Missionary Chad Phillips, who coordinates missionary kids programs for the Assemblies of God, joins missionary kids on a Skype online video chat. (RNS PHOTO/Courtesy Bianca Flokstra) WASHINGTON (RNS)—Janine Winkler loves reading books to her 2-year-old grandson Judah. But instead of…
Teen website changes lives through laughs and relationship
HARRISON, Ark.—With just the click of a mouse, Doug Hutchcraft and Jon Taylor are pointing teenagers and young adults to Jesus. Desiring to communicate the gospel to a generation that has grown up on the Internet, they have developed a…
Baylor regents vote to allow non-Baptists on governing board
DALLAS — The governing body of Baylor University, the world’s largest Baptist academic institution, now may include Christians who are not Baptists. Baylor’s board of regents voted Feb. 11 to amend the university’s bylaws, allowing members who are active in…
Recognize children’s digital proficiency, but be alert to dangers
When it comes to digital communication, children are natives, and their parents are immigrants. And that puts parents at a distinct disadvantage in protecting children from online danger, according to the president of a nonprofit advocacy group devoted to guarding…
Churches view social networking as ministry tool
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP)—With the Internet closing in on television as Americans’ main source of national and international news, churches increasingly are viewing social-networking applications like Facebook as ministry tools. “Social networking tools have become an integral part of most people’s…
Looking to find your center of creativity? Unplug
Dad, I want you to confiscate all my technology this weekend so I can find the creative center of myself.” These words of wisdom from our middle child, the comedic genius of the family, brought many laughs and “likes” as…
Parsing the president
By David Gushee Here is one Christian ethicist’s grammatical analysis of important lines in last week’s thoughtful State of the Union address by President Obama. Obama: “We believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of…
Morris Ashcraft dies, helped establish Baptist Seminary at Richmond
EVANSTON, Ill. (ABP) — Morris Ashcraft, a longtime seminary professor and administrator who after retiring helped establish Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, died Jan. 29 after a long illness. He was 88. An Arkansas native, Ashcraft taught five years at…
How senior are senior adults?
Jan. 1 not only marked the beginning of a new year, but also saw the first Baby Boomers turn 65 years old. And congregations face the evolving challenge of finding ways to minister with and to them. Bill Pigott, state…
No single size or shape fits ministry to all older adults
Pretend for a moment a congregation has called you as youth minister and includes all individuals from 3 to 30 years old as your group. What is your reaction? Most people wouldn’t expect a youth worker to deal with such…
Challenge for churches: How to care for caregivers
As churches minister to the most elderly and infirm among members, some also seek ways to serve their caregivers — often family members — who often labor around the clock. Frank Fain, director of educational services for The Baptist Home…
Religious persecution on the upswing?
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The New Year’s Day massacre at a Coptic church in Egypt. Christian converts facing the death penalty in Afghanistan. Swastikas painted on a Jewish synagogue in Venezuela. As the headlines deliver fresh stories of the persecution of…