By Bob Allen North Americans attending the July 2-7 Baptist World Alliance annual gathering in Santiago, Chile, convened Thursday afternoon to preview plans for the 50th anniversary celebration of the North American Baptist Fellowship in 2014. The March 6-7, 2014,…
‘Business as mission’ fulfills calling
By Jeff Brumley Some Christians live out their faith by pastoring churches, visiting prisoners or serving as missionaries. Jordan England does it by designing and selling furniture. “This is my calling,” said England, the 31-year-old owner and CEO of Industry…
VITAL SIGNS: Describe a healthy pastor search process, please
The search process for a new pastor is both an exhilarating and a risky time for a congregation. Healthy congregations go at this task from the framework of a spiritual discernment process that is unique to the free-call tradition of…
OPINION: It’s not about Sunday
We need to focus more on Sunday morning. We need to start a new worship service. We need to do more to get young people through our doors. These are the cries so often heard in the 21st century Baptist…
HeraldBeat
Transitions ON THE MOVE Michael Cheuk, to University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Va., as senior pastor, effective in August. Michael Wyre, to Lynn Haven Baptist Church, Vinton, Va., as pastor. Alex C. Gallimore, to Hester Baptist Church, Oxford, N.C., as pastor….
Kingdom calling is not about a church’s institutional survival
Stewardship sermons often focus on finances. Even when preachers include stewardship of time and talents, emphasis on their use at church typically trumps application to the workplace or community. Amy Sherman wants church leaders to grasp a wider vision. “I…
What does it mean to fulfill one’s calling in God’s kingdom?
Many Americans have a clearer idea what they will do on summer vacation than how they will fulfill any God-given sense of vocation. Some Christians see vocation as limited to a select few—mostly ministers and missionaries. Even those who see…
For this Baptist, ‘business as mission’ is calling
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP)—Some Christians live out their faith by ministering in churches, visiting prisoners or serving as missionaries. Jordan England does it by designing and selling furniture. “This is my calling,” said England, the 31-year-old owner and CEO of Industry…
LETTER: Praise for a mentor
I attended the annual meeting of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society on the evening of May 22. Nine days later Julian Pentecost died. The timing was somewhat providential for me because I was thinking about Dr. Pentecost on that May…
OUT LOUD
“Of course, Benny has always said that the ministry came first. Then he started to say that he was married to the ministry.” Suzanne Hinn The ex-wife of evangelist Benny Hinn was interviewed on the Christian Broadcast Network’s The 700…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Blessed are the church leaders who make peace in their own congregations, part 1
Most would agree that conflict in human relationships is inevitable, even normal. Managed, conflict can cause us to identify needed changes and creates energy enough to make them. It can be a catalyst causing growth. It can cause us to…
TRENDING: Movement thinking, part 1: Adaptive methods
A powerful and welcome trend today is the conversation about starting movements. Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, Seth Godin’s Tribes and Ori Brafman’s The Starfish and the Spider have electrified and mainstreamed this topic. A movement is an informal grouping…