The Federal Reserve reported American consumer debt reached $2.5 trillion last December, and there’s no indication it has dropped significantly since then — or that Christians are immune. Stewardship sermons aside, many American Christians find themselves drowning in debt. Some…
Averett sees record number of new students, increase in total enrollment
DANVILLE, Va. — For the third consecutive year, Averett University has broken records in new student enrollment — bringing the school’s total enrollment to its highest level since 2000. The Baptist-affiliated school in Danville, Va., added 360 new students this fall,…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Bivocational ministry — a real gift
Our TGIF article here focused on the pulls and perils of bivocational pastors. Being a bivocational pastor comes with multiple challenges. But those challenges are accompanied by many rewards that benefit both the pastors and the churches they serve. Unwrapping…
Biblical teaching goes deeper than fund-raising appeals, consultant says
People perish without vision, and so do congregations. But churches may suffer when doctrine-deprived members only hear about vision within the context of fund-raising appeals, said Jeff Anderson, founder of Acceptable Gift and author of Plastic Donuts: A Fresh Perspective…
Church van crash kills two youth in Tennessee congregation’s pastor is former Va. Baptist leader
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Two people were killed and 12 others injured Sept. 16 when a van carrying youth from Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Maryville, Tenn. — whose pastor is a former Virginia Baptist leader — collided head-on with…
LEADERSHIP LINK: TGIF doesn’t mean what you think
Pat grew up in Baptist churches in the Midwest and West. In the 1950s, he went to his state’s agricultural and mechanical college, studying animal husbandry. Next, Pat went to seminary. Then, he joined the Navy and flew on Cold…
Pastors of racially-mixed congregations believe over time homogeneity will become the exception
ATLANTA (ABP) — Park Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta is considered by some a hopeful sign that Sunday may soon no longer be the most segregated time in America. A dwindling, all white congregation eight years ago, the church is…
Grand or grind? Grandparents increasingly assume care for grandchildren
“I want to be a good grandmother (or grandfather) but I want to live my life, too.” The refrain echoes around the country as more grandparents assume responsibility for their grandchildren. One in 10 children lives with a grandparent, according…
Churches can help grandparents who bear responsibility for grandchildren
“The church building is not a monument. It’s an instrument for God,” Timothy Williams, pastor of Bethsaida Missionary Baptist Church in Mexia, Texas, believes. His wife, Cheryl, director of apartment ministries for Buckner International, is praying her church and others…
Churches benefit in tough times from proper preparation in good times
When it comes to finances, bad things sometimes happen to good churches. Natural disasters occur. So do instances of theft and vandalism. Local layoffs or a national economic downturn can affect giving drastically. Good stewardship demands churches prepare for financial…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Larry Leader feels fenced in
Larry Leader has had a rough day at work. He and his construction crew are in the middle of remodeling an old home. Nothing is going smoothly. The old home’s floors aren’t level, its walls aren’t straight and its foundation…
OPINION: The end of church as we know it
(ABP) — Has anybody out there noticed that church attendance has been lower lately? The church budget is stretched thin because fewer people are giving? You can’t get a commitment out of people who are so busy they are already…