By Robert Dilday In the aftermath of furious thunderstorms that swept the Mid-Atlantic June 29, leaving nearly 2 million households without power in the midst of record-breaking heat, Baptists in the region were initiating feeding and cleanup services in stricken…
Your church has committed to staying put. Now what?
By Robert Dilday Begin with low-hanging fruit. “Start small with block parties, trunk or treats, Easter egg hunts and Valentine’s dances,” said Bill Shiell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tenn. “Then reflect on your success and build on it….
Clear identity crucial for downtown churches
By Robert Dilday “I think the most important question a congregation can ask is: Who is God calling us to be?” said Beth Kennett of the Center for Congregational Health in Winston-Salem, N.C. “And wherever they are located, they must add to…
Urban churches bloom where planted
By Robert Dilday Committed to “blooming where they’re planted,” these congregations have developed vibrant ministry to their in-town communities. And remaining there is integral to their identity and the way they engage God’s mission. Downtown churches are an idea whose…
Organizations step into role of religious curriculum publishers
By Robert Dilday Local congregations aren’t alone in discovering that developing Christian education resources can meet a critical need. Other organizations have expanded their missions to include creating Bible study materials. Both the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the…
BTSR to offer M.Div. concentration in justice, peace
By Robert Dilday A concentration in justice and peacebuilding will be available to master of divinity degree students at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmondbeginning this fall, in a collaborative effort a seminary spokesman said would help the school “live out”…
North Carolina’s CBF focuses on reconciliation at assembly
By Robert Dilday Reconciliation topped the agenda of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina’s annual general assembly March 23-24, as worship services and workshops explored the organization’s role in enhancing Christian unity. Live into God’s gift of unity, BWA…
Class status influences views on poverty, say organizers
By Robert Dilday Attitudes toward poverty are strongly influenced by class distinctions and experience, and frequently lead to misrepresentations of the poor, say two couples who operate a Christian community building organization in a low-income neighborhood of Charlotte, N.C. “There…
Mid-Atlantic CBF hears of ‘revolutionary’ mission changes
By Robert Dilday One of the most revolutionary changes in global missions engagement is the new centrality of congregations in the movement, members of the Mid-Atlantic Cooperative Baptist Fellowship were told March 18. Outgoing MACBF moderator Kasey Jones (left) and…