When I was 8 years old, I had it all figured out. The year was 1986, and my future was secure. The way I had it mapped out, I would play for the Boston Celtics. I grew up in awe of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Dennis Johnson, and I figured if I played basketball hard enough, it would be a cinch to make the team.
The gospel is good news. At no time is the good news of the gospel more relevant than at the time of death. While not all will experience a miracle of resuscitation from the grip of death, the gospel transforms the fear of death.
About 10 miles from Johnson Space Center, a Houston-area church takes a moment during Wednesday Bible studies and Sunday evening services to pray for two members who cannot be there. In fact, there’s no way on Earth for NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Tracy Dyson to show up at Providence Baptist Church. They’re in space, orbiting the planet. More specifically, these two members are working on the International Space Station together.
AMERICUS - Ga. — First Baptist Church in Americus celebrated the retirement of Rev Keith Parks on Sunday, July 28. Keith came to FBC as Minister of Music & Sr. Adults on July 31 1989 straight out of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Marie Beam says she’s always liked working on cars. She found out early on that she didn’t like being stranded — she’d rather be able to do something about it when her car had problems. “I started learning how to do it myself,” she said.
In Syracuse, New York, Pastor Ronnie Wyatt and The Neighborhood Church, a Send Relief affiliate, transform lives through faith and action. For example, the church’s Safe Place outreach offers more than just free coffee, clothes, and food.
WAKE FOREST, N.C. — Southeastern Seminary is excited to announce the appointment of Kristin Kellen as director of the EdD program. Associate professor of biblical counseling at Southeastern and an alumna of the PhD and EdD programs, Kellen has faithfully served as the associate director of EdD studies for the past two years.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — “I smoked drugs in this area,” recalls formerly incarcerated Muslim-turned-Baptist Gino Hattingh, of a nearby impoverished neighborhood. But today, Gino has been leading teams from Send Relief Serve Tour to share the gospel with people suffering from the very same addictions and behavior that landed him in prison for 13 years.
“We can’t control the results, but we can measure our faithfulness,” said Jason Harris, team leader for the International Mission Board’s Paris team, explaining their strategy for gospel outreach during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
This has been a good year for Matthew Slater, former wide receiver for the New England Patriots. A special teams player for most of his career, Slater is considered one of the great gunners (a player whose job is to tackle the punt returner) of all time. After 16 seasons, he announced his retirement Feb. 20.
There is an oceanic experience known as the doldrums, which refers to certain regions of the ocean marked by the absence of strong winds. Pastors and ministry leaders also experience what feels like …
GuideStone trustees heard various reports from staff related to executing the enterprise’s Reach strategic plan, received the audit committee report and heard a strong report from Mission:Dignity.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Six hundred backpacks, filled with school supplies. That was the goal that Pastor Al Mead set for the congregation at New Hope’s North Campus in Fayetteville and South Campus in Senoia.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Students at at North Fayette Elementary School were treated to free backpacks filled with school supplies and a "Back to School Bash" on Saturday, courtesy of New Hope Baptist Church.
DULUTH, Ga. — The Georgia Baptist Foundation honors Vice President of Development Sam Warner during the August Board meeting as he transitions to serve as President of the Tennessee Baptist Foundation (TBF) in August. Exiting TBF President Bill Gruenewald announced his upcoming retirement in February and Warner’s election as president in early July.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As the police car headed out of an apartment complex and toward Main Street of a small Tennessee town, Pastor Michael Koontz looked out the window at the Halloween decorations in a small house on the corner. As a law enforcement chaplain, Koontz had grown accustomed to surprises while he rode along with men in blue. But not much had prepared him for what would happen next on this day.
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — What is the secret to a spiritual awakening taking place among students in central Florida? It’s really no secret at all. First Baptist Church in Winter Garden and Foundation Academy, a private Christian school in Winter Garden, have partnered together to integrate the gospel into every aspect of students’ educational life, resulting in a campus-wide spiritual revival.
Many lives have been impacted in recent years by the book “Why They Stay” by Georgia authors Dr. Steve R. Parr and Dr. Tom Crites. The research-based book addressed what keeps kids connected to church into their adult lives.
Watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics reminded me that we live in a sinful and dying world. Shocked, even horrified at some of the things displayed, I realized again that lost people act like lost people.
At our house, we have an older refrigerator that stays in the garage. It is filled mostly with water, sodas, apple juice, and Gatorades. Basically, anytime you want a drink you go to the garage refrigerator. In the spring and summer we “host” little lizards around our house. Of course, all the adults realize they are harmless, but the kids are a different story.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (KT) — The Pastor’s Workshop — designed to offer a unique blend of education and relationship building at a retreat pace — is scheduled for Sept. 16-19 at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
ADEL, Ga. — Pastor Brian Gay and the congregation of Greggs Baptist Church in Adel take evangelism seriously. Gay believes that the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament is the best church growth manual available and that those who follow that model will generally find success.
Pews? Where we’re going, we don’t need pews. Some churchgoers say walking into their church feels like time travel, with ministry that would be at home in the past.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — “How have I been doing ministry for 20 years without this?!” Michelle Helmkamp said after taking her first course at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Michelle is finishing up her Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling at Southern Seminary, but her journey into theological education came thirty years after her last formal class.
GRAY, Ga. — When Pastor Adam Bray and his wife Megan came to Elam Baptist Church two years ago, they had a vision of a “church without walls.” They saw the various Mission Georgia initiatives as great ways to impact their community and be able to share the transforming truth of the gospel.