Of all the stories covered in The Christian Index in 2024, perhaps none had a greater impact than the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene and the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s response.

PLAINS, Ga. — The memorial services for former President Jimmy Carter will culminate Thursday with a private funeral service and burial in Plains, Ga. Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are partnering with other agencies to help feed the hundreds of workers present for those events.

NEW ORLEANS — The Leeke Magee Christian Counseling Center at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, in conjunction with Baptist Community Ministries, is offering free counseling services to those impacted by the attack that took place New Year’s Day on Bourbon Street. This includes direct victims, their families, first responders and any other community members otherwise impacted by the event. 

ATLANTA, Ga. — Crises abound in our world today. However, few seem to be more troubling and heart-rending than the conflict between Israel and Hamas, especially regarding the hostages that have been killed and those who are still held captive somewhere in the Gaza Strip.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A U.S. Army veteran driving a pickup truck that bore the flag of the Islamic State group wrought carnage on New Orleans’ raucous New Year’s celebration, killing 15 people as he steered around a police blockade and slammed into revelers before being shot dead by police.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Firework mortars and camp fuel canisters were found stuffed into the back of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel early Wednesday, killing a suspect inside the vehicle and sparking an intense investigation into possible terrorism.

NEW YORK (AP) — From Sydney to Mumbai to Nairobi, communities around the world welcomed 2025 with spectacular light shows, embraces, and ice plunges. The New Year’s Eve ball dropped in soggy Times Square, where thousands of revelers stuck it out in heavy rain to celebrate the start of 2025 in New York City.

DECATUR, Ga. — When Jim Haskell, a student majoring in Industrial Engineering at Georgia Tech, agreed to assist the student minister at Atlanta’s Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in 1973, it was not likely that he knew the amazing path that God would fashion for him in the decades to come.

ROCK SPRING, Ga. — In a heartwarming act of generosity and compassion, Peavine Baptist Church has announced that it has partnered with Undue Medical Debt to erase more than $5.7 million in medical debt for over 4,200 individuals in the Georgia counties of Catoosa, Walker, and Whitfield.

ALPHARETTA, Ga.  — Send Network’s efforts in 2024 underscored the important role new, gospel-focused churches play in reaching North America and the world. “The early Church understood when God births a church, he has the nations on his heart,” Send Network President Vance Pitman said at the Send Network Gathering in Boston.

Intercessory prayer is an essential part of completing the Great Commission. God works through your prayers to impact lostness. We’ve seen it!  This year, we asked you to pray for some fun and sometimes difficult things happening around the world. Join us as we celebrate the goodness and greatness of God.

SENOIA, GA — In the true spirit of the holiday season, New Hope Baptist Church is thrilled to announce its first Christmas Store Georgia, a heartwarming initiative dedicated to bringing joy and hope to local families in need. This event took place at the church's South Campus in Senoia on Dec. 13 and 14.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Major hurricanes, international compassion ministry projects, and the Serve Tour highlighted Send Relief’s year in 2024 as the joint compassion ministry of the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board met physical needs and shared the eternal hope of the gospel.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A banner year for church planting in Canada, a third straight increase in baptisms, and another record year for giving to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering featured prominently in the North American Mission Board’s ministry in 2024.

MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Mourners laid flowers near the scene of the deadly Christmas market attack on Monday as investigators puzzled over the motive of the suspect and fears swirled that the rampage could deepen divisions in German society.

ATLANTA — Hebron Christian won Wednesday's GHSA private A-3A championship game, routing Prince Avenue Christian 56-28. The game was a rematch of their Nov. 1 meeting, which Prince Avenue won 34-31.

W. Thomas Hammond, Jr., executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, and the Executive Committee of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board are excited to announce a series of changes to the GBMB staff. In a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, December 3, the committee affirmed these changes and announced them on Dec. 10 at a meeting of the full Executive Committee.

SUWANEE, Ga. — The Georgia Baptist Mission Board and Friends of Kaleo, Inc., announced last week the formal signing of an agreement that both groups hope will keep Camp Kaleo operating for the foreseeable future. Friends of Kaleo is a non-profit group of former staff, campers, churches, pastors, missionaries, and families created to generate financial support for Camp Kaleo and support its ministry.

ATLANTA — The Hebron Christian Academy Lions (11-2) will face the Prince Avenue Christian School Wolverines (10-3) on Wednesday, Dec. 18, in the Georgia High School Association Private A-3A championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The contest will be a rematch of the schools’ Nov. 1 game, which Prince Ave won 34-31.

NATIONWIDE (BP) – It’s an idea probably 50 years old, but some Southern Baptist churches – such as Red Land Baptist Church in Cumberland, Pa. – still provide a “post office” for members’ Christmas card sharing, with the “postage” going to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.

ACWORTH, Ga. — Marshall Reinhardt celebrated his 100th birthday on Dec. 1 the way you might expect a retired pastor to do so – he stood in the pulpit and boldly preached the Word of God. In a strong and unwavering voice, Marshall told members of Awtrey-Westville Baptist Church in Acworth, pastored by his son Tommy Reinhardt, about the goodness of Jesus.

ROME, Ga. (AP) — A motorist was killed as police responded to a bomb threat at the Georgia home of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, authorities said. A police officer on the local bomb squad was traveling to the scene when he collided with another car on Monday, Rome police said in a statement.

ROME, Ga. — Hollywood star Kevin Sorbo told listeners at Shorter University that despite his success as an action hero, he finds greater satisfaction working in the faith-based film industry.

NATIONWIDE (BP) – How does giving to missions bless a local church? Pastors say their churches benefit from giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in many ways.

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.