On Monday night at the 9:30 Club in Washington, I stood for three hours with roughly 800 other people to listen to three bands play live music. Once again I found God speaking in sacred ways all over the “secular”…
Retreat to focus on meditation, spiritual practices
RICHMOND, Va.—A three-day retreat this month will offer both laypersons and ministers a balanced rhythm of prayer and meditation, cognitive learning and practical physical work. “Unforced Rhythms of Grace” is set for April 23-25 at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center…
Bluefield graduate key in effort to stop sex abuse
BLUEFIELD, Va.—The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, a coalition committed to ending sexual and domestic violence, recently named Bluefield College alumna Judy Casteele as one of the industry’s “Top 30 Most Influential People.” In celebration of its 30th…
EDITORIAL: ObamaCare might go away but the problem won’t
Although it may not be decided fully until June, soon we will have a good idea of how the Supreme Court will rule on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise called ObamaCare. At this point in its deliberations…
TRENDING: Three venue trends
The past three decades brought a proliferation of where congregations assemble in the United States. What can we expect in the coming decade? 1. Increasing importance of church buildings. John Chandler “Here is the church, here is the steeple; open…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Larry Leader watches and learns
t all started with a Yogi Berra quote, of all things. After another long day on the job, Larry Leader is watching a little TV. His small construction business is beginning to pick up again but finding new jobs feels…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Churches lost $1.2 billion in recession
WASHINGTON (RNS)—Even as membership remains relatively stable in U.S. churches, the effects of the recession have caused contributions to drop by $1.2 billion. According to the 2012 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, the almost $29 billion contributed by church…
Religious freedom ambassador adapts to role
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Nearly a year into her stint as the State Department’s point person on religious freedom, former Baptist minister Suzan Johnson Cook has traveled to eight countries and seems to have moved beyond questions about her lack of…
HeraldBeat
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Religious freedom ambassador settles into role
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Nearly a year into her stint as the State Department’s point person on religious freedom, former Baptist minister Suzan Johnson Cook has traveled to eight countries and seems to have moved beyond questions about her lack of…
CBF initiative brings hope to nation’s poorest counties
By Vicki Brown The Lakota of Bridger, S.D., now have fresh eggs available in their neighborhood at about half the cost, and young women in Helena, Ark., are learning business and leadership skills while earning an income to help their…
The poor among you
By Ken Camp They gather at dawn at day-labor centers or designated parking lots where contractors hire workers. Some stop on their way to pick up a cheap breakfast taco at a convenience store, buying their meal from an employee…