Those who went on the Christmas Prayer tour Wednesday, Dec. 4, got a special treat as Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife Marty met with them.

Lottie Moon served Southern Baptists as a missionary in P’ingtu and Tengchow, China. She established a new church, saw thousands come to faith in Christ, and persevered through much deprivation and suffering to advance the cause of Christ.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. —  As Americans make their Christmas plans, slightly less than half say they usually attend a church service during the holiday season. A Lifeway Research study finds U.S. adults are split on whether they’ll be at church sometime this Christmas—47% say they typically attend church at Christmastime, while 48% say they do not, and 5% aren’t sure.

SUWANEE, Ga. — W. Thomas Hammond, Jr., executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, told messengers at the annual meeting of the Georgia Baptist Convention last month that the population of Georgia grew last year by 230,000 people and said, “We have the privilege of introducing Jesus to all of them.”